Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the prevalence of drug spiking.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Reports of spiking, whether that is adding substances to drinks or injecting people with needles, are extremely concerning, and this is an issue that government and law enforcement are taking very seriously. We have every sympathy with victims and anyone who might feel unable to enjoy a night out without fear. We utterly condemn anyone who perpetrates such attacks, and they should be brought to justice.
In September 2021, the Home Secretary asked the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to urgently review the extent and scale of the issue. We continue to receive regular updates from the police and are working together to understand the issue locally, regionally and nationally, including working with our partners in the National Crime Agency.
The abhorrent crimes of spiking also speak to broader issues of violence against women and girls. We published our new cross-Government tackling violence against women and girls strategy last Summer, to help to ensure that women and girls are safe everywhere. We are delivering a pilot £5 million safety of women at night fund, focused on preventing violence against women and girls in public spaces at night, particularly in the night-time economy. That is in addition to the £25 million safer streets fund, which focuses on improving public safety, with an emphasis on the safety of women and girls, and their feelings of safety in public spaces.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support businesses in the night-time economy in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government’s response to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 enabled businesses across the night-time economy, including nightclubs, to remain open over the holiday period as Plan B measures were introduced in England.
Recognising the impact of Omicron, the Chancellor announced a further £1 billion of support including one-off grants for hospitality, accommodation and leisure businesses and over £100 million discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support other businesses. Eligible businesses can also access an additional £30 million available through the Culture Recovery Fund Over the course of the pandemic, the Government has provided £400 billion of businesses support
The success of our vaccine and booster programme is now allowing us to revert to Plan A. As a result, the Government is no longer asking people to work from home and, as of 27 January, nightclubs and events venues are no longer required by law to check visitors’ NHS COVID Pass. They can still choose to use the NHS COVID Pass on a voluntary basis.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the regulation and licensing provisions in respect of public transport, taxis and private hire vehicles in ensuring the safety of late night workers using those forms of transport.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government recognises the vital role that public transport, including taxi and private hire vehicles, play in getting people to work at all times of the day and night. Passenger safety is integral to the regulation and licensing of passenger transport service providers and policy is constantly kept under review.
The Department for Transport is also working closely with the Home Office on the Government’s cross-departmental strategy to address Violence Against Women and Girls. The Department for Transport’s first Women’s Safety Champions are engaging with campaign groups, industry and Government to understand areas for improvement across the UK’s transport network. They will shortly produce independent recommendations for the Department and wider transport network on what best practice should be adopted to improve safety of the transport network for women and girls. We expect that these measures will enhance safety for all passengers at all times.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the (a) availability and (b) affordability of (i) public and (ii) other forms of transport on the safety of workers in the nighttime economy; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government recognises the vital role that safe public transport, including taxi and private hire vehicles, plays in getting people to and from work at all times of the day and night.
Bus Back Better, the Government’s national bus strategy published last year, recognises the important role buses have to play in meeting local transport needs. Through the Bus Service Operators Grant £259 million of funding is available annually to be claimed by operators of qualifying services. This enables operators to keep fares down and ensure services are run which otherwise would not be, providing greater accessibility to bus services than otherwise would be the case. As part of the strategy the Government plans to issue new guidance on ‘socially necessary’ services, expanding the category to include ‘economically necessary’ services such as those supporting the night time economy.
Taxis and private hire vehicles play an important role in supporting the night-time economy when mass transit may not be so readily available. As of 31 March 2021, there were 251,100 licensed taxis and private hire vehicles. Local authorities have the power to set taxi fares for journeys within their area, and most authorities do so. Local authorities have no power to set fares for private hire vehicles. Fares for private hire vehicles, which must be pre-booked with a licensed operator, are set by the operator. The competitive pre-booked market allows operators to compete on price as well as other factors such as quality of service.
The Department has worked with Local Transport Authorities and light rail operators to ensure the availability of light rail public transport is correct for the conurbations they serve. Light rail coronavirus (COVID-19) funding has ensured Local Transport Authorities can continue to operate services for the people of their region allowing for access to jobs and leisure, and that this remains unaffected by any impacts the pandemic may have had.
