Asked by: Jessica Toale (Labour - Bournemouth West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle county lines drug trafficking in (a) coastal communities and (b) Dorset.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
County lines is the most violent and exploitative model of drug distribution nationally, and a harmful form of Child Criminal Exploitation. We committed in our manifesto to go after the gangs who lure young people into violence and crime, and we will deliver a new offence of Child Criminal Exploitation in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill.
While the the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, and Greater Manchester Police, county lines is a national issue which affects all forces. This is why, through the Home Office-funded County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response.
The County Lines Programme taskforces regularly conduct joint operations with other forces, and we have established a dedicated fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines, including Dorset Police.
Between July and September 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, 500 arrests (including the arrest and charge of over 260 deal line holders) and 800 safeguarding referrals for children and vulnerable people. Over 220 children and young people have also received dedicated specialist support through our county lines support service since July.
Asked by: Jessica Toale (Labour - Bournemouth West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) sexual assaults and (b) rapes were reported in (i) Bournemouth and (ii) the South West in each of the last three years.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This Government will treat tackling violence against women and girls as a national emergency and that includes improving the criminal justice system response to sexual assault and rape.
The Home Office publishes information on the number of sexual offences and rapes reported to and recorded by the police in England and Wales at Community Safety Partnership Area, Police Force Area and Region in our police recorded crime and open data tables which can be found here: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The data requested is also summarised in the tables below:
Avon and Somerset | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
Sexual Offences | 5,572 | 5,265 | 6,266 |
Rape | 2,128 | 1,984 | 2,717 |
Devon and Cornwall | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
Sexual Offences | 5,285 | 5,381 | 5,613 |
Rape | 1,881 | 1,948 | 2,015 |
Dorset | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
Sexual Offences | 2,353 | 2,358 | 2,175 |
Rape | 851 | 837 | 810 |
Gloucestershire | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
Sexual Offences | 1,907 | 2,203 | 2,079 |
Rape | 640 | 736 | 718 |
Wiltshire | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
Sexual Offences | 1,812 | 1,937 | 1,880 |
Rape | 588 | 632 | 640 |
Bournemouth | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
Sexual Offences | 844 | 795 | 754 |
Rape | 346 | 310 | 259 |
Asked by: Jessica Toale (Labour - Bournemouth West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hotels are being used as temporary accommodation for people seeking asylum in a) the United Kingdom, b) the South West and c) Bournemouth.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes identifying a range of options to reduce the use of hotels over time and ensuring efficiency and value for money across all accommodation arrangements.
Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent stats release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Information on the location of individuals awaiting a decision on their asylum application is not published.
Asked by: Jessica Toale (Labour - Bournemouth West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are a) waiting for a decision on their asylum applications in Bournemouth and b) currently residing in hotels in Bournemouth.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes identifying a range of options to reduce the use of hotels over time and ensuring efficiency and value for money across all accommodation arrangements.
Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent stats release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Information on the location of individuals awaiting a decision on their asylum application is not published.
Asked by: Jessica Toale (Labour - Bournemouth West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures her Department is taking to end housing of people claiming asylum in hotels in Bournemouth West constituency.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes identifying a range of options to reduce the use of hotels over time and ensuring efficiency and value for money across all accommodation arrangements.
Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent stats release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Information on the location of individuals awaiting a decision on their asylum application is not published.
Asked by: Jessica Toale (Labour - Bournemouth West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle a) anti-social behaviour and b) illegal drug use in town centres.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.
We will put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities so that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong.
We will introduce tougher powers to tackle antisocial behaviour via a Crime and Policing Bill, including a new Respect Order to tackle repeat offending. The introduction of Respect Orders will be announced when parliamentary time allows.
We know that drugs drive crime and cause harm to individuals and society. We will take action as part of our Safer Streets Mission to drive down crime and anti-social behaviour across the country including cracking down on the drug gangs profiting from this harmful trade.