Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish a detailed plan about the quarantine of international travellers arriving in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic; and whether that scheme will cover ports as well as airports.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government will soon require all international arrivals not on a short list of exemptions to self-isolate in their accommodation for fourteen days on arrival into the UK. The General Aircraft Declaration (GAD) process will now be required for all flights coming to the UK, requiring crew to identify symptomatic passengers before arrival, with a similar process being implemented for maritime and international rail. This will contribute to keeping the overall number of Covid-19 transmissions in the UK as low as possible.
Further details, and guidance, will be set out shortly, and the measures and list of exemptions kept under regular review.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 30 October 2019 (HL181), how many of the police reported football-related racist incidents have led to people being charged; and what range of penalties was applied.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Home Office does not hold this information, although individual police forces may have this information for their force area.
As mentioned in my previous response, racist chanting or abuse may be an offence under section 3 of the Football (Offences) Act 1991 or sections 4, 4A or 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. Offences under sections 4 and 4A of the 1986 Act carry a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and are capable of being charged as a racially or religiously aggravated offence.
In addition, the court must impose a preventative Football Banning Order following conviction for a relevant offence it reasonably believes that making an order would help to prevent violence or disorder at, or in, connection with any regulated football matches. Football Banning Orders prohibit the subject from attending regulated football matches for a period of two to ten years, depending on the nature of the offence.
The Law Commission is carrying out a full review of the coverage and approach of current hate crime legislative provisions, including in the context of football.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Queen's Speech on 14 October, how they intend to expand the pool of UK research institutes and universities able to endorse scientists and researchers to carry out work in this country.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
On 8 August the Prime Minister announced that we would be reforming our Tier 1 Exceptional Talent route – an immigration route for very high skilled individuals who are endorsed by a recognised UK body – to provide for a fast track immigration scheme to attract top scientists and those with specialist skills in Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics subjects to the UK.
The Government is clear that the scientific community should be at the heart of the proposals. We are working with the existing endorsing bodies as well as the wider scientific community on changes to this route. Further details will follow in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many football-related racist incidents were recorded in each year since 2009.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
We abhor racism, which has no place in football and must not be tolerated. Racist chanting or abuse may be an offence under section 3 of the Football (Offences) Act 1991 or sections 4, 4A or 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. Offences under sections 4 and 4A of the 1986 Act carry a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and are capable of being charged as a racially or religiously aggravated offence. In addition, the court must impose a preventative Football Banning Order following conviction for these offences if making an order would help to prevent football-related violence or disorder. Football Banning Orders prohibit the subject from attending regulated football matches for between three and ten years and can impose additional conditions if necessary.
Data on police reported football-related racist incidents for football seasons 2012/13 to 2018/19 is shown in the table below. No earlier data is available. During the 2017/18 football season, the Home Office’s UK Football Policing Unit commenced a new working arrangement with the Football Association and Kick It Out to ensure police are aware of football-related racist incidents that otherwise would not have been reported.
Season | Number of police reported football-related racist incidents |
2012/13 | 94 |
2013/14 | 99 |
2014/15 | 78 |
2015/15 | 68 |
2016/17 | 70 |
2017/18 | 94 |
2018/19 | 152 |
We have a strong legal framework in place to deal with the perpetrators of racism and other hate crime. The Law Commission is carrying out a full review of the coverage and approach of current hate crime legislative provisions, including in the context of football.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to investigate the possibility of increasing the penalties for football-related racist attacks and incidents.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
We abhor racism, which has no place in football and must not be tolerated. Racist chanting or abuse may be an offence under section 3 of the Football (Offences) Act 1991 or sections 4, 4A or 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. Offences under sections 4 and 4A of the 1986 Act carry a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and are capable of being charged as a racially or religiously aggravated offence. In addition, the court must impose a preventative Football Banning Order following conviction for these offences if making an order would help to prevent football-related violence or disorder. Football Banning Orders prohibit the subject from attending regulated football matches for between three and ten years and can impose additional conditions if necessary.
Data on police reported football-related racist incidents for football seasons 2012/13 to 2018/19 is shown in the table below. No earlier data is available. During the 2017/18 football season, the Home Office’s UK Football Policing Unit commenced a new working arrangement with the Football Association and Kick It Out to ensure police are aware of football-related racist incidents that otherwise would not have been reported.
