Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police forces on ensuring that police (a) officers and (b) staff receive (i) mental health and (ii) self-harm prevention support.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government is committed to supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of all our police and are working closely with police leaders to ensure this.
This includes providing ongoing funding to the National Police Wellbeing Service, which provides evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources which can be accessed by forces. This helps Chief Constables in their duty to ensure the wellbeing of their workforce. In particular, the Service is helping forces to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it in response to traumatic events.
A National Action Plan for Suicide Prevention and Postvention in policing has been launched, which aims to reduce rates among the police workforce as well as enhancing data recording. The plan, which includes ensuring adequate training for the police workforce, emphasises a supportive environment that promotes mental health and combats stigma to ensure that those affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts can access appropriate and timely support.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to proscribe (a) the English Defence League and (b) other far right groups.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government has robust processes in place for reviewing the list of proscribed organisations. However, the Government does not routinely comment on whether or not an organisation is being considered for proscription.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve morale in the fire service.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It is a government priority to drive meaningful culture change across the fire and rescue sector. Our fire professionals work under significant pressure and in challenging circumstances, so it is important that the Fire and Rescue Authorities and the Fire and Rescue Services create a culture where every member of the team can thrive. It is also vital that no one should have to endure bullying, discrimination or harassment within the workplace.
This government will work hand-in-hand with the workforce and our sector partners to ensure we see the highest levels of integrity and make working in the Fire and Rescue Sector a profession to be proud of.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the West Midlands fire authority plan to bring back familiarisation visits.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Familiarisation visits, and other types of training and community engagement, are a local operational matter. It is for the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority and Service to determine their priorities on these types of activities.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure national standards in the training of fire service personnel.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Fire and rescue authorities are responsible for ensuring that firefighters receive the training they need in order to safely respond to the wide range of incidents that they attend. The National Fire Chiefs Council maintains national operational guidance for fire and rescue services to draw upon when developing operational policies, procedures and training.
The Home Office funds the independent Fire Standards Board (FSB) to develop and maintain a comprehensive set of professional standards for fire and rescue services in England. The FSB has published 19 national standards for fire and rescue services covering a range of topics from emergency response driving to leading and developing people and a code of ethics.
The Home Office will continue to work with stakeholders to build on the work of the FSB in the context of the Government’s fire and rescue service reform agenda.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reforming spousal visa regulations to (a) reduce the 10-year duration, (b) remove renewals and (c) prevent penalisation due to a partner's benefit claims.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Family Immigration Rules provide the requirements to be met for those seeking to establish or maintain their family life in the UK and these rules are kept under regular review to ensure that there are clear incentives to comply with the rules and clear disincentives for failing to do so. Specifically, on 10 September the Home Secretary commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the financial requirements in the Family Immigration Rules, and we will reflect any recommendations arising from that review.