Asked by: Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable parents of children born since the implementation of the Coronavirus Act 2020 to have their child’s birth registered.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The General Register Office for England and Wales (GRO) has advised that birth registration appointments should, where possible, be deferred while the current measures to slow the spread of Covid-19 are in place. Where there is an urgent need for a birth to be registered, GRO and Local Authority registrars are considering how this can be achieved on a case-by-case basis within public health guidance and local authority policy.
Longer term planning to register all births will be aligned to public health guidance.
Asked by: Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the principle that the governance of fire and rescue services should be determined by residents within the area served will continue in the light of proposals to make these services subject to governance by Police and Crime Commissioners.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
PCCs have clear local accountability and a strong mandate to transform and improve emergency services for their communities. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 enables PCCs to make a case to take on responsibility for the governance of fire and rescue services in their area where it is in the interests of economy, efficiency and effectiveness or public safety. The decision on whether to develop a proposal to take on fire governance rests with the PCC.
Before submitting a proposal to take on governance of the fire service, the PCC must consult each relevant local authority, the public within the commissioner’s police area, and persons appearing to representing employees of the police and fire services. This ensures that the PCC is able to properly consider the views of the local community before deciding whether to submit a proposal to take on fire.
Where a PCC takes on responsibility for fire and rescue they will be known as the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and will be directly elected by the public with a clear mandate to oversee both policing and fire.
Asked by: Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to consider the views of fire service and governance experts when reviewing the independent assessments relating to Police and Crime Commissioners taking over responsibility from fire and rescue authorities.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
If a relevant local authority indicates that it does not support a PCC’s proposal to take on governance of local fire and rescue services, the Secretary of State must obtain an independent assessment of the proposal. The Home Secretary and Minister for Policing and Fire Service appointed the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy to carry out independent assessments of the proposals submitted by the PCCs for Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, Cambridgeshire, West Mercia and North Yorkshire.
CIPFA has substantial public finance expertise and works closely with police and fire and rescue services and is therefore well placed to provide an independent, professional view on proposals. Whilst the conduct of the assessment is for CIPFA to determine, they may contact other organisations if they are of the view that additional input or expertise is necessary to help them make a judgement on whether the proposal is in the interest of the statutory tests. CIPFA secured the views of the local police force, fire service and local authorities during the independent assessment process.
The Secretary of State must consider the PCC’s proposal, independent assessment, consultation outcomes, and any further representations along with the PCC’s response to them, when coming to a view on whether the proposal is in the interests of economy efficiency and effectiveness or public safety. No additional weight is given to one stakeholder’s views over another.
Asked by: Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many fixed penalty fines have been issued, and how many prosecutions have been initiated, for exceeding 30 mph or 20 mph speed limits in each of the police forces areas in England; and how that compares with estimates of the actual number of times speed limits are exceeded in 30 mph and 20 mph areas.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Home Office does not hold the data requested. The Home Office collects data on the number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued to motorists for all speeding offences, but cannot separately identify whether an individual was caught exceeding the speed limit in a 20mph zone or a 30mph zone.
The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. However, unless stipulated in statute, the location of an offence cannot be separately analysed. Hence it is not possible to identify whether a defendant proceeded against for a speeding offence has been caught exceeding the speed limit in a 20mph zone, or a 30mph zone. This information may be held by the individual courts in England and as such it can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with police forces in England about the priority given to the enforcement of traffic speed in 30 mph and 20 mph areas.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Home Office has not had any such discussions. Enforcement of speed limits is an operational matter for the police.
Asked by: Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Traffic Police Officers were in post in 2010; and how many are in post according to the latest published figures.
Answered by Lord Bates
The table provided shows the total number and proportion of full-time equivalent police officers within the traffic function in England and Wales, as at 31 March 2010 to 31 March 2014.
Number of and proportion of full-time equivalent1 police officers within the traffic function 2, 3 in England and Wales, as at 31 March 2010 to 31 March 2014.4
Number | |
| Total |
2010 | 5,635 |
2011 | 5,329 |
2012 | 4,868 |
2013 | 4,675 |
2014 | 4,356 |
Proportion of total police officers (%) | |
| Total |
2010 | 3.9 |
2011 | 3.8 |
2012 | 3.6 |
2013 | 3.6 |
2014 | 3.4 |
1. This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been presented to the nearest whole number.
2.Traffic function includes staff who are predominantly employed on motor-cycles or in patrol vehicles for the policing of traffic and motorway related duties. This includes officers employed in accident investigation, vehicle examination,radar duties and those working with hazardous chemicals.
3. Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their primary role or function. This may explain some variability between years.
4. Figures have been confirmed by all police forces after collection and before publication each year.