Home Office

Noted (AI summary) The Health and Safety Executive explains the existing regulations around the purchase, licensing, and safety information for oxygen-free nitrogen products, stating that sector-specific legislation places obligations on actors within a supply chain to provide instructions and safety information that are clear, legible and in easily understandable English.

Noted (AI summary) The Ministry of Justice is working with the Home Office to prioritise commitments in the Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan, including investing over £230 million in tackling domestic abuse. They have also worked to improve probation staff awareness of MARAC and published a draft Victims Bill. The Home Office acknowledges the report and states that officials will provide a full response by the stated deadline. The Home Office highlights the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, its statutory guidance published in July 2022, and the cross-Government Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan published in March. The plan includes funding, model policies, training and awareness packages. The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Home Office on the Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan and will include measures to tackle domestic abuse in the national suicide prevention strategy. Integrated care boards are required to set out how they will address the needs of victims of abuse and NHS England is developing guidance to assist them.

Noted (AI summary) CTPHQ now has CT Nominal Management specialist trained officers who will attend all future CT MAPPA (Category 4) cases and are responsible for designing and delivering a risk management plan (RMP). West Midlands Police exceeds national guidance for visits to Registered Terrorist Offenders/Pathfinders. The Learning Together Network CIC states it cannot take steps on the recommendations as it did not employ staff or run partnerships, and will be dissolved in January 2022. The Office for Students will write to all registered higher education providers in England, making them aware of the report and asking them to consider changes to their approach to risk assessment of events, programmes, and information sharing. The College of Policing acknowledges the concerns raised and states its commitment to supporting other bodies in achieving improvements in terrorist offender management. They provide broader offender management training products and guidance and will work with partners to ensure they are updated. CTPHQ now has CT Nominal Management specialist trained officers who will attend all future CT MAPPA (Category 4) cases and are responsible for designing and delivering a risk management plan (RMP). West Midlands Police exceeds national guidance for visits to Registered Terrorist Offenders/Pathfinders and now feed this into the MAPPA panel. The government is legislating a new power of personal search through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, allowing police to stop and search terrorist offenders on license under certain circumstances. The University of Cambridge has created a new policy and guidance for staff and students working with people who have offended, and the Institute of Criminology has developed a Risk Assessment Form for all activities. The University has also stopped delivering the Learning Together programme. MoJ accepted recommendations relating to the Fishmongers' Hall attack. A new framework is being designed for Learning Together activity in prisons. Statutory guidance on MAPPA meetings will be strengthened, and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill includes a power for police to search terrorist offenders on licence. The Secretary of State will engage with the higher education sector to encourage action to implement the recommendations and officials have spoken to the Office for Students to encourage them to take action. Officials have also engaged with HMPPS to design a new framework to define roles and responsibilities of prisons and higher education providers.

Noted (AI summary) The Home Office acknowledges concerns about fire risks from hoarding but suggests a multi-agency approach is more appropriate than enforcement under the Fire Safety Order. They highlight the role of Safe and Well visits and safeguarding referrals.

Noted (AI summary) The Home Office acknowledges the concerns and outlines the police powers to deal with illegal raves, but states that decisions about deployment are operational matters for the police. They highlight funding to tackle drug supply, treatment services, and Project ADDER.

Noted (AI summary) The Royal Pharmaceutical Society acknowledges the concerns regarding prescription medicine misuse and highlights their role in promoting best practices, noting that the General Pharmaceutical Council regulates pharmacy. They suggest Public Health England and the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs should be aware of the report.

Noted (AI summary) The Trust has implemented an additional recommendation that discharge of Crisis Team service users due to non-engagement must be discussed in a multidisciplinary meeting with senior overview, and clearly communicated to relevant parties. Legal advice has been sought and guidance circulated to staff regarding potentially dangerous packages. Royal Mail asserts that their processes for handling restricted and prohibited items are adequate and appropriate, given the legal restrictions on interfering with postal packets. They state that they do not intend to take any action in response to the report. The MPS is developing a Suicide Prevention Policy Document and Toolkit. An investigative standards document is also under development as guidance for police first responders. The Department of Health and Social Care describes actions taken to limit the availability of chemicals used in suicides, including working with a chemical supplier to identify suppliers on online retail platforms and noting eBay's global prohibition of the sale of the chemical. It also notes work with the media to improve suicide reporting and the publication of an Online Harms White Paper. The Home Office is aiming to establish a consultation this summer on possible amendments to the Poisons Act, which will include more obligations on online marketplaces including reporting suspicious transactions within 24 hours.

Noted (AI summary) The City of London Police (CoLP) are working with partner agencies to test interoperability of communications and enhance training scenarios, including a 7 day live trial in February 2020 to station staff in the MPS control room, with a review in Autumn 2020, and are engaging with the MPS in ICCS and CAD upgrade projects, planning an interim solution until upgrades are complete. The BVRLA has worked with the DfT and law enforcement to prevent the use of rental vehicles in terrorist attacks, providing training, guidance and engagement opportunities to members, and has included additional criteria within member audits from Jan 2020 to monitor awareness, training and compliance against the Rental Vehicle Security Scheme. The LAS is planning a live trial for seven days in February 2020, with LAS and LFB staff based in the MPS control room, and will analyze the outcome and consider a recommendation for approval by Autumn 2020; it is also working with its emergency service partners and increased visibility of the HART and TRU teams. The Home Office acknowledges the coroner's concerns and provides context, stating that the issues raised are technical and will be considered by the police in collaboration with the Emergency Services Network programme. It also mentions ongoing work led by the National Police Chiefs' Council. The MPS is trialing a "London Emergency Services Contact Centre" with representatives from the LFB and LAS deployed within the Specialist Operations Room, with a table top exercise followed by a real-life 7-day trial planned for early 2020.

Noted (AI summary) Greater Manchester Combined Authority outlines its functions and relationship to policing, noting that the Chief Constable has operational independence. It acknowledges the need for a coordinated approach to car cruising across Greater Manchester and notes that developments are in train. The Home Office highlights the establishment of a national practitioners group for car cruising leads and states the National Police Chiefs' Council have also agreed to discuss car cruising at the next Roads Policing Intelligence Forum. The Home Office will continue to work closely with the police to improve the response to illegal activity at these events.