Asked by: Mike Tapp (Labour - Dover and Deal)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to prevent the police from charging victims of theft whose cars have been stolen for the cost of holding or releasing those vehicles.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (RTRA) empowers the police to remove vehicles that are dangerously, illegally, or obstructively parked, or broken down or abandoned, which includes vehicles abandoned after theft.
Removals and storage entail a cost, which would have to be paid for out of police budgets if not met by the vehicle owner. As a result, the police are empowered to charge the owner prescribed sums, which are set by Statutory Instrument and vary according to the size of the vehicle and other factors.
In 2021, the previous government conducted a consultation on the charges for the removal, storage and disposal of vehicles, and published a response to the findings of that consultation exercise in March 2023.
This response stated that: “When a vehicle owner has their vehicle stolen and restored to them, they can either decide to pay the recovery fee themselves, pass the recovery fee onto their insurance provider, or choose not to have their vehicle returned.” It did not propose any change to these arrangements.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that – in addition to the options above – the police are also empowered to waive the recovery fee at their discretion, taking into account any special circumstances, including the ability of the owner to pay, but this remains an operational matter for their judgement.
We will keep this matter under review, but at present, it remains the case that the charging of recovery fees is the most sustainable means of funding the costs incurred by the police in removing and storing abandoned vehicles.
Asked by: Mike Tapp (Labour - Dover and Deal)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to prevent the police from charging people whose cars have been stolen for the cost of holding those vehicles for evidential purposes.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Whilst the police are empowered to charge vehicle owners prescribed sums for the recovery, storage, and disposal of their vehicles, victims of theft are not charged storage costs whilst vehicles are undergoing forensics examinations or for the cost for forensic examinations following the recovery of stolen vehicles.
Asked by: Mike Tapp (Labour - Dover and Deal)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the maximum daily spend on hotel accommodation for asylum-seekers between July (a) 2021 and (b) 2024; and in which (i) month and (ii) year that maximum spend was reached.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not publish data on daily numbers or cost of hotels in use as costs are subject to change depending on numbers being accommodated within the asylum system. However, the total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Mike Tapp (Labour - Dover and Deal)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with her Turkish counterpart on a cooperation and security agreement; and whether she plans to hold such discussions before the end of the year.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office continues to work closely with a wide range of agencies and governments around the world to pursue our shared objectives to tackle organised immigration crime. However, I can advise the Honourable Member that media reports suggesting that the UK is intending to negotiate a cooperation and security agreement with the government of Turkey are wholly inaccurate and misleading, and do not reflect any of the discussions that Home Office ministers and officials have had with their Turkish counterparts in recent months. We look forward to continuing our warm, productive and equal partnership with the government of Turkey on a range of issues of mutual benefit to both countries, but the idea of an 'Italy-style deal' invented by media outlets has been and will remain no part of those discussions.