Every parliamentary written question tabled by Peter Bedford this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 441–460 of 549 · this parliament
How many illegal migrants have been deported since 5 July 2024.
We pledged to deliver the highest rate of removals since 2018 and this has been surpassed, with a surge in returns activity since the election leading to nearly 19,000 people with no right to be in the UK being removed. Of the total returns since 5 July 2024, 2,925 have been of foreign national offenders (FNOs), an increase of 21% compared to the same period 12 months prior.
What discussions she has had with the National Crime Agency on tackling financial crime in relation to the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill.
The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill will help government better identify, prevent and deter public sector fraud and error and enable the better recovery of debt owed to the taxpayer. DWP has close links with other government departments and law enforcement agencies, including strong collaborative relationships with HMRC, Home Office and National Crime Agency, and will continue to build upon these to ensure the Bill measures are designed effectively.
How many non-hate crime incidents have been recorded in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency since 5 July 2004.
The Home Office does not currently centrally collate information on the number of non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) recorded by individual police forces – this data is held by individual forces.The Home Secretary has been clear that a consistent and common-sense approach must be taken with NCHIs. The Government has also been clear that its top priority for policing is delivering on the safer streets mission to rebuild neighbourhood policing, restore public confidence, and make progress on the ambition to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls.The Home Office has agreed that the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), supported by the College of Policing, will conduct a review on the use and effectiveness of NCHIs, which is currently underway.The Government welcomes this review and will work closely with the NPCC and the College as they develop their findings and any proposals on this issue.
Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the roll out of broadband in rural areas.
Our assessment is that rural coverage is not good enough which is why we are committed to improving it. We are committed to delivering nationwide gigabit coverage by 2030. More than £2 billion of contracts have been signed to provide access to gigabit-capable broadband to over a million more premises.The vast majority of the premises to be covered by these contracts will be in rural areas.
If she will make an estimate of the (a) number of migrants who have arrived in the UK in the last five years in receipt of benefits in Mid Leicestershire constituency and (b) the total value of those benefits in the latest period for which data is available.
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The Department is exploring the feasibility of developing suitable official statistics related to the immigration status of non-UK / Irish Universal Credit customers.
What information he holds on the number of hospitals in Leicestershire that have not followed the appropriate discharge procedure for parents in the last five years.
Statutory guidance on hospital discharge procedures that was published in January 2024 sets out how local areas should plan and implement hospital discharge to support safe and timely discharge for all individuals. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidanceLocal areas should provide the monitoring of discharge quality and performance to ensure that the agreed hospital discharge procedures are being followed consistently.
With reference to her Department's report entitled Animals in Science Regulation Unit: Annual report 2023, published on 17 December 2024, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of cases of failing to provide adequate (a) food and (b) water to animals.
The Home Office takes non-compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 very seriously. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) has published its compliance framework (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) which explains how it identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies where non-compliance has been found to occur. The Regulator’s published compliance policy aims to reduce the risk of future non-compliance.All cases of non-compliance are thoroughly investigated, and the outcomes are published in ASRU’s annual report.Data regarding types of non-compliance is used to inform the risk-based audit programme, as well as targeting educational communications to establishments, to promote compliance. The Regulator has provided recommendations to licensed establishments at p30 of the report (www.gov.uk/government/publications/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-report-2023).For cases of non-compliance where animals experienced adverse welfare outcomes cases there was a 48% reduction in 2023 compared to 2022
With reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit annual report 2023, published on 17 December 2024, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's polices of case in which seven birds were caught in bags, accidentally not released and found dead four days later; and what steps she plans to take to help prevent such instances in future.
The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) has published its compliance framework (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) which explains how it identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies where non-compliance has been found to occur. The Regulator’s published compliance policy aims to reduce the risk of future non-compliance.For this particular case, two letters of reprimand were issued to the establishment.All cases of non-compliance are thoroughly investigated, and the outcomes are published in ASRU’s annual report. No further assessment has been made.
How many migrants residing in Mid Leicestershire constituency have committed crimes in each of the last five years.
The specific data requested is not available from published statistics and could only be obtained for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost. However, nobody should be in any doubt regarding this Government's determination to crack down on crime, including that committed by foreign nationals, and where appropriate - to pursue the deportation of those foreign nationals.
How many people not in education, employment or training there are in (a) the UK, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 6th February is attached.
If she will take steps to support businesses in Mid Leicestershire constituency with changes to employer National Insurance contributions.
The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from these changes by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that next year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change. Businesses will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under-21s and under-25 apprentices.
Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Football Governance Bill on football clubs in the Premier League.
The Premier League is a global success story. It is one of our greatest cultural exports. It attracts more viewers and higher revenues than any of its international rivals. It is a product we want to protect and enhance.The Football Governance Bill will create a clearer and more certain regulatory environment for investors which will drive future investment and growth so that English football remains a global success story. A more sustainable game is a more investable game, and this in turn should drive continued economic growth in the market.The Independent Football Regulator will take a light-touch, targeted and proportionate approach. The requirements on clubs will reflect their circumstances, meaning they might vary based on factors like league, club size, and a club’s financial health or riskiness. This will allow regulation to be light-touch wherever possible - meaning, where clubs are already well run, the Regulator will not look to intervene.The Government’s estimate of the economic impact of introducing a football regulator is set out in our Impact Assessment.
What recent assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) potential implications for his policies of the level of independence of National Energy System Operator.
The effectiveness and performance of the National Energy System Operator (NESO) is assessed and regulated by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). NESO was designed to be an independent entity. NESO’s independence enables it to provide unbiased, expert advice on critical decisions that shape our energy landscape. The Government is satisfied that the current arrangements are fit for purpose and will keep them under review as necessary.
What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that net zero policies are affordable for rural households.
The Government is committed to ensuring that energy is affordable for all consumers, including rural households, and we carefully consider all policies to evaluate the impact on bill costs. Our ambitious Warm Homes Plan, which will publish in due course, will support investment in households, including rural homes, to install energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating to cut bills.
Innovation and Technology, what information his Department holds on the number of households that will have high-speed broadband installed in (a) the UK, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency in each of the next five years.
According to the independent website, Thinkbroadband.com, over 86% of UK premises can now access gigabit-capable broadband. In Leicestershire this figure is currently at 83%, and for the Mid Leicestershire constituency it is over 89%. Our objective is for nationwide gigabit coverage across the UK by 2030, with at least 99% of premises having access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection. The rate of delivery in each area will depend on broadband suppliers’ commercial rollout, supplemented by the delivery of Project Gigabit to address gaps in coverage. Over one million premises in the UK are currently included in Project Gigabit contracts, through which they should gain access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection in the next five years. This includes approximately 15,600 premises in the non-metropolitan county of Leicestershire and around 600 premises in the Mid Leicestershire constituency.
If he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of migrants who arrived in the UK in the last five years who are not in education, employment or training in (a) the UK, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 6th February is attached.
What information her Department holds on the potential impact of the increase in the bus fare cap on the number of bus journeys taken in (a) the UK, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency.
The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025, which prevented a cliff-edge return to commercial fares. Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point. The published interim evaluation of the £2 fare cap showed that patronage continued to recover following the COVID 19 pandemic and early evidence from the first two months of the scheme suggested the £2 fare cap may have played a role in this recovery. The final evaluation of the £2 fare cap, including a further assessment of its impact on patronage will be published in due course.
What assessment she has made of the impact of increasing the bus fare cap on people living in Mid Leicestershire.
The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025, which prevented a cliff-edge return to commercial fares. Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point. The published interim evaluation of the £2 fare cap showed that patronage continued to recover following the COVID 19 pandemic and early evidence from the first two months of the scheme suggested the £2 fare cap may have played a role in this recovery. The final evaluation of the £2 fare cap, including a further assessment of its impact on patronage will be published in due course.
How many foreign nationals have been convicted of a crime in Mid Leicestershire constituency in the last five years.
It is not possible to identify an offender’s nationality from the centrally collated convictions data. This information may be held on court records: however, to identify the nationality of people convicted of specific crimes at constituency level would require the examination of individual court records. This would incur disproportionate costs. Latest numbers of foreign national offenders in prison broken down by nationality can be found in our quarterly release: Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK Foreign national offenders who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. This government has already removed 23% more FNOs from July 2024 to January 2025 compared to the same period in 2023.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the UK leaving the European Court of Human Rights.
This Government will not withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights and not, therefore, from the European Court of Human Rights. The protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law both domestically and internationally is a key way to ensure security and stability for the British people and our interests globally.