Live Home Office Questions House of Commons

to Her Majesty the Queen and the jig

of Edinburgh as they celebrate the

70th wedding anniversary today.

Questions to the Secretary of State

for the Home Department.

Can I take the opportunity to add my

good wishes for the 70th

anniversary. Long may she reign. We

are taking action on knife crime

settled on four key strands. The

first is on police enforcement.

Retailers with responsible sales.

Tightening legislation to ensure

police have powers they need. And

the fourth is encouraging early

interventions other people do not

get knives in the first place.

My

constituents woke up to a nightmare

after Halloween, finding that knife

wielding yobs had been on a slashing

spree. Including slashing car tyres

and soft top roofs. Some as young as

12. What is she doing to make sure

the youngest in society cannot get

your hands on these knives to go on

these rampages and terrorise

communities, because they are also

putting themselves at risk as well.

I thank him for that comment. I have

huge sympathy with his constituents.

It is illegal for anyone under 18 to

buy a knife will stop we are working

with retailers to ensure that

becomes the case more and more.

We're making sure that is enforced.

We're also working local communities

and we have a community intervention

fund that will work with local

groups to make sure young people are

unaware of how dangerous it is to

carry knives for them as well as

potential victims.

Mr Speaker, Dan

was knifed to death in a brutal

attack. He was one of hundreds of

victims and last 12 months, with

crime rising 15%. Does the Home

Secretary not begin to understand

that the consequences in the West

Midlands of 2000 fewer police

officers is knife crime is soaring,

gun crime is soaring, violent crime

is soaring, and the Government is

betraying the first duty of any

Government. The safety and security

of its citizens.

It is because we

recognise that the first duty of

this Government is to keep the

citizens safe that we have such a

comprehensive plan to look at

violent and serious violent crime.

We recognise the police need the

resources but it is more than that.

It is about early intervention. It

is about making sure that those

knives and guns do not get into the

hands of people who can do such

damage. And it is making sure we

work with retailers online to ensure

that they cannot access them through

those resources.

Thank you. Knife

crime and in youth violence crime is

on the increase in Manchester as

well. I wonder what consideration

the Home Secretary has given to some

of the tactics used by police in

policing what is increasingly called

gang violence but often isn't.

Particularly in relation to the

overuse, often, things like joint

enterprise. Such tactics pushing the

very community away from the police

that the police are seeking to bring

on board.

She raises a very good

point. It is actually essential that

we get the police there tools that

they need to keep people safe at all

are used in a way that reassures the

local committee. One of the areas

raised with me often is the role of

stop and search. Now we know that

the use of stop and searches, when

used properly, effective. I am

determined to make sure that we

we're sure policing committees that

police can continue to use stop and

search and should continue to use

that technique to stop knife crimes

taking place.

A significant

proportion of knife purchases are

online or by mail order. How can

that be regulated and what is to

stop a young persons and by going

online and buying a knife?

In two

ways. It is a very good point. We

have to make sure that we work with

this ESPs, the internet providers,

so it is not as easy to buy online.

We also have to work with the

retailers so that when people order

them, they have to actually collect

them. That is the legislation we

will bring forward, so people cannot

lie about their age. If the order my

phone line, they will have to go and

collected in future. -- they order a

knife online.

With your permission, I'll answer

this question along with question

three. We have a comprehensive

framework for refugees and families

to be safely reunited in this

country without the need for

dangerous journeys. Our family

reunion policy allows children to

join refugee parents. There are

immigration rules in place for

extended family members lawfully

resident yet to sponsor children in

CDs are compelling circumstances.

Children can also join close family

members through our mandate scheme.

Bradford is proud to have given

homes to a number of families

through the scheme, but there are

hundreds of stranded, unaccompanied

children in Europe. Family reunion

is the only safe and legal writ. Can

the Minister look again at

unaccompanied refugee children

joining close family 's other lone

parents?

I would say to the

honourable gentleman that there are

any number of Gateway schemes, not

just the Dublin regulations. Within

our own immigration rules, there is

a rich people can use and I would

encourage them to look at that. --

route that people can use.

Can I

welcome the response of the

Minister? Does he accept that the

generosity of spirit and decency of

the British people is such that they

want the Government to do more?

Wouldn't he accept that that is

exemplified by his £50 million

raised by BBC Children in Need last

week as a testament to that

generosity of spirit? And can he now

match the rhetoric, which is very

welcome, with deeds that will break

the logjam of children being

reunited with families in the UK.

I

would say to the honourable

gentleman that he is right. It is

great generosity across this

country, not just on Friday night,

but in committee sponsored

programmes and committees doing what

they can to help the most vulnerable

in the world. We should be very

proud of what we does a country and

what this is doing in terms of

bringing over children in need

support and help. That is what we

are doing and rules allow for family

reunions as well.

One of the dangers

faced by these children as human

traffickers, and in that regard, did

the Minister see the appalling

report in the Times of children

being sold on the street of Glasgow

for sex, some as young as five. What

can we do to stamp this out?

He

rightly draws attention to a

horrific case that many of us will

have seen this happen. My right

honourable friend spoke to other

ministers today to offer. Port on

this. We need to do all we can to

deter people and crack down on rogue

traders and despicable behaviour of

human trafficking. We're so pleased

to see the work done recently across

the Home Office, with the

immigration force and and NCA to

break some of these routes down. We

have to stay focused on it.

What

wider steps as the Government taking

to tackle the Red Cross of the

crisis? -- root cause.

