Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness Fullbrook Excerpts
Monday 2nd December 2013

(10 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait Mrs May
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The hon. Lady is aware of the legislation, as is everybody else, but I take issue with her description of TPIMs. As she will have heard me say in answer to her hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff West (Kevin Brennan), TPIMs provide some of the most restrictive measures available in the democratic world. The independent reviewer of terrorism legislation stated:

“In terms of security, the TPIM regime continues to provide a high degree of protection against untriable and undeportable persons who are judged on substantial grounds to be dangerous terrorists,”.

The hon. Lady talks about people coming off TPIMs as if no one had ever come off a control order. In fact, 43 people came off control orders because the previous Government revoked them because they were quashed in court, or in six cases because people absconded and were never seen again.

Baroness Fullbrook Portrait Lorraine Fullbrook (South Ribble) (Con)
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18. What steps she is taking to broaden entrance to the police service.

Damian Green Portrait The Minister for Policing, Criminal Justice and Victims (Damian Green)
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We have moved away from a single point of recruitment and are introducing entry direct to senior police ranks to encourage the most able and those with strong evidence of delivery. There are now different routes to enter as a constable, including having a level 3 qualification, a police qualification or relevant policing experience.

Baroness Fullbrook Portrait Lorraine Fullbrook
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Some claim that a person cannot serve as a senior police officer without having served in the lower ranks, but direct entry is successful in the armed forces and the prison service. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the College of Policing should look at best practice in those professions to ensure that direct entry encourages the best and brightest talent from all walks of life to join the police service?

Damian Green Portrait Damian Green
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I am happy to assure my hon. Friend that the College of Policing will do exactly that. Clearly, many of the best and brightest people already join the police service, but we can always make it better. The proposals are designed to ensure that a wider talent pool is available to the police.