Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions for making false rape allegations were brought in England and Wales in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Stewart of Dirleton
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds no data showing the number of prosecutions for making false allegations of rape. The CPS has strict guidance for charging perverting the court of justice and wasting police time in cases involving allegedly false allegations of rape and/or domestic abuse. The guidance makes clear that prosecutions for these offences will be extremely rare and by their very nature they will be complex and require sensitive handling. |
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many rape allegations were made to the police in England and Wales in each of the last five years; and how many of those resulted in (1) prosecution, and (2) conviction.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentlemen Parliamentary Question of 22.03 is attached.
The Rt Hon. the Lord Dobbs
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
30 March 2023
Dear Lord Dobbs,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number of rape allegations made to the police in England and Wales for the last five years and how many of those resulted in (a) prosecution, and (b) conviction (HL6736). The two main sources of crime statistics are police recorded crime and the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW). The CSEW only provides estimates of the prevalence of crime and different crime types as experienced by victims, which may not always be reported to the police.
The most up to date figures we have published on rape offences recorded by the police can be found in Appendix table A4 [1], published as part of the Crime in England and Wales; year ending September 2022 [2] . This table provides police recorded rape offences back to 2002. Table 1 shows a subset of table A4 providing the number of rape offences back to the year ending March 2017.
Our most recent Sexual offences in England and Wales overview: year ending March 2022 [3] publication provides data on the number of rape incidents recorded by the police. These data are provided in Table 12 for the year ending March 2021 and Table 13 for the year ending March 2022 in the associated Sexual offences prevalence and victim characteristics [4] tables.
Unfortunately, we do not hold data on how these offences are treated by the criminal justice system. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) are primarily responsible for court statistics so will hold information on prosecutions and convictions. They publish statistics [5] each quarter which might be of help to you. You can contact MoJ via email at ESD@justice.gov.uk. It may also be beneficial to contact the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as they collate information on prosecution by crime type. You can contact them via Enquiries@cps.gov.uk.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Table 1: Police recorded rape offences, year ending March 2017 to year ending September 2022 England and Wales
Offence | Apr 2016 to Mar 2017 | Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 | Apr 2018 to Mar 2019 | Apr 2019 to Mar 2020 | Apr 2020 to Mar 2021 | Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 | Oct 2020 to Sep 2021 | Oct 2021 to Sep 2022 |
Rape | 42,063 | 55,004 | 59,921 | 59,104 | 55,652 | 69,905 | 62,866 | 70,633 |
Source: Police recorded crime from the Home Office
[1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtables
[2] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingseptember2022
[3] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/sexualoffencesinenglandandwalesoverview/march2022
[4] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/sexualoffencesprevalenceandvictimcharacteristicsenglandandwales
[5] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made (1) of the proportion of heat pumps installed in the UK that have been manufactured in the UK, and (2) of these, the proportion that contain microchips manufactured in China.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2020, the Government published research that showed that around 30 per cent of the heat pumps installed domestically were manufactured in the UK. This research did not consider the proportion of those heat pumps that contain microchips manufactured in China.
However, industry data shows that there are a range of manufacturers from different countries that supply electronic circuit boards and semiconductors to the UK consumer appliance market, and the supply chain is not reliant on manufacturers from any one country.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their target remains to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028; and what estimate they have made of how many heat pumps have been installed (1) in total so far, and (2) in the past 12 months.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our target remains to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028 and we are putting in place an ambitious package of policies to achieve this.
From 2008 up to the end of February 2023, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme Installations Database shows that 184,065 heat pump installations were registered. The number of heat pump installations in the 12 months to the end of February 2023 were 32,234. However, heat pumps installed without Government funding support and those in new buildings are not typically recorded in the database, with industry sources suggesting installations in new homes could make up a significant fraction of overall heat pump deployment.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by on 7 March (HL5790), whether they will now publish the full analysis prepared by Prevent's Research Information and Communication Unit (RICU) that reportedly identified books, poetry, TV shows, and films, including ‘Yes, Minister’, ‘Great British Railway Journeys’, ‘House of Cards’, ‘1984’, and ‘Beowulf’, as being ‘far-right’ and ‘white supremacist’.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU) was established in 2007 under the Prevent strand of HMG’s CONTEST strategy, to understand and counter terrorist and extremist ideologies to reduce the risk to the UK, its citizens, and its interests overseas.
RICU provides analysis on terrorist use of propaganda and exploitation of the internet to inform the UK’s counter-terrorism system. To support this crucial objective RICU undertakes open-source monitoring to better understand the media, online and communications environment as it relates to terrorism and extremism. This open-source monitoring identifies a range of material that is shared and discussed within these spaces, including topics or media that terrorist and extremist groups are seeking to exploit.
All RICU data collection and analysis complies with relevant legislation. Ministers have authorised RICU’s work since it was established in 2007, and through subsequent updates to the CONTEST strategy (in 2011 and 2018) and regularly receive RICU outputs.
RICU activity is underpinned and directed by sensitive information pertaining to terrorism threats and the identification of at-risk audiences. The books and television shows referenced in these products were not identified as ‘far-right’ and ‘white-supremacist’. The inclusion of these items of media was an illustration of the types of mainstream content shared in online spaces that are known to be frequented by terrorist and extremist influencers and susceptible audiences. Publishing RICU analysis risks revealing insights into HMG capabilities and undermining the effectiveness of RICU’s monitoring and analysis.
The work of RICU has been crucial to the delivery of Prevent and has helped to position the UK at the forefront of the battle against terrorist propaganda, particularly online terrorist content.
