Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many victims of 'cuckooing' were prosecuted for criminal offences related to the criminal activity resulting from this exploitation (1) in 2021, and (2) from January to June 2022.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This Government is aware of the abhorrent practice of cuckooing which often occurs in the context of the county lines drugs supply model.
We are determined to crack down on county lines gangs and that is why, through the ten-year Drugs Strategy, we are investing up to £145m over three years in our successful County Lines Programme.
Since November 2019 the County Lines Programme has closed over 2,400 lines, made over 8,000 arrests, and engaged over 9,500 individuals through safeguarding interventions.
Whilst data on cuckooing is not held centrally, the latest week of intensification against county lines (conducted by the Home Office-funded National County Lines Co-ordination Centre (NCLCC) in March 2022), saw 799 cuckooed properties visited.
The Home Office is working with NCLCC to raise awareness of cuckooing through training and peer reviews as well as promoting best practice of how to tackle it through the use of civil orders and multi-agency partnership working and intelligence sharing.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the laws available to prosecute those who exploit their victims through occupation, use and control of the victim’s home, known as 'cuckooing'; and how many (1) prosecutions, and (2) convictions, there were for cuckooing behaviour in 2021.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This Government is aware of the abhorrent practice of cuckooing which often occurs in the context of the county lines drugs supply model.
We are determined to crack down on county lines gangs and that is why, through the ten-year Drugs Strategy, we are investing up to £145m over three years in our successful County Lines Programme.
Since November 2019 the County Lines Programme has closed over 2,400 lines, made over 8,000 arrests, and engaged over 9,500 individuals through safeguarding interventions.
Whilst data on cuckooing is not held centrally, the latest week of intensification against county lines (conducted by the Home Office-funded National County Lines Co-ordination Centre (NCLCC) in March 2022), saw 799 cuckooed properties visited.
The Home Office is working with NCLCC to raise awareness of cuckooing through training and peer reviews as well as promoting best practice of how to tackle it through the use of civil orders and multi-agency partnership working and intelligence sharing.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people in England and Wales were recorded as victims of 'cuckooing', the exploitation through the occupation and control of their home by others (1) in 2021, and (2) from January to June 2022.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This Government is aware of the abhorrent practice of cuckooing which often occurs in the context of the county lines drugs supply model.
We are determined to crack down on county lines gangs and that is why, through the ten-year Drugs Strategy, we are investing up to £145m over three years in our successful County Lines Programme.
Since November 2019 the County Lines Programme has closed over 2,400 lines, made over 8,000 arrests, and engaged over 9,500 individuals through safeguarding interventions.
Whilst data on cuckooing is not held centrally, the latest week of intensification against county lines (conducted by the Home Office-funded National County Lines Co-ordination Centre (NCLCC) in March 2022), saw 799 cuckooed properties visited.
The Home Office is working with NCLCC to raise awareness of cuckooing through training and peer reviews as well as promoting best practice of how to tackle it through the use of civil orders and multi-agency partnership working and intelligence sharing.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of crime in England in the last year was linked to county lines.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
Drugs are a significant driver of crime. As set out in our Drug Strategy approximately half of all acquisitive crime is linked to drugs and we know that almost half of all homicides in England and Wales are drug related.
That is why last year the Government published a ten-year Strategy to combat illicit drugs. This sets out a whole-system approach to cut off the supply of drugs by criminal gangs, give people with a drug addiction a route to a productive and drug-free life, and reduce the recreational use of drugs.
Through our Drug Strategy we are investing £145m over three years to bolster our existing county lines programme. Since it was launched in 2019, police activity delivered through the county lines programmes has closed over 2,400 lines, made over 8,000 arrests and engaged over 9,500 individuals through safeguarding interventions.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the National Crime Agency’s website and media reports, whether the National Crime Agency has taken steps to ensure (a) training of and (b) assistance with the collection of intelligence to Colombian officials does not endanger (i) human rights defenders, (ii) opposition politicians and (iii) journalists in that country, including through (A) potentially unwarranted surveillance and (B) targeted reprisals.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The NCA works with law enforcement partners around the world. In Colombia, the Agency works with the Colombian National Police and the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia. This activity is focused on reducing the threat to the UK from the cocaine trade in Colombia and the region, as well as disrupting the money laundering and other criminal economies linked to drugs trafficking and other organised crime.
