Extracts from Commons proceedings: Police and Crime Commissioners - Mar 27
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Extract from Urgent Question (Commons) on Oil Spill: Poole Harbour
Kit Malthouse (North West Hampshire) (Con): As a number of
Members have said, not least my hon. Friend the Member for South
Dorset (Richard Drax), the Dorset coast forms part of an incredibly
fragile ecosystem across much of the south coast. Part of its
fragility and uniqueness is because it is fed by a network of chalk
streams—80% of the world’s chalk streams are in our part of the
world. In...Request free trial
Extract from Urgent Question (Commons) on Oil Spill: Poole Harbour
Kit
Malthouse (North West Hampshire) (Con): As a number of
Members have said, not least my hon. Friend the Member for South
Dorset (Richard Drax), the Dorset coast forms part
of an incredibly fragile ecosystem across much of the south
coast. Part of its fragility and uniqueness is because it is fed
by a network of chalk streams—80% of the world’s chalk streams
are in our part of the world. In January, the River Anton, which
flows through my constituency, saw a not dissimilar spill of
30,000 litres of oil. I commend the Environment Agency for its
swift response: it tells me that it has recovered about 17,000
litres and that work is under way to recover the rest. Although
there will be an investigation into the cause of the spill and
any culpability, which may have consequences, where does
accountability and transparency lie in the Environment Agency for
the conduct of the investigation? Police and
Crime Commissioners are accountable to police and
crime panels for the work of the police, but the system for the
Environment Agency is more opaque. How can my constituents have
confidence that any investigation is conducted with alacrity and
that culpability is apportioned appropriately? Extracts from Commons statement on Antisocial Behaviour Action Plan The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Suella Braverman):...Our antisocial behaviour action plan will give Police and Crime Commissioners local authorities and other agencies the tools to stamp out antisocial behaviour across England and Wales. It targets the callous and careless few whose actions ruin the public spaces and amenities on which the law-abiding majority depend. Our plan outlines a radical new approach to tackling antisocial behaviour, and it is split across four key areas... ...The shadow Home Secretary wants to talk about safer streets. Well, let us compare our records. Since 2019, this Conservative Government have removed 90,000 knives and weapons from our streets. Since 2010, violence is down 38%, neighbourhood crime is down 48%, burglary is down 56%, and overall crime, excluding fraud, is down 50%. What does Labour’s record show? That where Labour leads, crime follows. [Interruption.] I know it hurts, but it is true. Under Labour Police and Crime Commissioners residents are almost twice as likely to be victims of robbery, and knife crime is over 44% higher. In London, Labour’s Sadiq Khan wants to legalise cannabis. In the west midlands, a Labour PCC wants to close police stations. Labour opposed plans to expand stop and search. Labour Members voted against tougher sentences for serious criminals. They voted against the increased powers for police in our Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. So we should not be surprised that, while this Conservative Government are working to get violent criminals off our streets, Labour is campaigning to release them. The Leader of the Opposition and some 70-odd Labour MPs signed letters—they love signing letters—to stop dangerous foreign criminals from being kicked out of Britain. One of those criminals went on to kill another man in the UK, and we learned this week that many others went on to commit further appalling crimes in the UK. Shameful! Outrageous! Labour Members should hang their heads in shame!
Mary Glindon (North Tyneside)
(Lab): Any plan for dealing with antisocial behaviour must
include support for victims of antisocial behaviour.
While Police and Crime
Commissioners such as Kim McGuinness in Northumbria, are working
hard to tackle antisocial behaviour, they are prevented from
running dedicated victim support programmes, as there is no
Government funding. When will the Home Secretary provide this
important funding, so that victims of antisocial behaviour can
have some help?
Rachael Maskell (York Central)
(Lab/Co-op): Only after my right hon. Friend the Member for
Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) published her comprehensive
strategy on antisocial behaviour has the Home Secretary been
shamed into cobbling together today’s statement, but that
statement does not mention the word “alcohol”. Alcohol is at the
source of much domestic violence, community violence and city
centre antisocial behaviour, so how is she going to get on top of
the growth in alcohol-based violence? |
