theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question xx-xxxx-xxxx on Affordable Housing: Construction, if she will publish the grant given to each (a) developer and (b) consortium under the last Affordable Housing Programme with the number of affordable homes due to be delivered broken down by type of affordable tenure. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Greater London Authority (GLA) publish a quarterly update of all approvals for grant in their delegated approvals log which can be found on the GLA website here. Due to the nature of negotiations with partners on individual site delivery, the GLA does not publish grant levels for specific projects or tenures. Under the Affordable Homes Programme 2016-23, programme-level grants per unit levels were applied.

Homes England has published data on the 2016-23 Affordable Homes Programme, with data reflecting grant allocations to the end of March 2021. It can be found on gov.uk here.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether site specific viability assessments should be undertaken to assess whether the affordable housing requirement on development in the Green Belt is viable and developer contributions should be adjusted as a result. \p Matthew Pennycook: As set out in the Planning Practice Guidance on viability, where development takes place on land situated in, or released from, the Green Belt and is subject to the ‘Golden Rules’ set out in paragraph 156 of the National Planning Policy Framework, site specific viability assessment should not be undertaken or taken into account for the purpose of reducing developer contributions, including affordable housing.

The government intends to review the guidance on viability and will be considering whether there are circumstances in which site-specific viability assessment may be taken into account, for example, on large sites and Previously Developed Land.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 20283 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if the (a) Chinese Embassy (b) the Chinese Government and (c) its representatives discussed the Chinese Embassy planning application via correspondence. \p Matthew Pennycook: Prior to the application being called in, there was no such correspondence. Following call in, there has been correspondence between the Planning Inspectorate and interested parties ahead of the forthcoming public inquiry.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Dr Allison Gardner:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support local councils to tackle antisocial behaviour within council homes. \p Matthew Pennycook: Social landlords, including local councils, already have a range of powers and enforcement tools to tackle anti-social behaviour including powers to evict perpetrators. We expect landlords to use those powers promptly and proportionately, putting the needs of victims at the heart of their response. The government is strengthening these powers through the Renters’ Rights Bill for private registered providers.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. We will crack down on those making neighbourhoods feel unsafe and unwelcoming by introducing the new Respect Order, which local authorities will be able to apply for and which will carry tough sanctions and penalties for persistent adult offenders. The police, local authorities and social landlords may already apply for a Civil Injunction under Section 1 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to prevent behaviour that is causing housing-related nuisance and annoyance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Apsana Begum:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to increase the security of tenure of houseboat dwellers. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government recognises that while the occupants of residential boats have the benefit of protection under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 and wider consumer protection legislation, they do not enjoy the same level of tenure security as those in the private rented sector.

We will consider what action might be necessary to provide houseboat residents across with greater security in their homes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many Houses in Multiple Occupation have been developed without requiring planning permission in Bolton West constituency in the last 12 months. \p Matthew Pennycook: National permitted development rights allow a C3 dwellinghouse to change use to a C4 House in Multiple Occupation for up to six people sharing facilities without the need for a planning application. Larger Houses in Multiple Occupation require a planning application which the local authority will determine in accordance with the local development plan and following public consultation.

Local authorities can remove the permitted development right to protect local amenity or wellbeing of the area by introducing an ‘Article 4’ direction.

The Department do not hold data on how many Houses in Multiple Occupation have been created through permitted development rights.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 4.1.6 of the consultation entitled Local authority funding reform: objectives and principles, published on 18 December 2024, whether councils which have set council tax levels above the assumed level of council tax will, all other factors being equal, receive a higher grant. \p Jim McMahon: The government is inviting views on the objectives and principles of local authority funding reform, including on measuring differences in locally available resources such as council tax. Following this consultation, we will develop, publish and consult on a detailed plan for local authority funding reform ahead of the provisional Settlement for 2026-27.

With reference to proposals set out in paragraph 4.1.6 of the consultation, councils which have set council tax levels above the assumed level of council tax, will not, all else equal, receive higher grant allocations.

This is because by making a uniform assumption of the council tax level in our measure of locally available resources, any individual council’s council tax level is not directly associated with their grant allocation. A council’s grant allocation will instead be impacted by the number and banding of liable dwellings in the local authority (i.e. their ‘Tax Base’).

Any council that sets council tax levels above the assumed level of council tax will receive more income in total than if it had not done so.

