Parliamentary activity

Answering body: Home Office

The Government has been clear that police officers must be held to the highest standards and that this is vital to public trust.

The Home Office established the Angiolini Inquiry following the horrific murder of Sarah Everard, to identify lessons for policing so that the public can have confidence that the police are there to protect them. Part 1 of the Inquiry is due to report in early 2024. In May this year the Home Secretary commissioned Part 2 of the Inquiry to consider broader issues in policing, such as vetting, recruitment and culture, as well as the safety of women in public spaces. The terms of reference for Part 2 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/angiolini-inquiry-part-2-terms-of-reference.

The Home Office has recently announced measures to strengthen the police dismissals system, to ensure processes are effective at removing those not fit to serve. The review’s full report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-officer-dismissals-home-office-review. The Home Secretary also asked the College of Policing to strengthen the statutory code of practice for police vetting, which was published in July and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-vetting-code-of-practice.

Answering body: Home Office

The Government has been clear that police officers must be held to the highest standards and that those who commit acts such as domestic and sexual abuse must be rooted out.

By law, allegations of serious assaults, serious sexual offences or abuse of position by police officers must be referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for consideration.

The Government is currently carrying out a review into the process of police officer dismissals which, among other areas, is investigating the consistency of decision making in cases of police-perpetrated violence against women and girls (VAWG). Part 2 of the Angiolini Inquiry will also examine issues in policing such as vetting and recruitment practices and police culture, and the safety of women.

All forces are also currently checking officers and staff against the Police National Database so that they can take action on any intelligence or allegations that require further investigation.

Answering body: Home Office

Recent reports from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and significant high-profile incidents of police criminality and misconduct, such as the horrific crimes of David Carrick, have rightly raised concerns regarding police standards and culture.

In January, the Home Secretary announced a series of actions being undertaken by the Home Office and the police to ensure that police vetting is fit for purpose, that officers who fall short of the standards expected of them are identified and dealt with appropriately, and that concerns around policing cultures are being addressed to rebuild public confidence.

On Monday 27 February I convened a roundtable with senior leaders from across the policing sector to review progress on these commitments and to ensure that activity is being co-ordinated to drive up police standards and improve culture.

In relation to police vetting, the Home Secretary has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Fire & Rescue Services to undertake a rapid review of progress being made against the 43 recommendations in their 2 November 2022 assessment of police vetting and counter-corruption capability. The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) are co-ordinating the forces’ responses to the Inspectorate’s report and, at the roundtable, reported significant progress in implementing a suite of changes to ensure that police vetting is more robust and consistent. HMICFRS will publish its rapid review in April.

In addition, the Home Secretary asked the College of Policing to refresh its statutory vetting code of practice to strengthen legal obligations on Chief Officers and provide clarity to forces across England and Wales. The College has published the revised statutory code yesterday for a three-week public consultation (available on the College of Policing’s website). Following consideration of that feedback and Home Secretary approval, the revised Code will be in force by the summer. I also welcome the work being undertaken by the College of Policing to overhaul the police Code of Ethics which is expected to be published for public consultation next month.

Across police forces, significant activity is underway to identify individuals who fall short of the high standards the public expect of them and to deal with those individuals appropriately. This includes the work being co-ordinated by the NPCC, under the leadership of Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, to check all police officers and staff against the Police National Database (PND) to ensure that no actionable intelligence in relation to potential police misconduct or criminality has been missed.

As of this date, all force HR records have been prepared for the datawash which will conclude by the end of March, cross-checking over 326,000 officers and staff against relevant PND records. Forces will then interrogate this data and take action to investigate where necessary.

Where officers are found to have potentially breached standards of professional behaviour, it is of vital importance that those who are not fit to serve the public are swiftly dismissed. On 18 January, the Home Office launched a review of the effectiveness of the police dismissal process to determine how improvements can be made. The call for evidence has now ended and the Home Office have received submissions from a wide range of stakeholders. These will now be analysed, with the output from a new data collection, to inform proposals for change. This work will be complete by the end of April and the Government is committed to implementing reforms, including via legislation, as soon as practicable thereafter.

