Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to ensure that Essex Police's share of national funding from the police funding formula adequately reflects the level of policing it provides nationally.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
In 2025-26, overall funding for policing will total up to £19.6 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 police settlement. Essex Police will receive up to £434.1 million in funding in 2025-26, an increase of up to £27.9 million when compared to the 2024-25 police settlement, equating to a 6.9% cash increase.
The 2025-26 police settlement ensures that every local policing body in England and Wales will receive the same percentage increase in their Core Grant, offering funding certainty for forces in setting a balanced budget.
Funding for policing in future years beyond 2025-26 will be set out in phase 2 of the Spending Review.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that vehicle manufacturers rectify security issues with cars to prevent theft; and what discussions her Department has had with vehicle manufacturers on preventing car theft.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government is determined to drive down vehicle crime and we are working with the automotive industry and police – taking a national approach - to ensure our response is as strong as it can be, including working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime.
Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced measures to ban electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing and supplying them. This will support the changes manufacturers continue to make to prevent thefts.
We also provided £250,000 funding in financial year 24/25 to help support enforcement work at the ports to prevent stolen vehicles and vehicle parts being shipped abroad.
Via the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group, we are focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of and from vehicles. This includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.
In recent weeks, the Security Minister and I have each met vehicle manufacturers to discuss these issues. Officials also regularly engage and work with industry to discuss workable solutions to help prevent vehicle theft.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will make an assessment of the adequacy of existing health checks for retired firefighters; and if she will work with (a) NHS Trusts and (b) local healthcare providers in Essex to improve healthcare for firefighters.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The health and safety of firefighters is of paramount importance.
We will continue to engage with the Department of Health and Social Care, the Health and Safety Executive and the National Fire Chiefs Council on the development of policy in this area, including examining the potential benefits of health screening programmes for current and retired firefighters.
Fire and rescue authorities, as the employers, are responsible for the health and wellbeing of firefighters, and so it is for those authorities to take the appropriate action to protect their workforces.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a new public inquiry into the Windrush scandal.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This government is determined to put right the appalling injustices caused by the Home Office’s treatment of members of the Windrush community, making sure that those affected receive the compensation they rightly deserve, and ensuring cultural change is embedded permanently into the fabric of the Home Office.
We have established a new Windrush Unit in the Home Office with a remit dedicated to driving systemic and cultural change across the whole organisation. The new Windrush Unit will be undertaking a review of the Home Office’s response to the Windrush Lessons Learned Review to assess how far the department has come and what more needs to be done.
We will be appointing a Windrush Commissioner to act as an independent advocate for all those affected. This independent advocate will ensure the voices of Windrush victims and communities are heard throughout government and will help ensure lasting change is delivered and lessons of the past are truly learned.
We believe that these measures will be the quickest and most effective way to learn lessons and ensure victims get the support they deserve.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure the safety of British Pakistanis speaking out about human rights violations in Pakistan.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government regularly assesses potential threats to the UK, and takes the protection of individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously.
As you would expect, Home Office officials work closely with the FCDO and MHCLG as well as other Government departments to ensure that the UK is a safe and welcoming place.
The Home Secretary regularly discusses issues regarding national security with her counterparts, including the Foreign Secretary.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to extend the flexible fund beyond February 2025.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to supporting victims of domestic abuse.
At the beginning of October, we launched a £1.96m investment into the Flexible Fund. The Flexible Fund, administered by Women’s Aid Federation of England, can be accessed through over 470 specialist domestic abuse services.
Following the spending review announcements in October, the Home Office is now deciding how the total funding settlement is allocated across the Department to deliver the Government’s priorities. Further announcements regarding funding, including on the Flexible Fund, will follow in due course.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle the asylum case backlog.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Mr Speaker, this government inherited an asylum system in crisis, with decision-making on cases at its lowest level for years, £8 million per day being spent on asylum hotels, and a £6 billion in-year overspend on asylum and illegal migration costs.
We have increased asylum decision-making, stepped up returns of failed asylum-seekers, and combined with the ending of the Rwanda partnership, committed in the Budget to reduce costs by £4 billion over the next two years. We cannot fix the system we inherited overnight, but we are working flat out towards that goal.