As set out in the consultation on local authority funding reform, the government believes that making uniform assumptions on the council tax level charged by all authorities, and on factors which determine their ability to raise council tax, promotes simplicity, fairness, and accountability.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her policy is on the provision of pensions funded from the public purse for (a) councillors, (b) council mayors and (c) combined authority mayors. \p Jim McMahon: Currently, mayors and councillors in England are not eligible for membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), after access was removed in 2014. As the Responsible Authority for the LGPS, MHCLG keeps access to the scheme under regular review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Mayor of London has requested a higher council tax referendum for 2025-26. \p Jim McMahon: The government is currently consulting on the provisional local government finance settlement including the proposed council tax referendum principles for 2025-26. It has not received a request from the Mayor of London for additional flexibilities in the referendum principles.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, published on 18 December 2024, if she will make it her policy to ensure that the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead cannot increase council tax by 25% in 2025-26 without a council tax referendum of local residents. \p Jim McMahon: The government is currently consulting on the provisional local government finance settlement for 2025-26 including the referendum principles that will be set. The ability for councils in exceptional financial circumstances to request council tax increases is not new. As with previous years the government will consider requests for bespoke referendum principles from councils seeking exceptional financial support, but this government will put taxpayers at the forefront of their consideration.

The government will consider requests on a case-by-case basis and expects that any additional increases would only be agreed in exceptional circumstances. The government has been clear it will look carefully at councils’ specific circumstances, for example their existing levels of council tax relative to the average and the strength of plans to protect vulnerable people.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to publicly advertise her Department's guidance entitled Paying the right level of Council Tax: a plain English guide to Council Tax, updated 26 April 2024. \p Jim McMahon: The government does not have any plans to launch a publicity campaign for this guide. The government’s plain English guide to council tax sets out how the council tax system operates and the support available in the system. This guide is freely available on gov.uk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Gareth Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to activate the Flood Recovery Framework in response to flooding (a) in Lincolnshire and (b) elsewhere in January 2025. \p Alex Norris: My thoughts remain with householders and business owners impacted by flooding after the recent heavy rainfall, flooding is a devastating experience for all those affected.

Government support in the aftermath of flooding is only provided in exceptional circumstances and at present, overall, the scale of impacts is not sufficiently significant for the Flood Recovery Framework to be activated in any area. However, my officials continue to review impacts data and stand ready to support as appropriate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to encourage community ownership of locally valued assets at risk. \p Alex Norris: On 23 December 2024, this government announced the outcome of the Community Ownership Fund Round 4, and awarded £36.2 million to 85 projects across the UK. This represents the largest ever window of the Fund to date, both in terms of funding awarded and number of projects.

The Devolution White Paper, which was published on 16 December, set out plans which demonstrate our commitment to communities and there will be further announcements relating to communities this year, including on the community ownership of assets.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Luke Akehurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in levels of retail and commercial units that are vacant in (a) Chester-le-Street, (b) Stanley and (c) England. \p Alex Norris: This government is committed to revitalise town centres and stimulate economic growth by addressing persistent vacancy rates in town centres like Chester-le-Street and Stanley. High Street Rental Auctions, which came into effect in December 2024, give local authorities in England the power to auction the lease of commercial high street property that has been vacant for longer than 12 months in a 24-month period.

The government also plans to introduce a new ‘right to buy’ for valued community assets through the English Devolution Bill. This will allow local communities to revitalise important assets, such as empty shops, pubs and community spaces, which can help to eliminate the impact of vacant premises.

Using these powers, and working in partnership with the North East Combined Authority and Durham County Council, will help to deliver a Local Growth Plan, supporting town centres in the North East by driving inclusive economic growth.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Satvir Kaur:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to empower (a) individuals, (b) grassroots organisations and (c) local authorities to increase (i) green spaces and (ii) biodiversity in their communities. \p Alex Norris: The Government is committed to creating better access to parks and green spaces for everyone.

The MHCLG-owned Green Flag Award scheme sets the national standard for parks and green spaces that are welcoming, safe, well-maintained and promote biodiversity and community participation, promoting best practice across the sector.

Planning regulations including Local Green Space Designation and Biodiversity Net Gain bolster the creation and protection of green spaces.

