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Written Question
Electronic Cigarettes: Imports
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Ben Everitt (Conservative - Milton Keynes North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions Border Force has had with Trading Standards on tackling the importation of illegal e-cigarette devices.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Building on an already close relationship, Border Force is working with Trading Standards at a number of locations around the UK, agreeing processes and ways of working that help ensure illegal e-cigarettes are prevented from entering the UK.


Written Question
Asylum: Housing
Wednesday 22nd February 2023

Asked by: Ben Everitt (Conservative - Milton Keynes North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to ensure that accommodation sites for asylum seekers will be distributed equally across the UK.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The enduring solution to this challenge is to stop the illegal, dangerous and unnecessary small boat crossings that are overwhelming our asylum system. Not only is every crossing attempt a potential tragedy, as we have seen far too often, but the people arriving via these small boats have travelled through, and have left, safe countries with fully functioning asylum systems to reach the UK.

The former Minister for safe and Legal Routes announced a move to full dispersal on 13 April 2022. The new system of full dispersal accommodation allows the Home Office to move from using hotels to less expensive and more suitable dispersed accommodation. Under full dispersal plans, all Local Authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are considered a dispersal area and are required to to take part in asylum dispersal. This will lead to a more equitable distribution of asylum seekers across the UK and reduce pressures on the minority of Local Authorities which previously participated.

To support full dispersal, delivery plans have been developed in partnership with local government across all UK regions. Plans were designed to ensure a more equitable spread of dispersed accommodation across the UK. Regional Governance Boards will monitor performance against plans.


Written Question
Visas: Skilled Workers
Monday 6th February 2023

Asked by: Ben Everitt (Conservative - Milton Keynes North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve the Skilled Worker visa system.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

By embracing technology, we are delivering a streamlined, simplified and modern visa system.

The system is working well, the Skilled Worker route is attracting the brightest and best, making a positive contribution to our economy.

We have simplified the employer sponsorship process and by 2025 will have a fully digital end-to-end application system providing greater efficiency for our customers.


Written Question
Police: Training
Tuesday 8th March 2022

Asked by: Ben Everitt (Conservative - Milton Keynes North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to support the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme into the future.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

Demands on the police are changing and becoming increasingly complex, so it is important that we have a police workforce that has the knowledge and skills needed for the future.

This Government is keen to see police forces recruit the best and brightest into their ranks, from all walks of life, as we work to deliver on our key manifesto pledge to recruit an additional 20,000 officers. In doing so, we support the implementation of the new Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF), which is putting in place new entry routes for police constables to ensure that new recruits across all forces meet the same high standards.

The College of Policing has been clear from the start of developing these new routes that full implementation will be delivered at a pace with which forces are comfortable. PEQF has now been implemented in 38 out of 43 forces and the College of Policing plans to phase out the old Initial Police Learning and Development Programme entirely by March 2023.


Written Question
Knives: Crime
Monday 28th February 2022

Asked by: Ben Everitt (Conservative - Milton Keynes North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress her Department has made on reducing the level of knife crime.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

The Government is committed to reducing knife crime, this why we have invested £130.5 million over the last year to tackle serious violence.

This includes £35.5 million for Violence Reduction Units which draw key partners together to address the root causes of violence, and £30 million for targeted police action to deter and disrupt knife crime.


Written Question
Antisocial Behaviour: Travellers
Wednesday 12th January 2022

Asked by: Ben Everitt (Conservative - Milton Keynes North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what enforcement powers local authorities have to tackle anti-social behaviour on a travellers' site, when the site has been acquired by the traveller community; and what new powers the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill will introduce to assist local authorities to undertake enforcement action on those sites.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 can be used for cases of anti-social behaviour, including on travellers’ sites. Through this Act we have provided the police, local authorities, and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to all forms of anti-social behaviour. These powers are deliberately local in nature, and it is for agencies to use their local knowledge of each incident to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances.

Through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, we will be strengthening the police’s powers to arrest and seize the vehicles of those who trespass to set up unauthorised encampments and cause damage, disruption or distress, which could include instances of anti-social behaviour. These will complement the exiting powers that the police and local authorities have to remove unauthorised campers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.


Written Question
Refugees: Afghanistan
Tuesday 23rd November 2021

Asked by: Ben Everitt (Conservative - Milton Keynes North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support Afghan refugees who do not have a permanent address to open a bank account.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

For those in bridging accommodation, the hotel address will be sufficient to allow them to do this, and if they encounter any issues these should be raised with the Hotel Liaison Officers.

These officers will provide support, advise and escalate any issues should they occur.


Written Question
Domestic Abuse
Tuesday 16th June 2020

Asked by: Ben Everitt (Conservative - Milton Keynes North)

Question to the Home Office:

What steps her Department is taking to help protect victims of domestic abuse.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Domestic abuse?is a horrific crime that shatters the lives of those affected. The Home Office works closely with the domestic abuse organisations, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and the police, to ensure that support is available to victims who need it and that perpetrators are brought to justice.

Since 2018 the Home Office has provided £1.1m per year to help fund specialist helplines offering support in domestic abuse, honour-based abuse and stalking cases. A national awareness raising campaign has been launched to help direct victims to these sources of support.

A further £3.1m has been provided this year, as a continuation of the Children Affected by Domestic abuse fund for specialist support for children affected by domestic abuse.

Work is also underway to enhance perpetrator programmes and promote innovative approaches to preventing domestic abuse using £10m of funding.

We are continuing with the passage of the landmark Domestic Abuse Bill, which started its Committee Stage on 4 June. This will further protect victims of domestic abuse and bring perpetrators to justice.