Prevent remains a vital tool to divert people from dangerous and poisonous ideologies. We are now implementing all recommendations from the recent Independent Review of Prevent, paving the way for a more transparent, efficient and sustainable programme. This will include resetting thresholds to ensure proportionality across ideologies and ensuring that analytical products more clearly state the purpose of the reporting and the nature of any links identified between mainstream media items and terrorism.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker how many products originating from China are stocked by the House of Lords gift shop outlets; and what plans there are to reduce or to remove entirely all such products.
Answered by Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.
The gift shop does not trade directly with any suppliers from China. However, the shop sells 14 product lines originating from China. In other instances it may not be possible to certify the source. All suppliers carry trading accreditations related to labour rights, health and safety, the environment and business ethics. There are currently no plans to change these suppliers, although the gift shop regularly reviews its choice of suppliers.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest view on the origins of the COVID-19 virus.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The United Kingdom has been clear on the need for a robust, transparent and science-led review into the origins of COVID-19 and continues to support the World Health Organization’s expert studies into the origins of COVID-19. We recognise that there are questions that need to be answered about the origin and spread of COVID-19, not least so we can ensure we are better prepared for future pandemics.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish in full the analysis reportedly prepared by Prevent's Research Information and Communication Unit (RICU) that identified certain books, films and TV shows as far-right and white supremacist; and what assessment they have made of whether such an analysis is within RICU's official remit.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU) was established in 2007 under the Prevent strand of HMG’s CONTEST strategy. RICU aims to understand and counter terrorist and extremist ideologies to reduce the risk to the UK, its citizens, and its interests overseas.
RICU currently has 22 allocated staff. This is subject to annual review depending on operational requirements. RICU’s spend by financial year for the last five years is provided below. Spend increased significantly from financial year 2012/2013 to support RICU’s response to the threat posed by Daesh. 2022/23 figures are based on spend to date.
Financial Year | Total spend (£) |
2018/2019 | 19,087,916.67 |
2019/2020 | 17,399,192.00 |
2020/2021 | 20,461,482.00 |
2021/2022 | 8,599,531.00 |
2022/2023 | 5,072,290.00 |
RICU provides internal analysis on terrorist use of propaganda and exploitation of the internet to inform the UK’s counter-terrorism system. To support this crucial objective RICU undertakes open-source monitoring to better understand the terrorist and extremist media, online and communications environment. This open-source monitoring identifies a range of material that is shared and discussed within these spaces, including topics or media that terrorist and extremist groups are seeking to exploit. All RICU data collection and analysis complies with relevant legislation.
The work of RICU is crucial to the delivery of Prevent and has helped to position the UK at the forefront of the battle against terrorist propaganda, particularly online terrorist content. The unauthorised disclosure of classified information damages the ability of the Government to keep the public safe from threats to national security.
Prevent remains a vital tool to divert people from dangerous and poisonous ideologies. We are now implementing all recommendations from the recent Independent Review of Prevent led by William Shawcross, paving the way for a more transparent, efficient and sustainable programme.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the remit of Prevent’s Research Information and Communications Unit; how many staff it has; and what was its annual budget for the past five years.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU) was established in 2007 under the Prevent strand of HMG’s CONTEST strategy. RICU aims to understand and counter terrorist and extremist ideologies to reduce the risk to the UK, its citizens, and its interests overseas.
RICU currently has 22 allocated staff. This is subject to annual review depending on operational requirements. RICU’s spend by financial year for the last five years is provided below. Spend increased significantly from financial year 2012/2013 to support RICU’s response to the threat posed by Daesh. 2022/23 figures are based on spend to date.
Financial Year | Total spend (£) |
2018/2019 | 19,087,916.67 |
2019/2020 | 17,399,192.00 |
2020/2021 | 20,461,482.00 |
2021/2022 | 8,599,531.00 |
2022/2023 | 5,072,290.00 |
RICU provides internal analysis on terrorist use of propaganda and exploitation of the internet to inform the UK’s counter-terrorism system. To support this crucial objective RICU undertakes open-source monitoring to better understand the terrorist and extremist media, online and communications environment. This open-source monitoring identifies a range of material that is shared and discussed within these spaces, including topics or media that terrorist and extremist groups are seeking to exploit. All RICU data collection and analysis complies with relevant legislation.
The work of RICU is crucial to the delivery of Prevent and has helped to position the UK at the forefront of the battle against terrorist propaganda, particularly online terrorist content. The unauthorised disclosure of classified information damages the ability of the Government to keep the public safe from threats to national security.
Prevent remains a vital tool to divert people from dangerous and poisonous ideologies. We are now implementing all recommendations from the recent Independent Review of Prevent led by William Shawcross, paving the way for a more transparent, efficient and sustainable programme.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to offer a COVID-19 vaccination to the entire population if such a vaccine is developed.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Whilst there is a desire for all of the United Kingdom population to be vaccinated, there may need to be an element of prioritisation, based on vaccine availability and scientific evidence (when available from clinical trials) on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine within different population groups.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise Government on prioritisation at a population level. Based on scientific analysis and modelling data, the JCVI will advise on which cohorts of the UK’s population will be eligible for vaccination, should a safe and effective vaccine be found. This will depend on factors such as the properties of the vaccine, those most at need (including frontline health and social care workers) and the unique medical circumstances of individuals.
The committee’s interim advice is that the vaccine should first be given to care home residents and staff, followed by people over 80 and health and social workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and risk. Further work is being undertaken to understand more about the groups most at risk of serious disease and death from COVID-19 infection. Any advice will need to be modified depending on the characteristics of the vaccines, when these become available.
We will consider the Committee’s advice carefully as we continue to plan for a vaccination campaign.