Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of recommendation C of the NAO report entitled Financial sustainability of police forces in England and Wales 2018 on police forces in Wales.
Answered by Nick Hurd
After I engaged with all 43 police forces in England & Wales in 2017 about the demands on them, the Government decided that we should provide greater financial certainty for the police for 2018/29 and 2019/20. We are investing an additional £460m in the policing system this year, including around £280m of direct funding from council tax precept.
We will consider the issue of the police funding formula will be in the context of the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of recommendation C of the NAO report entitled Financial sustainability of police forces in England and Wales 2018 on rural police forces in England and Wales.
Answered by Nick Hurd
After I engaged with all 43 police forces in England & Wales in 2017 about the demands on them, the Government decided that we should provide greater financial certainty for the police for 2018/29 and 2019/20. We are investing an additional £460m in the policing system this year, including around £280m of direct funding from council tax precept.
We will consider the issue of the police funding formula will be in the context of the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the comparative effect of recommendation C of the NAO report entitled Financial sustainability of police forces in England and Wales 2018 on rural and urban police forces.
Answered by Nick Hurd
After I engaged with all 43 police forces in England & Wales in 2017 about the demands on them, the Government decided that we should provide greater financial certainty for the police for 2018/29 and 2019/20. We are investing an additional £460m in the policing system this year, including around £280m of direct funding from council tax precept.
We will consider the issue of the police funding formula will be in the context of the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how he plans to control immigration to the UK from the EU while while also protecting the uninhibited movement of people between Ireland and the UK under the Common Travel Area.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The UK is firmly committed to protecting the Common Travel Area (CTA). December’s Joint Report between the UK and the European Commission confirmed the shared understanding that the CTA will be maintained as the UK leaves the EU.
This means that, as now, there will be no routine immigration controls on journeys from within the CTA to the UK; with no controls whatsoever at the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border. However, individuals will still always need to meet the UK’s immigration requirements when entering the UK through the CTA.
The UK is considering options for it’s future immigration system very carefully and will outline further details in due course. The UK’s future approach to immigration control for EU citizens will reflect CTA arrangements.
The UK will continue to work very closely with other CTA members, particularly Ireland, to strengthen the external CTA border and tackle those who seek to abuse arrangements. In addition, intelligence-led operations target potential abuse of CTA routes and people identified as attempting to circumvent our controls are liable to be detained and, if unlawfully in the UK, removed.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the likelihood of immigrants from the EU using the uninhibited movement of people under the Common Travel Area to gain access to the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The UK is firmly committed to protecting the Common Travel Area (CTA). December’s Joint Report between the UK and the European Commission confirmed the shared understanding that the CTA will be maintained as the UK leaves the EU.
This means that, as now, there will be no routine immigration controls on journeys from within the CTA to the UK; with no controls whatsoever at the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border. However, individuals will still always need to meet the UK’s immigration requirements when entering the UK through the CTA.
The UK is considering options for it’s future immigration system very carefully and will outline further details in due course. The UK’s future approach to immigration control for EU citizens will reflect CTA arrangements.
The UK will continue to work very closely with other CTA members, particularly Ireland, to strengthen the external CTA border and tackle those who seek to abuse arrangements. In addition, intelligence-led operations target potential abuse of CTA routes and people identified as attempting to circumvent our controls are liable to be detained and, if unlawfully in the UK, removed.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has for increased border control at Welsh ports in the event of EU migrants using the uninhibited movement of people under the Common Travel Area to gain access to the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The UK is firmly committed to protecting the Common Travel Area (CTA). December’s Joint Report between the UK and the European Commission confirmed the shared understanding that the CTA will be maintained as the UK leaves the EU.
This means that, as now, there will be no routine immigration controls on journeys from within the CTA to the UK; with no controls whatsoever at the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border. However, individuals will still always need to meet the UK’s immigration requirements when entering the UK through the CTA.
The UK is considering options for it’s future immigration system very carefully and will outline further details in due course. The UK’s future approach to immigration control for EU citizens will reflect CTA arrangements.
The UK will continue to work very closely with other CTA members, particularly Ireland, to strengthen the external CTA border and tackle those who seek to abuse arrangements. In addition, intelligence-led operations target potential abuse of CTA routes and people identified as attempting to circumvent our controls are liable to be detained and, if unlawfully in the UK, removed.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment the Government has made of the performance of the National Police Air Service in Wales.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not collect performance information on the National Police Air Service (NPAS).
NPAS is a collaboration of English and Welsh Police Forces. The Service’s Strategic Board comprised of Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, including the Dyfed Powys PCC, are responsible for overseeing NPAS.
HMICFRS published a study of Police Air Support in November 2017. NPAS and the National Police Chief’s Council have both announced that they are undertaking work to address recommendations concerning NPAS.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what Government policy is on the maintenance of border control arrangements between France and the UK for (a) rail, (b) ferry and (c) flight passengers after the UK exits the EU.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government’s White Paper, “The United Kingdom’s exit from and new partnership with European Union” published on 2 February makes clear that Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe. We will continue to attract the brightest and the best to work or study in Britain but there must be control.
Parliament will have an important role to play in this and we will ensure businesses and communities have the opportunity to contribute their views.
There are a number of options as to how EU migration might work once we have left the EU. We are considering various options and it would be wrong to set out further positions at this stage.
However, the bilateral agreements underpinning our juxtaposed controls on rail and ferry services are not directly affected by Britain’s membership of the EU and we are committed to working together with France to protect our shared border and to maintain the juxtaposed controls arrangements. The French Government has repeatedly made it clear that removing the juxtaposed controls would not be in the interests of France.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the extra resources needed at ports to process the arrival of EU citizens following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
There are a number of options as to how EU migration might work once we have left the European Union. We are considering various options and it would be wrong to set out further positions at this stage.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken to determine the extra resources required at UK airports to process the arrival of EU citizens once the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
There are a number of options as to how EU migration might work once we have left. We are considering various options and it would be wrong to set out further positions at this stage.