Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the urgent question of 14 January 2025 on Drones: High-security Prisons, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the work of the organised crime groups on crime and disorder in the locality of (a) HMP Long Lartin and (b) other affected prisons.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is the responsibility of police, prisons, and the probation service to work collaboratively in order to assess and respond to the threat from Serious and Organised Crime in prison.
Serious and organised crime is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK and organised crime groups continue to diversify their tactics, exploiting technology and online platforms.
The Government is committed to tackling serious and organised crime in all its forms and ensuring police have the capabilities they need protect communities from harm.
We are delivering the Safer Streets mission to create a safer, fairer country for all and have increased funding for policing by more than half a billion pounds next year, including over £260million for the core grant and additional funding for neighbourhood policing.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the answer of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the urgent question of 14 January 2025 on Drones: High-security Prisons, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of using military technology to block drones flying over prisons; and whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on this issue.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the illegal use of drones to deliver contraband into prisons. We conduct vulnerability assessments across the estate to identify risks, and to develop and implement plans to manage and mitigate them. HM Prison & Probation Service uses targeted countermeasures such as improvements to windows, netting and grills to stop drones delivering contraband such as drugs, mobile phones and weapons.
We work across government, including with the Ministry of Defence, to examine options to mitigate the threat of drones to prisons. We are also engaging with international counterparts to develop our learning, support our strategy and share best practice. Due to operational sensitivities, we are not able to discuss in detail the tactics used by HMPPS to disrupt drones, including technologies used, however our response must be specific to a prison setting and tailored to individual prisons.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the annual budget for the proposed Office for Value for Money; whether that body will be established in statute; and how its Board will be appointed.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As the Chancellor laid before the House in her speech, the government has established a new Office of Value for Money, with an immediate focus on identifying areas where we can reduce, stop, or improve the value of spending. The chair of the office will report directly to the Chancellor and Chief Secretary to the Treasury who will be appointed in due course.
The office will not be established in statute but will sit within HM Treasury.
Existing departmental resources will be reprioritised to fulfil the needs of the office where possible.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how many occasions she had transition talks with officials in her Department in the last Parliament; and whether she had discussions on economic forecasts pertaining to the public finances.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The process for access talks is set out in the Cabinet Manual. Access talks are initiated with permission from the Prime Minister of the day and are confidential.
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place between Cabinet ministers and officials is not shared publicly.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her speech of 8 July 2024, whether the Office for Budget Responsibility has played a role in her review of public finances.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Chancellor presented to Parliament today an assessment of the state of our spending inheritance. The Chancellor confirmed the Budget will be held on the 30th October, alongside a full and independent forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs have been (a) seized and (b) taken into quarantine at (i) the Port of Dover and (ii) Eurotunnel in each month in 2019.
Answered by David Rutley
The number of dogs seized and taken into quarantine at the port of Dover and the Eurotunnel for each month of 2019 are as follows.
Month (2019) | Port of Seizure | Total seized | Detained in quarantine |
Jan | Eurotunnel | 24 | 7 |
Dover | 13 | 10 | |
Feb | Eurotunnel | 7 | 2 |
Dover | 20 | 4 | |
March | Eurotunnel | 5 | 2 |
Dover | 22 | 12 | |
April | Eurotunnel | 8 | 5 |
Dover | 29 | 5 | |
May | Eurotunnel | 3 | 3 |
Dover | 19 | 9 | |
June | Eurotunnel | 13 | 7 |
Dover | 16 | 8 |
The number of animals detained in quarantine for Eurotunnel may also include dogs that were seized at Coquelles and moved into the United Kingdom for quarantine purposes.
Some of animals will have been seized on welfare grounds only and therefore not put in quarantine.
The numbers provided are a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as it is provided by a third party.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the Attorney General:
What steps the CPS is taking to prosecute people responsible for female genital mutilation.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The CPS is determined to bring those responsible for Female Genital Mutilation to justice. I welcome the recent successful conviction in London which was the first in the UK.
Whilst prosecution alone will not end this appalling crime, this first conviction sends out a strong message that FGM is child abuse and that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question
What steps the Government is taking to support women who have experienced domestic abuse.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
On 21 January we published a draft Domestic Abuse Bill, which includes a ground-breaking series of measures to promote awareness, support victims, tackle perpetrators and improve services.
We have also published a package of non-legislative actions that will see further support for children affected by domestic abuse, the elderly, disabled, male and migrant victims and those in the LGBTQ community.
Ending domestic abuse remains an absolute priority for this government.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
What plans he has to change the time limit on the entitlement of UK citizens living overseas to register to vote in UK parliamentary elections.
Answered by Chloe Smith
British citizens living abroad retain strong links with the United Kingdom, no matter how far they have travelled.The Government is supporting the Member for Montgomeryshire’s Private Member’s Bill on Overseas Electors which delivers our manifesto commitment to introduce votes for life.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
What progress he has made on reducing the amount of income tax that people pay.
Answered by Mel Stride - Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
The government is committed to keeping taxes low to support working people keep more of what they earn.
Budget 2018 announced that the government will increase the personal allowance to £12,500 and the higher rate threshold to £50,000 from April 2019, one year earlier than planned.
This tax cut means, in 2019-20, a typical basic rate taxpayer will pay £1,205 less in tax than in 2010-11. Across the UK, 1.74 million of the lowest paid will be taken out of tax entirely since 2015, leaving more of their hard-earned money in their pockets.