Government news and campaigns

Government accepts all recommendations made by Angiolini InquiryThe government has accepted all recommendations made by the Angiolini inquiry which was published last month. The inquiry highlighted significant opportunities that were missed by multiple police forces. The recommendations the government has accepted are to:

• conduct a fundamental review of the way masturbatory indecent exposure is treated within the criminal justice system – working across the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, College of Policing and NPCC
• commission research to establish if there is an evidence-based link between active masturbatory indecent exposure and subsequent contact offending – working with the College of Policing
• launch a public campaign to raise awareness that indecent exposure and sending unsolicited photographs of genitals amounts to criminality and boost victims’ confidence to report such crimes – working with the NPCC

Please read further about the Angiolini Inquiry here.

Nearly 100,000 drug tests carried out to tackle root causes of drug driven crime

The government is expanding the use of drug testing on arrest by police forces and increasing the powers police have to test those they arrest for drugs. Through the Criminal Justice Bill the range of drugs that can be tested for will be expanded to include some Class B and Class C drugs, such as cannabis and ketamine, whilst the range of trigger offences which can lead to a suspect being tested for drugs is being broadened to include violent offences, football related offences, and drug driving. 

Please read more about the expansion of drug testing on arrest here.

Violent football fans left on bench for Euro 2024

Thousands of violent and disruptive football fans have been banned from travelling to Germany for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 finals, as new measures come into force. From Thursday 4 June, more than 1,600 people in England and Wales subject to a football banning order will have to surrender their UK passports to police until the tournament ends.

Those who fail to comply or attempt to travel to Germany or surrounding countries during the period will face a hefty fine with no limit, or in severe circumstances could face up to 6 months in prison.

International social media campaign launched to stop the boats

The government has launched a new campaign that will be rolled out in Vietnam using social media adverts on Facebook and YouTube to directly target people who may be considering making dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK.  

The campaign warns prospective migrants of the reality of living in the UK illegally.

Please read more about the campaign here.

Update on passport application fees

The government will introduce new passport fees for all applications on 11 April 2024. The new fees will help ensure that income from these applications better meets the cost of delivering passport and associated operations, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation. The government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.

Please read more about the proposals here.

Reforms to boost confidence in police accountability system

The government has launched a new drive to boost confidence in the police accountability system. Investigations into police officers suspected of committing offences in the line of duty will be sped up to provide swifter clarity to both officers and victims.

Following concerns raised by policing last year that officers were losing confidence to use their powers effectively, particularly when using force, the Home Office conducted a review into the frameworks in place that hold officers to account and has set out a range of proposals to improve the system.

Please read more about the reforms here.

Campaign Materials   
      
The government is running several campaigns. We would be grateful if you could share campaign materials and messaging on your channels, and with your networks.

Stop! Think Fraud is a major national campaign to fight fraud, encouraging the public to take a moment to stop, think and check whenever receiving an alert that may be fraudulent, and to help protect ourselves and each other from fraud.

This evidence led campaign draws on the expertise of leading counter-fraud experts and includes an online fraud hub which will provide concise, simple to follow advice. It will also signpost victims to relevant organisations for further advice and support.

ENOUGH. aims to challenge perpetrators and raise awareness of what we can all do to safely call out abuse. Please find attached a partner pack which includes more information on the campaign, and materials which you can share on your channels.   

NSPCC Helpline encourages adults to reach out with concerns of child sexual abuse. The service is free for anyone who has concerns about a child or young person. Please find campaign films for professionals, and the general public.

End-to-End Encryption campaign calling directly on Meta not to roll out end-to-end encryption on its platforms without robust safety measures that ensure children are protected from sexual abuse and exploitation in messaging channels. Click here for the IWF parent guide.

Stop Abuse Together aims to empower parents and carers to take steps to help keep the children in their life safe. All children have a right to be safe from sexual abuse, and we all have a role to play in keeping them safe. Let’s #StopAbuseTogether

Victims of Terrorism provides information on where to seek advice and assistance following a terrorist incident.Upcoming campaigns

If your organisation has any upcoming surveys or campaigns that you would like us to highlight in our newsletter, please get in touch with the External Affairs team at [email protected]