Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Government response to the Consultation on new knife legislation proposals to tackle the use of machetes and other bladed articles in crime, published on 30 August 2023, which (a) type and (b) size of (i) machetes, (ii) swords and (iii) other bladed weapons are covered by the proposals.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Between 18 April 2023 and 6 June 2023, the Government ran a consultation on five proposals to tackle knife crime, including a targeted ban on certain types of machetes and knives which appear to be designed to look intimidating, but which have no practical purpose. The consultation followed engagement with the police who had raised concerns about the use of fantasy and zombie type machetes and knives in crime.
On 30 August the Home Office published the government response to the consultation:
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/machetes-and-other-bladed-articles-proposed-legislation
As set out in the consultation response, the government is currently considering the precise description of the items we wish to ban following feedback from respondents to the consultation. This includes considering the following features:
- Cutting edges – plain and serrated
- Sharp pointed end
- Length of the blade
- Holes in the blade
- Other features - spikes, protuberances, hooks
These features are being considered to differentiate the types of machetes and knives which appear to have been designed to look intimidating and have no practical purpose, from the types of machetes and knives which are used for agriculture, gardening and a range of other jobs and pastimes.
We have focused on the features commonly found in the knives and machetes that the police have brought to our attention as increasingly being used for serious crime and serious violence.
As set out in the consultation response, during our conversations with the police swords were not raised as a specific concern and in discussion with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), we agreed to focus on zombie style machetes and knives in this consultation. However, we will keep this under review, should any operational need arise to extend the ban to swords and other bladed articles or offensive weapons.
More widely, it is already an offence to have an article with a blade or point in a public place without good reason and this includes swords. Upon conviction for this offence a person can be liable for up to four years imprisonment.
It is also an offence to sell any sword or machete to anyone under 18 and one of our proposals is to increase the maximum sentence for this offence to two years imprisonment.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press notice entitled Government bans machetes and zombie knives, published by her Department on 30 August 2023, whether her proposal to ban the online sale of machetes and other bladed weapons includes swords without serrated edges.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Between 18 April 2023 and 6 June 2023, the Government ran a consultation on five proposals to tackle knife crime, including a targeted ban on certain types of machetes and knives which appear to be designed to look intimidating, but which have no practical purpose. The consultation followed engagement with the police who had raised concerns about the use of fantasy and zombie type machetes and knives in crime.
On 30 August the Home Office published the government response to the consultation:
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/machetes-and-other-bladed-articles-proposed-legislation
As set out in the consultation response, the government is currently considering the precise description of the items we wish to ban following feedback from respondents to the consultation. This includes considering the following features:
- Cutting edges – plain and serrated
- Sharp pointed end
- Length of the blade
- Holes in the blade
- Other features - spikes, protuberances, hooks
These features are being considered to differentiate the types of machetes and knives which appear to have been designed to look intimidating and have no practical purpose, from the types of machetes and knives which are used for agriculture, gardening and a range of other jobs and pastimes.
We have focused on the features commonly found in the knives and machetes that the police have brought to our attention as increasingly being used for serious crime and serious violence.
As set out in the consultation response, during our conversations with the police swords were not raised as a specific concern and in discussion with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), we agreed to focus on zombie style machetes and knives in this consultation. However, we will keep this under review, should any operational need arise to extend the ban to swords and other bladed articles or offensive weapons.
More widely, it is already an offence to have an article with a blade or point in a public place without good reason and this includes swords. Upon conviction for this offence a person can be liable for up to four years imprisonment.
It is also an offence to sell any sword or machete to anyone under 18 and one of our proposals is to increase the maximum sentence for this offence to two years imprisonment.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's publication entitled New Plan for Immigration Sovereign Borders Programme, published 22 May 2022, what estimate she has made of the spending for the (a) total programme and (b) its constituent elements up to 2025; and if she will describe the constituent elements.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Sovereign Borders Programme is currently being updated following the Illegal Migration Act (IMA).
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department's proposals to ban the online sale of machetes and other bladed weapons published on 30 August 2023 includes banning the online sale of swords.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Between 18 April 2023 and 6 June 2023, the Government ran a consultation on five proposals to tackle knife crime, including a targeted ban on certain types of machetes and knives which appear to be designed to look intimidating, but which have no practical purpose. The consultation followed engagement with the police who had raised concerns about the use of fantasy and zombie type machetes and knives in crime.
