Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will examine the activities of pro-Iran Shia groups in London as part of the rapid review of extremism being conducted by the Home Secretary.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The rapid review of extremism, which is looking across the ideological spectrum, will kickstart a strategic reset on how government tackles extremism and address gaps in the current system which leaves the country exposed to hateful or harmful activity that promotes violence or undermines democracy.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that the City of London Police have seized 140 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters, whether they plan to direct or encourage all police forces to confiscate e-bikes which have been configured to exceed the 15.5 miles per hour limit.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Decisions on e-bike seizure is an operational matter for Chief Officers who will decide how to deploy available resources, taking into account any specific local problems and demands.
The Government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation, including those relating to offences involving e-scooters.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take, if any, to assist migrants newly arrived from France to move to the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We will not be taking any steps to help migrants arriving from France move to the Republic of Ireland. However, we are clear that the Rwanda policy is an important part of the deterrent, breaking the model of the people smuggling gangs.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government for what reasons the Islamic Army of Aden is a proscribed organisation; and whether they have any plans to proscribe the Houthi group as a proscribed organisation.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Islamic Army of Aden was proscribed in March 2001. It has a history of involvement in attempts to overthrow the Government of Yemen, including through use of terrorism to establish an Islamic State following Sharia Law.
The UK Government has been unequivocal: the illegal attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, as well as attacks against British and allied warships, are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Together with the US, the UK Government has imposed coordinated sanctions on the Houthis. This is in addition to the US-UK led strikes, conducted with support from the Netherlands, Canada, Bahrain and Australia.
The Government does not routinely comment whether an organisation is under consideration for proscription. The Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the comments made by Judge Peter Veits in Lincolnshire Magistrates Court that the RSPCA had acted unlawfully in the initiation of the prosecution of a farmer, whether they intend to investigate the role of the RSPCA in bringing forward criminal prosecutions; and whether they plan to instruct police to conduct their own independent investigations.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Although the vast majority of farmed animal related welfare cases are prosecuted by the Local Authority, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 enables prosecutions to be taken by concerned individuals or bodies such as the RSPCA and we have no plans currently to amend.
Chief Constables are operationally independent, and it is for them take decisions on enforcement action and prosecutions.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) fires, and (2) deaths, were caused by e-bikes and e-scooters in each of the past five years for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs), with this data including the cause of the fire and the source of ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications on Gov.UK.
Data collected through the Incident Recording System (IRS) does not include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by or involved e-bikes or e-scooters. Therefore, the IRS also does not collect data on fatalities where the cause was an e-bike or e-scooter.
We are reviewing the IRS, and the data it collects, and considering what categories to record in the future. Adding new categories, including lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicles, e-scooters and e-bikes, to the data collection will be considered as part of the work to reform the IRS with a modern, secure, and flexible system.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce regulations to permit police forces to dismiss officers who have failed vetting procedures.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Secretary has launched a review into the process of police officer dismissals, ensuring that the system is fair and effective at removing those officers who are not fit to serve their communities. Part 8 of the Terms of Reference sets out that this review will consider the performance system and its effectiveness with regards to dismissals, including where officers have failed to maintain their vetting status. Further details, including the full Terms of Reference, have been published on Gov.UK.
The Review is expected to conclude in May. The Government is committed to making changes necessary following the conclusion of the Review, including legislative changes where appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to proscribing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Whilst we keep the list of proscribed organisations under review, it is Government policy not to comment on whether a group is under consideration for proscription.
To proscribe an organisation, the Home Secretary must have a reasonable belief that it is concerned in terrorism. This means the organisation participates or commits; prepares for; promotes, encourages or unlawfully glorifies; or is in some way otherwise concerned in terrorism. As well as considering whether the statutory test for proscription has been satisfied, the Home Secretary’s decision to proscribe must be necessary and proportionate, having taken into account all relevant factors.
The UK Government has long been clear about its concerns over the continued destabilising activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The UK is committed to working with the international community to ensure Iran is held to account.
The UK has close to 300 sanctions in place against Iran, including on the IRGC in its entirety. We will continue to use all tools at our disposal to protect the UK and our interests from any Iran-linked threats.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that police forces record the gender of a suspected perpetrator of a sexual assault as “male” if they possess male genitalia, regardless of their preferred gender identity.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home office has asked all police forces in England and Wales to adopt the approach used in the 2021 Census for England and Wales to the recording of sex and gender identity. This seeks that the sex of both victims and perpetrators of crime should be recorded as legally recognised with self-reported gender identity to be separately recorded if it differs from their sex.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend their list of proscribed terrorist organisations to include the Wagner Group.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.
The Government remains concerned about Russia's use of private military companies such as the Wagner Group. We take the provision of mercenaries and other military support to parties in conflicts such as Libya, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere very seriously. We continue to work closely with our international partners to counter Russian malign activity and respond to actions that undermine the rules based international system.
Our package of sanctions in support of Ukraine targets those aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This includes the Wagner Group and on 24 March 2022 the UK designated Wagner Group under our autonomous sanctions regime.