Every parliamentary written question tabled by Kevin Hollinrake this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 101–120 of 153 · Home Office
Pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 33043 on Home Office, what steps her Department is taking to ensure consistency of approach in its engagement policy.
Decisions on engagement are always best made on a case-by-case basis, after consulting the relevant evidence and priorities.
Whether her Department holds data on the Public Space Protection Orders in force by local authority.
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour (ASB), including the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately flexible in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances of each individual case.The Home Office does currently not hold data on the number of PSPOs in force but is taking action to address that through the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill, introduced to Parliament on 25 February 2025. This Bill will introduce a new power for the Home Secretary to make regulations requiring key local agencies, such as local authorities, to report information about ASB to the Government. Breach of a PSPO is a criminal offence. Depending on the behaviour in question, the enforcing officer could decide a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) would be the most appropriate sanction. As set out in legislation, FPNs have a fixed upper limit of £100. Provisions in the Crime and Policing Bill will increase the upper limit for breach of a PSPO to £500. This is a penalty for failing to comply with a requirement of the PSPO. We will be issuing accompanying statutory guidance which will emphasise the importance of the new limits being used proportionately. The guidance will also recommend that local authorities include wording on proportionate use of FPNs in any service level agreements with contractors.
Pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 38055 on Public Space Protection Orders: Fixed Penalties, whether (a) local authorities and (b) outsourced contracts can generate a profit from the issuing of fixed penalty notices.
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour (ASB), including the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately flexible in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances of each individual case.The Home Office does currently not hold data on the number of PSPOs in force but is taking action to address that through the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill, introduced to Parliament on 25 February 2025. This Bill will introduce a new power for the Home Secretary to make regulations requiring key local agencies, such as local authorities, to report information about ASB to the Government. Breach of a PSPO is a criminal offence. Depending on the behaviour in question, the enforcing officer could decide a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) would be the most appropriate sanction. As set out in legislation, FPNs have a fixed upper limit of £100. Provisions in the Crime and Policing Bill will increase the upper limit for breach of a PSPO to £500. This is a penalty for failing to comply with a requirement of the PSPO. We will be issuing accompanying statutory guidance which will emphasise the importance of the new limits being used proportionately. The guidance will also recommend that local authorities include wording on proportionate use of FPNs in any service level agreements with contractors.
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to (a) pavement licences and (b) take-away pints on regulatory costs for businesses.
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 27 Feb on the lapse of the easement on takeaway pints.A new impact assessment relating to the lapse of the easement was not required as no new policy or legislation has been introduced.The pavement licensing regime, owned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, is separate to the regime regulating the sale and supply of alcohol. The pavement licensing regime has not been impacted by the lapse of the aforementioned easement.
What assessment she has made of whether particular types of retail outlets in high streets and town centres are used for money laundering from the sale of drugs.
The Government recognises that cash intensive businesses such as barber shops and nail bars can be exploited by criminals seeking to launder their criminal cash from serious and organised crime. Addressing cash-based money laundering is one of the strategic priorities of the National Economic Crime Centre which sits within the National Crime Agency, and who are currently working with partners to facilitate an increased operational response to this threat.In parallel, the National Police Chiefs’ Council economic crime co-ordinators are engaged in the development of Clear Hold Build strategies to help police forces tackle serious and organised crime. Clear Hold Build aims to reclaim and rebuild neighbourhoods affected by organised crime, including tackling financial crime on the high street.
With reference to the Written Ministerial Statement on Update on tackling intimidation in public life of 18 March 2024, HCWS348, what further steps her Department is taking to help tackle intimidation in (a) elections and (b) public life; and which policies from that Written Ministerial Statement she (i) plans and (ii) does not plan to implement.
In light of increasing levels of harassment and intimidation ahead of the General Election, the previous Government invested £31m into additional protective security measures such as expanding the police led operation BRIDGER, and the introduction of a Home Office run private security capability. However, our approach needs to evolve with the threat and go further. Under the Defending Democracy Taskforce, the Government is actively reviewing its levers for preventing harassment and intimidation, identifying gaps and vulnerabilities, and developing recommendations to strengthen our response.
With reference to the Home Office's closed consultation entitled Impact assessment: alcohol in licensed pavement areas, published on 10 May 2024, whether her Department has produced an impact assessment on the decision to allow the Covid-19 easements in relation to alcohol licensing on (a) pavement licences and (b) takeaway pints to expire at the end of March 2025.
The previous government ran two consultations in 2023 and 2024 to consider the future of this temporary easement, each accompanied by an impact assessment. The most recent impact assessment, published alongside the 2024 consultation, can be found at Impact Assessment - licensing the pavement area. A new impact assessment relating to the lapse of the easement was not required as new policy or legislation was not being introduced. To assist businesses that have made use of the easement, the Government has amended statutory licensing guidance to make it easier and cheaper for businesses to apply for and obtain a licensing variation.
What plans she has to use local authorities to help procure accommodation for asylum seekers.
The Home Office is working closely with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its statutory obligations, while reducing the overall cost of asylum accommodation for the taxpayer.
Whether it is her Department's policy to consult (a) council leaders, (b) council chief executives and (c) Members of Parliament before an asylum hotel is stood up in an area.
