Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that the cost of firearms licensing does not reduce resources available for other operational policing.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Firearms licensing fees have not been increased since 2015 and are now significantly less than the cost of the service provided by the police.
The Government’s Manifesto includes a commitment to move to full cost recovery for firearms licensing fees, and moving to full cost recovery will help protect the public by providing police forces with the funding they need to properly resource and train their firearms licensing teams, and to carry out thorough checks and continuous assessment of the suitability of someone to possess a lethal firearm.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that asylum seekers are not deported prior to a final judgement on their case.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Every asylum claim admitted to the UK asylum system is carefully considered on its individual merits by assessing all the evidence provided by the claimant against a background of published country information.
No one who is at risk of persecution or serious harm in their home country is expected to return there.
Refugee status is normally granted when someone has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee Convention.
Those found not to need protection are refused. However, it is only when any appeal rights are exhausted that failed asylum seekers are expected to leave the UK.
A refusal of a protection or a human rights claim can, in some circumstances, be certified under Section 94 and Section 96 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. This process removes the right of appeal against the decision.
Failed asylum seekers may be eligible for help to go home under the Voluntary Returns Service (VRS). Where a failed asylum seeker fails to leave voluntarily, we will seek to enforce their removal.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the ability of local authorities to resource Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable.
The funding for DHRs is provided through the local government funding settlement and the Home Office is unable to provide specific guidance on how funding should be allocated locally.
However, whilst the Government is committed to the fundamental principle of the DHR process, we recognise that there is room for improvement in the way these reviews are currently conducted and the lessons applied.
The department recently ran a public consultation seeking views on a revised version of the statutory guidance which underpins DHRs and we will be carefully considering the findings to ensure that improvements are made.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 to remove exceptions to licensing laws that allow sexual entertainment to take place in premises without a sexual entertainment licence.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The 1982 Act gives local authorities who adopt the legislation the ability to regulate lap dancing clubs as sexual entertainment venues. Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 (legislation.gov.uk)