Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether data is available on the number of strip searches of children, broken down by (a) age, (b) ethnicity, (c) sex and (d) gender.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The information requested is not held.
The Home Office collects and publishes data on stop and search on an annual basis as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical publication. The most recent data are available here:
The Home Office have recently introduced a data collection on strip searches to the Annual Data Requirement. Police forces will be providing this data for 2021/22 on a voluntary basis, and it is due for publication towards the end 2022. The data collection will include details on the age, sex and ethnicity of persons strip searched by the police in England and Wales.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there are police officers working in positions classified as sensitive who do not have the required level of clearance to work in those positions.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office does not hold information on police officers’ level of vetting clearances or number of sensitive posts in each force, or on those officers waiting for clearance. Vetting and recruitment matters are handled independently, and on a case-by-case basis, by each force. Vetting decisions should be made in accordance with the statutory Vetting Code issued by the College of Policing.
The Government does recognise public concern around police vetting and is aware that Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary & Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), as part of their inspection which the Home Secretary commissioned after the findings of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel (DMIP), provided criticisms of the Metropolitan Police Services’ ability to detect whether those occupying sensitive posts had been vetted to the correct level. We expect the MPS and the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) to take immediate action to address this.
The Home Secretary has separately commissioned HMICFRS to carry out an urgent thematic inspection of vetting and counter-corruption procedures in policing across England and Wales. We expect any recommendations from this to be fully considered by all forces.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether data is available on the number of police warrant cards that are unaccounted for in police forces in England and Wales.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office does not hold information on the number of police warrant cards that are unaccounted for in police forces in England & Wales.
Policies on the return of force equipment, including warrant cards, are an operational matter.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether data is available on the number of strip searches undertaken on children by police forces in England and Wales.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The information requested is not held.
The Home Office collects and publishes data on stop and search on an annual basis as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical publication. The most recent data are available here:
The Home Office have recently introduced a data collection on strip searches to the Annual Data Requirement. Police forces will be providing this data for 2021/22 on a voluntary basis, and it is due for publication towards the end 2022. The data collection will include details on the age, sex and ethnicity of persons strip searched by the police in England and Wales.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether data is available on the number of police officers waiting for (a) a vetting decision and (b) security clearance to work in roles classified as sensitive.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office does not hold information on police officers’ level of vetting clearances or number of sensitive posts in each force, or on those officers waiting for clearance. Vetting and recruitment matters are handled independently, and on a case-by-case basis, by each force. Vetting decisions should be made in accordance with the statutory Vetting Code issued by the College of Policing.
The Government does recognise public concern around police vetting and is aware that Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary & Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), as part of their inspection which the Home Secretary commissioned after the findings of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel (DMIP), provided criticisms of the Metropolitan Police Services’ ability to detect whether those occupying sensitive posts had been vetted to the correct level. We expect the MPS and the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) to take immediate action to address this.
The Home Secretary has separately commissioned HMICFRS to carry out an urgent thematic inspection of vetting and counter-corruption procedures in policing across England and Wales. We expect any recommendations from this to be fully considered by all forces.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the illegal supply of drugs purchased on (a) the darkweb and (b) elsewhere on the internet.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Drugs devastate lives, ruin families and damage communities. The Government is committed to driving down drugs supply in the UK through tough law enforcement against the sale of drugs online, including on the dark web.
We work closely with the National Crime Agency, which in partnership with policing colleagues across the UK and internationally is mapping and targeting key offenders operating online, including the dark net markets themselves. Dedicated teams use a range of tools and techniques generally unavailable to most investigators and we make sure they have the resources and powers they need to keep our country safe.
We are clear that online companies must not allow their platforms to be used to sell illegal drugs and our Online Safety Bill will force them to remove this content or face large fines, with drugs-related offences to be included as a priority offence within the bill. This will require companies to identify, mitigate and effectively manage the risk of illegal activity on user-to-user services, services that allow user generated content to be shared and search services.
The Online Safety Bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament later this year.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people with a county lines flag in the National Referral Mechanism system (a) go on to commit a serious criminal offence and (b) are subsequently charged with an offence.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
In 2020, 1,544 referrals were flagged as county lines referrals, accounting for 15% of referrals received and an increase of 31% from 2019. The majority (81%; 1,247) of these referrals were for male children. Although the Home Office does hold data on potential victims referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) with a county lines flag, this is not currently linked to data on offences/ offenders.
The UK is committed to ensuring victims of modern slavery are identified quickly and provided with the support they require to start to rebuild their lives. More potential victims are being identified and protected than ever before. NRM referrals more than doubled between 2017 and 2020 from 5,135 to 10,613. There is more information on referrals available at: Modern Slavery: National Referral Mechanism and Duty to Notify statistics UK, end of year summary 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
This Government is determined to crack down on the county lines gangs who are exploiting our children and have a devastating impact on our communities. Since November 2019, through our County Lines Programme, police have closed more than 1,500 lines, made over 7,400 arrests and engaged with more than 4,000 people through safeguarding interventions.
Given the increase in county lines activity, the Home Office has significantly increased investment in specialist support for county lines victims this year. This financial year we are investing up to £1m to provide specialist support to under 25s from London, the West Midlands and Merseyside who are criminally exploited through county lines, to help them safely reduce and exit their involvement.
In addition, this financial year we are continuing to fund Missing People’s SafeCall service. This national service provides specialist advice and support to young people and a range of support options to their parents/carers who are affected by county lines exploitation.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 July 2021 to Question 36809 and with reference to page 22 of From Harm to Hope: a 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives published in December 2021, what evidence his Department holds that close down deal lines have not been re-opened.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Since November 2019, through our County Lines Programme, police have closed more than 1,500 lines, made over 7,400 arrests and engaged with more than 4,000 people through safeguarding interventions. The National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) determines a line to be closed where there is evidence that the controlling line holder is no longer capable of distributing drugs using that telephone number.
Information on geographic breakdown of lines is held by NCLCC and not publicly available due to operational sensitivities, however NCLCC do publish a strategic assessment of county lines which sets out the latest threat. The latest NCLCC strategic assessment (published in April 2021) shows a reduction in the total number of potentially active lines per month, with numbers reported to have fallen between 800-1,100 in 2019/20 to 600 in 2020/21. The reduction in potentially active lines is believed to be linked to a change in reporting and enhanced operational activity, the latter of which indicates the positive outcomes from the investment in addressing the county lines drug supply model.
We do not centrally collect the information requested on vulnerable people safeguarded through the Programme.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 22 of From Harm to Hope: a 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives published in December 2021 and the Government's statement that it has closed down more than 1,500 deal lines, how the Government defines a deal line being closed down; and if she will publish a breakdown of the geographical locations of the lines which that have been closed down.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Since November 2019, through our County Lines Programme, police have closed more than 1,500 lines, made over 7,400 arrests and engaged with more than 4,000 people through safeguarding interventions. The National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) determines a line to be closed where there is evidence that the controlling line holder is no longer capable of distributing drugs using that telephone number.
Information on geographic breakdown of lines is held by NCLCC and not publicly available due to operational sensitivities, however NCLCC do publish a strategic assessment of county lines which sets out the latest threat. The latest NCLCC strategic assessment (published in April 2021) shows a reduction in the total number of potentially active lines per month, with numbers reported to have fallen between 800-1,100 in 2019/20 to 600 in 2020/21. The reduction in potentially active lines is believed to be linked to a change in reporting and enhanced operational activity, the latter of which indicates the positive outcomes from the investment in addressing the county lines drug supply model.
We do not centrally collect the information requested on vulnerable people safeguarded through the Programme.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 22 of From Harm to Hope: a 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives, published in December 2021, how many and what proportion of the 4,000 vulnerable people safeguarded through the County Lines Programme are children who (a) are in care, (b) are on the register, (c) have a protection order, (d) are at risk, (e) already had a referral through the NRM and (f) have previously been through the NRM.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Since November 2019, through our County Lines Programme, police have closed more than 1,500 lines, made over 7,400 arrests and engaged with more than 4,000 people through safeguarding interventions. The National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) determines a line to be closed where there is evidence that the controlling line holder is no longer capable of distributing drugs using that telephone number.
Information on geographic breakdown of lines is held by NCLCC and not publicly available due to operational sensitivities, however NCLCC do publish a strategic assessment of county lines which sets out the latest threat. The latest NCLCC strategic assessment (published in April 2021) shows a reduction in the total number of potentially active lines per month, with numbers reported to have fallen between 800-1,100 in 2019/20 to 600 in 2020/21. The reduction in potentially active lines is believed to be linked to a change in reporting and enhanced operational activity, the latter of which indicates the positive outcomes from the investment in addressing the county lines drug supply model.
We do not centrally collect the information requested on vulnerable people safeguarded through the Programme.