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Police Training
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the companies authorised by his Department to organise tuition and examinations for promotion in the police force. [138658]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The only qualifying examinations for promotion to Sergeant and Inspector (known as OSPREtm) are organised on behalf of the Police Promotion Examinations Board by the Examinations and Assessment unit of National Police Training (NPT), who are assisted in the administration of the examinations by the Improvement and Development Agency.
The only authorised training package is the Candidates' Development Programme (CDP) produced by NPT. The CDP, which only addresses Part II of the examinations, has been made available to every police force in England and Wales together with a training workshop for their nominated training staff. In addition, three private training providers were awarded a franchise to deliver the CDP:
- IODA based in Nottingham;
- VECTRA based in Bradford; and
- QSEC based in Liverpool.
Pakistan (Expropriated Funds)
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what help he has offered to the authorities in Pakistan who are seeking to recover funds expropriated from that country illegally. [138520]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Over the past four years, the Home Office has received only two formal requests for assistance in connection with funds appropriated illegally from Pakistan. However, these were requests for evidence relating to the misappropriation of funds, not requests for confiscation of assets.
The first request, issued in October 1997, asked for evidence relating to Senator Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, in connection with allegations of drug trafficking. A large amount of evidence was gathered, but its transmission to Pakistan was hindered by legal challenges both before and after the coup of 12 October 1999. The Secretary of State has taken a decision to transmit the evidence, but this is still subject to an appeal against a decision of the court that leave to apply for a judicial review should not be granted.
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The second request, issued in August 1999, concerned a fraud allegedly perpetrated by members of a former government. This request was subsequently withdrawn following the death of one of the principals.
Home Office officials have had several meetings with officials from Pakistan to advise them on how to seek recovery of funds alleged to be in the United Kingdom. On 18 February 2000, the then head of the Judicial Co-operation Unit (JCU) met General Amjad, head of the National Accountability Bureau, and provided detailed advice on the assistance that the United Kingdom could offer, following this up with copies of published information. On 6 March 2000, another official from the JCU met with officials from the National Accountability Bureau and the High Commission to review the assistance that could be offered, and to take note of some of the points they wished to raise in the Zardari case.
On 22 September 2000, members of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development (DfID), and the Home Office met with General Amjad and other officials from the authorities in Pakistan to explore the scope of the assistance available to Pakistan from the United Kingdom.
On 13 November 2000, the Head of the United Kingdom Central Authority, the section within the Home Office that deals with letters of request from overseas, travelled to Pakistan for a five-day visit sponsored by the DfID to meet prosecutors, judges and officials of the National Accountability Bureau and provide advice on the assistance the United Kingdom can offer and on our requirements in terms of letters of request.
Firearms (Disabled People)
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State (1) for the Home Department for what reason his Department requires information on physical disabilities from applicants renewing firearms certificates; [139006]
- (2) if he will list the disabilities for those participating in shooting as a sport which are considered by his Department to put other shooters at risk. [139005]
Mr. Charles Clarke: One of the recommendations on firearms licensing made in Lord Cullen's Report into the Dunblane tragedy was that the police should be able to seek and consider information on the medical history of any person applying to possess firearms.
In order to implement this and other recommendations, the Firearms Rules were amended in 1998 to require applicants for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shot gun certificate to declare whether they suffer from any medical condition or disability including alcohol and drug related conditions, and if so to give details.
It is not possible to provide a comprehensive list of conditions or disabilities that might have a bearing on this issue. Were any such list to be attempted, there is a real risk that it would exclude conditions that might affect an individual's fitness to possess a firearm, if only because of the medication which may have to be taken. It is for the police to consider each applicant on an individual basis, seeking medical advice where appropriate. It is open to any applicant aggrieved by the refusal of a chief officer of police to grant or renew a certificate to appeal to the Crown Court or in Scotland, the Sheriff's Court.
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Fuel Protests
Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has received of extremist political involvement in the organisation of the recent fuel protests; and if he will make a statement. [139019]
Mr. Straw: It is the policy of successive Governments not to comment on such issues.
Police Recruitment
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost will be to the Crime Fighting Fund of recruiting an additional 9,000 police officers over the next three years. [137465]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The recruitment of 9,000 police officers through the Crime Fighting Fund is expected to cost £454 million in the three years 2000-01 to 2002-03. An additional £272 million has been made available through the Spending Review 2000 to meet the continuing costs of employing the 9,000 in 2003-04.