It is

important that we focus as much as

we can on developing and improving

the situation upstream. That is why

I am very pleased Prime Minister was

able to get an extra £75 million

through the international developer

department this summer to work with

partners around Europe to make sure

we do as much as we can to tackle

real problems.

Thank you. Can I

welcome the announcement this

weekend of the agreement to transfer

a Syrian teenager from Greece under

the scheme. I wrote to the Home

Secretary about this on the 7th of

August. A boy that was locked in a

police cell in Greece because there

was no other safe accommodation for

even though local council here had

offered a place. I understand he

still has not been given a transfer

date and they hope the Minister can

look into that urgently. Given that

we have 280 M D local council places

and 90 of those were supposed to

come from Greece, that there are

still around 3000 child refugees in

Greece, does he agree that it is not

good enough for only

eligible children to have been

identified in Greece. -- four. We

need to take urgent action to make

sure more children will come.

I am

sure sure appreciate from answers

she has had previously that it is

not a matter of empty Dummett having

in this basis. It is good news that

we have children in process coming

through from France and Greece. I

would also just point out for

honourable members, as I have done

before, that these are sovereign

states. It is right that we do it in

a way that works on his sovereign

states. I have been to Greece myself

as well as Italy to talk about what

we can do to make this work fluidly.

But ultimately these are sovereign

states working with his children and

we have to do what is right and in

the best interests of the children.

The right honourable member referred

to the fact that they waited 14

months before news of the transfer

came through. What news can be --

what can be done to speed up this

scheme?

We're always working with

other partners about how we can move

the system is fluidly as possible. I

am as keen as he is to see people

coming through the system as quickly

as possible. But ultimately we have

to do the best we can for these

children and respect the laws of a

sovereign state like these. --

Greece.

Number four.

At the end of June 2017

some 31,368 applications for

indefinite leave to remain were

under consideration by the

Department.

And one wonders how long

many of those cases were waiting

because so often we are told the

cases are complex and maybe one year

and two years and they still cannot

make a decision. Furthermore, even

people who have won their appeals

are finding it is taking nine months

even to get a reply and very often

their documents get lost or they get

their passport back without their

Visa stamped in it. I recognise the

minister inherited this mess, but

that would seem like a complacent

reply to actually sorting it out.

I

am surprised at his closing comments

because I have not answered that

question yet. I thank the honourable

gentleman for his question. It gives

me the chance to highlight the

excellent work that the team do

every day where we can process

within the service agreement of

six-month 99.95% of all cases and

the 0.05%, under half a percent,

take longer and they either very

complex cases that we liaise with

people on it. I do not recognise the

picture he has painted.

I want to

encourage the Minister to redouble

his efforts. Everybody knows the

difficulties the government has with

immigration in the European Union,

but we cannot understand why after

seven years of a Conservative

government we have still not got to

grips with immigration with the rest

of the world. We need more police

officers, more border officers and

quicker decisions and these people

who have no right to stay you must

leave otherwise it undermines the

whole system.

99.5% of cases are

decided within the timetable set out

under service level agreements and

with regard to people here illegally

we should be clear that if people

are here illegally, we want them to

return to their homes because the

ability to work should be restricted

and the ability to employ people

should be restricted so we are clear

that people who are here illegally

will be removed.

Number five.

As we

leave the European Union we will be

able to control our immigration more

effectively. We will make sure we do

that in a way that supports our

economy after 40 years of free

movement of labour. We will address

that by the evidence we get from the

Migration Advisory Committee which

will be reporting towards the middle

end of next year.

Can I refer the

House to my register of interests

and can I also asked the Home

Secretary to confirm to dairy

farmers and other businesses in

Dumfries and Galloway that they will

still be able to hire long-term

migrant labourers on long-term

contracts after Brexit?

Mr Speaker,

I am aware of the issue with dairy

farmers as well as other need that

the industry has with migrant

workers and when we decide on the

right immigration policy after we

leave the European Union, we will

make sure it continues to support

our economy.

The all-party group on

migration which I chair recently

conducted research with a range of

businesses to ask about their labour

needs and the of Brexit. Uniformly

they told us it was not just a case

of access to highly skilled labour,

but many jobs characterised at low

skilled would be difficult to fill

if they could not access the EU

labour market. Can the Home

Secretary consider that report and

what assurances can she could to

businesses across a whole range of

sectors?

I share the view of the

right honourable lady. We have

talked enthusiastically about

wanting to be as a country that

attract the brightest and the best

to support our economy, but we

recognise there will be a need for

migrant labour in different areas,

potentially in construction and

dairy farming, and that is the sort

of area that I would hope the

Migration Advisory Committee will be

able to report on when they come

through with their report next year.

Rebecca Powell.

I wonder if the

Secretary of State could also take

into account seasonal workers. In my

constituency we have got people

thinking of Turkey plucking coming

up with Christmas. A lot of these

people are migrant workers and they

work in the tourist industry and

catering industry, but many are only

temporary. With the Secretary of

State give some indications as to

whether this could be looked on

favourably in the future?

My

honourable friend regards and raises

an important point coming up to

Christmas. We will look carefully at

the need for migrant labour in that

sector and we will want to rely on

the evidence and that is why the

report on the Migration Advisory

Committee will be important.

It

seems apposite for me to call Joanna

Cherry one we are talking about

fruit farmers.

Thank you, Mr

Speaker. Can I begin by adding my

good wishes to Her Majesty the Queen

and the Duke of Edinburgh on my

behalf on the occasion of her 70th

wedding anniversary. Data analysis

submitted to the Migration Advisory

Committee by the Scottish Government

shows that in Scotland EU nationals

who work in Scotland contribute an

average of £34,400 each per annum to

gross domestic product. That is more

than £4.4 billion a year. Thus the

Home Secretary agree with me that

this evidence shows that Brexit is

putting a vital contribution to

Scotland's economy at risk?

I would

point out to the right honourable

lady that we have not left the

European Union yet, said that Labour

will continue to be available until

we do. I am delighted to hear that

there has been an additional

submission from Scotland and I am

sure the Migration Advisory

Committee will look carefully at the

evidence provided.

Scotland's

demographic profile is very

different to the rest of the UK

because over the next ten years,

Scotland's population growth is

projected to come entirely, that is

100%, from migration. The

comparative figure for the UK is

58%. Will the Home Secretary look

carefully at supporting the

devolution of immigration to

Scotland in response to the strong

evidence of divergences and indeed

to address concerns such as those

raised by the honourable member for

Dumfries and Galloway?

The right

honourable lady will be aware that

immigration remains reserved matter.

We will be considering the needs of

UK as a whole. I recognise the fact

that Scotland has some particular

circumstances and need for skilled

labour and that is a specific

Scotland specific shortage

occupation list which will cover

some of the areas she has drawn

attention to. I am sure she like me

will look forward with eager

anticipation to the report coming

out next year.

Dan Auerbach. We on

this side of the House would also

like to congratulate her Royal

Highness on her 70th wedding

anniversary. Does the Secretary of

State share the concerns of the

National Farmers Union who report a

fourfold increase in the number of

vacancies because of the falling

number of EU workers? The Society of

order manufacturers and traders said

the growth of the car industry

depends on access to skilled labour

in Europe. The Nursing and Midwifery

Council report and 96% drop in nurse

registrations from the EU. Does she

not recognise that industry want

answers on these issues sooner

rather than later?

Mr Speaker, what

I recognise is the incredible value

that EU workers and professionals

provide in the UK. We are fortunate

to have so many of them working

here. We will make sure the

immigration policy we design as we

leave the European Union continues

to get the best out of that, but

also adds some controls. We must

acknowledge the fact we have voted

to leave the EU and the public

expect us to put controls on it and

we will do that in a way that

continues to welcome EU workers who

provide such important employment in

areas such as she has mentioned, in

hospitals and schools.

Number six.

Mr Speaker, it is the responsibility

of the National joint Council to

consider what pay award is

appropriate for firefighters in

England. Central government has no

role in this process. The 2017-18

Pena Goshen pay negotiations are

still under way.

I thank the

Minister for his reply. However, the

National Audit Office figures show

that 30% of central government

funding has been cut from the Fire

and Rescue Service since 2011. With

a further cut of 20% by 2020 basic

paid for firefighters is nearly

£3000 less in real terms than it was

in 2010. Is it not time government

stop hiding behind cash-strapped

authorities and stumped up the cash

these vital public servants deserve?

I say to the honourable gentleman

there is a reason why we have fewer

firefighters. We have 48% purifiers

over the last ten years. He talks

about the cash-strapped service. He

will be aware that single Fire

authorities like his own have had

multi-settlements and they are part

of a system that is sitting on £616

million of reserves, and number that

has grown by 153% since 2010.

Could

I urge the Minister to look at the

example of Essex where the police

and crime commission is now

responsible for both of those

entities and is able to drive for

efficiency is that would be better

spent if rolled out elsewhere?

Capital at my honourable friend and

we thank the leadership in Essex to

enable governors of fire and police,

not just in the name of better

accountability and transparency, but

also the opportunity to continue to

pursue savings and efficiencies on

behalf of the taxpayer.

I recently

met with the Humberside Fire Chief

just couple of weeks ago and he

knows all his firefighters deserve a

pay rise. What was really worrying

him was that he would not have the

money in his budget to pay for it.

You talk about these reserves that

they have, but the Humberside Fire

Service, like the ones further down

the coast, are no longer dealing

with fires at sea because they have

not got the money to pay for those

either. I would like a commitment

from you that they will find the

money for the Fire Service and also

look into this other problem of not

covering fires that happen at sea.

I

completely share her desire to see

firefighters get a fair pay

settlement. I have admiration for

them, not least having met the

number of firefighters who did great

work and Grenfell Tower. Government

will always listen to the evidence.

The challenge for the Fire Service

in terms of making the case for

fresh funding from the government is

what is the evidence that you cannot

manage the demand in the system now?

What is your plan for reserves?

Reserves in the Fire system have

grown every year since 2010. That is

not the action of a system that is

strapped for cash.

Can I correct the

minister because his own Home Office

figures show that fire deaths have

gone up 17% in the last 12 months.

He will also be aware that funding

for local authorities has been

slashed. Firefighters risk their

lives every day to keep us safe and

they have seen a real terms cut in

their pay every year for the last

seven years and they cannot spare

warm words from the Minister. Now

the employers representatives on the

joint Council and the fire Brigade

union all agree that to increase

firefighters' wages additional,

central government funds must be

provided. When will the Minister

stop passing the buck and start

taking responsibility for his own

actions?

In response to that

artificial rant let me again state

the facts. Over the past ten years

the total number of fires attended

has more than halved. The taxpayer

is investing £2.3 billion of public

money in the Fire Service. If there

is evidence that is not enough, we

will always listen to it, but the

first question to be asked is what

are you doing with your reserves?

