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Written Question
Non-crime Hate Incidents: Transgender People
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what definition of gender reassignment is used when recording a non-crime hate incident by the police.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office’s Non-Crime Hate Incidents Code of Practice on the Recording and Retention of Personal Data came into effect in June 2023 and applies to police forces across England and Wales. The code includes safeguards better to protect the fundamental right to freedom of expression and stipulates that police should only record NCHIs when it is necessary and proportionate to do so, and not simply because someone is offended. Incidents that are irrational, malicious, or trivial should not be recorded as NCHIs.

To address concerns about the recording of personal data, the code introduced an additional threshold to ensure that personal data may only be included in an NCHI record if the event is motivated by intentional hostility or prejudice and where the police judge that there is a real risk of escalation causing significant harm or a criminal offence.

The College of Policing publishes operational guidance for the police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), on how to deal with different types of crimes and incidents, including NCHIs. The College updated its APP so that it aligns with the Government’s code. The College is responsible for determining police training requirements, and has developed an e-briefing pack on NCHIs which is available to forces.

The code specifically covers characteristics that are protected under hate crime legislation in England and Wales – race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and disability. It defines transgender identity or perceived transgender identity by setting out that “references to being transgender include references to being transsexual, or undergoing, proposing to undergo or having undergone a process or part of a process of gender reassignment.” This aligns with the definition set out in section 66(6)(e) of the Sentencing Act 2020.

The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the number of NCHIs recorded by the police, nor do we collect data relating to the personal characteristics of those involved in incidents. We similarly do not collect information on police spending relating to the investigation of NCHIs. The data collected from the police balances policy needs and the burden on forces.


Written Question
Non-crime Hate Incidents
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-crime hate incidents have been recorded for each of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010 by each police force in each year of this Parliament.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office’s Non-Crime Hate Incidents Code of Practice on the Recording and Retention of Personal Data came into effect in June 2023 and applies to police forces across England and Wales. The code includes safeguards better to protect the fundamental right to freedom of expression and stipulates that police should only record NCHIs when it is necessary and proportionate to do so, and not simply because someone is offended. Incidents that are irrational, malicious, or trivial should not be recorded as NCHIs.

To address concerns about the recording of personal data, the code introduced an additional threshold to ensure that personal data may only be included in an NCHI record if the event is motivated by intentional hostility or prejudice and where the police judge that there is a real risk of escalation causing significant harm or a criminal offence.

The College of Policing publishes operational guidance for the police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), on how to deal with different types of crimes and incidents, including NCHIs. The College updated its APP so that it aligns with the Government’s code. The College is responsible for determining police training requirements, and has developed an e-briefing pack on NCHIs which is available to forces.

The code specifically covers characteristics that are protected under hate crime legislation in England and Wales – race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and disability. It defines transgender identity or perceived transgender identity by setting out that “references to being transgender include references to being transsexual, or undergoing, proposing to undergo or having undergone a process or part of a process of gender reassignment.” This aligns with the definition set out in section 66(6)(e) of the Sentencing Act 2020.

The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the number of NCHIs recorded by the police, nor do we collect data relating to the personal characteristics of those involved in incidents. We similarly do not collect information on police spending relating to the investigation of NCHIs. The data collected from the police balances policy needs and the burden on forces.


Written Question
Non-crime Hate Incidents
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an estimate of the number of non-crime hate incidents recorded by police forces for each month since May 2023.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office’s Non-Crime Hate Incidents Code of Practice on the Recording and Retention of Personal Data came into effect in June 2023 and applies to police forces across England and Wales. The code includes safeguards better to protect the fundamental right to freedom of expression and stipulates that police should only record NCHIs when it is necessary and proportionate to do so, and not simply because someone is offended. Incidents that are irrational, malicious, or trivial should not be recorded as NCHIs.

To address concerns about the recording of personal data, the code introduced an additional threshold to ensure that personal data may only be included in an NCHI record if the event is motivated by intentional hostility or prejudice and where the police judge that there is a real risk of escalation causing significant harm or a criminal offence.

The College of Policing publishes operational guidance for the police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), on how to deal with different types of crimes and incidents, including NCHIs. The College updated its APP so that it aligns with the Government’s code. The College is responsible for determining police training requirements, and has developed an e-briefing pack on NCHIs which is available to forces.

The code specifically covers characteristics that are protected under hate crime legislation in England and Wales – race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and disability. It defines transgender identity or perceived transgender identity by setting out that “references to being transgender include references to being transsexual, or undergoing, proposing to undergo or having undergone a process or part of a process of gender reassignment.” This aligns with the definition set out in section 66(6)(e) of the Sentencing Act 2020.

