Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the governance of fire and rescue services.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
We have not undertaken an assessment of the governance of Fire and Rescue Services but recognise its importance in ensuring effective delivery of public safety outcomes.
We continue to work with Fire and Rescue Authorities, the Local Government Association and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners to seek governance improvements.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance has been issued by her Department to Fire Authorities on the impact to safety standards of riding (a) three, (b) four and (c) five firefighters on an appliance.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Expectations of FRAs from Government are set out in the Fire and Rescue National Framework, which all FRAs must have due regard to. Whilst the National Framework does not include explicit reference to operational safety standards, I will consider if this should be included in due course.
Safety standards in the workplace, and when responding to incidents are, of course, extremely important operational issues which we would expect Fire and Rescue Authorities to pay due attention to.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department will take to ensure that Fire Authorities maintain nationally agreed safety standards.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Expectations of FRAs from Government are set out in the Fire and Rescue National Framework, which all FRAs must have due regard to. Whilst the National Framework does not include explicit reference to operational safety standards, I will consider if this should be included in due course.
Safety standards in the workplace, and when responding to incidents are, of course, extremely important operational issues which we would expect Fire and Rescue Authorities to pay due attention to.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a migration impacts fund.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government has not made a recent assessment of a migration impacts fund. The Home Office is continuing to work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on supporting those who have resettled in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will undertake a review of the treatment by agencies of staff recruited from overseas to work in the adult social care sector through the Health and Care Worker Visa scheme in respect of (a) working arrangements, (b) living conditions and (c) modern slavery practices.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office keeps all its policies under review, including the Health and Care visa. We will work across government to carefully consider policies relating to the treatment of internationally recruited care workers.
The Government will ensure that those who commit significant offences under UK employment law are not able to sponsor overseas workers to come to the UK. Workplace exploitation which allows migration to undercut British workers will end.
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a code of practice for recruiters in the health and social care sector, as well as detailed guidance for overseas candidates on their rights in the UK and how to avoid being exploited by employers and third-party agencies.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a database of stolen goods which (a) can be updated by law enforcement agencies and (b) auction houses can search before selling an item.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government recognises the significant impact invasive crimes such as theft can have on individuals and the wider community. The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 51% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010.
The Home Office established the Stolen Goods Working Group in January 2021, collaborating with policing and academic leads to deliver a programme of work that will make it harder for criminals to profit financially from acquisitive crime.
Through this group the Government are working closely with a group of expert policing and academic partners who are taking forward work across a number of themes. These include actions to identify where and how stolen goods are commonly sold; examining ways to ensure property is marked, identifiable and traceable; exploring ways to share best practice between forces; and examining what more can be done to tackle the disposal markets for stolen goods and reduce the profit from acquisitive crime.
There are a number of police-led schemes to prevent the sale of stolen goods, including We Don’t Buy Crime and the Safe Seller scheme. Under these schemes, sellers of second-hand goods commit to undertake checks before buying and offering goods for sale.
Owners are encouraged to mark and register property, this helps to prove ownership of an item and return it to the rightful owner if stolen property is recovered. There are a number of commercially run property marking databases where members of the public can register their items. Some of these specialise in certain types of items such as bicycles or antiques. Police Crime Prevention Initiatives have developed practical crime prevention advice to better understand how to better safeguard property. Information can be found here https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/fuel-theft.
The Criminal Justice Bill, currently making its passage through Parliament, includes a new power for the police to enter premises to search for and seize specific stolen items. This power will allow swift seizure of stolen property and better gathering of evidence to support investigation and arrest, which police indicate is crucial for acquisitive crime offences.
Online sale sites have policies in place to prevent the sale of illegal items and items that encourage illegal activity, along with guidance for the public on how to avoid purchasing stolen goods. The Online Safety Act 2023 will place a new responsibility on tech companies to prevent users encountering illegal content, which includes advertisements for stolen goods.
There are currently no plans to introduce a database of stolen goods which can be updated by law enforcement or bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen the checks auction houses must carry out to prevent the sale of stolen goods.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department takes to help protect legal owners against the sale of stolen goods (a) at auction houses and (b) online.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government recognises the significant impact invasive crimes such as theft can have on individuals and the wider community. The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 51% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010.
The Home Office established the Stolen Goods Working Group in January 2021, collaborating with policing and academic leads to deliver a programme of work that will make it harder for criminals to profit financially from acquisitive crime.
Through this group the Government are working closely with a group of expert policing and academic partners who are taking forward work across a number of themes. These include actions to identify where and how stolen goods are commonly sold; examining ways to ensure property is marked, identifiable and traceable; exploring ways to share best practice between forces; and examining what more can be done to tackle the disposal markets for stolen goods and reduce the profit from acquisitive crime.
There are a number of police-led schemes to prevent the sale of stolen goods, including We Don’t Buy Crime and the Safe Seller scheme. Under these schemes, sellers of second-hand goods commit to undertake checks before buying and offering goods for sale.
Owners are encouraged to mark and register property, this helps to prove ownership of an item and return it to the rightful owner if stolen property is recovered. There are a number of commercially run property marking databases where members of the public can register their items. Some of these specialise in certain types of items such as bicycles or antiques. Police Crime Prevention Initiatives have developed practical crime prevention advice to better understand how to better safeguard property. Information can be found here https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/fuel-theft.
The Criminal Justice Bill, currently making its passage through Parliament, includes a new power for the police to enter premises to search for and seize specific stolen items. This power will allow swift seizure of stolen property and better gathering of evidence to support investigation and arrest, which police indicate is crucial for acquisitive crime offences.
Online sale sites have policies in place to prevent the sale of illegal items and items that encourage illegal activity, along with guidance for the public on how to avoid purchasing stolen goods. The Online Safety Act 2023 will place a new responsibility on tech companies to prevent users encountering illegal content, which includes advertisements for stolen goods.
There are currently no plans to introduce a database of stolen goods which can be updated by law enforcement or bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen the checks auction houses must carry out to prevent the sale of stolen goods.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen the checks auction houses must carry out to prevent the sale of stolen goods.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government recognises the significant impact invasive crimes such as theft can have on individuals and the wider community. The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 51% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010.
The Home Office established the Stolen Goods Working Group in January 2021, collaborating with policing and academic leads to deliver a programme of work that will make it harder for criminals to profit financially from acquisitive crime.
Through this group the Government are working closely with a group of expert policing and academic partners who are taking forward work across a number of themes. These include actions to identify where and how stolen goods are commonly sold; examining ways to ensure property is marked, identifiable and traceable; exploring ways to share best practice between forces; and examining what more can be done to tackle the disposal markets for stolen goods and reduce the profit from acquisitive crime.
There are a number of police-led schemes to prevent the sale of stolen goods, including We Don’t Buy Crime and the Safe Seller scheme. Under these schemes, sellers of second-hand goods commit to undertake checks before buying and offering goods for sale.
Owners are encouraged to mark and register property, this helps to prove ownership of an item and return it to the rightful owner if stolen property is recovered. There are a number of commercially run property marking databases where members of the public can register their items. Some of these specialise in certain types of items such as bicycles or antiques. Police Crime Prevention Initiatives have developed practical crime prevention advice to better understand how to better safeguard property. Information can be found here https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/fuel-theft.
The Criminal Justice Bill, currently making its passage through Parliament, includes a new power for the police to enter premises to search for and seize specific stolen items. This power will allow swift seizure of stolen property and better gathering of evidence to support investigation and arrest, which police indicate is crucial for acquisitive crime offences.
Online sale sites have policies in place to prevent the sale of illegal items and items that encourage illegal activity, along with guidance for the public on how to avoid purchasing stolen goods. The Online Safety Act 2023 will place a new responsibility on tech companies to prevent users encountering illegal content, which includes advertisements for stolen goods.
There are currently no plans to introduce a database of stolen goods which can be updated by law enforcement or bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen the checks auction houses must carry out to prevent the sale of stolen goods.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on implementation of the provisions in the Criminal Justice Bill to support people out of homelessness and rough sleeping.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities lead on homelessness and rough sleeping and as such have regular meetings with stakeholders. They reviewed the Vagrancy Act and determined replacement legislation was needed. They published the response to their public consultation on replacement in 2023.
The Home Office has additionally engaged with police, local authorities, PCCs and other organisations including the homelessness sector on this topic. This has highlighted that more direct tools were needed to respond to begging and rough sleeping where it causes nuisance to others.
These provisions will be supported by guidance highlighting that local authority outreach and engagement remain at the heart of our approach here and that these civil tools support a staggered approach to enforcement where that is necessary.
I and my Rt Hon friend the Home Secretary have ongoing discussions with Ministerial colleagues, including in the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, about the provisions in the Criminal Justice Bill, including those relating to tackling nuisance rough sleeping.
Equality and Economic impact assessments for the Bill have been published and are available at: Criminal Justice Bill 2023: impact assessments - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Criminal Justice Bill on people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities lead on homelessness and rough sleeping and as such have regular meetings with stakeholders. They reviewed the Vagrancy Act and determined replacement legislation was needed. They published the response to their public consultation on replacement in 2023.
The Home Office has additionally engaged with police, local authorities, PCCs and other organisations including the homelessness sector on this topic. This has highlighted that more direct tools were needed to respond to begging and rough sleeping where it causes nuisance to others.
These provisions will be supported by guidance highlighting that local authority outreach and engagement remain at the heart of our approach here and that these civil tools support a staggered approach to enforcement where that is necessary.
I and my Rt Hon friend the Home Secretary have ongoing discussions with Ministerial colleagues, including in the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, about the provisions in the Criminal Justice Bill, including those relating to tackling nuisance rough sleeping.
Equality and Economic impact assessments for the Bill have been published and are available at: Criminal Justice Bill 2023: impact assessments - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)