Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, published on 27 March 2023, whether her Department plans to take steps to implement hot spot policing if requested by a local community.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB). We know the serious impact that persistent ASB can have on both individuals and the wider community.
On 27 March we published the ASB Action Plan. The ASB Action Plan commits to tackling ASB across five key themes: stronger punishment, making communities safer, building local pride, prevention and early intervention, improving data, reporting and accountability for action. Cracking down on anti-social behaviour works in tandem with this government’s priorities to prevent more murders, drive down violent crime, including against women and girls, and burglaries.
This plan is backed by £160m of funding. This includes up to £60m to fund an increased police and other uniformed presence to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, targeting hotspots. Initially we will work with 10 police force areas, but from 2024 will support a hotspot approach across every police force area in England and Wales, which will see thousands of additional patrols taking place in places blighted by anti-social behaviour. It will be for the relevant Police and Crime Commissioners to determine the allocation of spending within their areas,.
The areas have been chosen to ensure that those areas with the greatest need when it came to tackling anti-social behaviour were able to benefit from pilot funding while ensuring there was sufficient geographical spread to allow the pilots to provide evidence for its likely impact across all of England and Wales.
There will be up to £5m to boost investment in green spaces in areas most in need, restoring parks and green spaces, giving more people access and improving pride in place.
We are on target to recruit 20,000 additional police officers by the end of March 2023. However, tackling anti-social behaviour is not just a police matter. It requires a strong and effective partnership response from all agencies working together to drive down anti-social behaviour. The measures we have outlined in the plan ensure the police, local authorities and other agencies have a wide range of powers and tools to deal with every situation of anti-social behaviour that may arise.
One of the commitments outlined in the Beating Crime Plan was to establish the principles required for a strong and effective partnership response to anti-social behaviour, working with PCCs, local authorities and other partners to help set expectations for local agencies, so that they work together to address ASB issues, including dealing with persistent offenders. This was published in July 2022.
We provided the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 including closure orders if there are reasonable grounds that the use of a particular premises has resulted or is likely to result in nuisance to members of the public and the notice is necessary to prevent the nuisance or disorder from continuing, recurring or occurring.
We have an ambitious programme of activity underway to tackle alcohol-related crime and work with police and licensing stakeholders to ensure thriving and safe night-time economies. We are piloting a training programme to help frontline practitioners identify where alcohol misuse and domestic abuse are co-occurring and to facilitate greater join-up with GPs and police.
In March 2022, we published the cross-Government Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan. The Plan will seek to transform the whole of society’s response in order to prevent offending, support victims and pursue perpetrators, as well as to strengthen the systems processes in place needed to deliver these goals.
The Plan invests over £230 million of cross-Government funding into tackling this heinous crime. This includes over £140 million for supporting victims and over £81 million for tackling perpetrators.
Some of the commitments we have delivered to date includes:
We have published research reports alongside the ASB Action Plan. The findings from the research highlight evidence and best practice examples. We expect local partners to work together to deliver a multi-agency approach to tackling anti-social behaviour and delivering the proposals set out in this plan. We will oversee the implementation and delivery of this action plan with a new Anti-social Behaviour Taskforce.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, published on 27 March 2023, on levels of domestic violence.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB). We know the serious impact that persistent ASB can have on both individuals and the wider community.
On 27 March we published the ASB Action Plan. The ASB Action Plan commits to tackling ASB across five key themes: stronger punishment, making communities safer, building local pride, prevention and early intervention, improving data, reporting and accountability for action. Cracking down on anti-social behaviour works in tandem with this government’s priorities to prevent more murders, drive down violent crime, including against women and girls, and burglaries.
This plan is backed by £160m of funding. This includes up to £60m to fund an increased police and other uniformed presence to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, targeting hotspots. Initially we will work with 10 police force areas, but from 2024 will support a hotspot approach across every police force area in England and Wales, which will see thousands of additional patrols taking place in places blighted by anti-social behaviour. It will be for the relevant Police and Crime Commissioners to determine the allocation of spending within their areas,.
The areas have been chosen to ensure that those areas with the greatest need when it came to tackling anti-social behaviour were able to benefit from pilot funding while ensuring there was sufficient geographical spread to allow the pilots to provide evidence for its likely impact across all of England and Wales.
There will be up to £5m to boost investment in green spaces in areas most in need, restoring parks and green spaces, giving more people access and improving pride in place.
