👮 Oral Answers to Questions

• Neighbourhood Policing:
  • The government plans to restore neighbourhood policing with an additional 13,000 police, PCSOs, and special constables.
  • Concerns were raised about underfunding, such as in Leicestershire, leading to inadequate night-time patrols and increased local burglaries.
  • New funding of £1 billion is promised for police forces next year, with £100 million allocated specifically for neighbourhood policing recruitment.
  • New respect orders and strengthened powers against shoplifting and assaults on shop workers are part of the government’s plan.
  • There are concerns about leadership and morale in some police forces, like Devon and Cornwall, with pledges for a police reform White Paper to address these issues.
• Firefighters and Occupational Diseases:
  • The Home Office is engaging with the Fire Brigades Union to improve protections against occupational diseases for firefighters.
  • Recent cuts in firefighter jobs in Scotland were highlighted, with calls for better investment and a national body to set standards.
  • Early diagnosis of diseases in retired firefighters is being considered to improve their quality of life.
• Rural Crime:
  • Legislation like the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 aims to tackle theft of agricultural machinery.
  • Stricter enforcement on fly-tipping and antisocial behavior, along with more rural patrols, is planned to address rural crime.
  • Concerns were raised about the under-reporting of crime in rural areas and the need for a fairer funding formula.
• Burglary:
  • A commitment has been made for police to attend every home burglary, tackling the current low attendance rates.
  • An example from Surrey highlighted the low resolution rates of burglaries, with calls for a statutory burglary response guarantee.
• Violence Against Women and Girls:
  • A new comprehensive strategy to halve violence against women and girls is planned for later in the year.
  • Initiatives like Raneem’s law, embedding domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms, and piloting domestic abuse protection orders are part of the response.
  • Concerns about grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation were noted, with a commitment to implement recommendations from inquiries.
  • Support for rural victims of domestic abuse is promised to be addressed in the government’s strategy.
• Asylum Hotels:
  • The government aims to reduce the use of hotels for asylum seekers by streamlining asylum processing and tackling people smuggling.
  • Inherited backlogs from the previous government were mentioned as a challenge, with increased decision-making now being put in place.
  • The cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels was a concern, with calls for more efficient handling of asylum claims.
• Windrush Victim Support:
  • Over £100 million in compensation has been paid out to Windrush victims, with a commitment to make the process more accessible.
  • A suggestion to reduce English language requirements for immigrants was raised as a potential way to prevent similar scandals.
• Migration and Indefinite Leave to Remain:
  • The government aims to bring down net migration, linking skills and migration policy to reduce reliance on low-skilled workers.
  • Concerns were raised about the cost to taxpayers from granting indefinite leave to remain, with calls for stricter qualifying criteria.
• Knife Crime:
  • The government has set up a coalition to tackle knife crime and established a knife-enabled robbery taskforce.
  • Actions to remove dangerous weapons from the streets and prevent young people from carrying knives are priorities.
• Antisocial Behaviour:
  • Introduction of respect orders and additional neighbourhood policing roles are planned to address antisocial behavior.
  • Concerns about competing policing priorities, such as protests versus local community needs, were raised.
• Topical Issues:
  • Efforts to increase the return of foreign national offenders with no right to remain were highlighted, with a 23% increase reported.
  • Commitment to protect democracy from disinformation and foreign interference was noted, with the defending democracy taskforce’s work being emphasized.
  • Enhanced funding for rural areas, like Dorset, to address police service inequalities was discussed.

The transcript of the parliamentary session displays a moderate level of disagreement, which warrants a rating of 3 on a scale of 1 to 5. The following points support this rating:

1. Prevailing Agreement on Key Issues: There is a general consensus among the speakers on the necessity to address various crime issues such as neighborhood policing, violence against women and girls, and knife crime. For example, many MPs from different parties express concerns and propose solutions, which are broadly echoed by the ministers’ responses.

2. Critical but Constructive Exchanges: While there is criticism of past government policies and performance, especially during the exchanges between the current government members and the opposition, these criticisms are generally constructive and aimed at proposing or advocating for improvements. This is evident in discussions around police funding, neighborhood policing, and asylum policies.

3. Specific Instances of Disagreement: Some more pointed disagreements and criticisms arise, particularly on topics like the asylum hotels and the handling of illegal migration. For example, exchanges between Chris Philp (Conservative) and Seema Malhotra (Labour) show a clear partisan divide concerning policies and outcomes.

4. Lack of Personal Attacks or Aggressive Tone: The session primarily maintains a professional tone, with little to no instance of personal attacks or overt aggression, which would have escalated the level of perceived disagreement.

Overall, the level of disagreement is significant but remains within the bounds of a functional parliamentary debate, showing both cooperation and contention but without descending into acrimony or stalling productive discourse.