Asked by: John Hemming (Liberal Democrat - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when responsibility for secure institutions for children, including approved schools, transferred away from the Home Office to other Government departments; and to which other departments and bodies that responsibility was transferred.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
On 29 March 2007 in a Written Ministerial Statement the Prime Minister announced a Machinery of Government Change whereby the transfer of a number of policy areas would take place from the Home Office to a new Ministry of Justice. This included the transfer of the National Offender Management Service, including the Prison and Probation Services, on 9th May 2007. Incorporated in this change was the policy relating to the secure estate for young offenders.
Section 46 of the Children and Young Persons act 1969 contains provision for the cessation of approved schools as a consequence of the establishment of community homes. The responsibility for approved schools was transferred to the Department of Health and Social Security in 1971 and, in 1973, under a number of orders made under powers in section 46 above approved schools ceased to operate in 1973.
Asked by: John Hemming (Liberal Democrat - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will indicate what constraints there are on publication of case papers, inquiries or other documents relating to the Birmingham Pub Bombings on 21 November 1974.
Answered by James Brokenshire
While the investigation by West Midlands Police into this appalling and devastating crime remains open it would not be appropriate for the police to grant access to their files.
Asked by: John Hemming (Liberal Democrat - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what visits by UK police officers in an official capacity to St Helena have taken place since May 2010; what the purpose and cost was of each such visit; and whether the full costs of each visit were met by her Department.
Answered by Mike Penning
Under Section 26 of the Police Act (1996), the Home Office has authorised three deployments of UK police officers to St Helena to provide advice to the St Helena Police: two in 2010 and a third in 2013. The Home Office does not hold details on the costs of these deployments which are a matter for the relevant UK police force facilitating the visit, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the authorities in St Helena.