Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a person remanded in custody is prevented from receiving (a) visits and (b) phone-calls from next-of-kin if they have been arrested under counter-terrorism legislation but not charged with terror-related offences.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and the accompanying PACE codes of practice establish the powers of the police to combat crimes while protecting the rights of the public. PACE Code H focuses on detention, treatment and questioning by the police under terrorism legislation.
PACE Code H 2023 can be accessed via Gov.uk and details a person’s right to communication with ‘one named person’. The code sets out the following:
While held in custody at a police station or other premises the detainee may, on request, have one named person who is a friend, relative or a person known to them who is likely to take an interest in their welfare informed by the custody officer that they have been detained. They may also request a phone call or other form of communication with the ‘named person’.
At the custody officer’s discretion and subject to the detainee’s consent, visits should be allowed, when possible, subject to sufficient personnel being available to supervise a visit and any possible hindrance to the investigation.
However, in limited circumstances the nature of an investigation might mean that such requests (for visits, phone-calls or other form of communication) cannot be met. This is risk assessed on an individual basis, and in accordance with the considerations set out in Annex B to the Code. In this situation consideration is given to increasing the frequency of visits from independent visitor schemes, such as by the Independent Custody Visitors Association.
Any delay or denial of these rights should be proportionate and should last no longer than necessary.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on pension adjustments for police officers affected by the McCloud judgement.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Neither the policy responsibility nor administrative responsibility for police pension scheme falls to the Department of Work and Pensions. There have, therefore, been no such discussions.
The relevant legislation provides that all eligible members will be given a choice to remedy the discrimination set out in the McCloud judgment and that information should be provided to eligible members by 31 March 2025. Adjustments to individual members’ benefits are an administrative matter, and the police pension scheme is locally administered by each of the separate police forces in England and Wales (policing is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland).
The Home Office has policy responsibility for the police pension scheme but does not have any role in the administration of police pensions. Information on the progress of forces with the remedy process is therefore not held centrally.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects pension adjustments for police officers affected by the McCloud judgement to be completed.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Neither the policy responsibility nor administrative responsibility for police pension scheme falls to the Department of Work and Pensions. There have, therefore, been no such discussions.
The relevant legislation provides that all eligible members will be given a choice to remedy the discrimination set out in the McCloud judgment and that information should be provided to eligible members by 31 March 2025. Adjustments to individual members’ benefits are an administrative matter, and the police pension scheme is locally administered by each of the separate police forces in England and Wales (policing is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland).
The Home Office has policy responsibility for the police pension scheme but does not have any role in the administration of police pensions. Information on the progress of forces with the remedy process is therefore not held centrally.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential impact of the skilled worker visa application process on businesses.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
Home Office ministers regularly engage with the Department for Business and Trade, and other Whitehall Departments on a range of matters.
This Government is keen to strike the balance between reducing overall net migration and ensuring that businesses have the skills they need to support economic growth.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to reduce the backlog of asylum applications.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Provisional data indicates that between the end of November 2022 and October 2023 the legacy backlog reduced by 64% and we remain on track to clear the legacy backlog by the end of the year as per the Prime Minister’s commitment last year.
We will continue the steps we are already taking to speed up asylum processing whilst maintaining the integrity of the system. This includes better performance management, overtime, and shorer, focussed interviews.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the backlog of asylum applications.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We have transformed the productivity of asylum decision making by streamlining processes, creating focused interviews and instilling accountability for performance. And as of 1 September, we have met our commitment to have 2,500 decision makers, an increase of 174% from the same point last year.
As a result, I am pleased to report to the House that we are on track to clear the legacy backlog by the end of the year, and that recently published provisional figures for July show that the overall backlog fell.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on recruitment consultants in each of the last three years.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Home Office does not report the information sought to the level of granularity required. To identify spending on recruitment consultants specifically from our management systems would require a manual review of all consultancy related transactions.
This can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on headhunters in each of the last three years.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Home Office does not report the information sought to the level of granularity required. To identify spending on head-hunters specifically from our management systems would require a manual review of all consultancy related transactions.
This can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse has been of Ministerial severance pay in their Department in each year since 1 January 2016 to 8 November 2022.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Provision of severance payments for Ministers is set out in legislation.
Details of the severance payments made to Ministers when leaving office are published in departments’ annual reports and accounts.