Alongside this, it is essential for public confidence in policing that we have an effective independent process for investigating the most serious complaints about the police. That is why, I am announcing today the start of an independent review of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) led by Dr. Gillian Fairfield (Chair of the Disclosure and Barring Service), whom the Home Secretary has charged with considering the IOPC’s effectiveness, efficiency, governance and accountability. The review’s remit is tightly defined to avoid infringing upon or impacting ongoing investigations, which are rightly independent from government, the police and complainants. A summary of the review’s terms of reference will be published on GOV.UK and a copy will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Dr Fairfield has been asked to submit her final report and recommendations for internal review in Autumn 2023. I shall inform the House of the outcome of the Review at its conclusion and a summary of its key findings will subsequently be published.

As well as driving up standards in police vetting and dealing with misconduct, the Home Secretary has been clear that policing needs to address the root causes of poor, and in some cases toxic, cultures. This will be a key focus of Part 2 of the independent Angiolini Inquiry that was established in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard to understand how a serving police officer was able to carry out such a horrendous crime. Part 2, which will look at broader issues for policing, will start later this spring, following a public consultation on the Terms of Reference that ended last week. The Inquiry will also look at the appalling case of David Carrick, in terms of reference published on 7 February 2023.

The Government and our policing partners are determined to deliver on these commitments to help rebuild confidence and trust in policing. This is what the public expect and the decent, hard-working majority of officers deserve. I will update the National Policing Board, chaired by the Home Secretary, on the 8 March on progress and provide the House with updates in due course.

Answering body: Home Office

My rt hon Friend the Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire (Chris Philp) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

Recent reports from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and significant high-profile incidents of police criminality and misconduct, such as the horrific crimes of David Carrick, have rightly raised concerns regarding police standards and culture.

In January, the Home Secretary announced a series of actions being undertaken by the Home Office and the police to ensure that police vetting is fit for purpose, that officers who fall short of the standards expected of them are identified and dealt with appropriately, and that concerns around policing cultures are being addressed to rebuild public confidence.

On Monday 27 February I convened a roundtable with senior leaders from across the policing sector to review progress on these commitments and to ensure that activity is being co-ordinated to drive up police standards and improve culture.

In relation to police vetting, the Home Secretary has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Fire & Rescue Services to undertake a rapid review of progress being made against the 43 recommendations in their 2 November 2022 assessment of police vetting and counter-corruption capability. The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) are co-ordinating the forces’ responses to the Inspectorate’s report and, at the roundtable, reported significant progress in implementing a suite of changes to ensure that police vetting is more robust and consistent. HMICFRS will publish its rapid review in April.

In addition, the Home Secretary asked the College of Policing to refresh its statutory vetting code of practice to strengthen legal obligations on Chief Officers and provide clarity to forces across England and Wales. The College has published the revised statutory code yesterday for a three-week public consultation (available on the College of Policing’s website). Following consideration of that feedback and Home Secretary approval, the revised Code will be in force by the summer. I also welcome the work being undertaken by the College of Policing to overhaul the police Code of Ethics which is expected to be published for public consultation next month.

Across police forces, significant activity is underway to identify individuals who fall short of the high standards the public expect of them and to deal with those individuals appropriately. This includes the work being co-ordinated by the NPCC, under the leadership of Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, to check all police officers and staff against the Police National Database (PND) to ensure that no actionable intelligence in relation to potential police misconduct or criminality has been missed.

As of this date, all force HR records have been prepared for the datawash which will conclude by the end of March, cross-checking over 326,000 officers and staff against relevant PND records. Forces will then interrogate this data and take action to investigate where necessary.

Where officers are found to have potentially breached standards of professional behaviour, it is of vital importance that those who are not fit to serve the public are swiftly dismissed. On 18 January, the Home Office launched a review of the effectiveness of the police dismissal process to determine how improvements can be made. The call for evidence has now ended and the Home Office have received submissions from a wide range of stakeholders. These will now be analysed, with the output from a new data collection, to inform proposals for change. This work will be complete by the end of April and the Government is committed to implementing reforms, including via legislation, as soon as practicable thereafter.