We are on target to recruit 20,000 additional police officers by the end of March 2023. However, tackling anti-social behaviour is not just a police matter. It requires a strong and effective partnership response from all agencies working together to drive down anti-social behaviour. The measures we have outlined in the plan ensure the police, local authorities and other agencies have a wide range of powers and tools to deal with every situation of anti-social behaviour that may arise.
One of the commitments outlined in the Beating Crime Plan was to establish the principles required for a strong and effective partnership response to anti-social behaviour, working with PCCs, local authorities and other partners to help set expectations for local agencies, so that they work together to address ASB issues, including dealing with persistent offenders. This was published in July 2022.
We provided the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 including closure orders if there are reasonable grounds that the use of a particular premises has resulted or is likely to result in nuisance to members of the public and the notice is necessary to prevent the nuisance or disorder from continuing, recurring or occurring.
We have an ambitious programme of activity underway to tackle alcohol-related crime and work with police and licensing stakeholders to ensure thriving and safe night-time economies. We are piloting a training programme to help frontline practitioners identify where alcohol misuse and domestic abuse are co-occurring and to facilitate greater join-up with GPs and police.
In March 2022, we published the cross-Government Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan. The Plan will seek to transform the whole of society’s response in order to prevent offending, support victims and pursue perpetrators, as well as to strengthen the systems processes in place needed to deliver these goals.
The Plan invests over £230 million of cross-Government funding into tackling this heinous crime. This includes over £140 million for supporting victims and over £81 million for tackling perpetrators.
Some of the commitments we have delivered to date includes:
We have published research reports alongside the ASB Action Plan. The findings from the research highlight evidence and best practice examples. We expect local partners to work together to deliver a multi-agency approach to tackling anti-social behaviour and delivering the proposals set out in this plan. We will oversee the implementation and delivery of this action plan with a new Anti-social Behaviour Taskforce.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, published on 27 March 2023, what steps she plans to take to share (a) evidence and (b) best practice on (i) police responses and (ii) other measures to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB). We know the serious impact that persistent ASB can have on both individuals and the wider community.
On 27 March we published the ASB Action Plan. The ASB Action Plan commits to tackling ASB across five key themes: stronger punishment, making communities safer, building local pride, prevention and early intervention, improving data, reporting and accountability for action. Cracking down on anti-social behaviour works in tandem with this government’s priorities to prevent more murders, drive down violent crime, including against women and girls, and burglaries.
This plan is backed by £160m of funding. This includes up to £60m to fund an increased police and other uniformed presence to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, targeting hotspots. Initially we will work with 10 police force areas, but from 2024 will support a hotspot approach across every police force area in England and Wales, which will see thousands of additional patrols taking place in places blighted by anti-social behaviour. It will be for the relevant Police and Crime Commissioners to determine the allocation of spending within their areas,.
The areas have been chosen to ensure that those areas with the greatest need when it came to tackling anti-social behaviour were able to benefit from pilot funding while ensuring there was sufficient geographical spread to allow the pilots to provide evidence for its likely impact across all of England and Wales.
There will be up to £5m to boost investment in green spaces in areas most in need, restoring parks and green spaces, giving more people access and improving pride in place.
We are on target to recruit 20,000 additional police officers by the end of March 2023. However, tackling anti-social behaviour is not just a police matter. It requires a strong and effective partnership response from all agencies working together to drive down anti-social behaviour. The measures we have outlined in the plan ensure the police, local authorities and other agencies have a wide range of powers and tools to deal with every situation of anti-social behaviour that may arise.
One of the commitments outlined in the Beating Crime Plan was to establish the principles required for a strong and effective partnership response to anti-social behaviour, working with PCCs, local authorities and other partners to help set expectations for local agencies, so that they work together to address ASB issues, including dealing with persistent offenders. This was published in July 2022.
We provided the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 including closure orders if there are reasonable grounds that the use of a particular premises has resulted or is likely to result in nuisance to members of the public and the notice is necessary to prevent the nuisance or disorder from continuing, recurring or occurring.
We have an ambitious programme of activity underway to tackle alcohol-related crime and work with police and licensing stakeholders to ensure thriving and safe night-time economies. We are piloting a training programme to help frontline practitioners identify where alcohol misuse and domestic abuse are co-occurring and to facilitate greater join-up with GPs and police.
In March 2022, we published the cross-Government Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan. The Plan will seek to transform the whole of society’s response in order to prevent offending, support victims and pursue perpetrators, as well as to strengthen the systems processes in place needed to deliver these goals.
