Questioner: Rachael Maskell (LAB - York Central)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire on the financial situation of the fire authority in North Yorkshire.
Answered by Damian Hinds
On 16 December the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities published the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2022/23. Under the proposals, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) will have a core spending power of £33.4m in 2022/23, an increase of £1.3m (4.1%) compared to 2021/22. As at 31 March 2020, the PFCC held £5m in total usable reserves, equivalent to 16% of their 2020/21 core spending power.
My Department is in regular contact with fire and rescue authorities to ensure we remain informed of their financial circumstances and will continue to keep their funding needs under review.
Questioner: Rachael Maskell (LAB - York Central)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the finances of the North Yorkshire fire and rescue service.
Answered by Damian Hinds
On 16 December the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities published the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2022/23. Under the proposals, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) will have a core spending power of £33.4m in 2022/23, an increase of £1.3m (4.1%) compared to 2021/22. As at 31 March 2020, the PFCC held £5m in total usable reserves, equivalent to 16% of their 2020/21 core spending power.
My Department is in regular contact with fire and rescue authorities to ensure we remain informed of their financial circumstances and will continue to keep their funding needs under review.
Questioner: Rachael Maskell (LAB - York Central)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support (a) North Yorkshire and (b) other fire authorities who have very low reserves.
Answered by Damian Hinds
On 16 December the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities published the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2022/23. Under the proposals, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) will have a core spending power of £33.4m in 2022/23, an increase of £1.3m (4.1%) compared to 2021/22. As at 31 March 2020, the PFCC held £5m in total usable reserves, equivalent to 16% of their 2020/21 core spending power.
My Department is in regular contact with fire and rescue authorities to ensure we remain informed of their financial circumstances and will continue to keep their funding needs under review.
Questioner: Emily Thornberry (LAB - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how regularly the Joint Fraud Taskforce is intended to meet; and on what dates the Taskforce has met since it was re-launched by her Department on 28 October 2021.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The Joint Fraud Taskforce (JFT) is a joint public and private sector Board, chaired by the Security Minister. Its mission statement is:
To bring together partners from across the public and private sectors to tackle fraud and substantially improve the protections in place for the public and businesses.
The goals of the JFT are to:
The JFT’s remit and structure is built around formulation and delivery of the voluntary industry elements of the Fraud Action Plan, which will be published in full in 2022. This work includes:
Following its relaunch on 21st October, the JFT Board is working with industry to develop quantitative and qualitative targets for each working group.
Membership information is available on GOV.UK. The following organisations make up the current membership of the JFT:
Individual attendance may vary and full lists of attendees for each meeting are published with the minutes of JFT after the meeting has taken place.
The JFT Board will meet at least three times a year, and the second meeting will take place in early 2022.
Previous dates of meetings and attendance information is available on GOV.UK. Prior to 21 October 2021, the Joint Fraud Taskforce last met on 18 November 2020. The meeting was chaired by Mike Haley of Cifas and was attended by representative from the following organisations:
Questioner: Emily Thornberry (LAB - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Joint Fraud Taskforce last met prior to its re-launch on 28 October 2021; and which organisations and individuals were in attendance at that meeting.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The Joint Fraud Taskforce (JFT) is a joint public and private sector Board, chaired by the Security Minister. Its mission statement is:
To bring together partners from across the public and private sectors to tackle fraud and substantially improve the protections in place for the public and businesses.
The goals of the JFT are to:
The JFT’s remit and structure is built around formulation and delivery of the voluntary industry elements of the Fraud Action Plan, which will be published in full in 2022. This work includes:
Following its relaunch on 21st October, the JFT Board is working with industry to develop quantitative and qualitative targets for each working group.
Membership information is available on GOV.UK. The following organisations make up the current membership of the JFT:
Individual attendance may vary and full lists of attendees for each meeting are published with the minutes of JFT after the meeting has taken place.
The JFT Board will meet at least three times a year, and the second meeting will take place in early 2022.
Previous dates of meetings and attendance information is available on GOV.UK. Prior to 21 October 2021, the Joint Fraud Taskforce last met on 18 November 2020. The meeting was chaired by Mike Haley of Cifas and was attended by representative from the following organisations:
Questioner: Emily Thornberry (LAB - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which (a) organisations and (b) individuals make up the current membership of the Joint Fraud Taskforce.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The Joint Fraud Taskforce (JFT) is a joint public and private sector Board, chaired by the Security Minister. Its mission statement is:
To bring together partners from across the public and private sectors to tackle fraud and substantially improve the protections in place for the public and businesses.
The goals of the JFT are to:
The JFT’s remit and structure is built around formulation and delivery of the voluntary industry elements of the Fraud Action Plan, which will be published in full in 2022. This work includes:
Following its relaunch on 21st October, the JFT Board is working with industry to develop quantitative and qualitative targets for each working group.
Membership information is available on GOV.UK. The following organisations make up the current membership of the JFT:
Individual attendance may vary and full lists of attendees for each meeting are published with the minutes of JFT after the meeting has taken place.
The JFT Board will meet at least three times a year, and the second meeting will take place in early 2022.
Previous dates of meetings and attendance information is available on GOV.UK. Prior to 21 October 2021, the Joint Fraud Taskforce last met on 18 November 2020. The meeting was chaired by Mike Haley of Cifas and was attended by representative from the following organisations:
Questioner: Emily Thornberry (LAB - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) qualitative and (b) quantitative targets the Joint Fraud Taskforce, re-launched by her Department on 28 October 2021, is using to measure its impact.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The Joint Fraud Taskforce (JFT) is a joint public and private sector Board, chaired by the Security Minister. Its mission statement is:
To bring together partners from across the public and private sectors to tackle fraud and substantially improve the protections in place for the public and businesses.
The goals of the JFT are to:
The JFT’s remit and structure is built around formulation and delivery of the voluntary industry elements of the Fraud Action Plan, which will be published in full in 2022. This work includes:
Following its relaunch on 21st October, the JFT Board is working with industry to develop quantitative and qualitative targets for each working group.
Membership information is available on GOV.UK. The following organisations make up the current membership of the JFT:
Individual attendance may vary and full lists of attendees for each meeting are published with the minutes of JFT after the meeting has taken place.
The JFT Board will meet at least three times a year, and the second meeting will take place in early 2022.
Previous dates of meetings and attendance information is available on GOV.UK. Prior to 21 October 2021, the Joint Fraud Taskforce last met on 18 November 2020. The meeting was chaired by Mike Haley of Cifas and was attended by representative from the following organisations:
Questioner: Emily Thornberry (LAB - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the (a) structure, (b) goals, (c) strategy and (d) remit of the Joint Fraud Taskforce re-launched by her Department on 28 October 2021.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The Joint Fraud Taskforce (JFT) is a joint public and private sector Board, chaired by the Security Minister. Its mission statement is:
To bring together partners from across the public and private sectors to tackle fraud and substantially improve the protections in place for the public and businesses.
The goals of the JFT are to:
The JFT’s remit and structure is built around formulation and delivery of the voluntary industry elements of the Fraud Action Plan, which will be published in full in 2022. This work includes:
Following its relaunch on 21st October, the JFT Board is working with industry to develop quantitative and qualitative targets for each working group.
Membership information is available on GOV.UK. The following organisations make up the current membership of the JFT:
Individual attendance may vary and full lists of attendees for each meeting are published with the minutes of JFT after the meeting has taken place.
The JFT Board will meet at least three times a year, and the second meeting will take place in early 2022.