Number seven.

Number seven.

I would

like to answer this question along

with 17. We want to encourage

compliance leading to fewer illegal

immigrants in the first place. We

will continue to work with partners

to ensure we are always exploring

the best practice and opportunities.

Given over half of migrants leaving

detention centres are released into

the community and not removed, given

monitoring illegal immigrants in the

community costs 80% less than

detention, and given the sheer

inhumanity of Britain's immigration

and detention regime, many believe

it is time to look at alternatives

that work better in other European

countries. Will the Minister agree

to a pre-Christmas meeting with

myself and a group that has recently

published detailed research on

alternatives to detention?

I would say that I don't recognise

what he outlined at all. Apart from

the fact we do not have indefinite

detention in this country, we always

have an assumption of liberty and

the fact that a suspect is not

detained for as -- is detained for

only as long as is necessary.

Thank

you. It is completely wrong to say

that we do not have indefinite

detention. If you're locked up for

not being -- and not given a time

frame for release, that is

indefinite detention. Will the

Minister not take on recommendations

from a number of bodies, including

Amnesty International and the Labour

Party, for a statutory requirement

of 28 days for release?

I would say

to him that first of all detention

is an important part of our

processes and a leading returns. --

alarming. To be lawful in this

country, detention never lasts

longer than is reasonably necessary

to achieve the purpose for which it

was authorised. That is the policy

rerun. -- that we run.

With my right

honourable friend agree that there

are too many people in detention

centres who should have been already

deported? They should have been

deported before the expiry of their

prison sentences. Why isn't that

happening?

My honourable friend is

always makes an important point.

There are people in this country,

both in prison who we would

obviously like to return, but I am

pleased that we have seen a record

number sixes and 500 being able to

return this year. There is always

more to do and we will focus on

doing that.

My honourable friend is

absolutely correct in saying that

detention plays an important part in

our immigration system. But of

course well people are in detention,

they should be free from abuse.

There were some recent allegations

of abuse at Brook cows in my

constituency, and emigration

detention centre. What discussions

as he had with the operator, G4S?

He

makes a good point. Many of us, if

not all of us in this House, will

have seen the unacceptable situation

on the BBC Panorama programme. I met

with the operator several times to

discuss the work done to review

these actions. I will continue to

keep the focus on that.

Last week,

the Chief Inspector of service

discussed the situation in Jawa

detention -- centre.

Why isn't this policy being

implemented on immigration detention

and were vulnerable people still

being detained?

I can only repeat to

him that we have a reasonable

prospect of -- we will remove a

person only when we have a

reasonable prospect of doing so and

it is part of a process.

Regional

organised crime unit is a critical

part of the policing network and

they are an official and effective

way of tackling serious and

organised crime. Since 2013, the

Government has invested £140 million

in this.

This is a serious concern

to people in my constituency. What

steps are being taken to ensure that

local police forces can take

measures to stop these offences?

I

recognise my honourable friend's

concern. She should return any

concern to the relevant police

force. Regional organised crime unit

is lead investigations into complex,

serious organised crime. Decisions

of investigations from these units

are based on risks of threat and

harm.

With the Minister accept that

important though the concept of

regional Corporation is, that

organised crime is core business in

large areas like Greater Manchester,

Merseyside, Yorkshire and London

etc. Nothing should be done at

regional level but stops local

police forces driving down against

the organisational criminals who

destroy people's lives.

I totally

agree. Regional organised crime and

tackling organised crime regionally

is only one part of the line going

from grassroots policing using local

police forces alongside local

authorities, all the way to the

National Crime Agency that can users

into national reach to make sure

that stops them either becoming

suppliers or bigger and trafficking

people, money and drugs.

Last week,

my honourable friend wrote an

excellent article in the Times of

the county lines for moving drugs

and the country. It is an insidious

problem and adult counties but in

Somerset as well. Canon Mr Michel

house that the organised crime units

at regional level have the

interconnectivity to tackle this

regional problem?

County lines is a

growing problem. It is being seen is

in Merseyside recently and also in

the likes of Somerset, where some of

the worst criminals take advantage

of, all people to use properties to

either supply drugs, hide weapons,

except. That is why the National

Crime Agency is taking a lead in

this alongside with the regional

crime unit to make sure we link up

with mental health trusts and local

authorities to make sure that people

who are vulnerable and being

exploited are held and the

perpetrators are dealt with.

In my

area in Derbyshire, we have seen 411

fewer police officers in the last

eight years. In my constituency,

three police stations are closed in

spite of rising crime, knife attacks

on Halloween. How does the Minister

feel that these local police forces

will cope with both regional

organised crime and local crime?

This year, the Government and the

BCC is investing a record sum into

regional organised crime units

across the country. That is why in

the year alone we have seen

convictions totalling 2375,

confiscations orders of over £25

million. Regional organised crime

units themselves have seen the

engines of kilograms of cocaine, and

safeguarded a large number of

children through the year.

I have already been meeting with

some of my honourable friends in

Scotland. I am meeting with a number

of Scottish MPs this very week to

discuss this issue. I would just say

that during my recent visit to

Edinburgh, amateur to meet

representatives of the industry.

Sadly they could not attend on that

day.