Cross government initiatives to increase available natural space and make it more accessible includes Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework and Defra's Access for All and Farming in Protected Landscapes programmes.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies, 48 locally led strategies covering all England, set priorities and map proposals for key actions to drive nature recovery and environmental improvement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of net zero policies on (a) UK manufacturing competitiveness and (b) jobs in carbon-intensive industries. \p Sarah Jones: The transition to net zero is critical for driving growth and delivering new jobs. We have been clear that decarbonisation should not mean deindustrialisation.

Many companies that have decarbonised become more efficient and productive. The challenge can be the capital costs of transitioning and that is why the government is providing extensive support and access to funding for industry, including through the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, Aerospace Technology Institute and Advanced Propulsion Centre UK. At the same time, the number of jobs in the low carbon and renewable energy economy grew by 27% between 2020 and 2022, more than 5 times faster than overall UK employment (source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clean-power-2030-action-plan-assessment-of-the-clean-energy-skills-challenge/assessment-of-the-clean-energy-skills-challenge#fn:6)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Andrew Griffith:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2024 to Question 10261 on Board of Trade, whether the review into the Board of Trade has concluded; and what his planned timetable is for making a decision on the (a) appointment and (b) future direction of the Board. \p Gareth Thomas: The Department of Business and Trade (DBT) is currently in the process of appointing new Board of Trade (BoT) advisors. The advisers will be announced when an agreement has been reached, and advisers have been formally appointed.

The BoT will continue as a key trade promotion and trade advocacy vehicle for DBT in support of the Government's Trade Strategy, exports and growth agenda. The inaugural meeting of the BoT will take place following the appointment of new advisors.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Calum Miller:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on international trade since 5 November 2024. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: Since the 5th of November the Secretary of State has held positive discussions with European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera (15 January) and the Spanish Minister for Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo (14 November) on shared trade interests. We look forward to continuing to build these relationships with the new Commissioners.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Calum Miller:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of US policies made between 20 January 2017 and 20 January 2021 on UK exporters. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The UK government is committed to monitoring US policies and considering what action is best to promote and safeguard UK business interests.

Between January 2017 and January 2021, we engaged the US administration extensively on a range of US policies, including in the context of UK-US FTA negotiations. Beyond 2021, we have continued engaging with the US to improve access to the US market for UK exporters, including by securing the removal of Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium products.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing UK citizenship from dual nationals prosecuted for membership of a rape gang. \p Jess Phillips: The power to deprive a person of their British citizenship is already provided for in Section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981 where it is conducive to the public good. Deprivation of citizenship is used against the most dangerous people, such as terrorists, extremists and serious and organised criminals, including those involved in group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation. Similarly, those foreign nationals who commit the same heinous crimes against children should be in no doubt that we will do everything possible to ensure their deportation from the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to support (a) victims and (b) victims families impacted by grooming gangs; and what steps she is taking to ensure these incidents don't occur in the future. \p Jess Phillips: We have been clear that this Government is prioritising work to safeguard children, ensure victims and survivors are protected and supported, while pursing offenders and bringing them to justice.

I have supported, and continue to support, many victims and survivors of grooming gangs and other forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse, both in my capacity as Minister, Member of Parliament and continuing support for those I worked with before becoming an MP.

And we are continuing to work across Government and with policing and law enforcement partners at pace to further strengthen our prevention of and response to all forms of child sexual abuse. This includes the commitments the Home Secretary has outlined in Parliament to introduce a mandatory duty for those working with children to report sexual abuse and exploitation, to make grooming an aggravating factor to toughen up sentencing, and to improve data collection across forces.

In her statement on 16 January 2025, the Home Secretary announced that the Government will be working to develop a new framework for victim-centred, locally-led inquiries, where they are needed, and as a first step to work with Oldham Council and up to four other pilot areas. This will also include support for local authorities who want to explore other ways of supporting victims, including setting up local panels or drawing on the experience of the IICSA Truth Project.

The Home Secretary will also ask all chief constables to look again at historic gang exploitation cases where ‘No Further Action’ was taken, and work with the police Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce to pursue new lines of inquiry and re-open investigations where appropriate and these new measures will be backed by £2 million of additional funding for the taskforce and the panel.

In addition to the statutory support local authorities provide to victims of modern slavery, for potential child victims, the Government has rolled out the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) service to two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales. The ICTG service is currently delivered by Barnardo's.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what flags she plans to fly outside her Department other than the Union flag in the next 12 months; and on which days each flag will be flown. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Current Home Office ministers have not been consulted on this issue since coming to office, but prompted by the Hon Member’s question, we have advised that there should be no change from the arrangements in place under the previous government, whatever they may have been.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Action Fraud reporting system. \p Dan Jarvis: This Government is committed to working with law enforcement, civil society and industry to better protect the public and businesses from fraud.

