Stop and search is a vital policing tool when used correctly and officers have the Government's full support to use these powers in a way that is fair, lawful and effective.<\/p>
The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 created a new offence of possessing a corrosive substance in a public place. The Act also created a complementary stop and search power to ensure officers are able to enforce this new offence and tackle these devastating crimes effectively.<\/p>
The Act received Royal Assent on 16 May and we are working to the bring this new power into force by the Autumn.<\/p>
We are also supporting police with additional funding. On 13 March the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £100 million fund to tackle serious violence. £63.4 million of this funding has already been allocated to 18 police forces worst affected by serious violence to support surge operational activity, such as increased patrols.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1561", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Nick Hurd"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-27T15:56:06.493Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Crimes of Violence: Acids"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to increase the rate of stop and search policing in response to the increase in acid attacks.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1447", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Rosindell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Rosindell"} ], "uin" : "267224"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1108892", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Attorney General"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1108892/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions and I have participated in discussions on delivering the Government\u2019s Serious Violence Strategy, including tackling acid attacks effectively. We will also both be involved with the Prime Minister\u2019s new Serious Violence Strategy Implementation Taskforce. The CPS continues to successfully bring these horrendous crimes to justice. Where there is sufficient evidence to prosecute, there is a strong public interest in doing so.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4106", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Swindon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robert Buckland"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-04-09T13:26:19.303Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "88"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Crimes of Violence: Acids"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions he has had with the CPS on the effectiveness of prosecutions in cases involving acid attacks.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1447", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Rosindell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Rosindell"} ], "uin" : "239334"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1078717", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1078717/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
As set out in the Serious Violence Strategy, the Government is taking a range of action to support the police and others to prevent acid attacks. This is based on the action plan announced in July 2017 which is focused on ensuring effective support to victims and survivors, supporting effective policing, ensuring that the legislation is understood and consistently applied, and restricting access to acids and other harmful corrosive products.<\/p>
We are working with the National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council on delivery to ensure that the policing response is effective to prevent attacks from happening in the first place, but also in providing support to victims where they do. The National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council has developed appropriate training for officers, including first responder training, specialist investigative guidance to help police officers understand how to safely recover and handle any evidence at the scene and the evidence required to build a case for prosecution.<\/p>
We are also strengthening the powers available to the police through the Offensive Weapons Bill which is currently passing through Parliament. The Bill includes legislative measures on stopping the sale and delivery of corrosive products to under 18s and making it an offence to possess a corrosive substance in a public place.<\/p>
Alongside this, the Home Secretary announced on 20 February 2019 that we will be extending stop and search powers for corrosive substances to allow the police to be able to enforce the new possession offence effectively.
We are also working with the Government\u2019s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory to develop corrosive testing kits for the police to support them in situations where they believe that a suspect is carrying a corrosive substance in public.<\/p>
In addition, the Government has commissioned the University of Leicester to examine what motivates offenders to carry and use acid and other corrosive substances in violent attacks. The research findings are expected to be available later this year, and these will help to inform further preventative and enforcement responses.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4399", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Victoria Atkins"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Louth and Horncastle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Victoria Atkins"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-03-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-03-12T17:02:59.233Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-02-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Crimes of Violence: Acids"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to support police officers to reduce the number of acid attacks.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1447", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Rosindell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Rosindell"} ], "uin" : "226598"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1055367", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1055367/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Home Office does not hold the information requested and does not currently collect data from police forces on acid and other corrosive attacks as part of its regular data collection. It has been estimated from a previous voluntary data collection commissioned by the National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council covering the period October to December 2017 that there are around 800 corrosive attacks per annum in England and Wales.<\/p>
We have been working with the National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council on improving recording and will be collecting data on corrosive attacks as part of the Annual Data Requirement on police forces from April 2019 onwards. Data will be published in the future as part of the Office for National Statistics\u2019 quarterly crime statistics.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4399", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Victoria Atkins"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Louth and Horncastle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Victoria Atkins"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-02-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-02-13T16:39:47.21Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-02-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Crimes of Violence: Acids"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offences involving acid attacks have been committed in (a) London and (b) Havering Borough in each year since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1447", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Rosindell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Rosindell"} ], "uin" : "216997"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/947056", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/947056/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
As set out in the Serious Violence Strategy, the Government is taking a range of action to prevent acid attacks. This is based on the action plan announced in July 2017 which detailed four key strands: ensuring effective support for victims and survivors; supporting effective policing; ensuring relevant legislation is understood and consistently applied; and working with retailers to restrict access to acids and other harmful corrosive substances. This is being delivered and includes guidance and support to police officers on how best to prevent such attacks but also how to respond to a victim of an acid attack.<\/p>
The Government has also introduced the Offensive Weapons Bill which includes new measures on stopping the sale of corrosive products to under 18s, and making it an offence to possess a corrosive substance in a public place without good reason. This new possession offence will make it easier for the police to take action if they stop someone carrying acid as they will no longer need to prove that the person carrying the substance is intending to cause an injury with it.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4399", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Victoria Atkins"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Louth and Horncastle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Victoria Atkins"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-07T18:47:13.91Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Crimes of Violence: Acids"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps he is taking to prevent acid attacks in London.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1447", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Rosindell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Rosindell"} ], "uin" : "167204"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 5, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }