Speeches by Cooper.

“We have already taken a series of steps since the election to drive better value through the contracting process. We are already saving hundreds of millions of pounds, compared to previous years and compared to the plans that we inherited, as a result of those changes. We are looking at further changes to drive those c…”

“Compliance with international law has already helped us get new agreements in place with France and Germany to help tackle some of the serious problems we face with the criminal gangs’ operations. On the agreements with France, as you may know, the previous Government tried over a six-year period to get the French Gove…”

“We have already had a significant drop in the number of people awaiting an initial decision. We have speeded up decisions substantially since the election, including the initial decisions, and we are also taking action as part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to introduce statutory timetables for app…”

“I am just scrolling through my notes. Initial decisions are more than double those in the three months before the election, in the period January to March. We are going to continue with that high level of decision making, and that should bring down the initial decision making. There is obviously a certain point at whic…”

“We expect, over the course of this year and certainly over the course of the next six months, a very substantial drop in the backlog on initial decision making. But if we do not have the legislation on the appeals system go through, we will still end up with long, unacceptable delays in the system. We are introducing t…”

“The backlog is down to 79,000 in the most recent figures, and it has continued to fall since then—those are the most recent published figures. That, in itself, was a 13% drop on the previous quarter. That is the pace at which we are making decisions at the moment. We will continue to make initial decisions at that curr…”

“Do you mean a timetable target?”

“We are going to set out further reforms to the asylum system, but one of the things I have always been keen to do is to have a system for fast-track decisions and appeals. If people arrive from predominantly safe countries, they should not be sitting in the asylum system for a long time. We should be able to take those…”

“The first phase of legislation we have introduced in this area is the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which brings in the counter-terrorism powers for tackling the small boats and the criminal gangs. It also includes some measures around this issue, including the statutory timetable on appeals. We want to…”

“The hon. Member is right. There has been an increase in shoplifting in recent years, at the same time as neighbourhood policing numbers have fallen. As a result of the neighbourhood policing guarantee, there will be 110 additional neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs in Devon and Cornwall police over the next 12 mon…”

“The hon. Member makes a really important point, because having links between local services is crucial. We will ensure that the Home Office looks into and takes up the points she raises, so we can ensure strong local partnerships working to tackle crime.”

“May I first pay tribute to the first responders, the police, ambulance, fire service and others who dealt with the horrific incident at the Liverpool parade, some of whom I met last week? I know that the thoughts of the whole House will be with those who were injured and affected. The House will also have seen the disg…”

“Obviously, police forces have to make their own operational decisions, but we do believe that town centres need to be a particular focus of neighbourhood policing, and when it comes to preventing youth crime, including knife crime. Sussex police are getting 64 additional neighbourhood police officers and police communi…”

“Can I pass on my thanks, through my hon. Friend, to the team who are doing such good work in his community? We are certainly keen to know more about that, because he is right about local work preventing young people from being drawn into knife crime. That is why we are setting up the Young Futures prevention programme,…”

“We have taken action to ban zombie knives, and the ban on ninja swords will come in this August. We are also bringing forward Ronan’s law, which puts stronger restrictions on online sales, through the Crime and Policing Bill. There will also be additional funding, through the hotspot action fund, for high-visibility pa…”

“As well as strengthening the law, we are working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council on a stronger rural crime strategy. I can tell the hon. Lady that Avon and Somerset police will be getting 70 additional neighbourhood police officers across the area this year as a result of the neighbourhood policing guarantee.”

“The hon. Member is right to raise this issue. Noise and speed are used deliberately in order to harass people and intimidate local residents. It is disgraceful antisocial behaviour, and it is really unfair on local families. That is why we need to give the police stronger powers to clamp down on it.”

“My hon. Friend is right; we need to ensure that the police have the powers that they need and are able to act swiftly. We want to make it easier for them to crush bikes more quickly as well as to seize them and take them off the streets, and that requires additional neighbourhood police. In Kent, that means an addition…”

“My hon. Friend is exactly right. The issue he raises will resonate with people across the country; whether it is Southampton or south Tyneside, too many areas are facing the blight of off-road bikes and street racing. At the moment, the police have to give people multiple warnings. It can be two strikes or three strike…”

“Off-road bikes careering through estates and communities are dangerous and an antisocial nightmare. We are giving the police stronger powers to seize bikes without the need for repeated warnings, in order to help keep our streets safe.”