The current technology used by the Action Fraud service is outdated and cannot cope with demand, with fraud and cyber crime now accounting for an estimated 49% of all crime recorded in the Crime Survey for England and Wales.

We are replacing the current Action Fraud service with a new, improved service. The to provide better support services and reporting tools for victims, provide greater intelligence to law enforcement, and allow for greater prevention and disruption at scale.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department will publish the ethnicity data on grooming gangs collected by the police. \p Jess Phillips: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Home Secretary's statement made on 16 January 2025, in which she announced the appointment of Baroness Louise Casey to lead a rapid three-month audit into these issues. The audit will examine all the currently available data and evidence to help us to better understand the nature, scale and profile of group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation being dealt with by police forces in the UK today, including ethnicity; to identify gaps in existing knowledge; and to make recommendations that can then be applied at local level.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Tonia Antoniazzi:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Science and Technology on publication of the independent Pornography Review. \p Jess Phillips: I met with Baroness Bertin, Chair of the Independent Pornography Review, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Minister Davies-Jones, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice to discuss the Pornography Review on 8 October 2024.

In the meeting, Baroness Bertin, shared her initial findings and direction of travel for the Review's recommendations. The Review's final report will be published in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on how many (a) police officers, (b) officials of local authorities and (c) social workers who were found to have had knowledge at the time of grooming by Pakistani heritage grooming gangs are in positions with a duty of care towards girls. \p Jess Phillips: The Government is actively working to ensure that all institutions and individuals remain responsible and accountable in protecting children from all forms of child sexual abuse. This includes compliance with existing statutory safeguarding duties, and the introduction of a new mandatory reporting duty, which will introduce criminal sanctions to drive greater accountability.

In addition, the Home Secretary announced to Parliament on 16 January 2025 the further steps that the Government is taking to ensure proper accountability for those institutions and individuals who failed to take the necessary action to prevent group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation in the past, including through additional nationally supported local inquiries.
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Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of knife crime in Knowsley constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Halving national levels of knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s mission to ensure the safety of our streets.

We will continue to support police forces, agencies and those who share our ambition to halve knife crime, to take actions that work most effectively in their local communities. As we do so, the Government will continue to draw on the best available evidence on both prevention and enforcement and will closely monitor trends in national and local levels of knife crime.

We have also created a new Young Futures programme which will include the setting up of Prevention Partnerships across England and Wales – to help areas intervene earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime. It is vital we have a system that can identify and support those young people who need it most.

Under the previous Government, Merseyside has received over £20m to develop its Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) since 2019, with an additional £4.34m available this financial year. The Merseyside VRP works closely with a range of partners to deliver targeted preventative interventions. These include Hospital Navigators (youth workers based in A&E settings who engage young people at critical ‘teachable moments’ to steer them away from violence), whole family cognitive behavioural therapy programmes, social skills training, broader mentoring initiatives, and sports-based diversionary activities. This work includes targeted delivery in areas within Knowsley.

We recognise the valuable work and significant progress VRUs have made in understanding and preventing serious violence. The proposed Police Funding Settlement for 2025-26 includes £49.7m to ensure continuation of the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) programme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of asylum claims in each local authority were (a) successful, (b) ongoing and (c) rejected since 2018. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the initial decision of asylum claims (including grants and refusals), and data on asylum claims awaiting initial decision, is published in tables Asy_D02 and Asy_D03 of the ‘Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’ respectively. This data is not broken down by local authority.

Local authority level data on people in the asylum system who are in receipt of support is published in table Asy_D11 of the ‘Asylum seekers in receipt of support by local authority detailed datasets’.

The latest data relates to the year ending September 2024.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will have discussions with representatives of the travel industry on the potential impact of electronic travel authorisations on international visitors to Northern Ireland. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided on 14 January to Question UIN 23002.
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Dave Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of police-support staffing levels in England and Wales; and whether her Department has been made aware of instances where police officers have been required to carry out the duties of support staff. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The government expects that police officers will be used in tackling crime and protecting the public.

It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience, including how best to allocate resources.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of child sex trafficking have been identified in the UK in each of the last five years; and what steps she is taking to ensure (a) accurate and (b) transparent data collection for those crimes. \p Jess Phillips: The trafficking of children for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this. This will include working closely with law enforcement partners, such as the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX), which continues work to develop a whole system approach to improving intelligence, analysis, and tasking to enhance law enforcement response to the exploitation of vulnerable people, including victims of trafficking, sexual exploitation, and abuse.

The following table shows the number of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM, the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support) for (partial or whole) sexual exploitation for children, at age of exploitation.

Year

NRM referrals for (either partial or whole) sexual exploitation for children at age of exploitation

2020

824

2021

943

2022

1115

2023

1118

2024 (up to Q3)

1036

In addition to the statutory support local authorities provide to victims of modern slavery, for potential child victims, the Government has rolled out the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) service to two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales. The ICTG service is currently delivered by Barnardo’s.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of awareness amongst police constabularies of the legislation around the use of prescribed medical cannabis. \p Dame Diana Johnson: CBPMs were placed in Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (“the 2001 Regulations’”) in 2018. This means that specialist clinicians can prescribe CBPMs where they deem it clinically appropriate and in the best interests of their patients, and patients may legally possess CBPMs when in possession of a valid UK prescription or if they are a participant in a clinical trial. Home Office Circular 018/2018, summarising the introduction of CBPMs, was published when the measures came into force.

Home Office circulars are aimed primarily at law enforcement, including the police, and are published on gov.uk. Circular 018/2018 is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/circular-0182018-rescheduling-of-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use-in-humans.

The Home Office liaises with the police to support awareness and understanding of drug legislation across police forces. This includes liaison through the National Police Chief’s Council

Additionally, the Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care contributed to the guidance document “‘Medical cannabis (and cannabis oils)” , which is available on the NHS’ page on at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/medical-cannabis/.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_61

James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the average processing time for Disclosure and Barring Service checks conducted through Sussex Police. \p Jess Phillips: The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent from the Home Office. Accordingly, the Home Office does not hold the information requested on the average processing time for DBS checks conducted through Sussex Police.

My officials have asked the DBS to write to you to provide you with the information you have requested.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_62

Chris Philp:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average number of open custody records was in (a) 2019, (b) 2022, (c) 2023 and (d) 2024. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The information requested is not currently held centrally.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on detentions in police custody in England and Wales, available here: Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK.

This data includes the number of detentions by financial year, with the most recently available data up to March 2023. Data for the year ending March 2024 will be available in February 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_63

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that fire services in Surrey can guarantee public safety during periods of insufficient staffing. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Firefighters play a vital role in keeping the public safe and we are grateful for the work undertaken by fire and rescue services across the country in support of their local communities.

The Government is committed to ensuring fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work. Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion during 2024/25. Standalone FRAs will see an increase in core spending power of £95.4m during 2024/25. This is an increase of 5.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2023/24.

It is for the Fire Authority to guarantee that their Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) can secure sufficient resources to meet public safety during periods of insufficient staffing. This includes ensuring that their FRS has sufficiently trained, qualified and competent persons to meet their legislated functional requirements.
wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_64
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_64

Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will increase police funding in Boston and Skegness constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: In December 2024 the Government published the 2025-26 provisional police funding settlement, which proposed funding of up to £19.5 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1 billion when compared to 2024-25 and equates to a 3% real terms increase in funding.

In 2025-26, Lincolnshire Police will receive up to £173.2 million, an increase of up to £9.0 million compared to 2024-25.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_65

Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to improve neighbourhood policing in Knowsley constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: As part of our Safer Streets Mission we will restore neighbourhood policing, with 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables in neighbourhood policing roles across England and Wales. Every part of the country needs to benefit from this pledge, and of course that includes Knowsley.

The Home Office is working closely with policing to implement this Commitment and will announce its plans for the delivery of neighbourhood officers shortly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_66

Chris Philp:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average annual number is of case files rejected due to incorrectly submitted documents using (a) Case Overview and Prosecutions Application (COPA) and (b) CONNECT computer software. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Police forces and Policing and Crime Commissioners are responsible for their procurement and commercial strategies for Records Management Systems.

Each force is responsible for evaluating the performance of their Record Management System in line with those strategies and their local requirements.

