Live Home Office Questions House of Commons


Live Home Office Questions

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Live Home Office Questions. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

Order, order. Questions to the

Secretary of State for the Home

0:00:110:00:16

Department. Secretary Amber Rudd.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I recognise

0:00:160:00:27

the role firefighters play in

protecting communities as the

0:00:270:00:30

mistreated during the tragic fires

recently at Liverpool Echo Arena car

0:00:300:00:34

park. Fire Services have the funds

they need and will receive £2.3

0:00:340:00:42

billion in 2018-19 to continue their

vital work. Single purpose

0:00:420:00:47

authorities' non-ringfenced reserves

increased by 88% to £615 million

0:00:470:00:53

between March 2011 and March 2000

17. This is equivalent to 49% of net

0:00:530:00:58

expenditure.

The Home Secretary will

be aware that there are 20% fewer

0:00:580:01:05

firefighters in Plymouth today than

there were in 2010, but the risk has

0:01:050:01:08

not gone down. With the combustible

cladding still on the tower blocks

0:01:080:01:12

in Devonport, the risk remains high.

Will the Home Secretary be able to

0:01:120:01:16

give us the reassurance that there

will be no further reductions in

0:01:160:01:19

firefighters in Plymouth and no

further reductions in firefighting

0:01:190:01:21

funding?

The honourable gentleman

raises an interesting point. He is

0:01:210:01:27

right that there are 20% less

firefighters, but there are 50% less

0:01:270:01:32

incidence of fire that firefighters

have to attend. It seems to me that

0:01:320:01:38

we are still able to get the best

service from our firefighters. If

0:01:380:01:42

the honourable gentleman has

requirements for his community in

0:01:420:01:44

terms of tower blocks, he should

approach the DGC to assist with

0:01:440:01:52

additional needs.

In

Northamptonshire, we now have a

0:01:520:01:57

joint police and fire commissioner.

Does the Home Secretary agreed what

0:01:570:02:00

is the best way to make the best use

of limited resources?

My honourable

0:02:000:02:05

friend is right. It is an excellent

way to use resources most

0:02:050:02:11

efficiently, to make sure we have

those sort of mergers. There is now

0:02:110:02:17

an obligation from legislation

passed last year to make sure that

0:02:170:02:20

fire authorities work more closely

with the police.

The Home Secretary

0:02:200:02:25

has already referred to the major

fire that ravaged the car park at

0:02:250:02:31

Liverpool Arena car park on New

Year's Eve. Around 1400 vehicles

0:02:310:02:36

were destroyed. It was only because

of the magnificent efforts of

0:02:360:02:41

Merseyside firefighters that there

was no loss of life. But would she

0:02:410:02:46

take it as a warning that government

cuts, slashing 42 full-time

0:02:460:02:51

appliances down to 26 now and 18

next year are putting lives at risk?

0:02:510:02:57

Will she undertake to review funding

for the Merseyside fire and rescuers

0:02:570:03:03

are to?

I would point out to the

honourable lady the scale of the

0:03:030:03:08

reserves that I have already

highlighted and ask her to work with

0:03:080:03:12

her own fire authority to ensure

that they are using that wisely.

0:03:120:03:17

Following up on her comments, I pay

the utmost respect and admiration

0:03:170:03:22

for the firefighters who did such an

excellent job in that incident.

0:03:220:03:27

Michael Fabricant.

In Lichfield, we

have a new fire station, but we have

0:03:270:03:31

one less fire appliance, which seems

an odd sense of priorities to me and

0:03:310:03:38

the weather Fire Service is run in

Staffordshire. There would be a £10

0:03:380:03:41

million saving if only the police

and the Fire Service merged their

0:03:410:03:46

back-office function. What can the

Home Secretary do to encourage them

0:03:460:03:50

to do that?

It's an excellent point

from my honourable friend and it

0:03:500:03:55

reinforces the point made by one of

our colleagues about the best way to

0:03:550:04:01

achieve efficiencies, which is close

working between police and fire. I

0:04:010:04:04

urge him to encourage his authority

to put in the business case review

0:04:040:04:09

for us to look at.

May I wish you a

happy new year, Mr Speaker. The

0:04:090:04:15

Secretary of State has already

mentioned the fire in the lighthouse

0:04:150:04:20

tower in the Northern Quarter in

Manchester. Would she join with me

0:04:200:04:23

in praising the quick efforts of the

Manchester Fire Service that meant

0:04:230:04:28

that everybody was safely evacuated

from what looked to be a serious

0:04:280:04:33

fire in that tower block, and would

she reassure me and communities in

0:04:330:04:38

Manchester and across the country

that the Fire Services will not only

0:04:380:04:41

have the resources they need, but

the powers to inspect and ensure

0:04:410:04:46

that private as well as social

housing residential blocks are fire

0:04:460:04:51

safe so that these fires don't

spread?

I will happily join the

0:04:510:04:56

honourable lady in thanking the

firefighters for doing an excellent

0:04:560:04:59

job. She raises an important point,

which is that it is not just about

0:04:590:05:05

resources, it is also about having

the right powers. That is why we

0:05:050:05:08

have commissioned a report on

building regulations from Dame

0:05:080:05:12

Judith Hackett, who reported her

interim findings in December. We

0:05:120:05:15

will hear from her later in the

spring with her final report. I hope

0:05:150:05:21

that will give us additional

guidance on what powers are

0:05:210:05:24

necessary to make sure these fires

don't take place in future.

Tackling

0:05:240:05:28

race presents a significant

financial burden for Fire And Rescue

0:05:280:05:35

Services -- tackling waste fires.

Will my right honourable friend meet

0:05:350:05:41

with me to discuss the measures that

can be taken to reduce the risk of

0:05:410:05:44

waste fires?

Again, I congratulate

her local fire authority on the good

0:05:440:05:51

work they have done and I am happy

to volunteer the fire minister to

0:05:510:05:56

have an early meeting with her.

We

constantly hear ministers coming to

0:05:560:06:05

the dispatch box, talking about

reserves in the Fire and Rescue

0:06:050:06:09

Service, as if there is a magic

money tree. But is the Secretary of

0:06:090:06:12

State aware that most of the

reserves are already earmarked for

0:06:120:06:17

future spending? The annual budget

for the Fire and Rescue Service in

0:06:170:06:20

England is £2.3 billion, yet it only

holds 143 million in an allocated

0:06:200:06:26

reserves. That is less than a

month's operating costs was the

0:06:260:06:31

issue seriously suggesting that

capital reserves of just 6% are an

0:06:310:06:34

adequate cover for all emergencies?

If she is, she is living in cloud

0:06:340:06:38

cuckoo land.

I can generously deny

that I am living in cloud cuckoo

0:06:380:06:46

land. I think the honourable

gentleman is being too lenient on

0:06:460:06:51

these enormous reserves that have

been accumulated. They have grown by

0:06:510:06:56

150%. They are 40% now of annual

revenue. I know the Labour Party is

0:06:560:07:01

not familiar with careful public

finance guarding, and I would urge

0:07:010:07:08

him to scrutinise this matter rather

than treating us like a Venezuelan

0:07:080:07:10

dictatorship.

Question two.

I would

like to group these with five, 13

0:07:100:07:26

and 15. Before Christmas the

government proposed a new police

0:07:260:07:29

funding settlement for 2018-19 that

will increase funding by up to £450

0:07:290:07:36

million across the police system. It

is the police and crime

0:07:360:07:39

commissioners and Chief constables

to determine the number of officers

0:07:390:07:42

required for their force areas.

On

New Year's Eve in West Norwood,

0:07:420:07:50

17-year-old Kyle Parnell became the

39th victim of a fatal knife attack

0:07:500:07:53

in England and Wales in 2017. To

solve the growing tragedy of knife

0:07:530:07:57

crime, the police need to be able to

work in partnership with

0:07:570:08:01

communities, the NHS and other

public sector agencies. But the loss

0:08:010:08:05

of 20,000 officers since 2010 means

forces across the country are

0:08:050:08:09

stretched to breaking point. Will

the minister guarantee that there

0:08:090:08:12

will be no further drop in police

numbers?

