Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will introduce increased criminal sanctions for crypto exchange companies who (a) launder stolen crypto currency and (b) allow (i) criminal gangs and (ii) hostile states to trade cryptocurrencies for other assets.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
Cryptoassets exchanges, like all businesses who launder funds, can be prosecuted under the money laundering offences in Part 7 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and fined accordingly. In April 2024, new powers came into force to enable law enforcement to more effectively investigate, seize, and recover the proceeds of crime within the cryptoasset ecosystem.
Since 2020, businesses providing cryptoasset services that fall under the scope of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (MLRs) in the United Kingdom have also been required to register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and comply with the requirements of the regulations. They must also comply with the UK sanctions regime and are obliged to report any breach of these regimes to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI). They should further consider their obligation to submit a suspicious activity report (SAR) to the UK Financial Intelligence Unit.
More widely, the government has bolstered law enforcement’s capacity and capability to tackle money laundering through cryptoassets. This includes new specialist capability in the NCA and partner agencies, funding public-private crypto collaboration teams in police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, and the development of a multi-agency operational crypto cell to ensure that knowledge and abilities in investigating cryptoassets are pooled together and all available tools and powers are exploited efficiently.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will commission research into the (a) role of (i) Russia (ii) Belarus (iii) Iran (iv) China and (v) Yemen in the migration of people and (b) potential impact of that migration on national security.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Tackling irregular migration is a key focus for this government and we regularly research and review the drivers behind it to inform our response. National security, including security at our border, is of the highest importance which is why the Border Security Command was launched and works with colleagues across government and with a range of international partners to disrupt the activity of criminal smuggling gangs.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will increase sanctions for people who make fake (a) bomb threats and (b) calls to the emergency services.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Making a bomb threat or other any other type of hoax phone call to the emergency services is a criminal offence. All calls to the emergency services are recorded and the number can be traced, even if withheld. Local services regularly remind the public of the serious consequences of hoax calls.
Emergency services may also request a Communications Provider to place a temporary restriction on the account of the hoax/nuisance caller. However, contact management, including the management of hoax calls, is an operational matter for services. Any decision is for the emergency authority to take.
There are existing mechanisms in place for emergency services to share information on hoax callers and where hoax calling is deliberate, policing may use legislation to prosecute persistent offenders.
The Home Office currently has no plans to review the sanctions against those making bomb threats or hoax calls to emergency services.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that the devolved parliaments and assemblies have sufficient resources to (a) detect, (b) deter and (c) prosecute any malign State activities seeking to undermine those democratic institutions.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Defending Democracy Taskforce regularly engages and works with devolved Governments and Parliaments on threats facing our democracy including foreign interference.
This includes supporting the delivery of cyber security advice which makes available expert cyber support to elected representatives across the UK’s Devolved Parliaments.
In addition, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), as a standing member of the Taskforce, continues to deliver the enhanced cyber security offer for elected representatives across the UK - at local, Devolved, and national levels - to better protect them, their teams, and families online.
The National Security Act 2023 also provides the security services and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to deter, detect, and disrupt modern-day state threats, including foreign interference.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing funding for the security service in the context of existing and emerging state and non-state threats to the UK’s national security.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
Keeping the country safe is the first duty of government. MI5 has a key role to play alongside SIS, GCHQ and the rest of the UK’s national security and law enforcement community in achieving that.
The Chancellor confirmed in the Autumn Budget on 13 October an additional £499m funding for the Single Intelligence Account, which includes MI5, SIS and GCHQ, to ensure that our agencies are equipped to do the vital job we require of them.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 introducing performance-related pay for Chief Constables based on (a) rates of crime reduction and (b) crime outcomes including (i) charges and (ii) summonses.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
PCCs and Mayors with PCC functions, as the locally elected representative for policing, are responsible for holding Chief Constables to account for their performance and that of their force. This government will continue to work with PCCs and chief constables to set clear expectations for policing on performance and standards to ensure that our communities have an effective and efficient police service within their force area.
The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) makes recommendations to the Government on the appropriate level of pay and allowances for chief police officers. This government values their independent and expert advice.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to help West Mercia Police recruit more special constables in rural communities.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises and values the professionalism, dedication and sacrifice shown by special constables in their work. Special constables, along with the full range of volunteers in policing, make a vital contribution to keeping our communities safe.
As we announced in the Police Funding Settlement in January, the Government is doubling the funding available in 2025/26 to support the first steps in delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel, including special constables. This £200 million investment underlines our commitment to the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee as part of the Safer Streets mission.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure sufficient recruitment of retained firefighters in Shropshire.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Firefighters play a vital role in keeping the public safe and I am grateful for the work undertaken by fire and rescue services across the country in support of their local communities.
The Government is committed to ensuring fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work. Overall, fire and rescue authorities are receiving around £2.87 billion during 2024/25. Standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities have seen an increase in core spending power of £95.4m during 2024/25. This is an increase of 5.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2023/24.
Recruitment practice and processes are the responsibility of individual fire and rescue authorities who must ensure that fire and rescue services are meeting the needs of their local communities.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to make it a criminal offence to create fake online media accounts for public bodies and organisations where the communication of official and public information is necessary for civic order and resilience.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
Under the Online Safety Act, all services in scope must tackle illegal content and activity which enables fraud, including activity through fake and anonymous accounts. The illegal harms duties will come into force in Spring 2025.
More broadly, government departments and agencies continually seek to identify malicious websites that intend to impersonate public sector bodies and enable fraudulent activity. Those creating such websites may be liable for prosecution for fraud or computer misuse offences.
Domain registrars, Internet infrastructure (IIPs) and service providers (ISPs) operate robust voluntary arrangements for filtering, blocking and takedown of malicious websites, which is supported by the operational work of our agencies and law enforcement. NCSC also works in collaboration with industry partners to present ISPs with real-time threat data that enables them to instantly block access to known fraudulent or malicious websites. This has a major impact in protecting citizens from cyber- and cyber-facilitated crimes.
The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK is the safest place to live and work online. It is essential that the UK has the right legislative framework to allow us to tackle the harms posed to our citizens, businesses, and government services online.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will (a) commission and (b) publish research into domestic abuse against men.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The definition of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) encompasses crimes which disproportionately, but not exclusively, affect women and girls. We recognise that men and boys also experience abusive and violent crimes, such as stalking, domestic abuse and sexual abuse. That is why we fund a specific helpline with Respect, which provides specialist tailored support for male victims of domestic abuse.
On 24 October, the Home Secretary announced a package of reforms to improve the police response to victims of VAWG related crimes. Ensuring that all victims have a positive experience when dealing with the police is essential to increase reporting of these crimes and deliver better outcomes for victims.
Our new VAWG strategy to be published next year aims to help all victims of domestic abuse and this strategy will lay out our plans for any future initiatives and research, including for men who are victims of abuse.