Home Secretary Webchat

17 April 2008

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith spent over an hour answering your questions this afternoon in our live webchat.

Jacqui dealt with questions on the new Border Agency, neighbourhood policing teams and immigration.

• Jacqui Smith biography
• Webchat archive

Read the full transcript

Moderator says: Home Secretary Jacqui Smith will be in Downing Street on 17 April for a live webchat from 14:00 BST.

Jacqui will take questions on her remit as Home Secretary with a focus on the border agency and the neighbourhood policing teams operating in your area.

Moderator says: Good afternoon and welcome to today's webchat with Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. Jacqui's running a few minutes, but we hope to start soon.

Please keep the questions coming!

Jacqui says: Good afternoon.  This is Jacqui Smith.  It's good to be here again to answer questions.

Richard Price: Aren't ID cards a blunt instrument, curtailing the civil rights of the many whilst providing little real assistance in the way of fighting terrorism?

Jacqui replies: No they're not.  I believe that a system that enables me to prove who I am quickly and easily and ensures that I can be confident that others - particularly those working in positions of trust - are who they say they are too can be a real contribution to our personal and national security. 

Calum Carson: Dear Jacqui,
Do you feel that it is possible to tackle international terrorism abroad militarily while still winning the hearts and minds of British Muslims? Is it possible to reconcile these two strands of counter-terrorism policy?

Jacqui replies: One of the features of the terrorist threat we face now is that plots are increasingly international and increasingly complex.  Last week I visited Pakistan and Bangladesh to talk about joint work to counter terrorism.  There was a real recognition that with our shared experience of the impacts of terrorism we can work together to reduce the risk for people in both countries.

kerry livermore: Do you agree that the announcement of an extra 300 police to fight radicalism is merely a ruse to get your 42 day detention limit through the Commons. Surely this money should be spend within the Muslim community on developing leaders who will challenge the zealots and jihadists.

Jacqui replies: No.  The extra police officers will be able to work alongside local communities.  In fact, we are already spending money in local communities to develop leaders who will challenge the violent extremists.  You are right that this should be a priority and it is. 

But in the short term, we also have to be able to investigate and disrupt those currently planning terrorist atrocities.  That is why the Counter Terrorism Bill currently in Parliament provides new tools for the police and investigators who we expect to keep us safe today and tomorrow!  The pre-charge detention provisions will only apply in exceptional circumstances and for a temporary period.  They are designed to cover off a risk that I hope never comes to fruition - that a terror suspect has to be released before a full investigation has been carried out - but which it is my responsibility as Home Secretary to deal with if it does.

Daniel Crofton-Green: Do you think that the neighbourhood policing scheme has been sucessful in getting people to work together to tackle crime in communities?

Jacqui replies: Yes and I've seen that in practice where teams are already up and running.  It is only from this month that every neighbourhood has a team so we're really at the start of seeing everything that these teams can do.  I'm convinced that having local police teams whose names you know, who can be easily contacted and who work with local people to identify and then deal with their priorities will drive down crime and anti social behaviour and help people to feel more confident.

Edward Jacobs: I'd be interested to hear how the Home Secretary believes that Government, Local Authorities and the Police can better work and engage with young people in tackling anti-social behaviour.

Jacqui replies: In my area, the neighbourhood policing team have developed a young person's forum for discussing these issues.  I've also seen really good schemes where local neighbourhood police officers have worked with the council's youth services to provide things for young people to do.

Safer Schools Partnerships are getting police officers into schools and in every area we now have anti social behaviour coordinators working with a range of partners from local councils and the police.

andrea burton: why are police stations not manned at all times?

Jacqui replies: Local Chief Constables have to use their police officers and staff most effectively.  For most people, if you're visiting the police station you'll be most likely to do that during the day.  If you need the police at night it's probably for an emergency when it would be better for them to be available to respond quickly rather than to be staffing a police station.

John Ellis: Good Afternoon Jacqui.
I represent a community that has an everchanging community police officer, we feel in the community that this is not a true support of the community and that due to the nature of modern policing we never will have a true community police officer. in the 3 or so years that I have run the group our community officer has changed that often that even the police when asked dont know who to guide us to. The CSO's do a great job in getting to know the community were they are placed but again no sooner have they got to know the area and the problems they are moved on. As a result of this we are overrun with heroin cocaine and crack cocaine. why becuse the community do not have a trusted face to talk to one that cares. How does the goverment intend to address this issue?

Jacqui replies: You are right that the real impact from neighbourhood police teams comes when the police officers and community support officers have the time to get to know local people and what's going on in the area.  Having got teams in place everywhere, the next stage will be how to ensure we really embed them in neighbourhoods and ensure the continuity you are rightly looking for.

Luke: Would it be fair to say that the huge pressure placed on Police to be "politically correct" hinders their ability to make the best use of time and resources?

