Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress her Department has made on increasing its capacity to clear the backlog of asylum applications.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Secretary has removed the retrospective application of the Illegal Migration Act. This allows asylum claims from individuals who have arrived in the UK since 7 March 2023 to be considered against the existing legislative regime under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, enabling decision-makers to progress the cases that had been put on hold.
The Home Office continues to invest in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives to speed up and simplify decision making, reduce the time people spend in the asylum system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision.
This will enable the department to maximise our capacity and progress cases in a more efficient and cost-effective way, in order to reduce the asylum backlog and cut the costs of asylum accommodation.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to tackle rural crime in Lancashire.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Rural crime can have devastating consequences for communities. That is why this Government is committed to cracking down on crime and disorder in rural areas, with tougher powers for the police to tackle antisocial behaviour, and to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.
The National Rural Crime Unit, takes the lead on improving co-ordination and partnership working, which provides police forces with specialist operational support in their responses to rural crime, such as the theft of farming or construction machinery.
We are also committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, which aims to prevent the theft and re-sale of high-value equipment, particularly for use in an agricultural setting.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to support local police forces to help them to deal with complaints backlogs.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Government implemented a series of legislative reforms in 2020 to the police complaints and disciplinary systems. These changes were designed to achieve a simpler, more proportionate, and customer-focused complaints system focused on learning and improvement.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) collects and publishes information from all police forces in England and Wales about the type of complaints they are receiving and how long they take to deal with them. The most recent police complaints statistics report can be found here:
https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/our-work/research-and-statistics/police-complaints-statistics
From the most recent publication (2022/23) the IOPC note that “more complaints are being sorted quickly, as the new system intended, with fewer complaints resulting in lengthy investigations. This is to be welcomed. In many cases these are being replaced with responses that are more proportionate with appropriate explanations and apologies.”
The IOPC, Home Office and wider policing sector are continuing to work with forces to seek to improve their handling of police complaints. The Home Office will also continue to collect, review and publish data annually on police complaints, conduct matters and recordable conduct matters.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the average time taken to investigate complaints by professional standards teams in police forces.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) collects and publishes information from all police forces in England and Wales about the type of complaints they are receiving and how long they take to deal with them. The most recent police complaints statistics report can be found here:
https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/our-work/research-and-statistics/police-complaints-statistics
The first stage of complaint handling is for the relevant police force or appropriate body, such as a Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office, to consider how best to handle the complaint. Certain types of complaints can be resolved informally where it is appropriate to do so and the issue can be resolved quickly to the complainant’s satisfaction.
The IOPC data shows, in 2022/23 police forces finalised 55,524 allegations in complaint cases that were handled informally. On average, these allegations took 16 working days to finalise.
All complaints should be handled in a reasonable and proportionate manner by police forces. For formal complaints, this may mean responding to concerns raised and seeking to resolve them (in some cases via an investigation) and keeping the complainant properly informed throughout the process, and explaining the outcome, including closing the complaint.
The IOPC data shows, in 2022/23 police forces finalised a total of 71,805 allegations in complaint cases handled formally of which 17,098 were investigated accounting for 24%. Of those allegations finalised by local investigation, it took an average of 159 working days.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data his Department holds on the number of (a) members of staff and (b) officers in Lancashire Constabulary for whom (i) the correct level of vetting has not been applied and (ii) vetting clearance has expired.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Home Office does not hold data in relation to the number, status or levels of vetting for individuals working in policing. Vetting and recruitment matters are handled independently, and on a case-by-case basis, by each force. Decisions on vetting should be made in accordance with the statutory Vetting Code of Practice and vetting authorised professional practice (APP), issued by the College of Policing.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) carries out regular inspections on the effectiveness of forces’ vetting arrangements. Details of these inspections are available on its website: https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/
The vetting APP outlines the criteria that forces should consider when determining the level of vetting clearance which is to be applied to a post rather than a particular rank. This includes whether the post requires access to particularly sensitive information and/or assets.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether management vetting is required for all officers who hold the rank of sergeant in the police force.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Home Office does not hold data in relation to the number, status or levels of vetting for individuals working in policing. Vetting and recruitment matters are handled independently, and on a case-by-case basis, by each force. Decisions on vetting should be made in accordance with the statutory Vetting Code of Practice and vetting authorised professional practice (APP), issued by the College of Policing.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) carries out regular inspections on the effectiveness of forces’ vetting arrangements. Details of these inspections are available on its website: https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/
The vetting APP outlines the criteria that forces should consider when determining the level of vetting clearance which is to be applied to a post rather than a particular rank. This includes whether the post requires access to particularly sensitive information and/or assets.