Every parliamentary written question tabled by Kevin Hollinrake this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 81–100 of 147 · Home Office
Pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44484 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, if she will publish the letter sent to police forces.
We are carefully considering the judgment issued by the High Court in May 2024.The letter was sent by the NPCC.
Pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 41060 on Asylum: Temporary Accommodation, with which local authorities her Department is working.
The Home Office works with all local authorities, devolved administrations and other stakeholders to meet our statutory obligations, and deliver our commitments to reduce overall asylum accommodation costs, and end the use of hotels over time.
Pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44484 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, whether her Department considered (a) appealing the judgement and (b) bringing forward legislative proposals to reverse it.
We are carefully considering the judgment issued by the High Court in May 2024.The letter was sent by the NPCC.
With reference to the Answer of 25 February 2025 to Question HL4920 on Public Spaces Protection Orders: Enforcement, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of outsourced companies encouraging staff to levy fines (a) for the profit of those companies and (b) in return for incentive payments.
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).It is for local authorities to determine how to operate the powers and to ensure use remains just and proportionate. Where local authorities contract enforcement to third parties, 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 8 January 2025 to Question 21687 on Home Office: Sanitation, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the updated building regulation published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government entitled Toilet accommodation: Approved Document T, published on 1 October 2024, on the provision of gender-neutral toilets in her Department’s buildings.
I have made no assessment.The Hon Member may think the job of the Policing Minister is to make assessments of the Home Office’s toilets, but I believe it is to restore neighbourhood policing in our country, tackle antisocial behaviour, and deliver this Government’s unprecedented mission to halve knife crime over the next decade.
What resources from her Department were used to organise her visit to the Cambridgeshire Police headquarters on 10 April 2025.
In line with the normal rules for the pre-election period, the event in question was arranged and staffed by the political teams in the Home Office and 10 Downing Street.
Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42254 on Licensing Laws, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of continuing the alcohol licensing easement for (a) pavement licences and (b) takeaway pints.
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 27 February.
With reference to the press release entitled Government calls ‘last orders’ on red tape choking pubs, clubs, and restaurants in major boost to the British night out, published on 4 April 2025, whether she plans to amend her Department's guidance entitled Revised guidance issued under section 182 of Licensing Act 2003, updated on 27 February 2025.
On 4 April the Government established a Taskforce to consider how the licensing regime may be strengthened to help facilitate a business environment that supports the Government’s growth mission whilst continuing to deliver the current licensing objectives relating to public safety, crime and disorder.The Taskforce met for the first time on 9 April and the Government will consider its recommendations
If she will make it her policy to reverse the regulatory changes to (a) pavement licences and (b) takeaway pints from the expiry of the covid easements on 1 April 2025.
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 27 February.
Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42254 on Licensing Laws, whether licensed premises must apply for variations to their licence to continue to serve alcohol within the curtilage of a pavement licence area.
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 27 February.
In how many council areas have grooming gangs been reported.
Child sexual abuse and exploitation, including group-based offending or ‘grooming gangs’, remains under-identified and under-reported. Police recorded crime figures are captured by Police Force Area, which equates to local authorities in many instances. Analysis by the police found that there were 115,000 cases of child sexual abuse recorded by the police in England and Wales in 2023, with 4,228 group-based offences identified by the Taskforce, which is likely to be a significant under-estimate. That i’s why all 43 police forces in England and Wales have been tasked with looking again at historic cases of group-based Child Sexual Exploitation which were closed with No Further Action, and to re-open investigations and pursue new lines of inquiry where appropriate.Baroness Louise Casey is also currently conducting a national audit into the nature, scale and profile of grooming gangs offending across the UK, which will report back next month.
Pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 39632 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this ruling on unauthorised traveller sites.
The government is carefully considering the judgment issued by the High Court in May 2024 which found that particular sections of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, were incompatible with Convention rights.We acknowledge and respect the High Court’s decision, and the National Police Chiefs’ Council have written to forces in England and Wales advising them of the judgment. Forces will need to consider their own legal advice in to inform any related enforcement decisions, which are operationally independent of government.
With reference to the Answer of 28 November 2023 to Question 2562 on Jewish Safety, when the Jewish Community Crime, Policing and Security Taskforce last met.
The taskforce last met on October 23rd, 2023. To discuss the surge in antisemitism seen in UK following the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7th, 2023.We continue to work closely with the Community Security Trust (CST) and other stakeholders in the Jewish community to discuss the scourge of antisemitism and the protection of Jewish synagogues, schools and other communal centres. The Home Secretary addressed these and other issues in her speech to the CST annual dinner on 26 March 2025, which can be read here: Home Secretary speech at the Community Security Trust - GOV.UK.Antisemitism has absolutely no place in British society, and we are funding measures to protect Jewish communities and places of worship. We have assigned £72M from 2024/25 to 2027/28 as part of the Jewish Protective Security Grant, which is administered by the Community Security Trust.
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2025 to Question 35307, on Asylum: Contracts, whether her Department directly procures asylum accommodation itself, separate to those contracts.
The Home Office is working closely with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its statutory obligations, while seeking to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation for the taxpayer.As part of this programme, the Home Office works with its contracted Estates delivery partner, Cushman and Wakefield, to identify potential leasehold and freehold properties for the Home Office to acquire. This involves assessing the feasibility of options and working with Local Authorities and MPs.
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.
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 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.
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.