0:08:120:08:18

The short answer is it is down to

the Mayor and the leader of the Met.

0:08:190:08:24

She is right to talk about this

tragic loss of life, lives cut

0:08:240:08:30

short. I think she is wrong to focus

entirely on the question of police

0:08:300:08:32

officers. The last time we had a

spike in deaths from knife crime in

0:08:320:08:39

London was 2008, when we have

roughly the same amount of police

0:08:390:08:42

officers as we have now.

In

December, I went out with my local

0:08:420:08:48

Safer Neighbourhood team. Despite

the tremendous work they do, two

0:08:480:08:53

officers pay award is not enough. My

local police station recently

0:08:530:08:55

closed. -- two officers to a ward

full stop Wilbur Government

0:08:550:09:07

committed to investing in police?

Police numbers in London have been

0:09:070:09:10

stable for some time. Any decisions

for the future are to be taken by

0:09:100:09:16

the Mayor on the head of the Met.

What I will say to the honourable

0:09:160:09:20

lady, as a result of the settlement,

if the Mayor does what we are

0:09:200:09:23

empowering him to do, it will mean

an additional £4.3 million for the

0:09:230:09:27

Met on top of the reserves, for a

force that has made great strides

0:09:270:09:34

and efficiency, but continues to

require improvement. Safety in the

0:09:340:09:39

capital matters a great deal, which

is why the Met police has more

0:09:390:09:44

officers per head than the national

average.

Constituents are bearing

0:09:440:09:49

the brunt of the police cuts, with

Greater Manchester Police officers

0:09:490:09:53

cut by 23% since 2010. That is

nearly 2000 fewer officers on the

0:09:530:09:58

streets of Manchester. The Home

Secretary rightly praised the

0:09:580:10:03

officers in response to last year's

terror attack in the city. Yet GMP

0:10:030:10:09

face further real terms cuts to

their resources. What steps shall

0:10:090:10:15

she take to make sure that the local

police forces adequately resourced

0:10:150:10:19

to keep people safe?

I am sure the

honourable lady will welcome the

0:10:190:10:23

fact that the number of police

officers has risen in Greater

0:10:230:10:28

Manchester in 2016. She will also

welcome that the police funding

0:10:280:10:30

settlement will result in nine

additional £10 million going into

0:10:300:10:33

Greater Manchester Police. She may

also want to ask the Mayor why

0:10:330:10:39

reserves for Greater Manchester have

gone up by £29 million.

In 2014-15,

0:10:390:10:47

the provisional grant allocation for

the police was just over £8 billion.

0:10:470:10:51

In December of last year, the Home

Office announced that it would be

0:10:510:11:00

just 7.35 billion pounds, despite

the fact that according to the

0:11:000:11:04

Office for Budget Responsibility,

inflation has been projected to be

0:11:040:11:07

7% over this period. As this is a

substantial real cut in police

0:11:070:11:11

funding, with the Secretary of State

like to suggest where savings can be

0:11:110:11:14

made on a scale that would protect

police numbers?

I am sure the

0:11:140:11:19

honourable gentleman will welcome

the fact that Thames Valley Police

0:11:190:11:21

will benefit if the Police and Crime

Commissioner exercises the flex

0:11:210:11:27

ability that we are offering. An

initial £12.7 billion in 2017. How

0:11:270:11:35

that works out, I don't know.

I

thought I had better get in quick,

0:11:350:11:39

before the Prime Minister's

inevitable call to me. Mr Speaker,

0:11:390:11:51

there has been a very worrying

increase in crime across the Shipley

0:11:510:11:55

constituency over recent months. I

expect to see more police officers,

0:11:550:12:01

and my constituents expect to see

more police officers. The first duty

0:12:010:12:04

of the government is to protect the

public and keep them safe. I have to

0:12:040:12:09

say, they are not putting enough

focus on police resources. These

0:12:090:12:12

would they give them the resources

they need to keep our constituents

0:12:120:12:17

safe? They are in danger of being

very greatly out of touch with

0:12:170:12:21

public opinion.

I am sure she is

keeping the position open for him.

0:12:210:12:28

Minister?

I had better keep my

answer short, I understand that the

0:12:280:12:36

point that he is making is that

there is more cash going into

0:12:360:12:40

policing in Yorkshire. How that

money is allocated is up to police

0:12:400:12:46

constables. They are accountable to

the public they serve and members of

0:12:460:12:50

Parliament that serve those

constituencies. These

0:12:500:12:53

representations need to be made

directly. As a result of the funding

0:12:530:12:57

settlement, there are up to £450

million of investment going into

0:12:570:13:02

British policing next year.

The

Mayor of London has something like

0:13:020:13:07

half a billion in reserves. But the

Minister agree that some of that

0:13:070:13:09

should be spent on strengthening

police resources in my constituency?

0:13:090:13:16

The budget is set to grow to £2.5

billion. The reserves of half £1

0:13:160:13:23

billion for the Met. The Mayor has

his own reserves, funding per head.

0:13:230:13:29

Officer numbers per head is running

at 1.5 times the national average in

0:13:290:13:33

London. It is time, and I speak as a

Londoner and London MP, for the

0:13:330:13:37

Mayor of London to get a serious

answer to the question, what are you

0:13:370:13:42

doing? At the moment, it is just

writing letters to the Home

0:13:420:13:45

Secretary, and that is not good

enough.

While the number of police

0:13:450:13:51

officers is very important, so are

their skills and the nature of the

0:13:510:13:53

crime they are dealing with. Given

that we are now more likely, 20

0:13:530:13:59

times more likely, to be a victim of

online crime than off-line crime,

0:13:590:14:02

can the Minister assure us that the

police have the skills to deal with

0:14:020:14:07

crime in the digital age?

Can I

thank my honourable friend for

0:14:070:14:10

making an incredibly important

point? I know that my constituents

0:14:100:14:12

are much more vulnerable to crime on

their computers at home than walking

0:14:120:14:17

down the High Street. We have to

respond to the changing nature of

0:14:170:14:20

crime in this country. The number of

police officers matters a great

0:14:200:14:24

deal. The capabilities inside this

service matter enormously. That is

0:14:240:14:28

why the government not go has

invested £1.9 billion in cyber

0:14:280:14:31

security.

Happy New Year, Mr

Speaker. It is all about service

0:14:310:14:36

delivered for the funds invested,

getting the best service. Aided and

0:14:360:14:39

Somerset police have seen a 180%

rise in sexual offences, and a 42%

0:14:390:14:51

rise in recorded domestic abuse is

on the last four years. Could the

0:14:510:14:53

Minister confirm any new funding,

either from Government, which is

0:14:530:14:55

much welcome, or that a raise in the

preset could be directed to these

0:14:550:14:58

growing areas?

I thank my honourable

friend for that question. If the PCC

0:14:580:15:04

uses their new powers, Avon and

Somerset should receive £8 million

0:15:040:15:07

of new investment next year. That

would need to be allocated to local

0:15:070:15:12

priorities. The numbers she states

about the growth in reporting of

0:15:120:15:16

crime rates and domestic violence

are striking, and I would expect

0:15:160:15:19

that to be reflected in local

priorities.

Number three?

Mr

0:15:190:15:27

Speaker, the Government is very keen

to encourage further collaboration

0:15:270:15:30

between the blue lights services,

and have taken action through the

0:15:300:15:38

Policing And Crime Act 2017, to

empower just that.

I think this

0:15:380:15:42

question is grouped with number

four?

0:15:420:15:45

Can I wish you and your family happy

New Year from this side of the

0:15:460:15:51

house, and congratulate my right arm

or friend for retaining her job,

0:15:510:15:54

where she is doing a splendid role.

-- my right honourable friend. Can I

0:15:540:15:59

ask the Minister come on that last

question, if he can reassure me and

0:15:590:16:02

my constituents that this

collaboration, leading to a

0:16:020:16:07

patchwork quilt, potentially, across

the country of service, can he

0:16:070:16:09

ensure that the integrity of the

services will be maintained?

My

0:16:090:16:15

honourable friend makes an important

point. I say two things, joint

0:16:150:16:20

police and fire governance will

improve accountability because there

0:16:200:16:23

will be a single point of

accountability, democratically

0:16:230:16:26

elected. The second point, in

relation to the efficiency and

0:16:260:16:30

integrity of Fire Services, I hope

he will welcome a very significant

0:16:300:16:33

reform introduced by this

government, independent inspection

0:16:330:16:39

of Fire Services.

I recently held

meetings with both the Chief

0:16:390:16:42

Constable and the chief fire officer

for the Humberside area. I welcome

0:16:420:16:47

the fact they are collaborating more

closely. In an area that contains

0:16:470:16:53

chemical plants, oil refineries and

other dangerous plants, could the

0:16:530:16:59

Prime Minister reassure my

constituents that the Fire Service

0:16:590:17:01

will not take their eye off the ball

in their main role?

Well, I thank my

0:17:010:17:06

friend for that intervention. I am

well aware of the risks in his

0:17:060:17:11

constituency. As the Home Secretary

said, local Fire Services are

0:17:110:17:14

adequately resourced, and they do

sit on relatively high levels of

0:17:140:17:20

reserves. We believe our Fire

Service have the resources to do the

0:17:200:17:26

job.

The 22-year-old Stephen Dyson's

body was found in Ramsbottom on

0:17:260:17:33

Saturday morning, six days after he

went missing on New Year's Day. Mr

0:17:330:17:37

Speaker, it is at the worst of times

that we often see the best of

0:17:370:17:41

people. Will the Home Secretary join

me in thanking Greater Manchester

0:17:410:17:45

Police, our Fire Service and the

hundreds, hundreds of local

0:17:450:17:49

volunteers who spent last week

looking for Stephen, as well as the

0:17:490:17:55

Ramsbottom British Legion, which

hosted the campaign centre, and the

0:17:550:17:59

local businesses that donated items.

The outpouring of support was

0:17:590:18:03

incredible, and I hope it goes some

way of giving strength to Stephen's

0:18:030:18:07

dear mum and everybody mourning.

I

am sure the whole house would want

0:18:070:18:14

to associate themselves with the

honourable gentleman's remarks and

0:18:140:18:16

pass on our condolences to the young

man's family. I join him in paying

0:18:160:18:22

tribute to the hard work of all of

the emergency services involved in

0:18:220:18:25

that tragic circumstance.

Does the

Minister accept that there is

0:18:250:18:31

already a great degree of

cooperation and collaboration

0:18:310:18:34

between our bluelight services and

that any move by Government to force

0:18:340:18:38

further formal collaboration through

mergers could be detrimental to all

0:18:380:18:45

services?

I agree entirely, there

are fantastic examples of

0:18:450:18:48

collaboration across the country.

Fire and fire, police and police,

0:18:480:18:54

across the blue services. The

benefits, not just financial, but in

0:18:540:18:58

terms of to the public. Where Police

and Crime Commissioner is wanted to

0:18:580:19:03

seize the opportunity to improve

accountability for local

0:19:030:19:08

performances, we are going to enable

that. But they still have to deliver

0:19:080:19:12

and consult with communities.

I am

slightly uneasy about the

0:19:120:19:19

amalgamation of the Wiltshire and

Dorset Fire Services last year.

0:19:190:19:22

Would my honourable friend not agree

with me that it makes subsequent

0:19:220:19:27

cooperation with the Ambulance

Service or local authority very much

0:19:270:19:31

more difficult? Is the amalgamation

and reversible, and if so, what are

0:19:310:19:34

we going to do about the

amalgamation that he seeks?

My

0:19:340:19:41

understanding is that the

amalgamation is working well and is

0:19:410:19:45

largely welcomed across the system.

It does present challenges in terms

0:19:450:19:50

of further amalgamation, because of

boundary issues. I would ask him to

0:19:500:19:57

perhaps open his mind to the

benefits of that merger, which

0:19:570:20:01

appeared to me to be very real.

0:20:010:20:05

Provisions contained in the policing

and crime act 2017 ban the use of

0:20:100:20:14

police cells as places of safety for

under 18s, restrict their use for

0:20:140:20:20

adults and reduce the maximum period

of the French detention to 24 hours.

0:20:200:20:25

Information for the length of time

that people are detained under the

0:20:250:20:28

Mental Health Act, pending an

assessment, is not held by the Home

0:20:280:20:31

Office, but we are seeking to

ascertain the scale and nature of

0:20:310:20:34

the issue and will review

information provided by the College

0:20:340:20:39

of nursing.

Under the police and

criminal evidence act 1984, police

0:20:390:20:44

have just 24 hours to hold somebody

with a mental illness. The College

0:20:440:20:48

of policing shared with the BBC last

year that 264 people were held for

0:20:480:20:52

longer than this, including a

mentally ill child, for five days.

0:20:520:20:56

Is the Home Secretary aware of the

report and what steps have been

0:20:560:21:00

taken to remedy the situation?

Very

much. I thank the honourable lady

0:21:000:21:04

for raising this important issue. We

know there is an issue in this area

0:21:040:21:08

and she will be pleased to know that

her constabulary, West Midlands,

0:21:080:21:11

does very well on this. It did not

use police cells at all for such

0:21:110:21:17

detentions last year, and indeed

since 2030 and it has only used it

0:21:170:21:21

on 14 occasions. Any occasion as one

occasion too much. She will join me,

0:21:210:21:25

I am sure, in being pleased that the

use of police stations as places of

0:21:250:21:30

safety nearly harvest last year. --

was nearly halved last year.

Does

0:21:300:21:40

the Minister agree that a police

station is not a suitable place for

0:21:400:21:43

an innocent person suffering mental

health problems, and would she

0:21:430:21:48

support initiatives like those in

the West Midlands to make sure that

0:21:480:21:51

people with mental health problems

get the medical support they need,

0:21:510:21:53

when they need it?

Very much so. My

honourable friend will be pleased to

0:21:530:21:59

know that last year health places

were used as places of safety in

0:21:590:22:04

more than 26,000 cases, compared

with 1029 cases when it came to

0:22:040:22:11

using cells. We are determined to

try to sort this out.

On the

0:22:110:22:18

question of detention, the Minister

will have read recent reports that

0:22:180:22:21

immigration detainees have been paid

£1 an hour. Can the Minister assure

0:22:210:22:27

the house that no children are

currently held in detention, that no

0:22:270:22:32

pregnant women are currently being

held in detention and that nobody is

0:22:320:22:35

being paid below the legal minimum

wage in any of the immigration

0:22:350:22:40

detention centres?

As I say, we are

determined to ensure that places of

0:22:400:22:46

safety are in appropriate places,

and we are investing £30 million to

0:22:460:22:52

try to ensure that happens. If there

are any individual case is that you

0:22:520:22:56

would like to bring to my attention,

of course, I will consider and

0:22:560:22:59

review them very carefully.

Question

number seven, Mr Speaker.

The

0:22:590:23:05

government Baku is clear that

carefully controlled migration

0:23:050:23:09

benefits the economy, the Exchequer

and our communities in general.

0:23:090:23:14

Thank you for that answer. The

Scottish Government, as well as SNP

0:23:140:23:19

members, have been calling for

immigration to be devolved. Does my

0:23:190:23:24

right honourable friend agree with

me that any separate systems on

0:23:240:23:27

immigration would do nothing except

lead to chaos, confusion, and extra

0:23:270:23:34

barriers for those looking to live

and work in Scotland, as well as the

0:23:340:23:38

rest of our United Kingdom?

My

honourable friend is absolutely

0:23:380:23:42

right, immigration is a reserved

matter, apply different rules of

0:23:420:23:46

immigration to different parts of

the UK would complicated system. I

0:23:460:23:49

believe he might share my view that

if Scotland wants to attract the

0:23:490:23:52

brightest and the best, as the rest

of this country does, they might

0:23:520:23:56

think twice about raising their own

taxes? That might put people off.

0:23:560:24:03

The NHS has reported that almost

10,000 EU doctors, nurses and

0:24:030:24:07

support staff left the country in

the year following the referendum.

0:24:070:24:10

As the Home Secretary aware of

levels of staff shortages and how

0:24:100:24:13

does she see the situation

developing if there are further

0:24:130:24:17

restrictions on migration for work

purposes?

We value the important

0:24:170:24:22

work that EU migrants do in our

health service. There are no plans

0:24:220:24:26

to restrict the way they can work

here. They make an important

0:24:260:24:31

contribution. I am aware that some

of them have gone back. There are

0:24:310:24:35

countries which have had a strong

economic recovery like Spain, and

0:24:350:24:38

they are going back there to work.

There has also been a higher level

0:24:380:24:42

of test for English language to make

sure that all health professionals

0:24:420:24:48

in our service can communicate

clearly.

What progress has been made

0:24:480:24:54

designing a system allowing firms to

access seasonal labour from

0:24:540:25:04

overseas?

My honourable friend is

concerned to make sure that

0:25:040:25:07

agriculture has the support it needs

from overseas workers. This is

0:25:070:25:12

something the migration advisory

councils will be looking out for us

0:25:120:25:14

and we expect them to report later

in the year.

Can I congratulate the

0:25:140:25:20

Home Secretary on making a positive

economic case for immigration? But

0:25:200:25:25

how does she think the message from

the immigration cap, Brexit, hostile

0:25:250:25:32

approach to immigrants and general

rhetoric from many of her

0:25:320:25:34

conservative colleagues helps make

the case?

The honourable gentleman

0:25:340:25:42

can't have the moral high ground on

immigration in that way. We on the

0:25:420:25:45

side of the house recognise the

value to immigrants played to

0:25:450:25:50

arriving in the UK, the brightest

and the best working in our

0:25:500:25:53

hospitals, attending our

universities. We are positive about

0:25:530:25:56

immigrants. We want to do it in a

way that controls our borders and

0:25:560:26:03

delivers on the reductions that we

have committed to.

Education is

0:26:030:26:08

vital for the economy. I have a

constituent who returned to Canada,

0:26:080:26:13

leaving a vacancy in the primary

school where she taught, due to the

0:26:130:26:16

delays in the Home Office dealing

with her application. Could the Home

0:26:160:26:21

Secretary look at this urgently so

that we can find a conclusion for

0:26:210:26:24

this case?

I know that my honourable

friend has been concerned about this

0:26:240:26:31

issue. I can't comment on this

individual one now, but as soon as

0:26:310:26:35

we have a new Immigration Minister,

I will volunteer him or her to speak

0:26:350:26:40

to the honourable gentleman.

International students make an

0:26:400:26:47

enormous contribution to our

economy. 25 billion a year. Can the

0:26:470:26:53

minister confirm that the government

supports Labour's policy of removing

0:26:530:26:58

international students from the net

migration target?

I would like to

0:26:580:27:05

reassure the honourable gentleman

that we value the contribution that

0:27:050:27:07

students make to our economy, our

cultures and university towns. In

0:27:070:27:14

the past ten years, we have seen at

25% increase in the number of

0:27:140:27:17

students attending. We have seen a

9% increase in the Russell Group

0:27:170:27:22

attendance of international

students. Those numbers remain

0:27:220:27:24

uncapped.

Business, the trade unions

and universities in Scotland have

0:27:240:27:35

all asked this government to look at

the issue of devolving immigration

0:27:350:27:38

to Scotland. In a report just before

Christmas, the think-tank IPPR said

0:27:380:27:43

that devolving immigration would

assist the Scottish economy. Will

0:27:430:27:48

she now looks seriously at these

recommendations and at the request

0:27:480:27:57

of business and universities in

Scotland to devolve immigration?

The

0:27:570:28:00

right honourable lady and I have

discussed this before, privately as

0:28:000:28:04

well as publicly. She is aware that

the migration advisory Council on

0:28:040:28:08

going to be looking at different

areas within the United Kingdom. So

0:28:080:28:13

I would suggest that she might come

back to me and we can continue that

0:28:130:28:17

conversation when they report. We

have no plans to devolve

0:28:170:28:19

immigration.

I thank the Home

Secretary for saying she will at

0:28:190:28:25

least look at the issue. A primary

school on the island of Marvel has

0:28:250:28:30

received only one application for a

vacancy for a Gaelic teacher. The

0:28:300:28:34

application came from a fully

qualified teacher who was Canadian,

0:28:340:28:38

but had trained in Scotland. Despite

the fact that she was the only

0:28:380:28:42

candidate for this job, the Home

Office have refused her visa

0:28:420:28:46

application twice. Doesn't this show

that a one size fits all UK

0:28:460:28:51

immigration policy is not working

for the Scottish economy and not

0:28:510:28:54

working for rural communities?

I'm

surprised to hear that they're not

0:28:540:29:01

more Gaelic speakers in Scotland who

might be able to apply for the job,

0:29:010:29:05

rather than Canadians. But in this

instance, I would again suggest that

0:29:050:29:08

she comes to see the new Immigration

Minister at some stage. There may be

0:29:080:29:13

more to this that she has spoken of

in the House. It is difficult to

0:29:130:29:17

comment on individual cases.

The

minister will all about the

0:29:170:29:21

situation on the island of Mull.

Minister Ben Wallace.

I'm standing

0:29:210:29:32

in for the Immigration Minister, but

hopefully not for too long. With

0:29:320:29:35

your permission, I will group a few

questions together. The Border Force

0:29:350:29:44

hasn't ongoing programme of its

cutters. They recently installed new

0:29:440:29:48

surveillance systems on cutters and

are currently upgrading radars and

0:29:480:29:52

replacing original boats used by

cutters to deploy boarding teams to

0:29:520:29:57

ensure they remain effective

maritime security platforms.

Does

0:29:570:30:01

the minister believe that the UK

Border Force is adequately resourced

0:30:010:30:04

to safeguard small harbours and

landing sites such as in my

0:30:040:30:09

constituency in Chichester? Our

harbour master has already been

0:30:090:30:12

involved in the apprehension of

people smugglers working with

0:30:120:30:14

coastal communities to look out for

suspicious activity. Can he confirm

0:30:140:30:19

if he is considering using

volunteers to support patrols in

0:30:190:30:21

areas like Jesus the harbour, and --

like Chichester Harbour, and does he

0:30:210:30:26

agree that there can be no

substitute for trained and qualified

0:30:260:30:29

Border Force professionals?

By the

end of this financial year, the

0:30:290:30:35

Border Force maritime fleet will

have six CPVs and three cutters in

0:30:350:30:40

the UK plus two cutters deployed

overseas to deal with the issue

0:30:400:30:44

upstream, one in the Aegean and one

in the central Mediterranean. The

0:30:440:30:47

Border Force has invested £108

million in new technology to deal

0:30:470:30:52

with those challenges and will be

committed a further £71 million this

0:30:520:30:55

year.

Whilst I was volunteering with

the lifeboats in Walton-on-the-Naze,

0:30:550:31:04

I learned how important local

maritime knowledge is. And I believe

0:31:040:31:08

such intelligence would be useful to

the Border Force when solving and

0:31:080:31:12

preventing crime. With the minister

tell me if the Border Force is

0:31:120:31:16

engaging with other agencies

including the RNLI coastguard boats

0:31:160:31:19

to share intelligence, tackle crime

and keep our coastline safe and

0:31:190:31:25

secure?