Victim Support
Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to provide further support to the victims of crime. [137462]
Mr. Straw: From next April, the annual Home Office grant to Victim Support will rise from £18.3 million to £19 million. This represents an increase of more than 50 per cent. since we assumed office in May 1997. The enhanced grant has enabled Victim Support to improve their existing services and to introduce new ones, including witness services in all magistrates courts.
Immigration and Asylum
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans to develop an inspection and reporting centre for asylum seekers in Horley. [139309]
Mrs. Roche: Plans for the establishment of an immigration office in Horley are currently on hold following difficulties in agreeing the terms of the lease with the landlord of the premises. The Immigration Service is currently pursuing alternatives but no final decisions have yet been made.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost in the latest year for which figures are available of asylum seekers awaiting a decision on whether they have a right to remain in the UK; and how many asylum seekers who have been refused permission to remain in the UK have not been removed from the country (a) because they are awaiting removal and (b) because they cannot be traced. [138870]
Mrs. Roche: In 1999-2000, the Home Office took over financial responsibility for asylum support costs, although asylum seekers continued to be supported by either the Department of Social Security (DSS) or through local authorities. In 1999-2000, the cost of supporting asylum seekers in the United Kingdom, while they awaited an initial decision, appeal or removal, was £537 million--including £315 million paid to the DSS and £222 million paid to local authorities for single adult and family grant
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payments. The Department of Health also incurred an additional cost of £52 million for supporting unaccompanied minor asylum seekers in the United Kingdom, bringing the total cost in 1999-2000, for supporting asylum seekers to £590 million. Cost figures for supporting asylum seekers, which exclude cases awaiting removal, are not currently available.
I regret that current information on the number of asylum seekers who have been refused permission to remain in the United Kingdom and have not yet been removed from the country is not available.
All cost figures are rounded to the nearest £1 million.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum from people who came to the United Kingdom from Kosovo under the United Nations Humanitarian Evacuation Programme and medical evacuation programmes have been determined; in how many cases the claim was (a) accepted and (b) refused; in how many such cases the applicant was granted exceptional leave to remain; how many such cases now await (i) an initial decision and (ii) an appeal; and if he will make a statement. [139383]
Mrs. Roche: The information is not available in the precise format requested. A total of 514 principal applicants have submitted applications for asylum which, because they also encompass general humanitarian reasons for wanting to stay here, are being considered as dual applications for asylum and further exceptional leave. Of these, 103 principal applicants have been decided with two being granted asylum along with five dependants, and 101 have been refused. No applicant who had applied for asylum has yet been granted exceptional leave. A total of 411 principal applicants are awaiting an initial decision on their cases.
Information on asylum appeals is not separately available but 93 principal Kosovan Humanitarian Evacuation Programme applicants have outstanding appeals against various refusal decisions.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many and what percentage of appealed asylum and in-country immigration applications in (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01 to date the decision of his Department was upheld. [139363]
Mrs. Roche: The available information is given in the table.
| Asylum appeals | Non-asylum appeals | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Determined | Upheld | Determined(23) | Upheld(23) | |
| 1999-2000 | ||||
| Number | 15,635 | 8,455 | 8,805 | n/a |
| Percentage | 100 | 63 | -- | -- |
| April to September 2000-01 | ||||
| Number | 8,455 | 6,950 | 3,455 | 1,990 |
| Percentage | 100 | 82 | 100 | 58 |
(23) In-country and entry clearance cases are not separately identifiable in the statistics
Note:
Figures exclude any subsequent appeals
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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-asylum offenders have been removed from this country during 2000-01 to date. [139386]
Mrs. Roche: Between 1 April and 30 September 2000, 2,440 immigration offenders who had not made an asylum application at any stage were removed from the United Kingdom. This figure is provisional.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his current target date is to clear the backlog of asylum cases awaiting an initial decision; what plans he has to review that target date; and if he will make a statement. [139365]
Mrs. Roche: We have no present plans to review our current objective of reducing the backlog of these cases to frictional levels by April 2001.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the cost to his Department of asylum seeker support in (a) 2000-01 to date and (b) the financial year 2000-01 in total; what the cost to public funds was of asylum seeker support in 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [139368]
Mrs. Roche: Expenditure by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate for asylum support from 1 April 2000 to 30 September 2000 was £317.4 million. For the financial year 2000-01, the Home Office has a provisional allocation of £604 million for supporting asylum seekers, excluding provision for supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children.