Previous dates of meetings and attendance information is available on GOV.UK. Prior to 21 October 2021, the Joint Fraud Taskforce last met on 18 November 2020. The meeting was chaired by Mike Haley of Cifas and was attended by representative from the following organisations:
Questioner: Julian Knight (CON - Solihull)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the funding settlement will be for West Midlands Police in the financial year 2022-23; and whether that settlement represents an increase from the 2021-22 financial year settlement.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The provisional funding settlement for West Midlands Police will be up to £694.9 million in 2022-23; an increase of up to £39.4 million when compared to 2021-22.
Questioner: Catherine West (LAB - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to grant additional funding to local authorities to assist with (a) littering, (b) anti-social behaviour and (c) other issues that arise at transport hubs.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch
Government will outline proposals for distributing funding to local authorities in the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. Government has a long-standing policy to provide grant funding to local government on a non-ringfenced basis as part of the commitment to greater localism. This policy provides greater funding flexibility to local authorities and supports them to make spending decisions based on their local needs and priorities.
On anti-social behaviour (ASB) specifically, the Government is committed to tackling and preventing ASB. We know the serious impact that persistent anti-social behaviour can have on both individuals and communities. In July the Beating Crime Plan laid out the Government's plan for tackling crime and its commitment to working with local agencies and partners to drive down ASB using the full range of powers and tools in the 2014 Act. That is why we provided the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances.
Questioner: Stuart Anderson (CON - Wolverhampton South West)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the public consultation on the revised national police funding formula will open.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The government recognises that the current police funding formula is out of date and no longer accurately reflects demand on policing.
A review of the funding formula is now underway, and we are working closely with the policing sector and relevant experts to develop proposals for new funding arrangements. A full public consultation will take place before any new funding arrangements are put in place.
We have previously confirmed our intention to complete this work before the next General Election.
Questioner: Jon Trickett (LAB - Hemsworth)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will consult on the maximum fine the Electoral Commission can impose on individuals and organisations for breaking political finance rules.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch
The Electoral Commission may impose monetary penalties of up to £20,000 per offence. Criminal matters can be referred to the police. The courts may levy unlimited fines and custodial sentences for some offences, as laid out in the Political Parties Elections and Referendum Act 2000 (as amended).
Questioner: Andrew Selous (CON - South West Bedfordshire)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in which financial year will the revised police national funding formula take effect.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government has committed to reviewing the police funding formula before the next General Election and our intention is to introduce new arrangements at the earliest opportunity.
Reviewing the funding formula will be a complex process that will require close working with the policing sector and relevant experts to develop proposals, and a full public consultation will take place before any new funding arrangements are put in place.
Questioner: Rupa Huq (LAB - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed removal of prosecutorial powers from the Electoral Commission on the (a) accountability of the executive, (b) integrity of elections and (c) transparency of political party funding.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Electoral Commission does not currently, and has never in over 20 years, brought criminal prosecutions. The Government intends to maintain the status quo by providing clarity in law that the Commission should not bring criminal prosecutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The proper place for criminal investigations and prosecutions relating to electoral law is with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (and the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland) who are experts in this domain. Having the Commission step into this space would risk wasting public money. The Electoral Commission will continue to have a wide range of investigatory and civil sanctioning powers available to it and, as is currently the case, is able to refer more serious matters to the police.
The Government is committed to protecting our democracy and ensuring that it remains secure, modern, transparent and fair. The Elections Bill will further strengthen the integrity of UK elections by updating electoral law, including the rules on the transparency of digital campaigning and political finance, the introduction of voter identification and measures improving the integrity of postal and proxy voting.
Questioner: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (LAB - Slough)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to policy paper entitled Great British Railways: Williams-Shapps plan for rail, published by his Department on 20 May 2021, what plans the his Department has for the funding for the how the British Transport Police; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of changes to the funding model for the railway on the British Transport Police.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Government is setting up a Rail Transformation Programme within the Department for Transport and working with the rail sector to ensure a common understanding of the vision, establish the phases of delivery, and work collectively with the sector to design and implement this major project.
Following the publications of the White Paper, we are commencing detailed engagement and consultation across the industry, including with organisations such as British Transport Police.