Asked by: Will Stone (Labour - Swindon North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help protect (a) disabled and (b) vulnerable people from people who seek to take over their homes for illegal activities.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government recognises the appalling harm caused by criminals who take over vulnerable people’s homes for illegal activities. This is why we are introducing a new offence of ‘cuckooing’ in the Crime and Policing Bill to target criminals who exploit vulnerable people to take over their homes for criminal purposes. The new offence will be supported by statutory guidance for police, as well as non-statutory guidance for other agencies, to provide information on how to identify, protect and support vulnerable people at risk of cuckooing.
It is a matter of deep regret that His Majesty’s Official Opposition chose to vote against these measures at the Third Reading of the Crime and Policing Bill on 18 June.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent data her Department holds on the prevalence of intimate partner violence among young people aged 16 to 19.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Acknowledging the complex nature of domestic abuse, the ONS recently revised a question module in the Crime Survey for England and Wales to improve the accuracy and depth of data collected on domestic abuse. According to the new survey module, 18.7% of 16 to 19-year-olds experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024.
The Home Secretary has been clear that teenage relationship abuse is an extremely important issue the government is tackling. Current CPS guidance applies to all cases of domestic abuse, irrespective of the age of the perpetrator or victim, meaning that protective orders such as Restraining Orders can be implemented to protect victims.
In the upcoming VAWG Strategy, we will also outline steps we are taking to respond to teenage relationship abuse - including through prevention and supporting victims further.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the incidence of domestic abuse among 16 to 19 year-olds.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Acknowledging the complex nature of domestic abuse, the ONS recently revised a question module in the Crime Survey for England and Wales to improve the accuracy and depth of data collected on domestic abuse. According to the new survey module, 18.7% of 16 to 19-year-olds experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024.
The Home Secretary has been clear that teenage relationship abuse is an extremely important issue the government is tackling. Current CPS guidance applies to all cases of domestic abuse, irrespective of the age of the perpetrator or victim, meaning that protective orders such as Restraining Orders can be implemented to protect victims.
In the upcoming VAWG Strategy, we will also outline steps we are taking to respond to teenage relationship abuse - including through prevention and supporting victims further.
Asked by: Lord Hayward (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 28 May (HL7428), whether they have discussions with the National Police Chiefs' Council about (1) the number of police officers on restricted duties for non-criminal investigations, and (2) the duration that those officers are on restricted duties.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is currently considering the requirements around police suspension data, supporting the Government's commitment to strengthen the requirements on forces to suspend police officers under investigation for domestic abuse or sexual offences.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will (a) take steps to make identity theft a police-recordable crime and (b) make an assessment of the adequacy of support given to victims of identity theft.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The act of stealing personal information, and using it for criminal means and gains, is already outlawed. This includes through legislation such as the Fraud Act 2006, Computer Misuse Act 1990 and the Data Protection Act 2018.
The most effective way of preventing identity theft is to improve the safety and security of the identity systems we use and empower people to protect themselves from identity theft, particularly online.
We have introduced a checklist providing advice and steps on how to prevent the misuse of identities which can be found here:https://data.actionfraud.police.uk/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Identity-theft-victims-checklist.pdf
Further information about staying safe online and to avoid identity theft-enabled fraud can be found at: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with (a) the police, (b) women's groups, (c) representatives of the legal profession, (d) human rights organisations and (e) civil liberties organisations on amendments 61 to 63 of the Crime and Policing Bill.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office engaged with law enforcement and third sector partners prior to introduction of the Bill. The Home Office continues to engage with these stakeholders to ensure that the measures meet the needs of operational colleagues as well as victims and survivors.
An equality impact statement for the new offence has been published alongside the Bill and is available at: EIA. The Government also published on introduction a memorandum addressing issues arising under the ECHR in respect of measures in the Bill.
The programme motion agreed by the House on 17 June extended from one to two days the normal time available for the remaining stages of the Bill.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the time allowed for consideration of amendments 61 to 63 of the Crime and Policing Bill.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office engaged with law enforcement and third sector partners prior to introduction of the Bill. The Home Office continues to engage with these stakeholders to ensure that the measures meet the needs of operational colleagues as well as victims and survivors.
An equality impact statement for the new offence has been published alongside the Bill and is available at: EIA. The Government also published on introduction a memorandum addressing issues arising under the ECHR in respect of measures in the Bill.
The programme motion agreed by the House on 17 June extended from one to two days the normal time available for the remaining stages of the Bill.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 59412 on Government Departments: Reviews, if her Department will publish the line by line review of its spending conducted for the Spending Review 2025.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was given on 17 June to Question 59412.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what pre-legislative consultation she undertook on amendments 61 to 63 at Report Stage of the Crime and Policing Bill.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office engaged with law enforcement and third sector partners prior to introduction of the Bill. The Home Office continues to engage with these stakeholders to ensure that the measures meet the needs of operational colleagues as well as victims and survivors.
An equality impact statement for the new offence has been published alongside the Bill and is available at: EIA. The Government also published on introduction a memorandum addressing issues arising under the ECHR in respect of measures in the Bill.
The programme motion agreed by the House on 17 June extended from one to two days the normal time available for the remaining stages of the Bill.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will conduct an equality impact assessment for new offences created by amendments 61 to 63 at Report Stage of the Crime and Policing Bill.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office engaged with law enforcement and third sector partners prior to introduction of the Bill. The Home Office continues to engage with these stakeholders to ensure that the measures meet the needs of operational colleagues as well as victims and survivors.
An equality impact statement for the new offence has been published alongside the Bill and is available at: EIA
The Government also published on introduction a memorandum addressing issues arising under the ECHR in respect of measures in the Bill.
The programme motion agreed by the House on 17 June extended from one to two days the normal time available for the remaining stages of the Bill.