I will take that as my

invitation to the meeting, Mr

Speaker. I suspect that the problem

is that the few visas are available

at transit visas. It leaves many

crew members vulnerable and exposed

to exploitation. Will the Minister

speak to the Borders force and get

assistance that crewmembers should

be classified as unskilled labour?

It is a cross-party meeting and the

honourable gentleman have details of

the meeting later this week. We're

looking at all the details,

particularly in light of leaving the

EU. I look forward to hearing his

views.

Mr Speaker, UK law

enforcement success leading to five

suspects in nine out of ten of the

most serious cyber crimes from

October last year to March this

year. They have arrested suspect in

seven out of ten of them. Cyber

criminals will face the full force

of the law, no matter how

untouchable they think they are, and

will be brought to justice.

Can my

right honourable friend give the

House details about what advice is

being given both to individuals and

businesses so that they can protect

themselves online?

Following the

National cyber Security strategy,

the Government set up the national

cyber Security Centre, which issues

a range of advice to businesses and

individuals. The couple met that,

the National cyber centre also

supports the national campaign,

Cyber Aware Than

supports the national campaign,

Cyber Aware Than.

To do this, we

expected to be a member of Europol

post European access in -- post

Brexit?

We have made a good offer

and we will see what the responses

from the European Commission.

Last

week, the chief Executive Officer of

the National cyber Security Centre

said that in its first year of

operation, the centre had responded

to over 600 significant incidents.

Some of those threats come from

hostile states and areas of the

world that are ungoverned. What

practical steps will the Government

take to build the international

coalition that will be required to

do with this? -- deal.

He makes some

valid questions and point is that we

have to build on. That is why we

have been building alongside the

National Security Agency, working

with the NCA. The end of national

network. There have been offers us

around the world. GCHQ worked with

many of the member states of the

European Union to tackle that. We

have seen a number of very

successful operations, most recently

in December, where we took down the

avalanche cloud hosting service led

by Europol. It was sending out

millions of fraudulent e-mails per

week.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. There

is absolutely no limit on the number

of international students can come

to the UK, nor is it a plan to

impose one. The effect on migration

figures as marginal.

We are now coming to the end of a

very successful two-year pilot a

leading Chinese National is a

two-year entry Visa for the price of

a six-month entry Visa. It looks

like that will be made permanent in

the New Year. Will the Secretary of

State commit to introducing the same

scheme for Indian nationals for

trade post Brexit?

I would say that

I was in India couple of weeks ago.

I have some conversations about

this. It is a little bit premature

because China is based on a

different situation to the situation

between us and India but we will

look at that pilot and I will feed

back after the pilot has ended and

we have had a chance to review it.

Recent polling shows that much of

the British public to not consider

international students to be

immigrants and they want to see them

work for a period here to contribute

to the economy. Will he commit to

increasing the UK's post study work

opportunities so that we can

continue to attract the brightest

and best students to the UK after

Brexit?

She makes a very good point.

These things are always kept under

review. I would just point out in

terms of students, students leaving

university as graduates will be able

to stay with the graduate job in

that tear to Visa system and I would

encourage them to do that.

Shouldn't

the Minister not take the student

figures out immigration figures

because they do not come here as

asylum seekers, they come you to

contribute to local colonies. So

there is a contradiction of the

Government's position.

I would just

eight of the honourable gentleman,

an awful lot of migrants do not, as

asylum seekers. That is quite a wide

issue. -- do not come as. With

students, the net migration figures

are published by the Office of

National Statistics. They are

entirely independent of Government.

Based on the UN definition of what I

get is, that someone in the country

for 12 months or more.

Stirling

University has a deserved global

university for welcoming

international tunes. When will

Scottish universities have the

advantage of post study work visas?

Students leaving university with a

graduate job would find it easier to

adhere to these. We are running a

pilot at the moment and there will

look at the outcome very soon.

Does

the Minister realise how pleased the

directors of Jaguar Land Rover will

be with the answer that he has just

given? They sponsor students at

Birmingham University and other

universities in Birmingham. So they

will be very relieved to know that

those students can get graduate

visas.

I think my honourable friend

has just highlighted what many of us

are very clear about. Students play

a hugely important part in our

national economy and make huge

contributions when they leave

university as well, if the adding

the appropriate format. We would

encourage more people to come and

study in this country in the

excellent institutions be have right

across the country.

Shadow Home

Secretary seeking to come in. I beg

your pardon. We must hear from her.

We will hold the honourable lady in

suspense, but not for long. Diane

Abbott.

The Minister will be aware

that an ally of the Home Secretary

is in favour of removing

international students from the

Government's migration target. Some

people may suspect that the unnamed

ally may in fact be the Home

Secretary herself. But whether or

not that is the case, as the

Minister has conceded, international

students make an enormous

contribution not just a academia but

the economies of university towns.

Will they listen to voices on all

sides of the House and remove

international students from the

migration target?

I would say to the right honourable

lady that obviously we are all

allies here. I would just direct her

to have a look at the answer I gave

a few moans ago, which is the key

thing with students, thanks to the

work that this government has done,

shutting down over 920 bogus

colleges, students are now complying

which means their effect on

migration is marginal at best.

Number three. We are fully committed

to transfer 480 unaccompanied

children under the immigration act

and we are working with member

states as well as the UNHCR

committee on refugees and NGO

partners to identify tracks are

opportunities to the UK, complying

with individual state and national

laws.

I have an ongoing and

heartbreaking case of a British

citizen who is one-year-old daughter

is trapped in an Iraqi war zone.

Attempts to get her a passport store

at the Home Office. After persistent

attempts to meet the Minister, I was

assured my constituent could make a

fresh application and the fee would

be waived, but the Home Office have

kept the papers and told him he must

get new ones from Baghdad. Given

that this is a British citizen's

child make sure that we can resolve

the situation?

I am happy to make

the honourable lady. I am aware of

the case and it is very complex, but

I would be happy to meet her and

have a conversation.

I am grateful

for my honourable friend agreed to

meet with the Northamptonshire

County Council to discuss the

financial support that the

government gives to the local

authority to accommodate these

children. Would he keep the level of

the appropriateness of that funding

and dreaded?

My honourable friend

makes a good point. We do keep these

things and a rebuke. It was changed

in 2016 and I look forward to having

further conversations with councils

such as these that do excellent work

to help people.

Number 13.

Thank

you, Mr Speaker. No pressure. We are

taking a range of actions to tackle

knife crime and I am particularly

concerned that children and young

people do not carry knives. Early

prevention is key which is why we

have launched the new anti-knife

community fund worth half £1 million

for a voluntary groups who work with

children and young people to support

early intervention and prevention

projects. The successful bids will

be announced very shortly.

On behalf

of the honourable friends on the

side of the House, can I

congratulate the Minister on her

appointment. She has responded well.

Does she agree with me that it is

concerned that knife crime in London

is rising under this may under the

last year? Does she agree with me

also that the decision to close

Wimbledon police station is wrong

headed in that regard?

I thank my

honourable friend for his kind

comments. Every death from knife

crime is a tragedy for the families,

friends and communities in which

that death occurred. That is why

knife crime is a government priority

and includes works such as

supporting intervention with young

people when they entered hospital

and accident and emergency units to

reach them at a vulnerable time and

also supporting the police in their

work which this July saw 32 forces

involved in a week of action which

resulted in nearly 3000 knives being

seized recovered. In terms of his

local police station, since 2015 we

have protected overall police

spending in real terms and crime is

traditionally measured by the crime

survey in England and Wales have

fallen by over a third says 2010,

but any decisions on police stations

are a matter for police and crime

commissioners and in the case of

London for the of London.

In the

kindest spirit I welcome the

Minister, but please look at the

facts. We cannot confront knife

crime without the plays on the

streets and also the police that

used to have the time to go into

schools to talk to students. That

budget is being cut. Will she look

again at the capacity of the police

to be on the streets and in the

schools?

I thank the honourable

gentleman for his question. This is

a matter I hope that we can work

with across the House because knife

crime sadly affects most of our

constituencies. In terms of actions

the government is taking at a

national level we are supporting the

peace with operation sector which

has had a great deal of success, but

also the emphasis on local police

forces doing their bit, knowing that

rain and the local population and

targeting with intelligence led

targets to make sure we get the

people who carry these knives.

We

are running late, but the voice of

Amber Valley must be heard. Mr Nigel

Mills.

Can I show my honourable

friend the new formula will not be

introduced without full public

consultation and we are completing

our review of demand and resilience

in the police system ahead of the

1819 funding settlement.

Derbyshire

has been badly affected by the

current formula, so would much

appreciate progress on the new

formula. Can you show my local

police force that there will be an

inflationary rise in their funding

for next year?

I have spoken

directly to both the police and

crime commission in Derbyshire and

the chief to get an update on the

performance of the service and the

demand on it and that will feed into

the review that I have signalled and

that in turn will feed into

decisions about the 1819 funding.

The Minister says he wants evidence

for peace funding, how about the

document that every PCC signed up to

in the country. It wants you to know

that up to 6000 police officers

could be lost. If the Minister

thinks the UK's most senior police

leaders are wrong, when he commit

today that there will be no further

cuts to police officer numbers

during this Parliament?

I can

confirm that decisions about please

funding have not been finalised but

will be done shortly and an

announcement will be made to the

House as part of the grant

settlement for 1819 in the usual

way. To the report she cites, that

is a report we worked with closely

because the Home Office and the

police system did want to understand

and do a proper job on our

understanding of the pressure the

police are under which is real.

I

recently returned from America and

would like to update the House on

progress made there. Along with the

US Justice Department I work with

representatives from Google,

Facebook and Twitter. I was

encouraged by the development of a

project, ground-breaking software

developed by the Canadian Centre for

Child protection, backed by

significant investment from this

government, as well as start-up

funding from Google. The technology

proactively detect child sexual

abuse material online and issues

notices to content posts so they can

remove it. It has so far recall of 1

billion web pages and approximately

300,000 images of child sexual abuse

have been vetted. Appalling images

of children being abused have

absolutely no place on our Internet

in our society and we will work

internationally to achieve that.

In

December the police and crime act of

2017 would stop police cells from

being a place of safety from people

being detained. In Lincolnshire

there will be only four

hospital-based places of safety and

two of those are in Lincoln's PhD.

Last year people were detained in

police cells because there were no

other options. Will the Minister

give us your is that there will be

money made available to provide

adequate insurance for this change.

The government has made £30 million

worth of funding to improve places

of safety provision and half of that

has been allocated. A second round

of funding opened on the 18th of

October. The legislation provides

that any suitable place may be used

as a place of safety to help

supplement local provision.

I

welcome the reduction in traditional

crime, but we face challenges around

online crime. On Friday I attended a

workshop educating my constituents

on how to keep safe online. How is

the Home Office working with the

police and other stakeholders to

tackle online crime?

Like the

honourable member I met recently

with a number of banks to discuss

how they can help contribute to keep

people safe online. Barclays Bank

have done an extremely good job with

its latest campaign, as has the Nat

West. The government works closely

with them to make sure we come up

with joint responses and help each

other fund the problems we need to

tackle.

Will the Minister reassures

that any scheduled repayments do not

have a negative impact on the

residents of Sunder land and wider

tying and we are due to the

restraints of the cap on the

precept?

I am aware of this issue

and I am more than happy to have a

meeting with her to give her the

assurances she seeks.

Will my right

honourable friend confirm that the

UK will continue to be at the very

forefront of international

intelligence and security

cooperation working with our

international partners after we

leave the EU?

We made a very

ambitious and full offer in terms of

law enforcement and national

security to our partners in the EU

and we hope to move forward in a

positive way, ensuring the security

and safety of the people in the UK

and our partners in Europe as well.

Can I welcome the new minister to

her role and warmly invite her to

come to the all-party Parliamentary

group on knife crime which I chair.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner

told us she has to find £400 million

savings over the next two years

despite the Mayor of London using

the maximum precept he is allowed.

This means 10% less police officers,

less prevention, less serious crime

investigation at a time when violent

crime and knife crime is rising.

Will the Minister pass this onto the

Treasury and asked for more police

funds in the budget?

Some of these

enquiries are very good, but there

is an emerging tendency for

colleagues to have a script

prepared. Forgive me, but it is

rather too long for topical

questions. It may be exceptionally

good and delivered with brilliance

in every case but it is too long and

it is taking too much time. Can I

ask colleagues pleased for future

reference to try to curb this

tendency because you are crowding

out in the colleagues who might also

wish to take.

As a London MP can I

assure the honourable lady I want

them to have the resources they need

and to my eyes they do in the sense

that the number of resources and

police officers per head is far and

away above anything else in the

country for good reason. I do not

recognise her 400 million because no

decisions have been made yet about

funding settlement. That

announcement will be made shortly.

The return to the UK of those who

have fought for Isis is of grave

concern. Is my honourable friend

sure that the Home Office has the

necessary powers to deal with them

and neutralise any dangers they

might pose?

The honourable member

makes a valid point about the threat

these people pose. Where we have

evidence we will prosecute and have

prosecuted in the past people who go

and fight if they commit an offence

overseas. We use temporary exclusion

orders, deprivation of citizenship

to make sure that we get this

sorted.

Very good of the honourable

gentleman to drop in on us. We are

obliged.

Research shows that women

who have survived rape and other

forms of gender violence are still

being routinely detained. Will the

Minister urgently assess why the

guidance is failing these vulnerable

women?

I thank the honourable

gentleman for drawing attention to

this important matter. I am aware of

it. I think it is essential that

this guidance is properly adhered to

and I will be looking into it to

have conversations with the Minister

of Justice to ensure that is the

case.

Women who have suffered sexual

assault are at great risk of mental

illness. Could my right honourable

friend advise what steps the

government is taking to support

women's mental health following a

sexual assault?

I thank my

honourable friend for her question

and she has led a strong campaign

for ensuring mental health and more

notice is taken of it. Rape and

sexual violence are devastating

crimes and the government is

committed to ensuring that every

victim has access to the specialist

support they need including mental

health services. The government is

protecting funding of over £6.4

million to over 85 female rate

support prices in England and Wales

providing specialist support to

female victims. In 2017-18, the

government will provide £27 million

to specialist sexual assault

referral services in England and

Wales.

One of my constituents needs

to take an English test and will the

Minister agree to personally

intervene in this case and release

my constituents from Limbo?

I am

happy to look into that particular

case.

Thank you. There has been a spate of

crimes in a wrong quiet village of

my constituency, culminating in a

popular local vet being attacked by

a hammer and having his cast all on

Friday last week. The Police and

Crime Commissioner says the Home

Office is getting more money from

the Treasury for policing but not

passing it on to police forces. So

can the secretary commit that West

Yorkshire Police will get sufficient

funding so that West Yorkshire

Police can catch his vile thugs and

that people in Willesden can sleep

easily at night once again?

Can I

restate what the Home Secretary said

at the top. We are determined to

make sure the police have the

resources they need, which is why

we're doing a review of... I believe

I have spoken to his police

colleagues personally. The decisions

about the funding settlement will be

put before the House shortly.

And rather than, we have hundreds of

new cases of child sexual to them

which lay thousands of adult

survivors who have not received

support or justice. Two weeks ago,

the Home Office rejected our

application for additional funding

for victims and survivors. Will the

new minister please meet with me,

the council and police so we can

actually find a solution once and

for all for his victims and

survivors?

Thank you to the

honourable member for her question.

She has done a great deal of work on

this area for her constituents. I

would be pleased to meet her and

relevant parties to discuss this

further.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Rural parts

of Rochester and Strood have

suffered from a real increase in

levels of anti-social behaviour.

June two it being in a rural area,

support from the police and PCSOs

can sometimes be difficult, leaving

troublemakers free to trouble

residents. Will the Minister look at

how we can best support in areas

like this? -- boost support.

Can I

reassure my honourable friend that

they have spoken to every single

police force in England and Wales,

including in her constituency. I'm

well aware of the concern from

colleagues particularly from rural

areas about pressure on the police

will stop that feeds into the

process I have described, the

decisions of the Government has to

take, evidence -based about what is

the right funding settlement.

I ask

the Home Secretary whether or not

you will take steps to ensure police

forces have better resources to roll

out domestic violence protection

orders more widely.

I can reassure

the honourable gentleman that we

will always reassure police forces

have that his orgies that they need.

-- Resorts -- the resources.

What

can we do to protect vulnerable

individuals but punish those who

bring vulnerable children into those

types of persons?

It is a

combination of enforcement and early

intervention. Enforcement because

that sort of illegal abuse of

children is wholly acceptable and we

need to make sure we stop it. We

also need to make sure children do

not fall victims to the sort of

words that might be said to them and

they could fall into the trap of

using drugs. It is a combination of

enforcement and early intervention.

One third of the 110 firearms

incidents on Merseyside and last

year have resulted in injury.

Indeed, there was yet gun injury in

my constituency last month. -- yet

another. What will Home Secretary do

to make sure Merseyside Police can

deal with this increasing threat?

Mr

Speaker, I met with a number of

Merseyside MPs recently about that

threat and I speak to her Chief

Constable every week on the subject.

After the initial meeting, I looked

at the proposals being offered by

the Home Office and asked them to go

back and look again for more

assistance for Merseyside and the

wider region. I think more needs to

be done and that is why we are

investing in the network. I will

continue to meet with them to make

sure we get results.

I'm sure the

whole house will welcome the fact

that more women who have been

victims of domestic abuse are coming

forward to report crimes. What is

our department doing to make sure

that these people are properly

supported by the criminal justice

system and we get more successful

prosecutions?

I thank my honourable

friend for raising this important

issue. Victims of domestic violence

and abuse deserve the best treatment

and justice. Despite record numbers

of prosecutions and convictions,

sadly there are still nearly 2

million victims of domestic abuse

every year in England and well. This

is precisely why the Prime Minister

but at the centre of the Queen's

speech a new domestic abuse Bill. I

look forward to this being a bill

around which we can all agree and

coalesce because this bill will

tackle violence in the home, helping

victims and making sure that the

perpetrators who commit his vile

crimes are brought to justice.

I met

with some students from a six form

college who spoke persistently about

knife crime and gang activity and

the rising levels of both. Is that

entirely unconnected with closing

police stations... I don't have a

single one open my constituency. And

following police numbers.

The issue

of closing police stations is a

matter for local police crime

commissioners to decide how to

handle. The issue for young people

and most crime is incredibly

serious. We are seeing the age of

perpetrators reducing and we need to

make sure that early intervention is

in place so that they understand the

dangers of carrying a knife. We also

have introduced legislation to

ensure that someone is caught

carrying a knife twice, they will be

a custodial sentence. It is a of

prevention and enforcement.

A member

cannot ask two questions in

substantive is or topical. A member

can try to do one in each, but

attempting to do a bit more than

that is possibly biting off more

than one can get. Wanting more bytes

of the cherry.

In this House, the

Home Secretary told me that some

papers would be withheld from the

Cyril Smith enquiry for national

security reasons. This week, the

prime ministers threaten to me to

say that, we're clear the work of

the security services will not

prevent information being shared

with other such enquiries. So can

she confirm that the survivors of

Errol Smith, who are waiting for

justice for decades, that she is

wrong the premise to reflect?

I am

happy to confirm the prime ministers

always right. I will certainly look

carefully at the V honourable lady

has received to ensure we comply

with that. -- at the letter that the

honourable lady.

Does the Home

Office accepted there are some areas

like anti-social behaviour, other

areas of work that are in danger of

being undermined unless specific

resources are made available,

especially for hard-pressed forces

like the West Midlands?

We have

accepted the police forces are under

pressure, and that is because of the

high levels of activity from

terrorism we have seen this year. It

is unprecedented. And because of the

success of more people reporting on

issues such as exportation and child

abuse. We are looking at what we can

do, which is why we have invited

comments from all police forces and

we will take that into account.

Any

chance for a single sentence

enquiry?

18 months since the models

leave the active into force, can

ministers say they will start to use

it? -- the Modern Slavery Bill came

into force.

I am proud of the work

is Government has done on the modern

slavery act and the fact that the

Arab world leader on delivering on.

We will always make sure we protect

people who have been victims of

Modern Slavery Bill. If the

honourable gentleman wants to write

to me about his concern, I will be

happy to address it.

The honourable

gentleman has set a very good

example, below which others would

not want to fall.

Thank you. I

understand the Home Secretary met a

constituent of mine at an event on

the 26th of July this year and

assured her that she would monitor

her case and not go away and forget

about the conversation. Could the

Home Secretary have a fresh look at

this case for me, please? My

constituent has now been waiting for

three years and was to get on with

her life. -- wants.

I would say to

the honourable lady that every case

matters. Everyone is an individual

looking for help. If the honourable

lady was to meet me afterwards and

give me details of the individual

she has raised, I will certainly

look at it.

Surely a Kingston and

Surbiton might of the realm must

"Private... -- must "Brevity...

I

will try. As she read the crime

figures of England and Wells and the

different outcomes they have? Will

she read it and send me your

comments on it?

Mr Speaker, I think

you have been given an essay

question here next Mac I have read

it and I am aware of the issues it

raises. The fact recorded crime is

on the rise and does not... But

there are disparities on that,

depending on different types of

crime. That partially cancels his

Weston and perhaps at a later time

we can discuss it. Very grateful for

your cooperation and tumour.

Urgent

question, Gordon Marsden. --

cooperation and good