British Government and Politics (JN302) Social Welfare and Home Affairs – British Judicial System.
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Transcript of British Government and Politics (JN302) Social Welfare and Home Affairs – British Judicial System.
Home Affairs
The Home Office is responsible for internal affairs: Policing and crime prevention
(anti-social behavour) and crime reduction
Security and counter terrorism Asylum, immigration and
citizenship.https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office
Home Office funds the police Responsibility for organising policing on the ground delegated
to local authorities Home Secretary traditional responsibility for overseeing
policing in London (Metropolitan Police Commissioner) handed over to Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London.
Directly elected Crime Commissioners - announced 1 December 2010 – power devolved down (Police Authorities abolished).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19504639
Home Affairs
Home Secretary May received hostile reception at the 2012 Police Federation conference after announced budget cuts of 20%.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/9269542/Police-Federation-humiliates-Theresa-May-by-forcing-her-to-make-speech-in-front-of-criminal-banner.html
More recently May has strongly criticised police at the 2014 Police Federation:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/21/theresa-may-police-federation-power
Outsourcing of police functions to private sector a source of conflict.
Home Affairs
Home Affairs
Security and Counter Terrorism. 7/7 2005 terrorism attacks in London
put security policy at the heart of political agenda.
Prior to this, and following 9/11, Blair government had already passed a succession of ‘anti-terror’ laws.
Tony Blair suffered first House of Commons defeat as PM in November 2005 on the extension of limit from 14 days to 90 days. Accepted compromise 28 days. Coalition government reverted to 14 days.
Home Affairs
Police ‘stop and search’ powers under scrutiny:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24902389
May has introduced measures to restrict stop and search powers:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11054788/Theresa-May-introduces-new-restrictions-on-stop-and-search-powers.html
Asylum, immigration and citizenship. Asylum seeker entered lexicon in the early 1990’s. Media were quick to focus on the ‘new threat’ and by
2002 ‘red tops’ filled with scare stories. Became a hot political issue during 2010 election
(bigotgate).
Home Affairs
Home Affairs
Enlargement of EU and 2014 relaxing of restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants has fostered alarm.
Cameron’s pledge to reduce immigration to ‘tens of thousands’ undermined by recent figures:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30224637
Welfare provision defined as guarantee of basic standard of living for those in financial need.
Welfare accounts for more than 30% of Britain’s overall public spending budget.
Welfare overseen by Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) with Iain Duncan-Smith as Secretary of State.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions
Welfare Services
Two broad kinds of benefits: Contributory benefits – available to people if
they have paid sufficient NI contributions; and
Non-contributory benefits – bear no relationship to an individual’s prior NI contributions.
Welfare Services
Jobseeker’s Allowance – paid to adults working fewer than 16 hrs a week and available for and actively seeking full-time work. Amounts linked to savings.
Current maximum weekly rates of JSA are £57.35 for 18-25 yr olds and £72.40 for over 25s.
Labour introduced minimum wage in 1997. It was increased by 19p an hour to £6.50 in October.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26543267
Welfare Services
Income Support – flexible non-contributory benefit for those on low incomes and not in full-time employment who satisfy criteria such as single parents, full-time carers, blind.
Employment and Support Allowance (replaced Incapacity Benefit) available to those who have received sick pay that has ended, self-employed or unemployed, received maternity pay but have not gone back to work because they are sick. Also Disability Living Allowance.
Welfare Services
Welfare Services
Universal Credit – plan to collect all benefits in single payment through online system. UC piloted in areas in the north-west of England but computer problems with implementation now threaten its future:
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/sep/05/universal-credit-iain-duncan-smith
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/16/welfare-reform-iain-duncan-smith-benefits-universal-credit-logistical-nightmare?guni=Keyword:news-grid%20main-1%20Main%20trailblock:Editable%20trailblock%20-%20news:Position4
Universal benefits versus means-testing debate. Child benefits was universal benefit but Coalition has changed rules:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17854937
Other benefits such as winter fuel allowance.
Welfare Services
State pensions. £113 per week for single person. State pension age will rise over next few decades as population ages.
From the budget: Pension reform – from April people will not have to
buy an annuity – instead they will be able to invest their cash as they wish.
Cap on welfare spending (tax credits and housing benefit) (but does not apply to pensions or out of work benefits) at £119.5 billion.
Welfare Services
Coalition government introduced bedroom tax. SNP in Scotland has pledged to repeal it after devolution of welfare decision.
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/housing_benefit_and_local_housing_allowance/changes_to_housing_benefit/bedroom_tax
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/nov/13/tenant-evicted-record-levels-benefit-cuts-bedroom-tax
Welfare Services
Chris Grayling – Secretary of State for Justice. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministr
y-of-justice
Ministry deals with: The court system and sentencing policy Prisons Probation
Ministry of Justice
Day to day running of British courts is carried out by Her Majesty’s Courts Service
Principal legal advisers are the Attorney General (Jeremy Wright) and the Solicitor General (Robert Buckland)
Subordinate to the Attorney General is the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who runs the Crown Prosecution Service.
Ministry of Justice
National Offender Management Services (NOMS) – overall running of prisons in England and Wales whether publicly or privately funded/owned.
National Probation Service (NPS) – oversees supervision of individuals serving community-based sentences or individuals who have been released from prison.
Ministry of Justice
Legal aid cuts of £215 million have led to strikes by barristers:
http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/mar/07/lawyers-protest-parliament-legal-aid-cuts
Protests were called off: http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/mar/2
7/barristers-call-off-walkout-deal-legal-aid-cuts
Ministry of Justice