On 30 August the Home Office published the government response to the consultation:
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/machetes-and-other-bladed-articles-proposed-legislation
As set out in the consultation response, the government is currently considering the precise description of the items we wish to ban following feedback from respondents to the consultation. This includes considering the following features:
- Cutting edges – plain and serrated
- Sharp pointed end
- Length of the blade
- Holes in the blade
- Other features - spikes, protuberances, hooks
These features are being considered to differentiate the types of machetes and knives which appear to have been designed to look intimidating and have no practical purpose, from the types of machetes and knives which are used for agriculture, gardening and a range of other jobs and pastimes.
We have focused on the features commonly found in the knives and machetes that the police have brought to our attention as increasingly being used for serious crime and serious violence.
As set out in the consultation response, during our conversations with the police swords were not raised as a specific concern and in discussion with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), we agreed to focus on zombie style machetes and knives in this consultation. However, we will keep this under review, should any operational need arise to extend the ban to swords and other bladed articles or offensive weapons.
More widely, it is already an offence to have an article with a blade or point in a public place without good reason and this includes swords. Upon conviction for this offence a person can be liable for up to four years imprisonment.
It is also an offence to sell any sword or machete to anyone under 18 and one of our proposals is to increase the maximum sentence for this offence to two years imprisonment.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) direct employees, (b) contractors, and (c) agency workers who work in their Department and relevant agencies and public bodies, receive a wage below that of either (i) the UK Real Living Wage outside of Greater London, or (ii) the London Living Wage inside of Greater London, as determined by the Living Wage Foundation.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
In April 2016, the Government introduced a higher minimum wage called the National Living Wage, which was increased to £9.50 per hour for those aged 23 and over, on 1st April 2022. All employers in the UK are required to comply with National Minimum Wage legislation and all Home Office employees are paid at or above this rate.
The Living Wage Foundation (LWF) is an initiative by Citizens UK which advocates employers paying an alternative hourly rate known as the Living Wage or London Living Wage. which they believe represents a minimum income standard, reflecting the basic cost of living in the UK. The current Living Wage across the UK is £9.90 and London Living Wage is £11.05.
There are 495 staff, working nationally that are paid less than the LWF Living Wage. All staff based within London are paid above the LWF London Living Wage. This figure does not take into account the pay award for 2022 – 2023, where negotiations with the trades unions are currently taking place to determine the uplift to the AA grade (the grade affected by changes to either the Government NLW or LWFs London/living wage).
When the pay award is implemented, it will be backdated to July, the start of the pay award year.
Home Office does not require its contractors or suppliers (covering Agency workers) to comply with the London Living Wage although they must comply with pay legislation.
Of the agencies and public bodies sponsored by the Home Office, they currently have 22 direct employees outside Greater London who are paid less than National Living Wage.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many members of staff at the National Crime Agency are working full time on the recovery of public money lost to fraud and economic crime from the Government's emergency coronavirus support schemes.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The NCA do not comment on the number of current investigations by the Agency.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many ongoing investigations are underway at the National Crime Agency to recover public money lost to fraud and economic crime from the Government's coronavirus business support schemes.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The NCA do not comment on the number of current investigations by the Agency.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what Action Fraud's annual budget is.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office provides annualised grant funding of £10.5 million to Action Fraud and National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) for running the service. In addition to this they receive funding from other sources.
Further details on funding of Action Fraud and funding providers are currently available on the City of London Police website: https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/police-forces/city-of-london-police/areas/city-of-london/about-us/about-us/funding/.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of fraud have been passed to Action Fraud in each of the last two years; and how many of those reports have resulted in a prosecution.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office publishes information annually on the number of reports by victims to Action Fraud that have been recorded as fraud offences as well as the investigative outcomes of those crimes. The latest published data can be found in the ‘Crime Outcomes in England and Wales’ statistical bulletin (in tables 4.3.1 and 4.3.2):
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/crime-outcomes-in-england-and-wales-2019-to-2020
Data for the previous year can be found (in tables 4.2 and 4.3):
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/crime-outcomes-in-england-and-wales-2019-to-2020
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of prosecutions for fraud as part of their quarterly ‘Criminal Justice System Statistics’ publication. The data provided relate to the number of defendants. The latest published data, along with a time series, can be found here (in tables Q3_2 and Q3_3):
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-june-2020
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the annual cost of fraud to UK consumers.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
There are no Government estimates of the annual cost of fraud specifically for UK consumers. The Home Office has estimated that the total economic and social cost of fraud to individuals in England and Wales in 2015/2016 was £4.7bn [1].
Data on incidents of fraud is available from two key sources, the ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and Action Fraud supply data to the Home Office on the number of recorded fraud and computer misuse offences that have been reported to and recorded by them.
The CSEW report that in the year ending March 2020, there were an estimated 914,000 incidents of consumer and retail fraud.