Alongside this, it is essential for public confidence in policing that we have an effective independent process for investigating the most serious complaints about the police. That is why, I am announcing today the start of an independent review of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) led by Dr. Gillian Fairfield (Chair of the Disclosure and Barring Service), whom the Home Secretary has charged with considering the IOPC’s effectiveness, efficiency, governance and accountability. The review’s remit is tightly defined to avoid infringing upon or impacting ongoing investigations, which are rightly independent from government, the police and complainants. A summary of the review’s terms of reference will be published on GOV.UK and a copy will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Dr Fairfield has been asked to submit her final report and recommendations for internal review in Autumn 2023. I shall inform the House of the outcome of the Review at its conclusion and a summary of its key findings will subsequently be published.

As well as driving up standards in police vetting and dealing with misconduct, the Home Secretary has been clear that policing needs to address the root causes of poor, and in some cases toxic, cultures. This will be a key focus of Part 2 of the independent Angiolini Inquiry that was established in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard to understand how a serving police officer was able to carry out such a horrendous crime. Part 2, which will look at broader issues for policing, will start later this spring, following a public consultation on the Terms of Reference that ended last week. The Inquiry will also look at the appalling case of David Carrick, in terms of reference published on 7 February 2023.

The Government and our policing partners are determined to deliver on these commitments to help rebuild confidence and trust in policing. This is what the public expect and the decent, hard-working majority of officers deserve. I will update the National Policing Board, chaired by the Home Secretary, on the 8 March on progress and provide the House with updates in due course.

Answering body: Home Office

It is crucial that the public have trust and confidence in the police and expect them to fight crime, keep us safe and carry out their duties to the highest professional standards

In the wake of the shocking murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer, the Government established the Angiolini Inquiry. The draft terms of reference for Part 2 were published on 18 January and a formal consultation was launched on 27 January. This part of the Inquiry will include an examination of vetting and recruitment processes to identify those not fit to serve, as well as investigate the extent to which misogyny and predatory behaviour exist in police culture

The Government has recently asked the College of Policing to strengthen the statutory code of practice for vetting, making the obligations all forces must legally follow stricter and clearer

In addition, on 17 January the Home Secretary launched a review into the process of police officer dismissals, ensuring that the system is fair and effective at removing those officers who are not fit to serve. The Terms of Reference for this review have now been published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-officer-dismissals-review-terms-of-reference

Answering body: Home Office

The Government remains determined to tackle misogyny in the police. That is why His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) was tasked with reviewing vetting and counter-corruption arrangements in policing across England and Wales looking in particular at what forces are doing to identify and deal with misogynistic behaviour.

The inspectorate’s findings were published on 2 November and whilst we welcome the report’s conclusion that culture is improving, the findings about adverse attitudes towards women are unacceptable and we expect all forces to take action in response as a matter of urgency.

We also expect the second part of the Angiolini Inquiry to further examine some of the issues raised by the inspectorate related to policing and the safety of women.

Answering body: Home Office

I today lay before the House of Commons a Departmental Minute giving notice of a contingent liability for the issuing of an indemnity with respect to the work of the Angiolini Inquiry.

The proposed indemnity will cover Dame Elish Angiolini as Chair of the Angiolini Inquiry, current and former members of the Angiolini Inquiry and any individual engaged at any time to aid the Inquiry, against any legal costs, personal civil liability, actions, or damages related to the execution of their duties, or for any act done or omission made in good faith in the execution of their duties, including in relation to any Inquiry report/s or other published document/s.

This indemnity applies only to acts done or omissions made honestly and in good faith during the course of the Inquiry, from its establishment on 31 January 2022 until the final reports are published by the Home Secretary and all of the closure work of the Inquiry is concluded. The indemnity excludes personal criminal liability, negligence or reckless acts.

The indemnity is subject to the proviso that any liability which is to any extent met by insurers on the beneficiary of this indemnity, or for which reimbursement is made to any extent by such insurers, shall in that event and to that extent no longer be the subject of the indemnity and (if previously met or reimbursed by the Government) shall to that extent be refunded by the beneficiary to the Government.

Her Majesty’s Treasury has approved the contingent liability in principle. The National Audit Office has been consulted on the proposal.

Answering body: Home Office

My rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Priti Patel) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

I today lay before the House of Commons a Departmental Minute giving notice of a contingent liability for the issuing of an indemnity with respect to the work of the Angiolini Inquiry.

The proposed indemnity will cover Dame Elish Angiolini as Chair of the Angiolini Inquiry, current and former members of the Angiolini Inquiry and any individual engaged at any time to aid the Inquiry, against any legal costs, personal civil liability, actions, or damages related to the execution of their duties, or for any act done or omission made in good faith in the execution of their duties, including in relation to any Inquiry report/s or other published document/s.

This indemnity applies only to acts done or omissions made honestly and in good faith during the course of the Inquiry, from its establishment on 31 January 2022 until the final reports are published by the Home Secretary and all of the closure work of the Inquiry is concluded. The indemnity excludes personal criminal liability, negligence or reckless acts.

The indemnity is subject to the proviso that any liability which is to any extent met by insurers on the beneficiary of this indemnity, or for which reimbursement is made to any extent by such insurers, shall in that event and to that extent no longer be the subject of the indemnity and (if previously met or reimbursed by the Government) shall to that extent be refunded by the beneficiary to the Government.

Her Majesty’s Treasury has approved the contingent liability in principle. The National Audit Office has been consulted on the proposal.

Answering body: Home Office

A response was sent by the Minister of State for Crime and Policing on 4 November 2021.

Answering body: Home Office

Today I am updating Parliament on Home Office delivery since my statement of 16 December 2021. The Department is committed to delivering better outcomes for the public and will continue to work to deliver a safer, fairer and more prosperous United Kingdom.

The Home Office’s humanitarian response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and our delivery of robust Economic Crime measures

I am working with the Ukrainian Government and international partners to hold Putin to account and support the brave people of Ukraine.

The Government launched two humanitarian schemes to provide a safe route for Ukrainians who want to come to the UK, quickly standing up the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. We streamlined the process to allow Ukrainians with valid passports to apply purely online and continue to work with partners to ensure that Ukrainians arriving here can access the right support.

The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act provides greater powers to sanction oligarchs and businesses associated with the Russian Government. The Government has brought forth an additional 428 sanction designations since Royal Assent on 15 March. The legislation also introduces a new Register of Overseas Entities, requiring those behind foreign companies which own UK property to reveal their identities, and strengthens the Unexplained Wealth Orders regime.

The Oligarch Taskforce is helping build cases against its list of oligarchs. Internationally, we are clamping down on sanctions evasion across jurisdictions through the Russian Elites, Proxies and Oligarchs international taskforce. The National Crime Agency’s ‘Combating Kleptocracy Unit’ is providing operational capability to target corrupt elites as well as the professional enablers of these corrupt elites and support criminal cross-HMG sanctions delivery and enforcement.

Reducing Crime

We are focused on delivering our Beating Crime Plan, making Britain safer with less crime, fewer victims and safer streets.

As of 31 December 2021, we have recruited over 11,000 police officers, against our target of 20,000 by March 2023.

Our work on serious violence has provided services to those communities most affected. We launched round four of the Safer Streets Fund which directs funding to projects tackling acquisitive crime, anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls. We’re making progress on our work to tackle violence against women and girls; we’ve published our Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, published the first ever stand-alone Domestic Abuse Plan and launched the “Enough” communications campaign which highlights the action people can take to safely challenge violence against women and girls.

The Angiolini Inquiry, set up to better understand how a serving police officer was able to abduct, rape and murder Sarah Everard and ensure that lessons for policing are identified and learned, started work in January 2022. The independent inquiry to investigate the death of Dawn Sturgess was formally established on 17 March 2022.