When cooperating and sharing intelligence with its international law enforcement partners, the National Crime Agency must comply with the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance guidance, which enables assessments to be made about the human rights and reputational risks of international security and justice work undertaken by the UK. It is also subject to the Principles relating to the detention and interviewing of detainees overseas and the passing and receipt of intelligence relating to detainees.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the National Crime Agency is able to (a) vet policing personnel to be trained in Colombia and (b) monitor policing personnel already trained in Colombia to ensure they are not responsible for any future serious human rights violations including extra-judicial killings, disappearances and torture.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The NCA works with law enforcement partners around the world. In Colombia, the Agency works with the Colombian National Police and the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia. This activity is focused on reducing the threat to the UK from the cocaine trade in Colombia and the region, as well as disrupting the money laundering and other criminal economies linked to drugs trafficking and other organised crime.
When cooperating and sharing intelligence with its international law enforcement partners, the National Crime Agency must comply with the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance guidance, which enables assessments to be made about the human rights and reputational risks of international security and justice work undertaken by the UK. It is also subject to the Principles relating to the detention and interviewing of detainees overseas and the passing and receipt of intelligence relating to detainees.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to introduce a national strategy to reduce the exploitation of children in county lines drug trafficking.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Government is committed to tackling county lines drug trafficking and supporting those exploited by this harmful activity.
On 6 December the Government published a ten-year Drug Strategy which sets out a whole-system approach of how the Government is doing more than ever to cut off the supply of drugs by criminal gangs.
Through the Strategy, we are bolstering our flagship County Lines Programme, investing up to £145m to tackle the most violent and exploitative distribution model yet seen. Since November 2019 police activity funded by the County Lines Programme has closed over 2,400 lines, made over 8,000 arrests, and engaged over 9,500 individuals through safeguarding interventions.
As part of the County Lines Programme, we are investing up to £5m over three financial years 2022-25 to provide support to victims of county lines exploitation and their families. This includes specialist support for under 25s from London, the West Midlands, Merseyside and Greater Manchester who are criminally exploited through county lines, to help them safely reduce and exit their involvement and a confidential national helpline service to young people and their families/carers who are affected by county lines exploitation.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to protect the victims of cuckooing through the criminal justice system.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
This Government is determined to crack down on the county lines gangs who exploit our children and have a devastating impact on our communities. That is why, through the ten-year Drugs Strategy, we are investing up to £145m over three years in our successful County Lines Programme. Since November 2019 police activity funded by the County Lines Programme has closed over 2,400 lines, made over 8,000 arrests, and engaged over 9,500 individuals through safeguarding interventions.
Also, through the County Lines Programme, the Home Office funds the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre (NCLCC) who have identified and are sharing best practice on ‘cuckooing’. Examples include working with local authorities and housing associations to raise awareness, to disrupt this malicious crime and signpost vulnerable victims to support.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which prisons will be installed with (a) high-specification drugs trace detection, (b) mobile phone blocking technology and (c) an intelligence management system.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
In March 2022, we completed the £100 million Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including reducing the conveyance of illicit items such as drugs and mobile phones. This included 75 X-ray body scanners which now cover the entire closed male estate. Since installation began in July 2020 approximately 20,000 positive scans have been recorded.
HMPPS uses a range of data and intelligence to understand key threats to prison security, which informs our approach to counter measures to tackle them. This additional £25 million investment package has been designed to restrict drug supply into prisons via the gate and post, for example by increasing the number of drug trace detection equipment from 125 to 160, and installing x-ray baggage scanners at 42 high priority sites; enhancing our mobile blocking technology to prevent the illicit mobile phone communications that we know facilitates the illicit economy both within and outside of the prison walls; and providing the entire prison estate with a new intelligence management system so we can understand and respond to the security threats we face.
For security reasons, we do not disclose the precise locations of our equipment. Such information could be used by prisoners, including serious and organised criminals to subvert and bypass our countermeasures.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how the £25 million for disrupting the supply of drugs to prison will be allocated; and what the evidential basis is for that policy.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
In March 2022, we completed the £100 million Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including reducing the conveyance of illicit items such as drugs and mobile phones. This included 75 X-ray body scanners which now cover the entire closed male estate. Since installation began in July 2020 approximately 20,000 positive scans have been recorded.
HMPPS uses a range of data and intelligence to understand key threats to prison security, which informs our approach to counter measures to tackle them. This additional £25 million investment package has been designed to restrict drug supply into prisons via the gate and post, for example by increasing the number of drug trace detection equipment from 125 to 160, and installing x-ray baggage scanners at 42 high priority sites; enhancing our mobile blocking technology to prevent the illicit mobile phone communications that we know facilitates the illicit economy both within and outside of the prison walls; and providing the entire prison estate with a new intelligence management system so we can understand and respond to the security threats we face.
For security reasons, we do not disclose the precise locations of our equipment. Such information could be used by prisoners, including serious and organised criminals to subvert and bypass our countermeasures.