Maintaining a safe and secure railway remains a priority for Government, through initiatives such as the British Transport Police’s 61016 campaign.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will make public sexual harassment a specific criminal offence.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Sexual harassment in public places is an appalling practice, which this Government is committed to tackling. Women and girls have the right to both be and feel safe on our streets.
As set out in the Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, published last July, we are looking carefully at where there may be gaps in existing law and how a specific offence for public sexual harassment could address those.
In addition, in order to tackle public sexual harassment:
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the outcomes of Devon and Cornwall Police's anti-drink spiking campaign.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
This is an issue that the Government takes very seriously. Reports of spiking, whether that is adding substances to drinks or injecting people with needles, are extremely concerning. We have every sympathy with victims and anyone who might feel unable to enjoy a night out without fear. We utterly condemn the people who perpetrated those attacks, and they should be brought to justice.
We are aware of emerging good practice on this issue – for example, Devon and Cornwall Police introduced a force-wide strategy to obtain a more detailed picture of the issue around drink spiking. This is in partnership with other agencies and the licensing trade. Officers are able to utilise drink testing and urine testing to get immediate results when allegations are made. This has been in place since 1st August and has reassured many individuals as well as providing the basis for a more effective and immediate investigation into offences.
My officials are engaging with Devon and Cornwall police to understand more about the strategy and how the lessons learned could be applied to other areas of England and Wales. We are aware of the good work being carried out in areas such as Bristol, and are grateful for the action taken independently by venues to ensure the safety of their patrons.
More widely, the Home Secretary has already asked the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to urgently review the extent and scale of the issue, and we are receiving regular updates from the police. The police are working locally, regionally and nationally, including with our partners in the National Crime Agency.
The abhorrent crimes of spiking also speak to broader issues of violence against women and girls. We published our new cross-Government tackling violence against women and girls strategy this summer, to help to ensure that women and girls are safe everywhere. We are delivering a pilot £5 million safety of women at night fund, focused on preventing violence against women and girls in public spaces at night, particularly in the night-time economy. That is in addition to the £25 million safer streets fund, which focuses on improving public safety, with an emphasis on the safety of women and girls, and their feelings of safety in public spaces.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding her Department has allocated to partnerships of the police with other agencies to tackle misogyny and violence against women and girls.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
This year, we have allocated approximately £43m to supporting victims and tackling perpetrators of violence against women and girls (VAWG) including domestic abuse. This includes £11.2m funding for stalking perpetrator interventions and funding for research into perpetrators and £2.1m funding for frontline support and activity for sexual violence and other forms of violence against women and girls. The Home Office has also provided £1.28m funding for seven helplines (including the national domestic abuse helpline as well as helplines for victims of ‘honour’-based abuse, revenge porn and for male and LGBT+ victims).
The Home Office part-funds the National Stalking Helpline, run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, and has recently tripled its funding, such that it will now provide up to £155,000 this year. The extra funding is enabling the helpline to answer more calls and to expand its advocacy service outside London.
The Home Office provided a total of £211,000 of additional funding to stalking-focused charities The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service and the Hollie Gazzard Trust to help them to deal with the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic.
Through the VAWG Strategy we are investing:
In addition to this, on 2 September we also launched the pilot on an online tool, StreetSafe, that enables the public to anonymously report areas where they feel unsafe and identify what about the location made them feel this way. The data will be used to inform local decision-making on street safety.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) what steps she is taking to tackle domestic abuse and (b) whether she plans to increase funding to (i) Enfield and Haringey Metropolitan Police Service, (ii) Enfield Council and (iii) grassroots community organisations in Enfield North constituency to help tackle domestic abuse.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Domestic abuse is an abhorrent crime and the Government continues to take action tackle it. Our Domestic Abuse Act became law this April. This is a truly game changing piece of legislation which will transform our response to victims in every region in England and Wales and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.