The key to improving coastal

security is better exploitation of

0:31:250:31:33

data, some of that through full-time

people, but also through the many

0:31:330:31:36

volunteers that populate the coastal

paths and watch stations in our

0:31:360:31:41

community. That is why Border Force

has set up the multi-agency general

0:31:410:31:46

maritime intelligence bureau to

bring together existing

0:31:460:31:49

organisations of HM coastguard, HM

Revenue and Customs, Border Force

0:31:490:31:52

and the MoD, and the bureaus report

to the national maritime information

0:31:520:31:58

centre.

What other measures is the

government undertaking to protect

0:31:580:32:01

and secure the UK border?

Border

Force, the National Crime Agency and

0:32:010:32:09

other agencies are working with

international partners to secure

0:32:090:32:12

borders from a range of threats

including modern slavery, human

0:32:120:32:16

trafficking and terrorism. In the

last two years, Border Force has

0:32:160:32:21

invested £108 million.

In addition

to the work of the Border Force

0:32:210:32:28

vessels, will my honourable friend

congratulate the Royal Navy and

0:32:280:32:31

other agencies for ensuring that the

rules are enforced on fishing

0:32:310:32:41

waters?

Many people often forget

that our border is mounted models by

0:32:410:32:45

Border Force, but HM customs, the

Royal Navy, who do an amazing job on

0:32:450:32:51

our fisheries protection, and

volunteers from the royal national

0:32:510:32:55

lifeboat Institute and coastguard.

Together, that forms a large set of

0:32:550:32:58

eyes to keep an eye on our

coastline. That is why we have

0:32:580:33:01

developed something to make sure

that all reporting goes centrally

0:33:010:33:05

into a place where we can analyse

it.

The Telegraph today reports that

0:33:050:33:12

there will be new checks introduced

at ports to help stop the import of

0:33:120:33:16

dangerous high-powered laser pens.

Does this mean the ports of Grimsby

0:33:160:33:19

will see more Border Force staff to

help with these new checks?

There

0:33:190:33:27

will be better use of the

information we have two target our

0:33:270:33:30

resources in the right place. Just

sending Border Force officers to

0:33:300:33:33

turn up randomly usually gets no

proper effect. If we can base it on

0:33:330:33:38

information and we work with

shippers and parcel organisations

0:33:380:33:45

shipping contraband into the

country, or we can make sure the

0:33:450:33:48

right resources are delivered to the

right place.

The minister will no

0:33:480:33:52

that his own figures show that 27 of

the 62 small ports had no visit from

0:33:520:33:57

a Border Force operative in the 12

months of last year. That needs not

0:33:570:34:05

volunteers, but Border Force

staffing.

The honourable gentleman

0:34:050:34:07

will know from his previous job that

the border is not believed by Border

0:34:070:34:11

Force, it is policed by

counterterrorism officers, HMRC

0:34:110:34:16

officers, coastguard officers and

fishery protection officers. He will

0:34:160:34:19

know that on top of that, the

voluntary network of people like the

0:34:190:34:23

RNLI are the eyes and ears. When a

report or suspicion is raised or

0:34:230:34:30

intelligence received, the National

Crime Agency and others attend the

0:34:300:34:32

scene to deal with it.

And there was

another body to add to that list.

0:34:320:34:36

Over Christmas, we learned that the

government planned to put in place a

0:34:360:34:39

special volunteer force to help

police our coastal communities. This

0:34:390:34:43

Dad's Army type operation is

apparently to be responsible for

0:34:430:34:46

helping keep us safe and protect us

from terrorism. I wonder if the

0:34:460:34:51

minister will tell us if we are all

going to be doomed or whether he

0:34:510:34:55

will complacently tell us, don't

panic.

The only people that are

0:34:550:35:00

doomed are the SNP. Unlike the

honourable member, I have worn a

0:35:000:35:06

uniform and he will know that

uniformed services rely on a range

0:35:060:35:12

of specials, Territorial Army

support to meet the specialist

0:35:120:35:14

requirement we need. All uniformed

services should be able to take

0:35:140:35:20

advantage of the goodwill that

people want to provide. If we want

0:35:200:35:24

to use specials and territorial

support, we will.

Happy new year

0:35:240:35:28

from my party. Given what the

minister has just said about the

0:35:280:35:31

role of the Royal Navy, isn't it

worrying when we read about these

0:35:310:35:35

Royal Navy warships that have been

tied up in harbour, not at sea?

I'm

0:35:350:35:41

sure the honourable gentleman wants

to make sure our naval ships put to

0:35:410:35:45

sea are properly serviced and

equipped. That is why ships tie up

0:35:450:35:51

in port, not for any other reason.

That is why we deploy ships were

0:35:510:35:55

needed to match the threat.

Fisheries protection vessels are

0:35:550:36:00

often up and down the north-east of

Scotland, where he represents.

0:36:000:36:10

The government take the threat of

cyber crime extremely seriously,

0:36:100:36:13

which is why we have committed to

spending £1.9 billion to support a

0:36:130:36:18

national cyber security strategy

including boosting the capabilities

0:36:180:36:20

of the National Crime Agency 's,

national cyber crime unit and

0:36:200:36:25

investing in the cyber team within

which an organisation crime units to

0:36:250:36:27

bolster our response.

A UK wide

charity with its headquarters based

0:36:270:36:36

in Southend, yet another reason why

Southend should be a city, recently

0:36:360:36:40

had £10,000 hacked from its account.

Would my honourable friend give us

0:36:400:36:46

some reassurance what further

safeguards can be given to

0:36:460:36:49

vulnerable charities to prevent them

from cyber crime?

If you write to me

0:36:490:36:55

about the details of that case, I am

concerned that where something has

0:36:550:36:59

been hacked, that is usually called

a cyber enabled crime which would

0:36:590:37:04

get a reimbursement. I am happy to

look into his case. That is why we

0:37:040:37:08

have invested in general to stop

that type of fraud into the national

0:37:080:37:14

cyber security centre, which advises

many organisations, voluntary and

0:37:140:37:18

large-scale, about how to be safer

online. We have also invested in

0:37:180:37:23

technology to counter it.

Cyber

crime is one of the fastest-growing

0:37:230:37:27

forms of crime. But on leaving the

European Union, it will still be the

0:37:270:37:31

case that the European Commission

will issue directives that relate to

0:37:310:37:35

tackling cyber crime. Europol will

still continue to apprehend

0:37:350:37:39

criminals, and a European Court of

Justice will still issue rulings.

0:37:390:37:45

What steps is the Home Office taking

to ensure continued alignment of UK

0:37:450:37:50

laws and regulation in this field?

We are working on a third-party

0:37:500:38:01

treaty to address just that. We

intend to continue collaborative

0:38:010:38:06

working in all areas of security

with our international partners, be

0:38:060:38:08

they in Europe or further afield.

I

apologise if I missed something

0:38:080:38:14

valuable. If I did, I suggest the

honourable lady should place it in

0:38:140:38:18

the library of the House, where I

imagine it will be regularly

0:38:180:38:21

consulted.

0:38:210:38:30

The government's extremism strategy

was published in October 2015 and

0:38:300:38:37

detailed a comprehensive approach

aimed at countering extremist

0:38:370:38:40

ideology. We are also launching a

new commission for countering

0:38:400:38:44

extremism. It will identify and

challenge extremism and advise

0:38:440:38:48

government on new policies to

address it. A lead commissioner will

0:38:480:38:51

be announced shortly.

Flying the

flag of the political wing of the

0:38:510:38:59

anti-Semitic terrorist organisation

has -- Hezbollah is deeply offensive

0:38:590:39:09

to our Jewish community. But it can

still be seen flying on certain

0:39:090:39:15

marches in London. What steps are

being taken to prevent this

0:39:150:39:17

happening.

I'm very sympathetic to

the issues. I know that the police

0:39:170:39:29

are not ignoring it. As he has

rightly said, only Hezbollah's

0:39:290:39:35

military wing is currently a

prescribed terrorist organisation

0:39:350:39:37

and their flags are the same.

0:39:370:39:44

For an offence to be committed, the

flag must demonstrate that it is in

0:39:440:39:47

support of the prescribed military

wing of the group.

Last month, I met

0:39:470:39:55

a British national due to be

deported.

0:39:550:40:06

What is the total number and how

many of those are facing charges in

0:40:120:40:19

the UK?

The honourable gentleman

draws attention to important

0:40:190:40:23

relationship we have with Turkey

which is when people are returning

0:40:230:40:26

who have been potentially fighting

for Isis, we have a managed return

0:40:260:40:32

process so that we can prosecute. I

will certainly come back to him with

0:40:320:40:36

an update but I would like to

reassure him and the House that we

0:40:360:40:40

take every return seriously and

where we can we will always

0:40:400:40:45

prosecute.

Thank you Mr Speaker.

In

March 2016 we published the violence

0:40:450:41:00

against women and girls strategy

which sets out an ambitious

0:41:000:41:05

programme of reform and is supported

by £100 billion of funding. We will

0:41:050:41:09

also introduce a draft domestic

abuse Bill to better support victims

0:41:090:41:16

and bring perpetrators to justice.

Can I ask specifically what action

0:41:160:41:23

this government is taking to support

refugees Sikh refuges for women

0:41:230:41:28

fleeing domestic violence in Walsall

and across the Black Country whose

0:41:280:41:32

excellent staff do so much to

protect the safety of women and

0:41:320:41:35

children?

He is right, there is

excellent work done in the Black

0:41:350:41:41

Country. I visited myself a women's

eight Black Country refuge and it

0:41:410:41:45

was impressive to see the excellent

work done there to support them. I

0:41:450:41:50

can reassure him that Walsall local

authority received £639,000 of the

0:41:500:41:59

funding in partnership with local

authorities. In addition to this

0:41:590:42:04

Wolverhampton and Birmingham

received £1.1 million between them

0:42:040:42:10

from the department.

Psychological

abuse is happening to women in

0:42:100:42:14

custody in our prisons as they

struggle to get access to sanitary

0:42:140:42:17

products, a potential breach of

their human rights. Does she agree

0:42:170:42:21

it is essential that women in

custody have access to sanitary

0:42:210:42:26

products?

I thank you for raising

this very important point. I

0:42:260:42:30

completely agree, it would be

outrageous if women did not receive

0:42:300:42:34

access to sanitary products when

they are held as detainees. I have

0:42:340:42:38

seen the report which the Home

Office commissioned and we will be

0:42:380:42:42

acting immediately to ensure that

where it is not on a statutory

0:42:420:42:46

footing, we will put it on a

statutory footing to ensure that it

0:42:460:42:49

doesn't take place like that in the

future.

The Home Secretary will be

0:42:490:42:55

aware of the deep public concern

about the parole board decision to

0:42:550:42:58

release the serial sex offender and

rapist John Warboys after only eight

0:42:580:43:02

years. I'm sure we'll also be

shocked to learn that some of the

0:43:020:43:07

victims still have not been

contacted by either probation or

0:43:070:43:10

fixed in liaison. I realise the

issues around the parole board

0:43:100:43:16

decision are matters for the

Ministry of Justice but can she say

0:43:160:43:18

whether she's had any contact with

the police about whether they are

0:43:180:43:23

able to further pursue the case of

19 women who came forward after the

0:43:230:43:29

conviction took place to see whether

they can be prosecuted, to see

0:43:290:43:33

whether justice can be done and

women kept safe? I do share the

0:43:330:43:39

right honourable lady's views on

this matter and I'm sure she will

0:43:390:43:41

have seen the justice Minister's

comments about making sure there is

0:43:410:43:46

more transparency in the parole

board. I am aware of certain victims

0:43:460:43:51

who are talking about possible

judicial reviews and talking to the

0:43:510:43:57

police. I did think I can say any

more than that because it is subject

0:43:570:44:01

to potential legal proceedings.

Further to the answer the Home

0:44:010:44:04

Secretary gave to the member from

Sussex, there was... Lewes, I do

0:44:040:44:17

apologise. I just want to clarify

with the Home Secretary, we would

0:44:170:44:23

not think it acceptable to deny

somebody access to loo roll so why

0:44:230:44:27

is it acceptable to deny somebody

access to tampons? She say she is

0:44:270:44:31

committed to looking at statutory

footing, does that include amending

0:44:310:44:35

posed seat of the police and

criminal Act? -- Code C.

We

0:44:350:44:43

commissioned this report. I can

respectfully say I do not need

0:44:430:44:48

reminding, I completely agree of

course women should have access to

0:44:480:44:53

sanitary products. Yes I will put it

on a statutory footing, if it is

0:44:530:44:58

confirmed that the current guidance

is inadequate which it looks likely

0:44:580:45:01

to.

0:45:010:45:11

The Shadow Home Secretary wanted to

comment on this question. Diane

0:45:130:45:16

Abbott.

I'm grateful to you Mr

Speaker. Further to the Home

0:45:160:45:21

Secretary's response and the

question of the John Warboys case,

0:45:210:45:26

can be Home Secretary explain why

her department is still pursuing two

0:45:260:45:33

of John Warboys' victims all the way

to the Supreme Court in an apparent

0:45:330:45:42

effort to avoid paying compensation?

The Home Secretary will be aware

0:45:420:45:46

that these victims are women whose

cases the lower courts have already

0:45:460:45:52

found were not investigated

properly. How does pursuing them

0:45:520:45:57

through the courts assure the public

that the government is serious about

0:45:570:46:01

keeping women and girls safe?

The

government is committed to keeping

0:46:010:46:08

women and girls safe, and I hope

that some of the points I have set

0:46:080:46:11

out today will reassure the House

that that is the case. I recognise

0:46:110:46:15

the point the right honourable lady

has raised, however I cannot comment

0:46:150:46:20

on it for the moment.

This

government is committed to doing

0:46:200:46:29

everything we can to tackle domestic

abuse. We've introduced a new

0:46:290:46:34

offence of coercive and controlling

behaviour, we've introduced orders

0:46:340:46:39

such as domestic violence protection

orders and Claire's law. We put

0:46:390:46:43

domestic homicide reviews and a

statutory footing and committed £100

0:46:430:46:47

billion to support victims of

violence against women and girls. We

0:46:470:46:50

look forward to introducing a draft

domestic abuse Bill.

Can my

0:46:500:46:56

honourable friend tell me the fact

refuges and a specialist service

0:46:560:46:59

they provide tabs such valuable

services in protecting women from

0:46:590:47:04

returning to abusive situations, can

she tell us what commitment the

0:47:040:47:09

government has for refuge services,

particularly those that affect

0:47:090:47:13

people in Sutton and chain?

He's

spoken many times on the issue of

0:47:130:47:18

domestic abuse, particularly the

help that Sutton women's Centre

0:47:180:47:22

provides to the victims. The

government has made available £40

0:47:220:47:27

million in dedicated funding for

specialist accommodation and refuges

0:47:270:47:30

and bed spaces have increased 10%

since 2010. We are committed to

0:47:300:47:36

renewing funding for refuges and

making sure victims get the support

0:47:360:47:40

they need when they need it. We will

explore all models within the

0:47:400:47:46

sector.

Home Secretary.

Mr Speaker.

I'd like to update the House on

0:47:460:47:55

plans for the royal wedding in May.

The marriage of Prince Harry and

0:47:550:47:58

Meghan Markle is an occasion of

national celebration. That is why

0:47:580:48:03

yesterday I launched a public

consultation seeking views on a

0:48:030:48:06

repose or to relax the licensing

hours in England and Wales over the

0:48:060:48:09

weekend but the royal wedding takes

place. Extending licensing hours on

0:48:090:48:14

the nights of Friday the 18th and

Saturday the 19th of May until 1am

0:48:140:48:19

will enable licensed premises to

sell alcohol for consumption on site

0:48:190:48:24

to those who want to continue their

celebrations beyond the normal

0:48:240:48:28

licensing hours. Whether toasting of

the royal couple celebrating a

0:48:280:48:32

football triumph, everyone should

have the opportunity to make the

0:48:320:48:35

most of this weekend in May.

