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100451

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Refuges
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that there are sufficient women's refuges to meet demand.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	211433
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The Statistics requested are not centrally held.<br><br></p><p>Decisions on the provision of accommodation for victims of domestic abuse are for local authorities; we expect local authorities to commission services based on the needs of their communities, taking account of locally available data sources.</p><p> </p><p>The dynamics of domestic abuse mean that accommodation can play an important role in the resolution of interpersonal abuse and conflict. This is why the homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and for vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own.</p><p> </p><p>There is a range of support for victims of domestic abuse. Some victims will be accommodated in refuges, but Sanctuary Schemes and mainstream local authority accommodation may be an option for others, while some victims will pursue independent solutions with help and advice from support schemes as necessary.</p><p> </p><p>This Government has secured £6.5 billion investment to help vulnerable people through housing related support. This forms a key element of refuge funding through local authority commissioned services. We also fund UKRefugesOnline a UK wide database of domestic violence services which supports the national 24 hour free phone domestic violence helpline. This service enables those working with victims of domestic violence to identify appropriate services and potential refuge vacancies around the country so that victims can get the help they need as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p><p>This Government has ring-fenced nearly £40 million of funding for specialist local domestic and sexual violence support services until 2015. This funding is used to part-fund 54 multi-agency risk assessment conference co-ordinators and 144 independent domestic violence advisers. We have piloted and rolled out Clare's Law and domestic violence protection orders; extended the definition of domestic abuse to cover controlling behaviour and teenage relationships; run two successful campaigns to challenge perceptions of abuse; and placed Domestic Homicide Reviews on a statutory footing to make sure lessons are learned from individual tragedies.</p><p> </p><p>We are keeping this matter under review, and are keen to support best practice and greater joint working<em>. </em></p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 211434 211435 question first answered 28/10/2014 15:39:29 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

100452

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Refuges
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many women's refuges are operating in (a) Huddersfield, (b) Kirklees, (c) Yorkshire and (d) England.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	211434
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The Statistics requested are not centrally held.<br><br></p><p>Decisions on the provision of accommodation for victims of domestic abuse are for local authorities; we expect local authorities to commission services based on the needs of their communities, taking account of locally available data sources.</p><p> </p><p>The dynamics of domestic abuse mean that accommodation can play an important role in the resolution of interpersonal abuse and conflict. This is why the homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and for vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own.</p><p> </p><p>There is a range of support for victims of domestic abuse. Some victims will be accommodated in refuges, but Sanctuary Schemes and mainstream local authority accommodation may be an option for others, while some victims will pursue independent solutions with help and advice from support schemes as necessary.</p><p> </p><p>This Government has secured £6.5 billion investment to help vulnerable people through housing related support. This forms a key element of refuge funding through local authority commissioned services. We also fund UKRefugesOnline a UK wide database of domestic violence services which supports the national 24 hour free phone domestic violence helpline. This service enables those working with victims of domestic violence to identify appropriate services and potential refuge vacancies around the country so that victims can get the help they need as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p><p>This Government has ring-fenced nearly £40 million of funding for specialist local domestic and sexual violence support services until 2015. This funding is used to part-fund 54 multi-agency risk assessment conference co-ordinators and 144 independent domestic violence advisers. We have piloted and rolled out Clare's Law and domestic violence protection orders; extended the definition of domestic abuse to cover controlling behaviour and teenage relationships; run two successful campaigns to challenge perceptions of abuse; and placed Domestic Homicide Reviews on a statutory footing to make sure lessons are learned from individual tragedies.</p><p> </p><p>We are keeping this matter under review, and are keen to support best practice and greater joint working<em>. </em></p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 211433 211435 question first answered 28/10/2014 15:39:30 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

100453

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2014 to Question 203287, on asylum, if she will make it her policy to apply the six-month service standard to all claims received before April 2014; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	211420
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need it, and the Government is committed to effectively managing its asylum caseload. <br><br>It remains our aim to decide straightforward claims made before April 2014 by 31 March 2015. There will always be some cases where further information is required or that are too complex to decide within defined timescales.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire question first answered 28/10/2014 14:18:59 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