The Plan invests over £230 million of cross-Government funding into tackling this heinous crime. This includes over £140 million for supporting victims and over £81 million for tackling perpetrators.
Some of the commitments we have delivered to date includes:
We have published research reports alongside the ASB Action Plan. The findings from the research highlight evidence and best practice examples. We expect local partners to work together to deliver a multi-agency approach to tackling anti-social behaviour and delivering the proposals set out in this plan. We will oversee the implementation and delivery of this action plan with a new Anti-social Behaviour Taskforce.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department are taking to encourage male victims to report incidences of domestic abuse.
Answered by Sarah Dines
The Government remains committed to supporting all victims of domestic abuse, regardless of sex.
The commitments set out in the Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy and Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan apply to all victims of these crimes, including male victims. These documents aim to transform the whole of society's response to these crimes with actions to prevent abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims.
We do understand that there are specific challenges that male victims of domestic abuse face. We published the refreshed Supporting Male Victims policy document in 2022, which strengthens the government's response to male victims and includes information on the myths and stereotypes that can act as a barrier to reporting for male victims.
Whilst the Government fully acknowledges the range of barriers many male victims face, we encourage all victims to report incidents to the police, so perpetrators can be brought to justice. We also recognise that it is important for all victims to have confidence in policing. To support policing, we are:
· Providing up to £3.3 million to fund the rollout of Domestic Abuse Matters training to police forces which have yet to deliver it, or do not have their own specific domestic abuse training.
· Published updated guidance on the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), which enables the police to disclose information to a victim or potential victim of domestic abuse about their partner's or ex partner's previous abusive or violent offending.
In the Domestic Abuse Plan, we committed to a Home Office review into closed VAWG cases that have outcome 15 of 16 (evidential difficulties prevent further actions or victim does not support police action or withdraws support) to identify opportunities for improvements in the way these are used.
Asked by: Sam Tarry (Labour - Ilford South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of providing additional financial support for victims of violence against women and girls to help with increases in the cost of living.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling violence against women and girls is a Government priority. It is unacceptable and preventable, and an issue which blights the lives of millions. The Government is absolutely committed to ensuring victims have the support they need and we are conscious that the cost of living may generate additional challenges for victims and survivors.
Our Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan invests over £230 million of cross-Government funding into tackling this crime, including over £140 million to support victims and over £81 million to tackle perpetrators. This includes trialling a £300,000 ‘flexible fund’, that could make direct payments to domestic abuse victims.
In addition to the direct impact on victims, the Government also acknowledges the cost of living will have an impact on charitable organisations who work to support them. To help mitigate these challenges, where possible the Home Office has provided multi-year grants to support organisations to make maximum use of their funding, by providing greater stability and predictability on their budgets.
As announced in the Spring Budget, the Government will also be providing over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England. Further detail on this funding, including eligibility criteria, will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Sam Tarry (Labour - Ilford South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the impact of increases in the cost of living on victims of domestic abuse.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling violence against women and girls is a Government priority. It is unacceptable and preventable, and an issue which blights the lives of millions. The Government is absolutely committed to ensuring victims have the support they need and we are conscious that the cost of living may generate additional challenges for victims and survivors.
Our Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan invests over £230 million of cross-Government funding into tackling this crime, including over £140 million to support victims and over £81 million to tackle perpetrators. This includes trialling a £300,000 ‘flexible fund’, that could make direct payments to domestic abuse victims.
In addition to the direct impact on victims, the Government also acknowledges the cost of living will have an impact on charitable organisations who work to support them. To help mitigate these challenges, where possible the Home Office has provided multi-year grants to support organisations to make maximum use of their funding, by providing greater stability and predictability on their budgets.
As announced in the Spring Budget, the Government will also be providing over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England. Further detail on this funding, including eligibility criteria, will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 2 March 2023, Official Report, column 950, whether all domestic and sexual violence offenders are considered to pose a high risk of harm; and whether she is taking steps to ensure that convicted perpetrators of domestic and sexual abuse cannot obtain a passport in a new name without the police being consulted.
Answered by Sarah Dines
The Government is determined to ensure the police and other agencies have the tools they need to manage the risk posed by domestic abusers and sex offenders; we are introducing new measures to strengthen protections for victims of these crimes.