Reducing the risk from terrorism to the UK & UK interests overseas, securing a safe and prosperous UK

In February, the threat to the UK from terrorism was reduced to substantial down from severe. Whilst positive, the security landscape remains complex, volatile and unpredictable as the attack outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital and the killing of Sir David Amess sadly reminds us. The Home Office continues in its efforts, working with operational partners, to build improvements into the UK’s counter-terrorism response.

Enabling the legitimate movement of people and goods to support economic prosperity

Since launching the points-based immigration system, we have continued to attract worldwide talent and skills whilst encouraging business to invest in British people. Latest statistics show the number of visas issued across work and study routes is now exceeding pre-pandemic levels (677,000 in 2021).

We will in the coming period implement the Plan for Growth measures, including the launch of the new Global Business Mobility routes, High Potential Individual route and Scale-up route, which support inward trade and investment and provide UK businesses access to a more flexible pool of highly-skilled workers.

Alongside new routes, we expanded capability for a fully digital application process in December 2021, improving our ability to re-use and re-check biometrics, allowing more people to benefit from a fully digital journey.

We have supported the care sector to boost their workforce by expanding eligibility for the Health and Social Care Visa to include health care assistants.

I announced a joint National Crime Agency and leading social media companies Action Plan to foster greater collaboration against crime groups that use online platforms to advertise illegal migration services; relevant illegal online content is already being removed.

Tackling illegal migration, removing those with no right to be here, and protecting the vulnerable

The Home Office is working to deliver a fair but firm system to ensure that we can better support those in genuine need of asylum, deter illegal migration, break the business model of criminal smuggling networks and remove from the UK those with no right to be here.

Last year, I launched and consulted on my New Plan for Immigration and introduced the Nationality and Borders Bill, which is advancing through Parliament on its path to Royal Assent.

The Bill will reset the legislative framework to meet objectives including the reduction of small boat crossings and deterring illegal entry into the UK. It incorporates tougher criminal offences for those attempting to enter the UK illegally by introducing a suite of asylum reforms and expedited processes to allow rapid removal of those with no right to be here.

We have worked with France to dismantle 21 small boat organised criminal groups and secured over 500 arrests. Our joint activity with France prevented more than 23,000 crossings in 2021. Over 4,500 crossings have already been prevented in 2022, nearly three times the number to this point in 2021.

I signed landmark agreements with Serbia and Albania to return those nationals who have no legal right to be in the UK.

Our new and bespoke Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) opened on 6 January. This is one of the most ambitious resettlement schemes in British history. The first people to be resettled under the scheme included some of the c.15,000 people who arrived in the UK under Operation Pitting – the largest humanitarian aid operation since the Second World War – which prioritised those at particular risk, including women’s rights activists, prosecutors, and journalists.

Windrush

Our commitment to righting the wrongs done to the Windrush Generation has not faltered. The Windrush Lessons Learned Review – Progress Update was published today. There is still more to do, but I am proud of our achievements and will ensure we can make the Home Office an even better place, serving the public with compassion, respect, collaboration and courage at the heart of everything it does.

Answering body: Home Office

My rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Priti Patel) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

Today I am updating Parliament on Home Office delivery since my statement of 16 December 2021. The Department is committed to delivering better outcomes for the public and will continue to work to deliver a safer, fairer and more prosperous United Kingdom.

The Home Office’s humanitarian response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and our delivery of robust Economic Crime measures

I am working with the Ukrainian Government and international partners to hold Putin to account and support the brave people of Ukraine.

The Government launched two humanitarian schemes to provide a safe route for Ukrainians who want to come to the UK, quickly standing up the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. We streamlined the process to allow Ukrainians with valid passports to apply purely online and continue to work with partners to ensure that Ukrainians arriving here can access the right support.

The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act provides greater powers to sanction oligarchs and businesses associated with the Russian Government. The Government has brought forth an additional 428 sanction designations since Royal Assent on 15 March. The legislation also introduces a new Register of Overseas Entities, requiring those behind foreign companies which own UK property to reveal their identities, and strengthens the Unexplained Wealth Orders regime.

The Oligarch Taskforce is helping build cases against its list of oligarchs. Internationally, we are clamping down on sanctions evasion across jurisdictions through the Russian Elites, Proxies and Oligarchs international taskforce. The National Crime Agency’s ‘Combating Kleptocracy Unit’ is providing operational capability to target corrupt elites as well as the professional enablers of these corrupt elites and support criminal cross-HMG sanctions delivery and enforcement.

Reducing Crime

We are focused on delivering our Beating Crime Plan, making Britain safer with less crime, fewer victims and safer streets.

As of 31 December 2021, we have recruited over 11,000 police officers, against our target of 20,000 by March 2023.

Our work on serious violence has provided services to those communities most affected. We launched round four of the Safer Streets Fund which directs funding to projects tackling acquisitive crime, anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls. We’re making progress on our work to tackle violence against women and girls; we’ve published our Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, published the first ever stand-alone Domestic Abuse Plan and launched the “Enough” communications campaign which highlights the action people can take to safely challenge violence against women and girls.

The Angiolini Inquiry, set up to better understand how a serving police officer was able to abduct, rape and murder Sarah Everard and ensure that lessons for policing are identified and learned, started work in January 2022. The independent inquiry to investigate the death of Dawn Sturgess was formally established on 17 March 2022.

Reducing the risk from terrorism to the UK & UK interests overseas, securing a safe and prosperous UK

In February, the threat to the UK from terrorism was reduced to substantial down from severe. Whilst positive, the security landscape remains complex, volatile and unpredictable as the attack outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital and the killing of Sir David Amess sadly reminds us. The Home Office continues in its efforts, working with operational partners, to build improvements into the UK’s counter-terrorism response.

Enabling the legitimate movement of people and goods to support economic prosperity

Since launching the points-based immigration system, we have continued to attract worldwide talent and skills whilst encouraging business to invest in British people. Latest statistics show the number of visas issued across work and study routes is now exceeding pre-pandemic levels (677,000 in 2021).

We will in the coming period implement the Plan for Growth measures, including the launch of the new Global Business Mobility routes, High Potential Individual route and Scale-up route, which support inward trade and investment and provide UK businesses access to a more flexible pool of highly-skilled workers.

Alongside new routes, we expanded capability for a fully digital application process in December 2021, improving our ability to re-use and re-check biometrics, allowing more people to benefit from a fully digital journey.

We have supported the care sector to boost their workforce by expanding eligibility for the Health and Social Care Visa to include health care assistants.

I announced a joint National Crime Agency and leading social media companies Action Plan to foster greater collaboration against crime groups that use online platforms to advertise illegal migration services; relevant illegal online content is already being removed.

Tackling illegal migration, removing those with no right to be here, and protecting the vulnerable

The Home Office is working to deliver a fair but firm system to ensure that we can better support those in genuine need of asylum, deter illegal migration, break the business model of criminal smuggling networks and remove from the UK those with no right to be here.

Last year, I launched and consulted on my New Plan for Immigration and introduced the Nationality and Borders Bill, which is advancing through Parliament on its path to Royal Assent.

The Bill will reset the legislative framework to meet objectives including the reduction of small boat crossings and deterring illegal entry into the UK. It incorporates tougher criminal offences for those attempting to enter the UK illegally by introducing a suite of asylum reforms and expedited processes to allow rapid removal of those with no right to be here.

We have worked with France to dismantle 21 small boat organised criminal groups and secured over 500 arrests. Our joint activity with France prevented more than 23,000 crossings in 2021. Over 4,500 crossings have already been prevented in 2022, nearly three times the number to this point in 2021.

I signed landmark agreements with Serbia and Albania to return those nationals who have no legal right to be in the UK.

Our new and bespoke Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) opened on 6 January. This is one of the most ambitious resettlement schemes in British history. The first people to be resettled under the scheme included some of the c.15,000 people who arrived in the UK under Operation Pitting – the largest humanitarian aid operation since the Second World War – which prioritised those at particular risk, including women’s rights activists, prosecutors, and journalists.

Windrush

Our commitment to righting the wrongs done to the Windrush Generation has not faltered. The Windrush Lessons Learned Review – Progress Update was published today. There is still more to do, but I am proud of our achievements and will ensure we can make the Home Office an even better place, serving the public with compassion, respect, collaboration and courage at the heart of everything it does.