100457

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Bail
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the number of people in England and Wales who are on police bail but have not been charged.
tabling member constituency	Christchurch
tabling member printed	Mr Christopher Chope
uin	211617
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>Figures on the number of individuals on pre-charge police bail are not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. There is <br>therefore no basis on which to produce a reliable estimate.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 29/10/2014 11:24:20 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning previous answer version 24325 answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	242 label Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope

100458

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Police: Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the change in the number of front-line police jobs in Wales since May 2010.
tabling member constituency	Islwyn
tabling member printed	Chris Evans
uin	211550
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>Table 1 contains statistics on the number of operational frontline police officers, police staff and police community support officers in Wales as at 31 March 2010 and 31 March 2014, as well as the change between the periods.<br><br>Table 2 shows that over the same period, police recorded crime (excluding fraud) has fallen by 21% in Wales.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 29/10/2014 11:14:12 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning attachment 1 file name tables for PQ211550.xlsx title Tables 1 & Table 2 - Frontline police jobs
tabling member	4040 label Biography information for Chris Evans

100477

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Stalking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been charged under the provisions of section 4a of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 since 25 November 2012.
tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
uin	211469
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd on 23<sup>rd</sup> October 2014 (questions, 211141, 211143 and 211144). The previous answer included tables detailing the number of offences charged under Sections 4A(1)(a)(b)(i), Sections 4A(1)(a)(b)(ii) and 2A(1) of the 1997 Act broken down by each police force in England and Wales.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Mr Robert Buckland question first answered 27/10/2014 17:36:47 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

100478

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Stalking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints of stalking were recorded by the police in England and Wales in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
uin	211470
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2014 answer text <p>The Home Office collects data on the number of crimes recorded by the police but not how many complaints the police receive. <br><br>Prior to 1 April 2014, offences relating to stalking recorded by the police were included in the offence classification of harassment and could not be identified separately. From the 1 April 2014 these offences have been supplied <br>to the Home Office as a separate classification of stalking. Therefore data are only available for the months April to June 2014, when the police recorded 695 offences. They are published in the quarterly Office for National Statistics publication of ‘Crime in England and Wales’. <br><br><br>The most recent data are available in table A4 in this link: <a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-june-2014/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-june-2014/index.html</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hornsey and Wood Green answering member printed Lynne Featherstone question first answered 26/11/2014 15:20:30 answering member 1531 label Biography information for Baroness Featherstone
tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

100481

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Stalking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the effects of section 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
tabling member constituency	Mid Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Nadine Dorries
uin	211541
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2014 answer text <p>The College of Policing sets standards and provides relevant training products and services to police forces. This includes a College of Policing training package on stalking, which was completed 56,748 times between October 2012 and 30 September 2014 by police officers and staff in England and Wales, and continues to be available.<br><br>Neither the College of Policing nor the Home Office holds information which breaks this figure down by the number of police officers and staff in England and Wales that have completed the training.<br><br>In 2013-14, 743 prosecutions were commenced under the new stalking legislation. This is a significant increase from 2012-13 and shows that the legislation is taking effect. <br><br>We are also working with the police and Crown Prosecution Service to raise awareness and improve professional knowledge. <br><br>To ensure prosecutors’ knowledge is continuously refreshed, in April 2014, the CPS launched a specific e-learning module on stalking which focused on victim support, working with the police and ensuring a strong case is built from the start. The College of Policing is also undertaking a review of how stalking incidents are investigated by the police. This will include how the police understand what constitutes a course of conduct in policing, how the police support victims, and further training on the appropriate use of Police Information Notices.<br><br>Since April 2014, offences of stalking and harassment are being reported separately in Police Recorded Crime figures. This will allow us to monitor the impact of the legislation more effectively. <br><br>Convicted stalkers will already be captured on the Police National Computer. We are working to make better use of existing databases and improve connectivity and information sharing rather than creating new databases or registers for each and every offence.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker grouped question UIN 211539 211543 question first answered 31/10/2014 15:06:20 answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker
tabling member	1481 label Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries

100482

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Stalking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to introduce a register for serial stalkers.
tabling member constituency	Mid Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Nadine Dorries
uin	211543
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2014 answer text <p>The College of Policing sets standards and provides relevant training products and services to police forces. This includes a College of Policing training package on stalking, which was completed 56,748 times between October 2012 and 30 September 2014 by police officers and staff in England and Wales, and continues to be available.<br><br>Neither the College of Policing nor the Home Office holds information which breaks this figure down by the number of police officers and staff in England and Wales that have completed the training.<br><br>In 2013-14, 743 prosecutions were commenced under the new stalking legislation. This is a significant increase from 2012-13 and shows that the legislation is taking effect. <br><br>We are also working with the police and Crown Prosecution Service to raise awareness and improve professional knowledge. <br><br>To ensure prosecutors’ knowledge is continuously refreshed, in April 2014, the CPS launched a specific e-learning module on stalking which focused on victim support, working with the police and ensuring a strong case is built from the start. The College of Policing is also undertaking a review of how stalking incidents are investigated by the police. This will include how the police understand what constitutes a course of conduct in policing, how the police support victims, and further training on the appropriate use of Police Information Notices.<br><br>Since April 2014, offences of stalking and harassment are being reported separately in Police Recorded Crime figures. This will allow us to monitor the impact of the legislation more effectively. <br><br>Convicted stalkers will already be captured on the Police National Computer. We are working to make better use of existing databases and improve connectivity and information sharing rather than creating new databases or registers for each and every offence.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker grouped question UIN 211539 211541 question first answered 31/10/2014 15:06:20 answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker
tabling member	1481 label Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries

100490

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Stalking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted under the provisions of section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997; and how many such people received a custodial sentence.
tabling member constituency	Mid Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Nadine Dorries
uin	211536
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The stalking offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, sections 2A (stalking) and 4A (stalking involving fear of violence or serious alarm or distress), have been available from 25 November 2012. The section 2A offence has a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and/or a fine, and the section 4A offence has a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment.</p><p> </p><p>The number of people convicted under sections 2A and 4A in 2012 and 2013 and those receiving custodial sentence can be viewed at the table below.</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><p><em>Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts of offences under Sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, England and Wales, 2012 to 2013<sup>1,2,3</sup></em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><em>Section of Act</em></p></td><td><p><em>Outcome</em></p></td><td><p><em>2012</em></p></td><td><p><em>2013</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Section 2A<sup>4</sup></p></td><td><p>Proceeded against</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>293</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Found guilty</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>196</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Sentenced</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>192</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><em>Of which:</em></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Immediate custody</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>35</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><em>Of which:</em></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>up to 12 months</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>35</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>12 to 24 months</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>over 24 months</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Section 4A<sup>5</sup></p></td><td><p>Proceeded against</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>154</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Found guilty</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>53</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Sentenced</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>42</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><em>Of which:</em></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Immediate custody</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><em>Of which:</em></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>up to 12 months</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>10</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>12 to 24 months</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>over 24 months</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="4"><p><sup>1</sup> The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. <sup>2</sup> Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. <sup>3</sup> The number of offenders sentenced can differ from those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty in a particular year, and committed for sentence at the Crown Court, may be sentenced in the following year. <sup>4</sup> Pursue course of conduct in breach of S.1(1) of the Act which amounts to stalking. <sup>5</sup> Stalking involving fear of violence or serious alarm and distress. <em>Note:</em> Offences introduced 25 November 2012. <em>Source:</em> Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara grouped question UIN 211535 question first answered 03/11/2014 16:04:05 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	1481 label Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries