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Written Question
Undocumented Migrants
Monday 3rd July 2023

Asked by: Anna Firth (Conservative - Southend West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce illegal migration.

Answered by Robert Jenrick - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

The Prime Minister and I have a clear plan to reduce illegal migration.

Alongside our landmark Illegal Migration Bill, we are working more closely with international partners, including France; dismantling Organised Immigration Crime gangs; ending spurious modern slavery claims; and reforming our asylum system.


Written Question
Offensive Weapons: Public Consultation
Monday 20th February 2023

Asked by: Anna Firth (Conservative - Southend West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to allow (a) hon. Members, (b) Police and Crime Commissioners, (c) Chief Constables, (d) charities and (e) the public to participate in the consultation on the Offensive Weapons Act 2019.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary

The manufacture, importation and sale of Zombie knives was prohibited by The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment) Order 2016, in England and Wales. The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 widened the offence to include the possession in private of zombie knives and other specified offensive weapons and extended the prohibition to Northern Ireland.

As part of the measures of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 we ran a surrender and compensation scheme, 14,965 offensive weapons were surrendered including 224 zombie type knives.

We are not planning to carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, however we keep all legislation under review in the interests of public safety and will update Parliament if there are specific changes the Government has in mind.

We are working closely with the police to see what more we can do to address the criminal use of large knives and machetes. Any future public consultation will be notified to parliament and published on .GOV and the scope of any items under consideration will be laid out in the consultation document. Public consultations are open to practitioners, stakeholders and members of the public.


Written Question
Offensive Weapons: Public Consultation
Monday 20th February 2023

Asked by: Anna Firth (Conservative - Southend West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to begin the consultation on the Offensive Weapons Act 2019; and for how long the consultation will be open.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary

The manufacture, importation and sale of Zombie knives was prohibited by The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment) Order 2016, in England and Wales. The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 widened the offence to include the possession in private of zombie knives and other specified offensive weapons and extended the prohibition to Northern Ireland.

As part of the measures of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 we ran a surrender and compensation scheme, 14,965 offensive weapons were surrendered including 224 zombie type knives.

We are not planning to carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, however we keep all legislation under review in the interests of public safety and will update Parliament if there are specific changes the Government has in mind.

We are working closely with the police to see what more we can do to address the criminal use of large knives and machetes. Any future public consultation will be notified to parliament and published on .GOV and the scope of any items under consideration will be laid out in the consultation document. Public consultations are open to practitioners, stakeholders and members of the public.


Written Question
Offensive Weapons
Monday 20th February 2023

Asked by: Anna Firth (Conservative - Southend West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to announce which weapons will be included in the consultation on the Offensive Weapons Act 2019.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary

The manufacture, importation and sale of Zombie knives was prohibited by The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment) Order 2016, in England and Wales. The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 widened the offence to include the possession in private of zombie knives and other specified offensive weapons and extended the prohibition to Northern Ireland.

As part of the measures of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 we ran a surrender and compensation scheme, 14,965 offensive weapons were surrendered including 224 zombie type knives.

We are not planning to carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, however we keep all legislation under review in the interests of public safety and will update Parliament if there are specific changes the Government has in mind.

We are working closely with the police to see what more we can do to address the criminal use of large knives and machetes. Any future public consultation will be notified to parliament and published on .GOV and the scope of any items under consideration will be laid out in the consultation document. Public consultations are open to practitioners, stakeholders and members of the public.


Written Question
Knives: Crime
Monday 20th February 2023

Asked by: Anna Firth (Conservative - Southend West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many zombie knives have been confiscated under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 since the commencement of that Act.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary

The manufacture, importation and sale of Zombie knives was prohibited by The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment) Order 2016, in England and Wales. The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 widened the offence to include the possession in private of zombie knives and other specified offensive weapons and extended the prohibition to Northern Ireland.

As part of the measures of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 we ran a surrender and compensation scheme, 14,965 offensive weapons were surrendered including 224 zombie type knives.

We are not planning to carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, however we keep all legislation under review in the interests of public safety and will update Parliament if there are specific changes the Government has in mind.

We are working closely with the police to see what more we can do to address the criminal use of large knives and machetes. Any future public consultation will be notified to parliament and published on .GOV and the scope of any items under consideration will be laid out in the consultation document. Public consultations are open to practitioners, stakeholders and members of the public.


Written Question
Knives: Crime
Monday 20th February 2023

Asked by: Anna Firth (Conservative - Southend West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 for preventing the (a) sale and (b) possession of zombie knives.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary

The manufacture, importation and sale of Zombie knives was prohibited by The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment) Order 2016, in England and Wales. The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 widened the offence to include the possession in private of zombie knives and other specified offensive weapons and extended the prohibition to Northern Ireland.

As part of the measures of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 we ran a surrender and compensation scheme, 14,965 offensive weapons were surrendered including 224 zombie type knives.

We are not planning to carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, however we keep all legislation under review in the interests of public safety and will update Parliament if there are specific changes the Government has in mind.

We are working closely with the police to see what more we can do to address the criminal use of large knives and machetes. Any future public consultation will be notified to parliament and published on .GOV and the scope of any items under consideration will be laid out in the consultation document. Public consultations are open to practitioners, stakeholders and members of the public.


Written Question
Crimes of Violence: Crime Prevention
Monday 6th February 2023

Asked by: Anna Firth (Conservative - Southend West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on reducing serious violent crime.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary

Tackling serious violence is a priority for this government. Through our twin-track approach, combining tough enforcement with programmes that divert young people away from crime, we are driving down levels of violent crime. And I’m proud that since 2010, violence is down 37% under this Conservative Government.

Since 2019, we have invested £340m in the areas most affected by violence, funding our ‘Grip’ hotspot policing programme and Violence Reduction Units to tackle the root causes of serious violence.

In their first three years of funded delivery, these programmes have collectively prevented an estimated 136,000 violence without injury offences.


Written Question
Animal Experiments: Licensing
Wednesday 22nd June 2022

Asked by: Anna Firth (Conservative - Southend West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will carry out a review of the procedure for granting licences for animal experiments to help ensure that the provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are being enforced.

Answered by Damian Hinds

The Regulator for the use of animals in science fully implements the provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 by following a published procedure for the granting of project licences.

The regulator has recently improved its processes and systems through a regulatory reform programme to assure compliance of establishments with the legislation.