British Government and Politics (JN302)

Social Welfare and Home Affairs – British Judicial System

1. Home Affairs 2. Welfare Services 3. Ministry of Justice

Lecture Outline

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.

Sir Ian Blair’s sacking in 2008 demonstrated tensions between the Mayor Johnson and then Home Secretary Jacqui Smith

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

Outsourcing of police functions to private sector also 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

http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/feb/18/labour-reform-police-stop-search

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-politics-26367391

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.

In 2012/13 maximum weekly rates of JSA were £56.25 for 18-25 yr olds and £71 for over 25s.

Labour introduced minimum wage in 1997. It will be 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.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/universal-credit-governments-welfare-reform-may-be-scrapped-after-next-election-9139458.html

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. £110 per week. State pension age will rise over next few decades as population ages.

From the budget: Pension reform – from April next year 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

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 (Dominic Grieve) and the Solicitor General (Olivier Heald)

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 recently called off: http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/mar/2

7/barristers-call-off-walkout-deal-legal-aid-cuts

Ministry of Justice

Questions for Discussion 1. List the arguments for and against both universal

benefits and the means-testing of benefits. 2. To what extent has the welfare state remained

true to its founding principle to look after British citizens – regardless of their means – from the cradle to the grave?

3. Discuss the main responsibilities of the Home Office.

Seminar