Correspondence

Crime and policing news update: July 2013

Published 26 July 2013

1. Alcohol strategy consultation response

On 17 July 2013, the government published its response to the recent consultation on delivering the alcohol strategy, which sets out the next steps to build on the work already achieved with partners.

The measures being taken forward include:

• A ban on sales of alcohol below the level of duty plus VAT to stop the worst cases of heavy discounting by retailers.
• Tougher action on irresponsible promotions in pubs and clubs and raising customer awareness of the availability of small servings.
• Supporting local action on alcohol-related harm, identifying a number of high harm alcohol action areas and taking action with them to strengthen partnerships; improve enforcement; and share good practice based on what works locally.
• A challenge to industry to take further action on alcohol-related harms including: improving education to promote safer drinking; reducing the availability of high strength products that cause the most harm for problem drinkers; and responsible marketing and product placement.

Read the consultation response.

2. Legal highs campaign – making young people aware of the dangers of drugs

From July to October 2013 the Home Office is running communications activity to raise awareness among young people of ‘legal highs’ and the harms and consequences of these drugs. Activity will be carefully targeted to those searching online for these drugs or looking to go to parties, club, and festivals where these drugs are often consumed. The activity will also include radio sponsorship, PR and partnership channels. The campaign will drive young people to the FRANK website to find out about the effects and risks of legal highs.

3. Drug driving: proposed regulations

In January this year, a new offence of driving with more than a specified amount of a specified controlled drug in the body was introduced as part of the Crime and Courts Act. The Department for Transport has launched a consultation on its proposals on the drugs to be covered by the new offence and what levels should be specified. The consultation closes on 17 September 2013, so ensure you have your say before then.

4. Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill completes commons committee stage

The Home Office Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill completed the commons committee stage on 16 July 2013. During the committee, the government undertook to consider:

• widening the scope of the Criminal Behaviour Order so that it can be used when the victim and offender live in the same household
• increasing the current two year maximum sentence for an aggregated offence under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
• extending police community support officers’ powers to allow them to issue a fixed penalty notice for cycling without lights on a highway and to search a person for drugs where the PCSO had reasonable grounds to suspect that the person was in possession of a controlled drug

The government also tabled a number of new clauses to the Bill which were agreed by the committee.

Read the amended Bill.

Further information on the Bill is available on the GOV.UK website.

5. Home Office and Ministry of Justice engagement events: transforming rehabilitation and integrated offender management

On 17 June 2013, the Home Office and Ministry of Justice hosted an event for colleagues from a range of agencies, to discuss the position of police and crime commissioners and integrated offender management within the reforms set out in the transforming rehabilitation strategy paper. Jeremy Wright, MP, Minister for Prisons and Rehabilitation gave a keynote address outlining the significant changes ahead in delivering transforming rehabilitation. This was followed by a question and answer session with the minister, who then facilitated themed discussions.

The Home Office is running a series of events in England and Wales with integrated offender management strategic leads and practitioners, to review the existing IOM key principles in the light of the government’s reform programme, including the election of police and crime commissioners and transforming rehabilitation.

We will be publishing reports on all of these events on GOV.UK shortly. For further information contact iom.info@homeoffice.gov.uk

6. Stop and search consultation

Earlier this month the Home Secretary announced the launch of a public consultation on the use of stop and search. The government wishes to seek views form the public, the police and interested parties and has published a consultation document and online survey to enable people and organisations to contribute.

The consultation looks at whether stop and search is used appropriately and fairly, and how it can be better targeted and more intelligence-led. It closes on 13 August 2013, so ensure you have your say before then.

7. Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme

The Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) will replace the communication service currently delivered by Airwave with a new national mobile communication service for all 3 emergency services, and other organisations that use Airwave. This will be called the Emergency Services Network (ESN). ESN will take advantage of the latest mobile technologies to provide a national critical voice and broadband data services. This is a cross-government programme hosted by the Home Office.

Find out more about the ESMCP.

8. News from the College of Policing

The College of Policing has recently launched its Integrity programme, to build on the existing standards of integrity in policing. The Code of Ethics is part of the first phase of the programme, and will be published in the autumn.

Find out more about this.

9. Crime and policing channels survey

Last month the Home Office communications team asked you for your views on how we communicate with you. The survey has now closed and we received 274 responses.

You told us:

• 85% of you like the content
• 70% find it a key source of Home Office information
• some of you have indicated you would like more advance notice of forthcoming policies

You can subscribe to GOV.UK e-mail updates or RSS feeds which will allow you to see the latest updates without having to wait to receive this news in the news update.

The communications team is reviewing your feedback to see how we can improve the news update, which you’ll start to notice in future bulletins.

10. Speeches

Damian Green’s speech at on police reform.

Damian Green’s speech on sexual violence against children and vulnerable people.