Early in the new year, we will publish a strategy dedicated to tackling domestic abuse. It will be informed by the 180,000 responses we received to our Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Call for Evidence. The strategy will seek to transform the whole of society’s response to domestic abuse in order to prevent offending, support victims and pursue perpetrators, as well as to strengthen the systems in place needed to deliver these goals.
Producing a strategy dedicated to tackling domestic abuse is in recognition of its pervasiveness and the devasting harm it is having on millions of lives.
The strategy will seek to build on the spotlight the pandemic has shone on domestic abuse, putting it front and centre of the public’s minds, in order to make tackling it everyone’s business.
Last year we announced an additional £2 million in funding for domestic abuse organisations to ensure that vital helplines and online services continue to be easily accessible throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This year (2021-22) we will be investing £25m towards preventing and combatting perpetrators.
We are also investing £5 million for a ‘Safety of Women at Night’ fund, in addition to the £25 million Safer Streets fund that focuses on the prevention of violence against women and girls in public spaces at night, including in the night-time economy. In addition to this, Metropolitan Police funding will be up to £3,072.3m in 2021/22, an increase of up to £132.4m on the 2020/21 police funding settlement.
We will continue to fund organisations providing support to victims of these heinous crimes, including those from minoritized backgrounds, children and those requiring bespoke support for a range of abilities. Allocation of funding to specific organisations for 2022-23 has not yet been determined.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the pilot led by Devon and Cornwall police on tackling drink spiking.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Reports of spiking, whether that is adding substances to drinks or injecting people with needles, are extremely concerning. We have every sympathy with victims and anyone who might feel unable to enjoy a night out without fear. No one should feel frightened or vulnerable when they go out. We utterly condemn the people who perpetrated those attacks, and they should be brought to justice. This is an issue that the Government takes very seriously.
Devon and Cornwall Police are the first police service in the country to introduce a force-wide strategy to obtain a more detailed picture of the issue around drink spiking. This is in partnership with other agencies and the licensing trade. Officers are able to utilise drink testing and urine testing to get immediate results when allegations are made. This has been in place since 1st August and has reassured many individuals as well as providing the basis for a more effective and immediate investigation into offences.
My officials are engaging with Devon and Cornwall police to understand more about the pilot and how the lessons learned could be applied to other areas of England and Wales.
More widely, the Home Secretary has already asked the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to urgently review the extent and scale of the issue, and we are receiving regular updates from the police. The police are working locally, regionally and nationally, including with our partners in the National Crime Agency.
The abhorrent crimes of spiking also speak to broader issues of violence against women and girls. We published our new cross-Government tackling violence against women and girls strategy this summer, to help to ensure that women and girls are safe everywhere. We are delivering a pilot £5 million safety of women at night fund, focused on preventing violence against women and girls in public spaces at night, particularly in the night-time economy. That is in addition to the £25 million safer streets fund, which focuses on improving public safety, with an emphasis on the safety of women and girls, and their feelings of safety in public spaces.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on steps to tackle drink spiking in Wales.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
I have regular discussions with my Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of subjects, including the steps required to tackle drink spiking across the UK.
Reports of spiking, whether that is adding substances to drinks or injecting people with needles, are extremely concerning, and this is an issue that the Government takes very seriously. We have every sympathy with victims and anyone who might feel unable to enjoy a night out without fear.
The Home Secretary has already asked the National Police Chiefs’ Council to urgently review the extent and scale of the issue, and we are receiving regular updates from the police who are working locally, regionally and nationally, including with our partners in the National Crime Agency.
The abhorrent crimes of spiking also speak to broader issues of violence against women and girls. We published our new cross-Government tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy this summer to help to ensure that women and girls are safe everywhere. We are delivering a pilot £5 million safety of women at night fund, focused on preventing violence against women and girls in public spaces at night, particularly in the night-time economy. This is in addition to the £25 million safer streets fund, which focuses on improving public safety, with an emphasis on the safety of women and girls and their feelings of safety in public spaces.