I thank

my right honourable friend for that

0:48:350:48:43

answer. Following the police funding

settlement last year, would my right

0:48:430:48:48

honourable friend agreed that now is

the right time to work with and

0:48:480:48:52

alongside police forces in

Hertfordshire and across the

0:48:520:48:54

country, to keep improving and

reforming the service to ensure it

0:48:540:48:59

is that for the future?

I thank him

for his question. We are able to

0:48:590:49:05

confirm there is up to £450 million

of new money going into support

0:49:050:49:11

police and another £50 million on

counterterrorism and policing. This

0:49:110:49:13

doesn't mean we want to slow down

the pace of reform. We still expect

0:49:130:49:18

and will work with the police to

ensure reforms take place to make

0:49:180:49:22

them more efficient, better servants

to the community, and that everyone

0:49:220:49:25

has an overall better service.

Last

week Theodore Johnson, a serial

0:49:250:49:34

killer and repeated domestic

violence perpetrator, was sentenced

0:49:340:49:37

to 26 years for his crimes. Despite

the fact to women murdered weekly,

0:49:370:49:44

high risk perpetrators like Johnson

face very little intervention from

0:49:440:49:47

statutory services. With fewer than

1% perpetrators of domestic violence

0:49:470:49:52

receiving any form of intervention,

can the Minister provide reassurance

0:49:520:49:56

that the government will urgently

look at innovative programmes such

0:49:560:49:59

as cat code -- such as Drive?.

We

offer our condolences to the

0:49:590:50:14

families of the women who he

murdered. This case shows how

0:50:140:50:21

manipulative the most violent

domestic abusers can be, and I join

0:50:210:50:26

her in ensuring that we treat

perpetrators, to try and stop the

0:50:260:50:31

cycle of violence. I had the

pleasure of speaking at an event

0:50:310:50:35

recently with her honourable friend

for Bristol at Respect. We must look

0:50:350:50:45

at perpetrators as well as

supporting victims.

If everyone asks

0:50:450:50:49

a short one sentence question and

replies are correspondingly brief,

0:50:490:50:53

it's not magic, far more people will

be able to contribute, and then we

0:50:530:50:58

will spread the happiness across the

chamber.

I do apologise for not

0:50:580:51:06

wishing you a very happy New Year

from the sunny shores of Clacton on

0:51:060:51:10

Sea. Does my right honourable friend

agree with me that sheer numbers of

0:51:100:51:18

police alone is not the whole answer

in tackling crime? In Clacton Essex

0:51:180:51:25

Police have established a successful

community safety hub with some 47

0:51:250:51:28

partners. With the Minister please

come to sunny Clacton on Sea and see

0:51:280:51:32

how this has been working and see

some of the successes we've achieved

0:51:320:51:36

there?

An invitation to visit

Clacton on Sea, of course the answer

0:51:360:51:44

is yes.

Given the cuts in police

numbers and resources, how many

0:51:440:51:52

police forces will not be processing

certain types of crime?

What I say

0:51:520:52:03

to the honourable gentleman, I know

he knows this, is that the proposed

0:52:030:52:07

funding settlement will not lead to

cuts. It will lead to increased

0:52:070:52:13

investment of £450 million which

will help police forces across the

0:52:130:52:16

country cope with the changing face

of crime.

The Minister has already

0:52:160:52:22

spoken about online crime and my

constituent has been defrauded out

0:52:220:52:26

of a considerable sum when she was

given false bank account details

0:52:260:52:32

when her e-mail was hacked into. She

reported it on the same day and has

0:52:320:52:36

been unable to recover it. What is

the government able to do to reduce

0:52:360:52:41

crime of this nature?

The payment

systems regulator is working with

0:52:410:52:47

the joint fraud task force and

National crime agency to invest in

0:52:470:52:51

new technology and work together to

improve the speed funds

0:52:510:52:54

repatriations.

According to the Fire

Brigade's union, since 2010 Cheshire

0:52:540:53:01

Fire Service have lost over 170

firefighters. Instant response times

0:53:010:53:09

are up, and casualties are rising

year-on-year. Will the Minister now

0:53:090:53:14

except government cuts are having a

detrimental effect?

Funding for Fire

0:53:140:53:22

Services has been held flat against

the backdrop of a decline in fire

0:53:220:53:27

incidents. At the same time the

system is sitting on hundreds of

0:53:270:53:31

millions of pounds of public money

in reserves. We believe the Fire

0:53:310:53:39

Services adequately resourced.

Will

the Home Secretary confirm her

0:53:390:53:41

commitment to the right to peaceful

protest in this country? Given that

0:53:410:53:49

there have been no successful

prosecutions for harassment outside

0:53:490:53:53

abortion agencies in recent history,

it will she resist the campaign to

0:53:530:53:57

set up buffer zones and accept that

if peaceful protest is banned, they

0:53:570:54:01

will have to ban it outside for

instance animal laboratories?

0:54:010:54:11

The honourable gentleman and I have

already met to discuss this and it

0:54:110:54:14

was a pleasure to meet with him and

various colleagues about their

0:54:140:54:18

concerns about peaceful protests

being able to continue. I hope I was

0:54:180:54:21

able to reassure him that this

government plans to always ensure

0:54:210:54:25

that peaceful protests can continue.

It is also this government's

0:54:250:54:31

commitment to make sure that women

can access abortion, safe from

0:54:310:54:34

harassment and intimidation.

One of

the missing links in packing

0:54:340:54:39

violence against women and girls has

been the failure to deal with

0:54:390:54:43

perpetrators. Whilst the minister

responded to my friend from the

0:54:430:54:48

front bench by being sympathetic,

what can we do to put research into

0:54:480:54:53

what makes a difference to make sure

that we empower our police forces

0:54:530:54:57

and other agencies to deal with the

perpetrator?

There are many things

0:54:570:55:00

we can do. One is to have effective

inspections, which we already do. We

0:55:000:55:05

are bringing forward a domestic

abuse and violence Bill. I hope we

0:55:050:55:10

will get lots of contributions,

perhaps including from the

0:55:100:55:13

honourable gentleman, to make sure

we address how we can stop it at an

0:55:130:55:17

early stage and make sure the

perpetrators are dealt with.

Does

0:55:170:55:22

the minister share my concern that

there were 59 known cases of drunk

0:55:220:55:26

driving unkempt roads in 2016? 16 of

these resulted in serious injury,

0:55:260:55:32

three in deaths -- driving on roads

in Kent. What action is the

0:55:320:55:37

government taking to address this?

I

thank my honourable friend for

0:55:370:55:41

rating this. We have developed

mobile drunk driving enforcement

0:55:410:55:45

devices to help police identify

suspected drunk drivers at the

0:55:450:55:49

roadside. This helps to enforce the

new drunk driving offence introduced

0:55:490:55:54

in 2016 medicolegal to drive with a

garden in the body of a certain

0:55:540:56:01

limits. -- it made it illegal to

drive with a drug in the body.

As

0:56:010:56:10

the Immigration Minister has done a

runner, can ask the Home Secretary

0:56:100:56:13

what she will do to cheer up his

lamentable record? In particular,

0:56:130:56:18

does she think six months is an

acceptable benchmark for resolving

0:56:180:56:21

immigration cases, with the

department evading even that target

0:56:210:56:28

with spurious excuses about cases

being complex?

The minister should

0:56:280:56:37

not be characterised in that way.

Nor do I share the honourable

0:56:370:56:41

gentleman's characterisation of that

department. If he has particular

0:56:410:56:46

concerns, I would urge him to bring

them to us. Otherwise, the vast

0:56:460:56:50

majority of our cases are dealt with

within the statutory guidance.