It would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment on the individual performance of one supplier in relation to the factors mentioned.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_67

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the policy is of (a) her Department and (b) HM Courts and Tribunal Service on granting legal aid to travellers for enforcement cases against unauthorised (i) development and (ii) encampments. \p Sarah Sackman: Determinations about whether an individual qualifies for legal aid are made by the Director of Legal Aid Casework or Legal Aid Agency staff authorised by the Director to make determinations. The statutory role of Director of Legal Aid Casework was created under section 4 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO). In making individual determinations, the Director must act independently of Ministers, applying the relevant statutory framework. The Lord Chancellor may not issue directions or guidance in relation to an individual case.

There is no specific policy relating to granting legal aid to travellers regarding any form of enforcement activity. All applications for legal aid are considered on a case-by-case basis against the statutory framework and any applicable general guidance issued by the Lord Chancellor. Legal aid will be granted in all cases where the appropriate eligibility criteria are met.

The relevant eligibility criteria will depend on the nature of the case and in particular if it is a civil or criminal case and whether it is in scope of civil services as described under Schedule 1, Part 1 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 or outside of scope in which case it would be considered against the criteria for exceptional case funding (ECF). Although the specific criteria will differ depending on the type of applications, the individual will need to demonstrate that they are financially eligible for the legal aid services sought and that their case meets the applicable merits criteria. Additionally, for ECF the individual will need to demonstrate that failure to grant legal aid would breach, or risk breaching, the individual's Convention rights (within the meaning of the Human Rights Act 1998), or any rights of the individual to the provision of legal services that are assimilated enforceable rights. Full details of the eligibility criteria for legal aid including links to the relevant legislation can be accessed via the LAA’s website here for civil legal aid, criminal legal aid and ECF.

HM Courts and Tribunal Service does not have powers to grant legal aid save for in very narrow circumstances as set out in the Criminal Legal Aid (Determinations by a Court and Choice of Representatives) Regulations 2013, none of which apply to enforcement cases against unauthorised development and encampments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_68

Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any offenders who were convicted of child sexual abuse have been released early from prison since 5 July 2024. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: Sex offences were automatically excluded from both the End of Custody Supervised Licence Scheme which ceased on 9 September 2024 and from the current SDS40 scheme.
wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_69
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_69

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December 2024 to Question 20225 on Prisons: Construction, what the status of the planning permission is for each site; and how many additional prison places are proposed in each location. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The below table shows the four Rapid Deployment Cell Programme locations that have been affected by nutrient neutrality:

Name of site

Date Provisional Nutrient Credit Certificate received

Planning Permission status

Proposed number of places

HMP Deerbolt

16/09/2024

Planning application not yet submitted

60

HMP Holme House

16/09/2024

Planning approved

21

HMP Kirklevington Grange

16/09/2024

Planning approved

152

HMP Bure

N/A - mitigation ongoing

Planning application not yet submitted

c.60
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_70

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the allowances permitted for those undertaking jury duty for (a) loss of earnings, (b) cost of any care or childcare, (c) food and drink and (d) travel and parking costs. \p Sarah Sackman: Jury service is an important civic duty, and we want to help jurors feel supported as they undertake this important job. The support provided to jurors includes measures to assist those who may suffer financial hardship. People who are not paid by their employer whilst they are on jury service can claim a loss of earnings allowance from the court, and jurors can apply for a deferral or excusal based upon financial hardship. The Government will keep under review all support provided to jurors throughout their service.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_71

Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to decolonise the (a) artwork and (b) heritage assets in (i) her Department and (ii) each of its arm’s length bodies; what the policy of the Government Art Collection is on decolonisation of government art; and what guidance she has issued to (A) museums and (B) National Archives on decolonisation of their collections. \p Chris Bryant: No, we have no such plans and have issued no such guidance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_72

Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2024 to Question 20261 on Rugby, if she will have further discussions with (a) the Rugby Football Union and (b) Premiership Rugby on (i) current governance issues and (ii) securing necessary partnerships to ensure the long-term stability of the game, in the context of the Rugby Football Union's rejection of a Special General Meeting about the future of the game and rugby governance. \p Stephanie Peacock: I meet regularly with stakeholders such as the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby. The RFU is independent of the Government and is responsible for the regulation and governance of rugby union, and for protecting and promoting the financial sustainability of the sport.

My department will continue to work with the RFU, representatives of Premiership clubs and Championship clubs, and the wider sport sector to support the ongoing sustainability of elite and community level rugby union.