Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department on 22 March 2016 (HC Deb, col 1552) which stated that they were "absolutely committed to putting a stop to" the practice of breast ironing in the UK, what progress they have made in regard to that issue; and what further steps they intend to take to stop that practice.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Breast ironing is child abuse and it is illegal. The Government is committed to challenging the cultural attitudes that underpin so called ‘honour-based’ abuse (HBA), as set out in our cross-Government Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. No one should suffer because of who they are or which community they are born into.
In addition, the following documents provide advice and support for professionals in respect of safeguarding children from abuse, including HBA:
• Keeping Children Safe in Education (p.80-82): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2
• Working Together to Safeguard Children: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2
• CPS Legal Guidance on Honour-Based Violence and Forced Marriage:https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/honour-based-violence-and-forced-marriage
Border Force officers at UK ports and airports are trained to look for those at risk of HBA. Border Force conducts regular joint operations (‘Operation Limelight’) with the police at airports across the country to raise awareness with potential victims of HBA, including breast ironing.
While there is no specific offence of breast ironing, the police have a range of other offences at their disposal to deal with any cases they encounter. This includes offences of common assault, actual bodily harm or grievous bodily harm. There are also specific offences of child cruelty and causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm, both of which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Metropolitan Police Service about how much it estimates the annual cost of using the Self Evident app would be.
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 is running an ambitious portfolio of programmes to improve the national technology capabilities available to policing. This includes: the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) providing a single platform for critical voice and data; Home Office Biometrics provides a single platform for fingerprint, facial recognition and DNA; The National Law Enforcement Data Programme provides access across policing to national police information as well as sharing intelligence across forces; The National ANPR Service will unite all local ANPR systems into a single national system; and the Home Office continues to enhance the capabilities of the national Child Abuse Image Database.
These programmes are replacing aging and obsolete technology, as well as introducing new capabilities, and we are working with policing across this portfolio to support maximisation of the benefits these offer: cash savings, productivity opportunities and better outcomes for the public.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Metropolitan Police Service about the savings it could make by promoting the Self Evident app as a way to (1) obtain photo and video evidence of crimes from victims and witnesses, (2) enable citizens to record an initial witness statement, and (3) provide support for repeat and vulnerable victims.
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 is running an ambitious portfolio of programmes to improve the national technology capabilities available to policing. This includes: the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) providing a single platform for critical voice and data; Home Office Biometrics provides a single platform for fingerprint, facial recognition and DNA; The National Law Enforcement Data Programme provides access across policing to national police information as well as sharing intelligence across forces; The National ANPR Service will unite all local ANPR systems into a single national system; and the Home Office continues to enhance the capabilities of the national Child Abuse Image Database.
These programmes are replacing aging and obsolete technology, as well as introducing new capabilities, and we are working with policing across this portfolio to support maximisation of the benefits these offer: cash savings, productivity opportunities and better outcomes for the public.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they have provided in each year since 2012–13 to enable citizens to send the police photo, video and audio evidence of crimes they have captured on their smartphones.
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 is running an ambitious portfolio of programmes to improve the national technology capabilities available to policing. This includes: the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) providing a single platform for critical voice and data; Home Office Biometrics provides a single platform for fingerprint, facial recognition and DNA; The National Law Enforcement Data Programme provides access across policing to national police information as well as sharing intelligence across forces; The National ANPR Service will unite all local ANPR systems into a single national system; and the Home Office continues to enhance the capabilities of the national Child Abuse Image Database.
These programmes are replacing aging and obsolete technology, as well as introducing new capabilities, and we are working with policing across this portfolio to support maximisation of the benefits these offer: cash savings, productivity opportunities and better outcomes for the public.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to invite the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation to report on the increasing links between terrorist organisations and organised crime, including drug and people trafficking; and what assessment they have made of those links.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The remit of the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation is set out at section 36 of the Terrorism Act 2006 (as amended) and does not include any legislation or operational matters related to serious and organised crime. Successive Governments have, on occasion, asked the Independent Reviewer to conduct exceptional reviews outside of his statutory remit; the Government has no current plans to do so on this issue. The Government continues to monitor links between terrorism and organised crime, and works closely with the police, the National Crime Agency and the security and intelligence agencies to support and invest in greater operational collaboration in this area.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the work of the European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC); how much the EMSC has cost to operate in each year since its inception; and whether they intend to continue to work with, or otherwise support the work of, the EMSC following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The intelligence exchange that the UK undertakes with the European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC) is a very important part of our efforts to tackle organised immigration crime in source, transit and destination countries.
Europol funds the EMSC and the UK contributes indirectly through our contribution to the EU budget.
The Government recently set out its proposals for an ambitious strategic agreement to support our future cooperation with the EU on security and law enforcement in “Security, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice – a future partnership paper” published on 18 September and available on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/security-law-enforcement-and-criminal-justice-a-future-partnership-paper.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what co-ordinated efforts are being taken regarding the potential return to Britain of British jihadi fighters in Syria and Iraq; how those individuals will be triaged for health and security on arrival in the UK; and what scrutiny of their activities and conduct will take place thereafter.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The UK Government in Syria does not have consular representation.
Everyone who returns to the UK from Syria or Iraq will be investigated to determine if they have committed criminal offences, and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security. We have planned and prepared for the risk posed by British returnees, and we are using a range of tools to disrupt and diminish that threat.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to counter the recent increase in hate crimes.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
In 2016/17 there were 80,393 police recorded hate crimes; a 29% increase on the 62,518 recorded in 2015/16. This increase in recorded hate crime is likely to reflect a combination a factors including a genuine rise in hate crime around the time of the EU Referendum and Westminster Bridge terrorist attack, improved identification and recording of hate crimes by the police, and greater willingness of victims to come forward.
The cross-Government Hate Crime Action Plan was published in July 2016 and focuses on the following five key issues:
The Government will continue to deliver against the commitments under the action plan, including working alongside the police, Crown Prosecution Service and other stakeholders to tackle hate crime and provide support to victims.
Measures include funding to places of worship that have been targets for, or are vulnerable to hate crime, for protective security measures such as CCTV or fencing.
The Home Office will also be funding seven local community projects this year that will tackle hate crime. They will work with actual and potential victims and perpetrators, to raise awareness, increase reporting, and challenge perceptions, as well as helping front line staff to provide support to victims of hate crime.
The Home Secretary announced on the 8 October the creation of a new national online hate crime hub that will be run by officers for the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC). The national hub’s main aim is to improve the police response to hate crime online. The hub will streamline and simplify current processes, avoid duplication and reduce the burden of online hate crime investigation on local forces. The hub is expected to be operational before the end of the year.
The hate crime action plan will be refreshed in 2018.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any proposals to change the terms of reference, budget or membership of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
There are no plans to review the role, duty and constitution of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) as set out in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
The budgets for the ACMD are reviewed annually as part of the Home Office business planning round. There are no current plans to change significantly the ACMD budget from current levels although we will continue to ensure the service is value for money in future.
The Home Office expects to begin an appointment round for the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in 2017 in line with Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government who will be consulted in relation to the forthcoming new drugs strategy.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The new Drug Strategy will be published soon.
We are developing our new Drug Strategy, which will build on work to date to prevent drug use in our communities and help dependent individuals to recover, working across Government and with key partners, including commissioners, treatment providers, service users and our independent experts, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, to identify what further steps we can take to tackle this issue.