This Government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day. Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Government has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs. When a hotel has been identified for use as contingency accommodation, Home Office officials will write to the local authority Chief Executive and the constituency MP to inform them of plans to accommodate asylum seekers there.The Home Office continues to work closely with local authorities to manage all the pressures arising from the provision of asylum accommodation including the impact on wider local authority obligations and plans.
How many asylum hotels stood down by the previous government have been reopened since the 5 July 2024.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave to the Urgent Question on Asylum Seekers: Hotel Accommodation on 20 November 2024.
Pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2025, to Question 33937, on Fire and Rescue Services, what her policy is on protected characteristic diversity targets for the recruitment of firefighters.
Responsibility for recruitment of firefighters in pursuit rests with individual fire and rescue authorities in England.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme on (a) Russian, (b) Iranian and (c) Chinese interference in democratic processes.
Protecting the integrity and security of UK democratic processes from threats of foreign interference is a priority for the government.The Foreign influence Registration Scheme will increase transparency of foreign power influence over the core aspects of the UK’s democracy, including elections, political party proceedings, parliamentarians and decisions of the Government. Once the scheme is in force those carrying out political influencing activities at the direction of any foreign power, will need to register under the political influence tier. We have published an impact assessment on gov.uk setting out its potential impact.As I committed to in Parliament on the 4th March, the Home Office will lay regulations in Parliament as soon as possible, with a view to having the scheme up and running by the summer.
Whether she has had discussions with the London Fire Brigade on (a) the issuance of advice to Transport for London on flammable material in sub-surface stations and (b) book exchanges in London Underground Tube stations.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) places a range of legal duties on Responsible Persons (the person in control of a premises), chief among which is the need to undertake a fire risk assessment to identify any general fire safety precautions that need to be taken to ensure that the premises, and people within it, are safe from fire.In the vast majority of premises, the FSO is enforced by the local fire and rescue authority and within London that is through the London Fire Brigade. Enforcing authorities can provide advice on premises they audit, and they have complete operational independence from Government on these matters.The Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations) (England) Regulations 2009, which were designed to update earlier regulations and ensure they align with the FSO state that all parts of station premises must be kept clear of any accumulation of combustible refuse or other combustible matter.The government published guidance explaining the Regulations for both enforcing authorities and those responsible for them in Guidance Note 3: Fire safety on sub-surface railway stations.
With reference to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question HL5013 Islam, what is the Government’s working definition of Islamism as it relates to (a) extremism, (b) violence or (c). terrorism.
I refer the Hon. Member to Question UIN 19354 answered on 27 December 2024.
What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of recent trends in levels of fixed penalty notices for Public Spaces Protection Orders that are issued by private enforcement companies outsourced from local government; and whether guidance has been provided on such contacts which (a) reward companies for increasing numbers of fines and (b) profit share revenue from fines.
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour (ASB), including the Public Spaces Protection Order.The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately flexible in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances of each individual case.Contracting enforcement to third parties is a common arrangement and it is for the local authority to ensure use of powers remains just and proportionate. Contractors are bound by the same legal obligations, and the same safeguards in legislation, as councils themselves. Local authorities are also obliged to follow the rules set out in the Public Contract Regulations 2015 in appointment of such companies.
Pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 26035 on Housing: Asylum, what information her Department holds on the average annual cost to local authorities for looking after (a) unaccompanied asylum seeking children who arrive in their area and (b) are transferred there under the National Transfer Scheme; and what funding her Department provides to local authorities for these.
The Home Office does not hold the specific data requested in a readily reportable form, but the funding policy can be found online here: Unaccompanied asylum seeking children and leaving care: funding instructions - GOV.UK.
Pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 29614 on Fire and Rescue Services: Police, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support (a) joint working between emergency services, (b) tri-service working between the three emergency services and (c) joint working between the police and fire service.
The Government is committed to seeing more and better collaboration between emergency services to increase efficiency and public safety outcomes. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 sets out a statutory duty for ambulance trusts, fire and rescue bodies and police bodies in England to keep collaboration opportunities under review and, where it is in the interests of their efficiency or effectiveness, to put those collaboration opportunities into practice. It is for local fire and rescue services, working with emergency services counterparts, to decide what collaborative activities will be best to take forward.The HMICFRS framework considers collaboration as part of its inspections, and we continue to work with the sector to learn more about good examples that can be shared.
If she will take steps to increase the transparency of the work of the Defending Democracy Taskforce.
The Defending Democracy Taskforce continues to drive forward a programme of work to address the full range of threats to our democracy.I will, as Chair of the Taskforce, update Parliament in due course particularly on the work of the Taskforce to tackle harassment and intimidation.I am also due to give oral evidence to the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy later this month.
With reference to para 2.19 of the National Audit Office report entitled Local Government financial sustainability, published in February 2025, HC691, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of demand for asylum accommodation on prices for local authorities to procure accommodation.
The Home Office continues to work closely with local authorities to manage all the pressures arising from the provision of asylum accommodation including the impact on wider LA obligations and plans.
Pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025, to Question 30641, on Asylum: Finance, what the budget is for payments to councils under the (a) Grant 7 and (b) Grant 6 programmes across (i) England and (ii) the United Kingdom for financial years (A) 2024-25 and (B) 2025-26; and whether there are targets for the number of individuals who will be assisted.
I refer the Honourable Member to the Answer he received on 14 February 2025 to UIN 30641.The number of individuals assisted is based on demand and not on targets.Details of funding for the forthcoming financial year will be issued in due course.