Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of secondary poisonings of (a) buzzards and (b) red kites.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Secondary poisoning of buzzards and red kites is often caused by improper use of anticoagulant rodenticides. Deliberate misuse is a criminal offence. Where wild birds of prey are killed illegally the full force of the law will apply to any proven perpetrators of the crime. Defra supports the National Wildlife Crime Unit which helps prevent and detect wildlife crimes such as illegal poisoning by obtaining and disseminating intelligence and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) rather than Defra has policy responsibility for rodenticides which are an essential tool in managing the danger and economic costs of rodents spreading diseases, damaging property and disrupting food supplies. Given the potential risks posed to the environment by rodenticides, they are subject to strict regulation.
A stewardship regime has been set up to promote responsible use of rodenticides. For professional users, verification of competence is required at the point of sale to ensure only those who are properly trained can use them. The stewardship regime is currently under review and the outcome is expected in 2025. Furthermore, as of 4 July 2024, it is no longer possible to purchase anticoagulant rodenticides for use outdoors in open areas.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any funds raised through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 have not been distributed in each of the last five years.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) was introduced in 2006 to allow a proportion of the proceeds of crime recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA), to be redistributed to agencies involved in the asset recovery process. Funds recovered under POCA that do not enter ARIS, represent either victim compensation or recovery costs associated with asset recovery.
The Government is also mindful of considerations which may apply under international law, including under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). When an asset return under UNCAC takes place these funds will not be distributed under ARIS.
Further details can be found in the annual asset recovery statistical bulletin published on GOV.UK: Asset recovery statistical bulletin: financial years ending 2019 to 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the number of police officers that are restricted from active duty due to (a) physical and (b) psychological injury; and if she will make an estimate of the average period of time that officers have been on (i) long-term sick leave and (ii) restricted duties in each of the last five years.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officers on recuperative duties (duties falling short of full deployment, undertaken by a police officer following an injury, accident, illness or medical incident), and those on long-term sick absence (that have lasted for more than 28 calendar days), as at 31 March each year in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.
Information on long-term sick absences each year as at 31 March 2007 to 2024, can be found in the ‘Absences Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64ba613a2059dc00125d2782/open-data-table-police-workforce-absence-260723.ods.
Information on the number of police officers on recuperative duties each year as at 31 March 2016 to 2024, can be found in the ‘Limited Duties Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/669fb849a3c2a28abb50d546/open-data-table-police-workforce-limited-duties-240724.ods.
The Home Office does not collect data on the specific length of time a police officer has been on long-term absence or recuperative duties.
The Home Office does not collect data on the reason for recuperative duties. As such it is not possible to separately determine the number of police officers on restrictive duties due to physical and psychological injury.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have medically retired from active duty due to (a) physical and (b) psychological (i) injury and (ii) trauma in the last five years.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officers leaving the police service in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.
Information on the number of police officers leaving via medical retirement, between the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2024, can be found in the ‘Leavers Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/669a917cce1fd0da7b59294f/open-data-table-police-workforce-leavers-240724.ods
The Home Office does not collect data on the specific reason for medical retirement.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to publish where funds from the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 are distributed.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 enables law enforcement agencies to deprive criminals of their money, or other property connected to criminal activity, and recover the proceeds of crime.
Recovered criminal proceeds can subsequently be returned in compensation to victims (following criminal conviction) or reinvested for use in tackling crime through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) and ARIS ‘Top Slice’ grant.
Information on both victim compensation and ARIS can be found in the data tables within the Asset Recovery Statistical Bulletin, which is published annually by the Home Office. Data on victim compensation can be found in tab 2 and data on ARIS allocations and money allocated to Top Slice projects can be found in tabs 12 - 14 within the published data tables which can be found here: Asset recovery statistics, financial years ending 2019 to 2024: Data Tables.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on regional stability.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
We have long expressed our deep concerns about the destabilising activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps both within and outside Iran, including its illicit economic activity and its role in Iran's ballistic missile development and support to militant and proscribed groups around the region. We call on Iran urgently to cease all forms of destabilising activity. As E3 leaders said in their 12 January statement, "We must address - through diplomacy and in a meaningful way - shared concerns about Iran's destabilizing regional activities, including those linked to its missile programme. We reiterate our readiness to continue our engagement for de-escalation and stability in the region."
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding allocated to local councils for the provision of (a) support and (b) advice to families and young people in a financial crisis.
Answered by Luke Hall
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will launch an independent inquiry into family courts in England and Wales to establish (a) how victims of domestic violence are treated, (b) whether the process under which parents convicted of domestic violence are given access to children is adequate and (c) whether the courts should be more transparent in their handling of domestic violence cases and the protection of children involved in such cases.
Answered by Paul Maynard
On 21 May 2019 the Ministry of Justice announced a public call for evidence to develop our understanding of how the family courts protect children and parents in cases of domestic abuse and other serious offences. Specifically, the call for evidence will focus on the application of Practice Direction 12J, Practice Direction 3AA, The Family Procedure Rules Part 3A, and s.91(14) orders, and will build a more detailed understanding of any harm caused during or following proceedings in the family court where there are allegations of domestic abuse. The written call for evidence was launched on 19 July and will run for 6 weeks.
This call for evidence is coordinated by a panel of experts whose membership includes academics, members of the judiciary, and representatives from third sector bodies which represent or advocate for victims of domestic abuse, all of whom are independent of the Government. The panel will gather and interpret evidence from a full range of interested parties, to enable us to address appropriately any issues with the application of protections available in the family courts.
It is important that the Family Justice System strikes an appropriate balance between rightly protecting the confidentially of the individual children and family members, but also maintaining as open and transparent approach to court decisions as possible in these circumstances.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the merits of amending vehicle excise duty so that the duty applicable is based on the emissions recorded at MOT tests.
Answered by Robert Jenrick - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
MOT emissions tests are mainly used to check for dangerous levels of air quality pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons.
To help meet our legally binding climate change targets, Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is based on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions which is not tested during MOTs.
A vehicle’s CO2 emissions are tested under laboratory conditions at the point of manufacture. This provides an accurate figure which determines the rate of VED paid, allows comparisons to be made between models and encourages motorists to choose low CO2 emitting options.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the roll out of the HPV vaccine to boys over the age of 13.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
I refer the hon. Member to the answer the former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health and Primary Care (Steve Brine MP) gave to the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West (Sharon Hodgson MP) on 13 December 2018 to Question 199808.