The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the number of NCHIs recorded by the police, nor do we collect data relating to the personal characteristics of those involved in incidents. We similarly do not collect information on police spending relating to the investigation of NCHIs. The data collected from the police balances policy needs and the burden on forces.


Written Question
Non-crime Hate Incidents
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-crime hate incidents have been recorded by each police force in each year of this Parliament.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office’s Non-Crime Hate Incidents Code of Practice on the Recording and Retention of Personal Data came into effect in June 2023 and applies to police forces across England and Wales. The code includes safeguards better to protect the fundamental right to freedom of expression and stipulates that police should only record NCHIs when it is necessary and proportionate to do so, and not simply because someone is offended. Incidents that are irrational, malicious, or trivial should not be recorded as NCHIs.

To address concerns about the recording of personal data, the code introduced an additional threshold to ensure that personal data may only be included in an NCHI record if the event is motivated by intentional hostility or prejudice and where the police judge that there is a real risk of escalation causing significant harm or a criminal offence.

The College of Policing publishes operational guidance for the police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), on how to deal with different types of crimes and incidents, including NCHIs. The College updated its APP so that it aligns with the Government’s code. The College is responsible for determining police training requirements, and has developed an e-briefing pack on NCHIs which is available to forces.

The code specifically covers characteristics that are protected under hate crime legislation in England and Wales – race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and disability. It defines transgender identity or perceived transgender identity by setting out that “references to being transgender include references to being transsexual, or undergoing, proposing to undergo or having undergone a process or part of a process of gender reassignment.” This aligns with the definition set out in section 66(6)(e) of the Sentencing Act 2020.

The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the number of NCHIs recorded by the police, nor do we collect data relating to the personal characteristics of those involved in incidents. We similarly do not collect information on police spending relating to the investigation of NCHIs. The data collected from the police balances policy needs and the burden on forces.


Written Question
Hospitals: Children and Maternity Services
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has issued recent guidance to integrated care boards on its powers to require hospitals to provide (a) maternity and (b) children's services.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory duty to commission most healthcare services in the National Health Service for their respective populations in line with their other statutory duties and guidance. This means that ICBs are responsible for evaluating the needs of their local population and then planning and arranging the delivery of healthcare services to meet those needs by working with local providers as well as people and communities.


Written Question
Housing: Greater London
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had recent discussions with the Mayor of London on housebuilding targets in the Greater London Authority area.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The department is looking at the barriers to housing delivery in London and will continue to work closely with the Greater London Authority on this and other areas of shared interest.


Written Question
Housing: Construction
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on the (a) targets set in local plans and (b) number of starts there have been for (i) affordable and (ii) all housing in councils led by (A) Conservatives, (B) Liberal Democrats, (C) Labour, (D) Greens and (E) no overall control in the last 12 months.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Department publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’, which includes estimates of new build starts, by local authority, in each financial year and quarter, shown in Live Table 253 and 253a at the following link.

The number of affordable housing starts in 2022-23 in each local authority can be found in Live Table 1008S.


Written Question
Housing: Construction
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on the (a) targets set in local plans and (b) number of starts there have been for (i) affordable and (ii) all housing in (A) Birmingham, (B) Coventry, (C) Manchester, (D) London, (E) Oxford and (F) Cambridge in the last 12 months.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Department publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’, which includes estimates of new build starts, by local authority, in each financial year and quarter, shown in Live Table 253 and 253a at the following link.

The number of affordable housing starts in 2022-23 in each local authority can be found in Live Table 1008S.


Written Question
Housing: Planning Permission
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an estimate of the proportion of planning permissions for new homes granted to small and medium sized housebuilders in each year since 1997.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The department does not collect data on the market share of new housing supply by size of housebuilder or to the proportion of such builders that receive planning permission for new homes each year. According to the Home Builders Federation, small developers delivered around 40% of new homes in 1988 compared to around 10% in 2020. The Government wishes to support a diverse and competitive housebuilding sector. Therefore, it has established a package of support for SMEs that includes the £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund, which provides loans to SMEs to help build around 42,000 homes across the country. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act will also help SMEs by making the planning process easier to navigate, faster and more predictable.


Written Question
Housing: Construction
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an estimate of the proportion of new homes built by small and medium sized housebuilders (a) now, (b) in 2010 and (c) in 1997.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The department does not collect data on the market share of new housing supply by size of housebuilder or to the proportion of such builders that receive planning permission for new homes each year. According to the Home Builders Federation, small developers delivered around 40% of new homes in 1988 compared to around 10% in 2020. The Government wishes to support a diverse and competitive housebuilding sector. Therefore, it has established a package of support for SMEs that includes the £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund, which provides loans to SMEs to help build around 42,000 homes across the country. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act will also help SMEs by making the planning process easier to navigate, faster and more predictable.