Season | Number of police reported football-related racist incidents |
2012/13 | 94 |
2013/14 | 99 |
2014/15 | 78 |
2015/15 | 68 |
2016/17 | 70 |
2017/18 | 94 |
2018/19 | 152 |
We have a strong legal framework in place to deal with the perpetrators of racism and other hate crime. The Law Commission is carrying out a full review of the coverage and approach of current hate crime legislative provisions, including in the context of football.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the Football (Disorder) Act 2000 with a view to increasing penalties for racist incidents.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
We abhor racism, which has no place in football and must not be tolerated. Racist chanting or abuse may be an offence under section 3 of the Football (Offences) Act 1991 or sections 4, 4A or 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. Offences under sections 4 and 4A of the 1986 Act carry a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and are capable of being charged as a racially or religiously aggravated offence. In addition, the court must impose a preventative Football Banning Order following conviction for these offences if making an order would help to prevent football-related violence or disorder. Football Banning Orders prohibit the subject from attending regulated football matches for between three and ten years and can impose additional conditions if necessary.
Data on police reported football-related racist incidents for football seasons 2012/13 to 2018/19 is shown in the table below. No earlier data is available. During the 2017/18 football season, the Home Office’s UK Football Policing Unit commenced a new working arrangement with the Football Association and Kick It Out to ensure police are aware of football-related racist incidents that otherwise would not have been reported.
Season | Number of police reported football-related racist incidents |
2012/13 | 94 |
2013/14 | 99 |
2014/15 | 78 |
2015/15 | 68 |
2016/17 | 70 |
2017/18 | 94 |
2018/19 | 152 |
We have a strong legal framework in place to deal with the perpetrators of racism and other hate crime. The Law Commission is carrying out a full review of the coverage and approach of current hate crime legislative provisions, including in the context of football.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any contracts have been proposed, let, or completed for work on examining technical alternatives to a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
No contracts have been proposed, let or completed for work examining technical alternatives to a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
In a Joint Statement on 11 March, the UK and EU committed to working together on alternative arrangements to replace the backstop by December 2020. To ensure that the UK is ready to move at pace in the next phase, the Government is putting in place the UK’s arrangements to support this work.
The UK’s position will be informed by the work of advisory groups; a technical experts group, a business and trade union engagement group and a parliamentary engagement group.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in negotiating work streams with the EU to examine technical alternatives to a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government has established a Technical Alternative Arrangements Advisory Group of technical experts in customs and trade to test ideas. The work of the group will help inform the UK’s negotiations with the EU on developing alternative arrangements to the Northern Ireland backstop
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 19 February (HL13430), whether disclosing further details of their planning to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is in the public interest; if not, why not; and if not, what assessment they have made of the compliance of such non-disclosure with paragraph 1.3(d) of the ministerial code, published in January 2018.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Paragraph 1.3(d) of the ministerial code states Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public, refusing to provide information only when disclosure would not be in the public interest, which should be decided in accordance with the relevant statutes and the Freedom of Information Act 2000;
Information relating to the Her Majesty’s Government planning to avoid the hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is exempt from disclosure under section 35 (1) (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which states; Information held by a government department or by the Welsh Assembly Government is exempt information if it relates to (a) The formulation of Government policy.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many crossing points there are on the island of Ireland between the UK and the Republic of Ireland; and what estimate they have made of how many vehicle movements take place each day at such points; and what percentage of these are commercially related vehicle movements.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The data used by the Home Office regarding vehicle movements between UK and the Republic of Ireland is from the Department of Infrastructure (Northern Ireland) published on the Parliament UK website entitled The Land border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. The link to this paper can be found below: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmniaf/329/32904.htm#_idTextAnchor009
The land border between Northern Ireland and Ireland Contents - introduction from the publication.
1.The UK Government and the European Union (EU) both acknowledge the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland in the light of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that will share a land border with the EU after Brexit. In the referendum, Northern Ireland voters voted to remain in the EU by a majority of 56% to 44%. In UK as a whole, voters voted by 52% to 48% to leave the EU. Northern Ireland’s constitutional framework, under the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, has a distinctive cross-border dimension. Once the UK leaves the EU, the land border in Northern Ireland will change from an internal to an external EU border. This report considers the implications of the UK’s changing relationship with the EU for the Northern Ireland land border.
Information regarding CTA movements can be found on the additional data paper published on the parliament UK website. The link to this paper can be found below.