Registered sex offenders must notify certain personal details (including their name and intended foreign travel) to the police annually and whenever those details change. Failure to comply is a criminal offence. Additionally, through Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and Sexual Risk Orders a court can place conditions on offenders that pose a risk of sexual harm.
On 20 February, the Home Secretary announced our intention to make offenders sentenced to 12 months or longer for controlling or coercive behaviour eligible for management under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements. Offenders eligible for MAPPA management are risk assessed and a risk management plan is put in place.
Through the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, we have introduced Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs). DAPOs will be able to impose any requirements the court considers necessary to protect an individual from domestic abuse. Those subject to an order will be required to notify their name and address to the police. DAPOs will be piloted for two years from Spring 2024.
The police may place ‘flags’ with HM Passport Office on offenders deemed to pose a risk to the public, so that if they attempt to change their passport details, the police will be consulted. Following an internal review into offender name changes, some immediate actions are being taken forward, including ensuring that law enforcement agencies are fully utilising existing monitoring tools and information sources, including those provided by HMPO.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to protect domestic abuse victims when the person who abused them has been released from prison.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Probation Service works with other agencies to manage the risks perpetrators pose on release from prison and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of victims, potential victims, and children. For domestic abuse offenders convicted of relevant sexual or violent offences this will be under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). Where the offender is released on licence, there may be specific conditions designed to protect victims from unwanted contact with offenders.
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) updated its Domestic Abuse Policy Framework in September 2022. (Domestic abuse policy framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). It sets out the expectations for managing domestic abuse cases clearly and comprehensively.
When parliamentary time allows, we will legislate so that those convicted of controlling or coercive behaviour (CCB) with a sentence of twelve months or more imprisonment or a suspended sentence will be automatically subject to MAPPA. This will place a duty on the Police, the Probation Service and a range of other agencies to share information and work together to manage the risks the individual poses. In the meantime, we will start work now on an operating model for HMPPS and the Police to use the ViSOR public protection database to share information on CCB offenders while they are subject to supervision.
A project later this year will test the effectiveness of electronic monitoring with domestic abuse offenders on licence, including testing how it can protect existing and potential victims of domestic abuse offences.
In July 2021, we commenced a three year pilot of polygraph testing with high-risk domestic perpetrators released from prison on licence. If the pilot is successful in strengthening how we risk manage domestic abuse perpetrators, we will roll this out across England and Wales.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the replacement programme for the suspended Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme in June 2022 will be implemented; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the likelihood that perpetrators of domestic abuse who have not joined a new programme are still able to have regular contact with their victims before course completion.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is actively considering options to address the current lack of Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programmes in the family court. We are working with providers and the domestic abuse sector to explore interim arrangements, including potential new referral mechanisms, ahead of developing a revised model of support for domestic abuse cases in the family court.
The welfare of the child is the paramount consideration in any decision made by the court regarding child arrangements and the Government is working closely with stakeholders across the system to understand the impact the current change in provision has had on children and families. A timetable for the introduction of the new domestic abuse intervention offer will be confirmed in due course.
The Government has introduced a number of protections for survivors of domestic abuse in the family court. The Domestic Abuse Act prohibits cross-examination of victims by perpetrators and provides automatic eligibility for special measures for victims of domestic abuse in the family courts. The Act also makes it clear that ‘barring orders’ are available where further proceedings would risk causing harm, particularly where proceedings could be a form of continuing domestic abuse
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the safety of victims of domestic abuse whilst police investigations are underway and alleged perpetrators of that abuse are on bail.
Answered by Sarah Dines
Tackling domestic abuse is a key Government priority. It is deeply harmful, not only because of the profound effect it can have on victims, survivors and their loved ones, but also because of the harm it inflicts on wider society.
Under changes to the pre-charge bail system, introduced in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, there is a new duty on police to seek the views of victims on pre-charge bail conditions to ensure that conditions will better protect all victims, including victims of domestic abuse. Conditions of pre-charge bail are likely to include no contact with the victim and other measures for the protection and safety of the victim.
Police forces can also use protective measures such as issuing a Domestic Violence Protection Notice (DVPN) or applying to the magistrate’s court for a civil Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO). They can use these independently or alongside bail conditions to provide greater protection for the victim.
Frontline professionals can refer victims to their local Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC), a non-statutory process that brings together statutory and voluntary agencies to jointly support adult and child victims of domestic abuse who are at a high risk of serious harm or homicide, and to disrupt and divert the behaviour of the perpetrator(s).