Asked by: Lord Wasserman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence there is that the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners has had an adverse impact on the (1) number, and (2) quality, of candidates for the post of chief constable and whether they will publish this evidence.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Following the announcement by the Policing Minister on 13 November that the government will abolish Police and Crime Commissioners, we are working with local government and policing to design new arrangements for the oversight of policing, including relationships between Chief Constables.
Further detail will be set out in the forthcoming Police Reform White Paper.
The Home Office does not collect data on Chief Constable tenure.
Despite the efforts of many individual PCCs, the model of a direct 1:1 relationship between elected Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables has not always facilitated effective management of police forces.
Asked by: Lord Wasserman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence is available for their estimate that the abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners would save £20m a year.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The cost of local police governance, according to data published by Office of Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales, was approximately £93m in 2023/24. We are working with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners to obtain more up to date information about the costs of police governance, to inform ongoing work on the design and implementation of alternative governance arrangements.
We expect to be able save at least £20m per annum from 2028/29 as a result of aligning back office and support arrangements for policing governance with wider local government functions. We will be undertaking work to identify further savings as part of our work on future governance arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) discussions they have had, and (2) steps they have taken, to ensure that (a) policing of demonstrations of active support, (b) arrests, and (c) prosecutions, in relation to Palestine Action are carried out in a consistent manner throughout all parts of the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The police are operationally independent of Government and have significant experience in policing protests and ensuring proscription orders are implemented fairly and in line with legislation. The police, through the College of Policing, also review and formulate guidance to ensure that the law is consistently applied in every part of the UK and by every police force. The Home Office also maintains regular contact with policing to ensure that there is appropriate oversight as the police carry out their statutory duties.
Decisions on arrests and prosecutions in relation to Palestine Action are a matter for the police and the prosecuting authorities in England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Palestine Action was proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT), which clearly states what constitutes proscribed activity (including in support of a proscribed group). The law is applicable in all parts of the UK.
The Government is absolutely clear that support for proscribed organisations is unacceptable. The proscription of Palestine Action does not diminish the right to lawfully protest or support Palestinian rights. This government upholds the democratic right that people must be free to express their views, but they should do so within the bounds of the law.
Asked by: Lord Wasserman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why 2020 was the year used as the basis for data to support the decision to abolish Police and Crime Commissioners and whether more up-to-date information is now available.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The cost of local police governance, according to data published by Office of Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales, was approximately £93m in 2023/24. We are working with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners to obtain more up to date information about the costs of police governance, to inform ongoing work on the design and implementation of alternative governance arrangements.
We expect to be able save at least £20m per annum from 2028/29 as a result of aligning back office and support arrangements for policing governance with wider local government functions. We will be undertaking work to identify further savings as part of our work on future governance arrangements.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to sell her Department's vacant residential properties in Upper Bann constituency.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not own properties used to accommodate individuals in the asylum system.
Accommodation is sourced, managed, and maintained by contracted Service Providers under the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC), which set out obligations to provide suitable accommodation meeting statutory requirements.
These properties are not part of the Home Office estate, and the Department has no authority over their disposal.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will publish a full list of residential properties leased or controlled by her Department or its contractors in Upper Bann constituency, including occupancy status, duration of vacancy, and cost to the public purse.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
For the safety, security and wellbeing of staff and those being accommodated, the Home Office does not disclose publicly information about accommodation sites which may or may not be utilised.
Information on asylum accommodation is published regularly in the Home Office’s transparency data and official statistics, which are available online.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 4 August (HL9915), which Government department has lead responsibility for the authorisation, oversight and governance of training provided by Durham Constabulary to Bahraini law-enforcement bodies.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is not directly involved in the delivery of training between Durham Constabulary and Bahrain.
Non-operational police assistance is authorised by Section 26 of the Police Act 1996, and administered by the International Police Assistance Service (IPAS). This is a joint National Police Chiefs’ Council and Home Office unit.
Section 26 is only required when England and Wales Police Officers or staff provide international assistance, not for visiting delegations. For any engagement not covered by the statutory requirements of Section 26, an Engagement Notification may voluntarily be completed by a hosting Force.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 4 August (HL9915), whether training provided by Durham Constabulary to Bahraini law-enforcement bodies is funded in whole or in part by the government of Bahrain or Bahraini public bodies; and which UK Government department authorises such arrangements.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not provide funding or direct governance of training provided to Bahrain.
Non-operational police assistance overseas (provided by England and Wales Police Forces) is authorised through S26 of the Police Act 1996 and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance process.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 4 August (HL9915), whether any Government department provides funding for training delivered by Durham Constabulary to Bahraini law-enforcement bodies; and if so, from which departments and funding streams.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not provide any funding for training delivered by Durham Constabulary to Bahraini law enforcement bodies, and is not aware of funding being provided to Durham Constabulary from any other UK Government Departments.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to deliver effective community policing in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee makes sure that every neighbourhood has named, contactable officers dedicated to addressing the issues facing their communities, including in Surrey Heath.
£200 million has been made available in 2025/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of this Parliament, including up to 3,000 additional neighbourhood officers by the end of March 2026. Based on their £2,588,427 allocation from the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, Surrey Police are projected to grow by 25 FTE neighbourhood police officers in 2025/26.