Written questions by Ballinger.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that (a) long and (b) lifetime driving disqualifications are enforced.

The Government takes road safety extremely seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. We have tough penalties and rigorous enforcement in place to deter offending behaviour.The police have a suite of powers at their disposal to enforce driving disqualifications. Penalties for driving whilst disqualified can include vehicle seizure, fines and custodial sentences.We expect individual Chief Officers to enforce road traffic law and manage how available resources are deployed, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced.

What steps she is taking to prevent racially-motivated (a) violence and (b) sexual assault against members of the Sikh community.

This Government is determined to tackle all forms of hate crime, including those targeting the Sikh community. No one should ever be a victim of hatred because of their race or religion, and the Government continues to work with police and community partners to monitor and combat this. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has provided funding to True Vision – the police hate crime programme and online reporting portal – to encourage communities to report hate crime and reinforce relationships between communities and policing. As part of this, True Vision has been working with the Sikh Guard (established by the National Sikh Police Association) and Rakkha (a third-party reporting site) to encourage reporting from within Sikh communities. The Home Office also funds the National Online Hate Crime Hub which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with all forms of online hate crime. We back the police in taking strong action against those targeting our communities. As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, communities are now benefitting from more visible patrols, and more focused local engagement. Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), including sexual violence, is a top priority for this Government. We will deliver a cross-government transformative approach, underpinned by a new strategy which we aim to publish as soon as possible. The Home Office also announced £13.1 million funding to launch a new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP).  The Centre will improve the police response to VAWG, helping officers respond effectively to these crimes and to offer victims consistent protection. Whilst the police are operationally independent and work in line with the College of Policing’s operational guidance to respond to all forms of hate crime, we expect the police to fully investigate these appalling offences and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.

What steps she is taking to help improve the confidence of the Sikh community in the police to report hate crimes that (a) include and (b) do not include extreme violence.

This Government is determined to tackle all forms of hate crime, including those targeting the Sikh community. No one should ever be a victim of hatred because of their race or religion, and the Government continues to work with police and community partners to monitor and combat this. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has provided funding to True Vision – the police hate crime programme and online reporting portal – to encourage communities to report hate crime and reinforce relationships between communities and policing. As part of this, True Vision has been working with the Sikh Guard (established by the National Sikh Police Association) and Rakkha (a third-party reporting site) to encourage reporting from within Sikh communities. The Home Office also funds the National Online Hate Crime Hub which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with all forms of online hate crime. We back the police in taking strong action against those targeting our communities. As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, communities are now benefitting from more visible patrols, and more focused local engagement. Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), including sexual violence, is a top priority for this Government. We will deliver a cross-government transformative approach, underpinned by a new strategy which we aim to publish as soon as possible. The Home Office also announced £13.1 million funding to launch a new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP).  The Centre will improve the police response to VAWG, helping officers respond effectively to these crimes and to offer victims consistent protection. Whilst the police are operationally independent and work in line with the College of Policing’s operational guidance to respond to all forms of hate crime, we expect the police to fully investigate these appalling offences and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.

What discussions she has had with police forces on ensuring that police (a) officers and (b) staff receive (i) mental health and (ii) self-harm prevention support.

This Government is committed to supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of all our police and are working closely with police leaders to ensure this.This includes providing ongoing funding to the National Police Wellbeing Service, which provides evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources which can be accessed by forces. This helps Chief Constables in their duty to ensure the wellbeing of their workforce. In particular, the Service is helping forces to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it in response to traumatic events.A National Action Plan for Suicide Prevention and Postvention in policing has been launched, which aims to reduce rates among the police workforce as well as enhancing data recording. The plan, which includes ensuring adequate training for the police workforce, emphasises a supportive environment that promotes mental health and combats stigma to ensure that those affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts can access appropriate and timely support.

Whether she plans to proscribe (a) the English Defence League and (b) other far right groups.

The Government has robust processes in place for reviewing the list of proscribed organisations. However, the Government does not routinely comment on whether or not an organisation is being considered for proscription.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reforming spousal visa regulations to (a) reduce the 10-year duration, (b) remove renewals and (c) prevent penalisation due to a partner's benefit claims.

The Family Immigration Rules provide the requirements to be met for those seeking to establish or maintain their family life in the UK and these rules are kept under regular review to ensure that there are clear incentives to comply with the rules and clear disincentives for failing to do so. Specifically, on 10 September the Home Secretary commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the financial requirements in the Family Immigration Rules, and we will reflect any recommendations arising from that review.

Whether the West Midlands fire authority plan to bring back familiarisation visits.

Familiarisation visits, and other types of training and community engagement, are a local operational matter. It is for the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority and Service to determine their priorities on these types of activities.

What steps her Department is taking to improve morale in the fire service.

It is a government priority to drive meaningful culture change across the fire and rescue sector. Our fire professionals work under significant pressure and in challenging circumstances, so it is important that the Fire and Rescue Authorities and the Fire and Rescue Services create a culture where every member of the team can thrive. It is also vital that no one should have to endure bullying, discrimination or harassment within the workplace.This government will work hand-in-hand with the workforce and our sector partners to ensure we see the highest levels of integrity and make working in the Fire and Rescue Sector a profession to be proud of.

What steps she is taking to ensure national standards in the training of fire service personnel.

Fire and rescue authorities are responsible for ensuring that firefighters receive the training they need in order to safely respond to the wide range of incidents that they attend. The National Fire Chiefs Council maintains national operational guidance for fire and rescue services to draw upon when developing operational policies, procedures and training.The Home Office funds the independent Fire Standards Board (FSB) to develop and maintain a comprehensive set of professional standards for fire and rescue services in England. The FSB has published 19 national standards for fire and rescue services covering a range of topics from emergency response driving to leading and developing people and a code of ethics.The Home Office will continue to work with stakeholders to build on the work of the FSB in the context of the Government’s fire and rescue service reform agenda.