Will

0:56:500:56:57

the Secretary of State or minister

for policing meet me to discuss what

0:56:570:57:01

more they be done to provide

protection for police dogs and

0:57:010:57:05

police horses? She will be aware of

the concerns which arise from the

0:57:050:57:09

experience of my constituent, PC

Dave Waddell, and his police dog

0:57:090:57:14

Finn, who lives in my constituency.

I congratulate my finger on his ten

0:57:140:57:21

minute rule Bill. -- I congratulate

my friend Raqqa. Defra have

0:57:210:57:29

published a draft animal welfare

Bill penalties for animal cruelty

0:57:290:57:33

including attacks on service

animals. Of course I would be

0:57:330:57:37

delighted to meet him.

The cuts in

police services do not just mean

0:57:370:57:41

fewer pumps, it also falls on the

crews of those pumps. Some brigades

0:57:410:57:46

are now sending crews out instead of

five, there are cut to four,

0:57:460:57:51

sometimes three or even two. Isn't

this dangerous and unsustainable?

He

0:57:510:57:56

said police, but I think he meant

fire, in which case I refer to my

0:57:560:58:01

earlier example. Funding to Fire

Services has been kept flat against

0:58:010:58:08

a background of falling fire

incidents. We feel Fire Services are

0:58:080:58:12

adequately resourced. How those

resources are allocated is down to

0:58:120:58:16

local authorities.

Prior to

Christmas, I met some Syrian

0:58:160:58:20

refugees who now call East

Renfrewshire home. One of them is

0:58:200:58:23

looking to be reunited with his

family who remain in Lebanon. Whilst

0:58:230:58:26

I appreciate that the Home Office

can only consider applications which

0:58:260:58:30

come directly from the UNHCR, can

the Home Secretary explain how our

0:58:300:58:34

department worked with them to

facilitate the resettlement schemes

0:58:340:58:36

so that families don't get stuck in

an administrative logjam?

The

0:58:360:58:42

honourable gentleman has been a

constant representative for his

0:58:420:58:47

constituents on this issue. We rely

on UNHCR to identify and process

0:58:470:58:53

vulnerable refugees, as they are

uniquely placed to determine refugee

0:58:530:58:57

status and assess vulnerabilities,

needs and suitability for

0:58:570:59:00

resettlement. If UNHCR decide

resettlement is the best solution,

0:59:000:59:05

they will consider which

resettlement scheme best suits their

0:59:050:59:08

needs, which may be a UK scheme.

Crime is rising sharply in the West

0:59:080:59:14

Midlands, yet police numbers are

falling. 2000 gone and more to go at

0:59:140:59:18

the next stage. How can it be right

or fair that Hampshire, with nowhere

0:59:180:59:26

near the same challenges, gets

treated more favourably than the

0:59:260:59:28

West Midlands?

I don't recognise

that the depiction. West Midlands

0:59:280:59:36

Police are set to get an additional

£9.5 million. They can keep

0:59:360:59:44

increases in council tax. And this

is a force that has increased its

0:59:440:59:48

reserves by £26.9 million since

2011.

The government has a clear

0:59:480:59:55

strategy to tackle violence against

women and girls. Does my right

0:59:550:59:57

honourable friend share my concern

about the use of nondisclosure

0:59:571:00:04

agreements to hide violence against

women in the workplace?

I thank my

1:00:041:00:09

honourable friend for that. I know

she is a huge champion for women and

1:00:091:00:15

it is something she may be able to

assist us with when we go ahead with

1:00:151:00:20

our consultation for the new

domestic violence and abuse Bill.

In

1:00:201:00:25

the last two years alone, we have

lost over 160 police officers in my

1:00:251:00:29

area, yet we are seeing rising

levels of anti-social behaviour.

1:00:291:00:33

Rather than passing the buck to

police and crime commission is, why

1:00:331:00:37

won't the Home Secretary give

Northumbria Police the funding to

1:00:371:00:41

tackle this blight on our community?

It's not a question of passing the

1:00:411:00:45

buck. We have a devolved system

whereby police and crime

1:00:451:00:48

commissioners are accountable to the

public they serve for the

1:00:481:00:51

performance of the police. In

relation to Northumbria Police, I am

1:00:511:00:55

sure she will welcome the fact that

that force is due to get another

1:00:551:00:59

£5.1 million next year.

The Home

Secretary tell the house but we are

1:00:591:01:06

doing to support schools to identify

websites accessing the top web by

1:01:061:01:13

some of our most vulnerable children

who are accessing Isis beheading

1:01:131:01:18

footage and other disturbing imagery

fuelled by extremists to get

1:01:181:01:21

recruits?

The honourable lady is

right to raise concerns about online

1:01:211:01:24

. That is why the Home Office works

on campaigns like cyber aware,

1:01:241:01:31

bringing into the classroom good

computer hygiene and caution for

1:01:311:01:33

children to make sure they are not

exploited online. That is why the

1:01:331:01:37

government invested in the Prevent

programme to make sure people doing

1:01:371:01:41

it are brought to justice and the

online space is not dangerous.

In

1:01:411:01:47

Staffordshire, 106 councils

unanimously opposed the commission's

1:01:471:01:54

proposal to take over the Fire

Service. He is progressing with that

1:01:541:01:57

despite there being no public

support. Why are the opinions of one

1:01:571:02:02

commissioner with more than 106

councillors.

I think he misrepresent

1:02:021:02:09

the situation entirely. The

obligation on the police and crime

1:02:091:02:11

commissioners is that there is a

business case and to ensure that he

1:02:111:02:17

consults with the local community.

Despite the rhetoric that we heard

1:02:171:02:24

earlier, would my right honourable

friend agree with me that what the

1:02:241:02:27

majority of people want to see in

this country is an immigration

1:02:271:02:31

system that delivers both fairness

and control and that is underpinned

1:02:311:02:34

by common-sense? Was she deliver

just that?

I thank my honourable

1:02:341:02:39

friend for that. That is exactly

what we want, fair and controlled

1:02:391:02:43

immigration which is good for this

country, but also gives the public

1:02:431:02:48

confidence that we are protecting

our borders and Iraqi about the

1:02:481:02:51

numbers we are targeting.

Why does

the government's domestic violence

1:02:511:02:56

strategy not include fully funding

refuges so that no woman fleeing

1:02:561:03:01

domestic violence is denied access

to vital support?

We are committed

1:03:011:03:08

to ensuring that there are fully

funded refuges. There are 10% more

1:03:081:03:15

beds available to women now than

there were in 2010. The honourable

1:03:151:03:20

lady may be aware that there is a

review going on with DC LGI at the

1:03:201:03:24

moment to make sure we have the best

outcomes for supported housing. I

1:03:241:03:27

will ensure that we engage with them

to ensure that we continue to

1:03:271:03:31

maintain high levels of availability

of beds for women fleeing violence.

1:03:311:03:39

In 2009, John Warboys was found to

be a dangerous, predatory sex

1:03:391:03:43

offender and rightly so. It's a

feature of those sorts of offenders

1:03:431:03:48

that they are also clever and

coming. What assurances can the Home

1:03:481:03:53

Secretary give us that upon his

release if he has to be released,

1:03:531:03:57

may I say, women will be safe?

Making women safe and ensuring that

1:03:571:04:05

we have the legislation in place for

that is a priority for me and this

1:04:051:04:10

government. She has raised a

particular case which has been under

1:04:101:04:14

discussion in this chamber through

these questions. She may be aware

1:04:141:04:19

that there is going to be a review

of some of the procedures and

1:04:191:04:23

element of the parole board and the

transparency required. The Prime

1:04:231:04:27

Minister has said she wants this

looked at.

Control operators in

1:04:271:04:33

north Yorkshire Fire and Rescue

Service are working under such

1:04:331:04:35

pressure that sometimes just

trainees are on duty. Will the

1:04:351:04:40

minister look at this with me and

meets me to assess the risk of our

1:04:401:04:45

Fire and Rescue Service?

I am

1:04:451:04:46

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS