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.
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.
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 Baroness Maclean of Redditch
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.
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 - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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.