Jacqui replies: I don't want police to be 'politically correct'.  I want them to work as effectively as possible to keep everyone safe and to cut crime.

Ruth Beckmann: Given the current situation in Zimbabwe will the Home Office be revising its decision to send home those Zimbabweans who have not been granted asylum?

Jacqui replies: All decisions on asylum are made on the basis of up to date information about the country concerned as well as any legal judgements that have been made.  They are also made in relation to the individual circumstances of the applicant.  Where someone hasn't been granted asylum it is right that they should return home and we work hard to enable people to do that voluntarily with support where possible. Since 2005 several hundred Zimbabweans have returned home voluntarily.   We aren't forcing anyone to return to Zimbabwe at the moment.

Linda Patterson: Thank you for this opportunity to ask questions. Although the recent Independent Asylum Commission's Interim Findings commended some efforts being made by the Border and Immigration Agency , the Home Office must be concerned that they also found that "the treatment of asylum seekers falls seriously below the standards to be expected of a humane and civilised society," citing a culture of disbelief, an unduly adversarial process, overused detention, lack of proper regard for the vulnerabilities of women and children, but most especially the enforced destitution of refused asylum seekers, to which is now added the threat of repatriation to the war zones. What resources are being marshalled to address these serious humanitarian needs?

Jacqui replies: I take very seriously this country's responsibility to provide a safe haven for those fleeing persecution and who truly need our protection.  We  operate a firm and humane system supporting those who are vulnerable with accommodation and assistance.  But if a court says that someone has no genuine need for asylum and should return home I think that should happen.

Kingsley Hayzelden: Why will the Border police not be operating at weekends?

Jacqui replies: They are!  Our border force works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Rob Findlay: At the moment there are no border checks when leaving the country. Is this going to change?

Jacqui replies: Yes.  We are introducing an electronic borders system that will record the details of all those leaving as well as entering the country.

Emily Clark: Good Afternoon Jacqui. Is the new focus on "prevention", both in preventing radicalisation through winning hearts and minds and anti-social behaviour by improving social conditions, community links and so forth, an evolution in Home Office thinking?

Jacqui replies: It's common sense to me that if you can prevent terrorism or crime by stepping in early to nip it in the bud, you should.  But that needs to go hand in hand with action to catch and punish those who step over the line.  The two tracks are completely complementary.

Richard Hemingway: "a system that enables me to prove who I am quickly"

But Jacqui. Hasn't a german website already acquired your fingerprints and made them available on the internet with instructions on how to make them using OHP acetates?
Even Biometric data is not as foolproof as we are being told...

Jacqui replies: I don't want to disappoint users of this german website, but they're wasting their time.  Having someone's fingerprints on a glass or even reproduced on an acetate won't get them very far.  Our system will keep your fingerprints on a separate database from your personal details.

Ted Demeza: Honest sportshooters have always been pro active in the fight against gun crime. Why not cut them some slack and let them have the pistol ban reviewed?

Jacqui replies: We've got some of the toughest gun control laws in the world.  That's why we also have some of the lowest incidence of gun crime internationally.  I'm not planning to weaken our laws.

Colin Rogers: Good afternoon Home Secretary. I am serving police officer attached to Southwark Borough in South East London. Given that the majority of PCSO funding comes from the Home Office will you please allow senior police officers to chose weather they use it for PCSO's or police officers. At present they have no control over this Home Office money and either use it for PCSO's or loose it. Isn't it about time that senior police officers are allowed to decide on the most effective way to deliver policing rather than the Home Office.

Jacqui replies: Most money that comes to police forces is completely unringfenced so that senior police officers can make the decisions they think most appropriate for their forces.  But PCSOs and Neighbourhood Policing are new and it makes sense to ensure that the money is there to develop the teams.  That's why we've ringfenced a small proportion of funding for Neighbourhood Policing.  I've seen the really good job that Southwark police officers and community support officers are doing in the area.  Thanks for all your hard work.

John Ellis: Good afternoon Jacqui
I head up a community group in Egremont (Wallasey) where we have a very good working relationship with our local Police, however due to the nature of modern crime all to often our community officer or CSO's change just as the communities start to build relationships with them, how can the government and the police model a true community bobby who wont be drafted to another area shortly after discovering the community they are working with. I ask this because it can be very frustrating and time consuming retelling the problems the community face. I know this seems trivial in the grand scheme of things but it does lead to a breakdown within the realationship of community and police, due to the fact that it takes time for the community to trust the officer they are talking to and for the officer to get to know them.

Jacqui replies: You are right to identify this issue and I don't think it's trivial that you are able to depend on continuity of local police officers and police community support officers.  That's what we're working towards with the development of Neighbourhood Policing.

Jacqui says: Thank you for all the questions - there's been a good range of issues and I've enjoyed the chance to hear what's on your minds.  I've got to go now, but hope to be able to do this again soon.