Asked by: Nadine Dorries (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the changes in the demands placed on Bedfordshire Police due to counter-terrorism operations; and whether that assessment is reflected in the Police Funding Formula.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government provides ring-fenced funding for counter-terrorism policing. We recognise the pressures on policing following the recent attacks and are in regular dialogue with policing, including National Counter-Terrorism Policing Headquarters (NCTPHQ), Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners to ensure the right powers, capabilities and resources are in place to deal with the threat we face. That is why we have announced that the counter-terrorism policing budget will go up by 7%, increasing by £50m from £707m this year to at least £757 million in 2018/19.
This Government also provided an additional £24m to CT policing this year to meet the costs relating to the recent terror attacks.
We have announced that the funding formula, which distributes core grant funding will be looked at again during the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Nadine Dorries (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which police forces in England have the (a) highest and (b) lowest ratio of police officers per capita of the areas they serve.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of police officers employed by each police force in England and Wales on a bi-annual basis. These data are published in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletins, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2017
Table H4 of the accompanying data tables contains information on the number of police officers per capita, by police force area. Data as at 31 March 2017 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/629865/police-workforce-tabs-jul17.ods
Data for previous years can be found in the relevant year’s release by following the first link.
Figures are on a full-time equivalent basis, whereby an employee who works 70% of normal hours is counted as 0.7.
Asked by: Nadine Dorries (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the number of police officers per capita was in (a) England and Wales, (b) London, (c) the East of England and (d) Bedfordshire in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of police officers employed by each police force in England and Wales on a bi-annual basis. These data are published in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletins, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2017
Table H4 of the accompanying data tables contains information on the number of police officers per capita, by police force area. Data as at 31 March 2017 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/629865/police-workforce-tabs-jul17.ods
Data for previous years can be found in the relevant year’s release by following the first link.
Figures are on a full-time equivalent basis, whereby an employee who works 70% of normal hours is counted as 0.7.
Asked by: Nadine Dorries (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which police forces in England have the (a) highest and (b) lowest ratio of crimes per police officer.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office collects and publishes information which can be used to calculate the ratio of crimes per police officer for police forces in England
The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales. These data are published quarterly, and the latest update for the year to June 2017 can be accessed here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/recordedcrimedataatpoliceforcearealevelincludingpivottable
The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of police officers employed by each police force in England and Wales on a bi-annual basis. These data are published in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletins, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2017
Asked by: Nadine Dorries (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Police Funding Formula in recognising the diversity of the crime demands facing different police forces in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The 2018/19 settlement follows a period of engagement, with the Minister for Policing and Fire speaking to every force in England and Wales about the demand they face. There are significant demands on the police from the terrorist threat and from more victims of high harm, hidden crimes such as modern slavery and child sexual exploitation coming forward.
This is a strong and comprehensive settlement that will increase funding by up to £450m across the police system for 2018/19. This includes the flexibility for PCCs to increase their funding by up to £270m, which they can use to spend on local priorities. In 2018/19, if the PCC uses their precept flexibility, Bedfordshire will receive £104.3m in direct resource funding, an annual increase of £2.9m. This is £4.8m more than 2015/16.
The Government intends to maintain the protection of a broadly flat police grant in 2019/20 and repeat the same precept flexibility if the police deliver clear and substantial progress on productivity and efficiency. In this context, it is intended that the funding formula will be revisited at the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Nadine Dorries (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the potential change in demands on Bedfordshire Police due to changes in the level of rural crime; and whether that assessment is reflected in the Police Funding Formula.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The 2018/19 settlement follows a period of engagement, with the Minister for Policing and Fire speaking to every force in England and Wales about the demand they face. There are significant demands on the police from the terrorist threat and from more victims of high harm, hidden crimes such as modern slavery and child sexual exploitation coming forward.
This is a strong and comprehensive settlement that will increase funding by up to £450m across the police system for 2018/19. This includes the flexibility for PCCs to increase their funding by up to £270m, which they can use to spend on local priorities. In 2018/19, if the PCC uses their precept flexibility, Bedfordshire will receive £104.3m in direct resource funding, an annual increase of £2.9m. This is £4.8m more than 2015/16.
The Government intends to maintain the protection of a broadly flat police grant in 2019/20 and repeat the same precept flexibility if the police deliver clear and substantial progress on productivity and efficiency. In this context, it is intended that the funding formula will be revisited at the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Nadine Dorries (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the potential for increased demands on Bedfordshire Police due to the expansion of Luton Airport; and whether that assessment is reflected in the Police Funding Formula.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The 2018/19 settlement follows a period of engagement, with the Minister for Policing and Fire speaking to every force in England and Wales about the demand they face. There are significant demands on the police from the terrorist threat and from more victims of high harm, hidden crimes such as modern slavery and child sexual exploitation coming forward.