Answering body: Home Office

The Home Secretary was appalled to learn of the behaviour of Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers following publication of the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s (IOPC) investigation report on Operation Hotton.

Being a police officer is a privilege which has been abused by these officers, and standards must be raised. The Home Secretary met the MPS Commissioner to discuss her concerns about the IOPC’s findings, and expects the MPS and the Mayor of London to implement the 15 recommendations of the report as soon as practically possible.

The Home Secretary has also asked the independent policing inspectorate, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), to review vetting and counter-corruption arrangements in policing across England and Wales – looking in particular at what forces are doing to identify and deal with misogynistic and predatory behaviour.

This work is underway – and it is anticipated that HMICFRS will publish a report before the summer – providing part of the evidence base informing Phase 2 of the Angiolini Inquiry.

Answering body: Home Office

As the Home Secretary said in her statement to the House on 22 November 2021 when announcing the appointment of Rt Hon Dame Elish Angiolini QC as Chair of the inquiry, she will not rule out converting it to a statutory footing should Dame Elish feel that she is unable to fulfil the terms of reference on a non-statutory basis.

Any such decision would only be taken after discussion with Dame Elish, taking into account official advice, and the House would be informed accordingly.

Answering body: Home Office

As the Home Secretary said in her statement to the House on 22 November 2021 when announcing the appointment of Rt Hon Dame Elish Angiolini QC as Chair of the inquiry, she will not rule out converting it to a statutory footing should Dame Elish feel that she is unable to fulfil the terms of reference on a non-statutory basis.

Any such decision would only be taken after discussion with Dame Elish, taking into account official advice, and the House would be informed accordingly.

Answering body: Home Office

As the Home Secretary said in her statement to the House on 22 November 2021 when announcing the appointment of Rt Hon Dame Elish Angiolini QC as Chair of the inquiry, she will not rule out converting it to a statutory footing should Dame Elish feel that she is unable to fulfil the terms of reference on a non-statutory basis.

Any such decision would only be taken after discussion with Dame Elish, taking into account official advice, and the House would be informed accordingly.

Answering body: Home Office

The Government is committed to do everything in its power to deliver improvements within policing and across the criminal justice system to secure confidence in the police and ultimately keep people safe.

As at 30 September 2021, the Metropolitan Police Service has recruited 2,070 additional officers and have been allocated a total of 2,713 additional officers for years one and two of the uplift combined. Preventative activity set out in the Beating Crime Plan is also vital to ensuring we create safer streets and neighbourhoods in London.

To provide assurance on progress made in counter-corruption, vetting and other areas of concern, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) are currently undertaking a thematic inspection into the MPS at the Home Secretary's request. HMICFRS have also agreed to look at lessons learned from the investigative failings in the Stephen Port case.

The establishment of the Angiolini Inquiry which will shine a light on the failings that allowed a serving police officer to abuse his power in such a horrific manner and make recommendations for change within policing.

The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report highlighted a number of recommendations across crime and policing earlier this year, including on improving trust and confidence by strengthening the systems of accountability and transparency. The Government will respond to these recommendations shortly.

Answering body: Home Office

The Government is committed to do everything in its power to deliver improvements within policing and across the criminal justice system to improve women and girl’s confidence in the police and ultimately keep people safe. This includes the establishment of the Angiolini Inquiry which will shine a light on the failings that allowed a serving police officer to abuse his power in such a horrific manner and make recommendations for change within policing.

We have published a new Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, which outlines our plans for a national communications campaign with a focus on targeting perpetrators and harmful misogynistic attitudes, educating young people about healthy relationships and ensuring victims can access support.

We are also funding a National Policing Lead for Violence Against Women and Girls – Maggie Blyth. The HMICFRS inspection into the police response to VAWG crimes has shown that radical reform is needed. The role will include working with police forces and the Government to make sure action is taken in response to the inspectorate’s findings.

The Government will also be looking carefully at strengthening the system of local community scrutiny and the value and use of body-worn video, because transparency is vital.