This is a strong and comprehensive settlement that will increase funding by up to £450m across the police system for 2018/19. This includes the flexibility for PCCs to increase their funding by up to £270m, which they can use to spend on local priorities. In 2018/19, if the PCC uses their precept flexibility, Bedfordshire will receive £104.3m in direct resource funding, an annual increase of £2.9m. This is £4.8m more than 2015/16.
The Government intends to maintain the protection of a broadly flat police grant in 2019/20 and repeat the same precept flexibility if the police deliver clear and substantial progress on productivity and efficiency. In this context, it is intended that the funding formula will be revisited at the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Nadine Dorries (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers in England and Wales have been trained on the law on stalking to date; and what further such training is planned.
Answered by Norman Baker
The College of Policing sets standards and provides relevant training products and services to police forces. This includes a College of Policing training package on stalking, which was completed 56,748 times between October 2012 and 30 September 2014 by police officers and staff in England and Wales, and continues to be available.
Neither the College of Policing nor the Home Office holds information which breaks this figure down by the number of police officers and staff in England and Wales that have completed the training.
In 2013-14, 743 prosecutions were commenced under the new stalking legislation. This is a significant increase from 2012-13 and shows that the legislation is taking effect.
We are also working with the police and Crown Prosecution Service to raise awareness and improve professional knowledge.
To ensure prosecutors’ knowledge is continuously refreshed, in April 2014, the CPS launched a specific e-learning module on stalking which focused on victim support, working with the police and ensuring a strong case is built from the start. The College of Policing is also undertaking a review of how stalking incidents are investigated by the police. This will include how the police understand what constitutes a course of conduct in policing, how the police support victims, and further training on the appropriate use of Police Information Notices.
Since April 2014, offences of stalking and harassment are being reported separately in Police Recorded Crime figures. This will allow us to monitor the impact of the legislation more effectively.
Convicted stalkers will already be captured on the Police National Computer. We are working to make better use of existing databases and improve connectivity and information sharing rather than creating new databases or registers for each and every offence.
Asked by: Nadine Dorries (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the effects of section 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
Answered by Norman Baker
The College of Policing sets standards and provides relevant training products and services to police forces. This includes a College of Policing training package on stalking, which was completed 56,748 times between October 2012 and 30 September 2014 by police officers and staff in England and Wales, and continues to be available.
Neither the College of Policing nor the Home Office holds information which breaks this figure down by the number of police officers and staff in England and Wales that have completed the training.
In 2013-14, 743 prosecutions were commenced under the new stalking legislation. This is a significant increase from 2012-13 and shows that the legislation is taking effect.
We are also working with the police and Crown Prosecution Service to raise awareness and improve professional knowledge.
To ensure prosecutors’ knowledge is continuously refreshed, in April 2014, the CPS launched a specific e-learning module on stalking which focused on victim support, working with the police and ensuring a strong case is built from the start. The College of Policing is also undertaking a review of how stalking incidents are investigated by the police. This will include how the police understand what constitutes a course of conduct in policing, how the police support victims, and further training on the appropriate use of Police Information Notices.
Since April 2014, offences of stalking and harassment are being reported separately in Police Recorded Crime figures. This will allow us to monitor the impact of the legislation more effectively.
Convicted stalkers will already be captured on the Police National Computer. We are working to make better use of existing databases and improve connectivity and information sharing rather than creating new databases or registers for each and every offence.
Asked by: Nadine Dorries (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to introduce a register for serial stalkers.
Answered by Norman Baker
The College of Policing sets standards and provides relevant training products and services to police forces. This includes a College of Policing training package on stalking, which was completed 56,748 times between October 2012 and 30 September 2014 by police officers and staff in England and Wales, and continues to be available.
Neither the College of Policing nor the Home Office holds information which breaks this figure down by the number of police officers and staff in England and Wales that have completed the training.
In 2013-14, 743 prosecutions were commenced under the new stalking legislation. This is a significant increase from 2012-13 and shows that the legislation is taking effect.
We are also working with the police and Crown Prosecution Service to raise awareness and improve professional knowledge.
To ensure prosecutors’ knowledge is continuously refreshed, in April 2014, the CPS launched a specific e-learning module on stalking which focused on victim support, working with the police and ensuring a strong case is built from the start. The College of Policing is also undertaking a review of how stalking incidents are investigated by the police. This will include how the police understand what constitutes a course of conduct in policing, how the police support victims, and further training on the appropriate use of Police Information Notices.
Since April 2014, offences of stalking and harassment are being reported separately in Police Recorded Crime figures. This will allow us to monitor the impact of the legislation more effectively.
Convicted stalkers will already be captured on the Police National Computer. We are working to make better use of existing databases and improve connectivity and information sharing rather than creating new databases or registers for each and every offence.