The comparable cost in 1999-2000 to the Home Office budget of supporting asylum seekers in the United Kingdom was £537 million. The Department of Health incurred an additional cost of £52 million for supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children, bringing the total cost in 1999-2000 for supporting asylum seekers to £590 million.
All cost figures are rounded to the nearest £ million.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many decisions case workers at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate made on average per week in (a) asylum and (b) immigration cases, in each quarter of (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999 and (iv) 2000 to the end of the third quarter. [139369]
Mrs. Roche: The information requested is given in the table.
(24) Including pre-1996 applications decided since 1999 under the backlog clearance exercise
(25) Covering after-entry extensions of stay (including cases dealt with by the Public Caller Unit which did not involve a decision), European cases, travel documents, citizenship and right of abode
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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how may asylum applications from nationals of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia are awaiting (a) an initial decision and (b) an appeal. [139378]
Mrs. Roche: The specific information required is not available. However, as at the end of 1999, 15,720 nationals of the Former Yugoslavia, which includes the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, were awaiting an initial decision.
The number of applications received from Federal Republic of Yugoslavia nationals between January and September 2000 was 5,065.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average unit cost in 1999-2000 was and what the average unit cost is for 2000-01 of (a) asylum after-entry casework, (b) nationality casework and (c) enforcement casework, expressed in (i) cash and (ii) real terms. [139371]
Mrs. Roche: For the purposes of monitoring the performance of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate under the terms of the Casework Programme contract with Siemens Business Services, the unit cost of a basic casework decision is determined each month. The unit cost excludes some overheads. The costs of more complex decisions may be estimated by combining the cost of the basic decision was £38.66 for the period April 1999 to March 2000 and £34.75 for the period April 2000 to September 2000. The costs of more complex decisions may, therefore, be expressed as given in the table.
| 1998-2000 | 2000-01 | 2000-01 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of output | Cash | Cash | Real terms (1999-2000 prices) |
| After Entry Casework | 49.19 | 44.13 | 43.69 |
| Asylum Casework | 350.26 | 314.84 | 311.72 |
| Nationality Casework | 58.76 | 52.82 | 52.30 |
| Deportation Casework | 1,382.10 | 1,242.31 | 1,230.01 |
| Illegal Entry Casework | 636.73 | 572.33 | 566.66 |
These costs exclude any productivity-related payments that may subsequently be due to Siemens Business Services.
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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers have been removed by (a) the Ports Directorate and (b) the Enforcement Directorate during 2000-01 to date; how many failed asylum seekers were removed by each Directorate in 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [139362]
Mrs. Roche: The information available on the number of failed asylum seekers removed from the United Kingdom, in the financial year 1999-2000, and from 1 April to 30 September in the current year is given in the table.
The Government have made clear their determination to increase substantially the number of such removals and significant additional resources are being allocated to achieving this. We have set a target of 12,000 removals in the current financial year and 30,000 for the financial year 2001-02.
| 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000(26),(27) | 1 April to 30 September 2000(27),(28),(29) | |
|---|---|---|
| Port asylum removals | 5,080 | 3,020 |
| Enforcement asylum removals | 2,830 | 1,850 |
| Total | 7,910 | 4,870 |
(26) Includes voluntary departures
(27) Excludes dependants
(28) Figures are provisional and subject to revision
(29) Includes Port and Enforcement departures under the Voluntary Assisted Returns programme
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what percentage of initial asylum decisions taken since 1 April 2000 the decision was taken within eight weeks of the application being lodged; in how many of those cases the decision to reject the application was on non-compliance grounds; and if he will make a statement. [139370]
Mrs. Roche: Of all applications lodged between 1 April 2000 and 30 September 2000, 32 per cent. had an initial decision within two months, of which 57 per cent. were refused on non-compliance grounds. This is on course to meet the target of making initial decisions in 70 per cent. of cases by March 2001.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his target for April 2001 is for the percentage of initial asylum decisions to be decided within eight weeks of the application being lodged. [139367]
Mrs. Roche: The target, published in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate Business Plan for 2000-01, is to decide 70 per cent. of new substantive asylum applications within two months by March 2001.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many nationals of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have been granted (a) refugee status and (b) exceptional leave to (i) enter and (ii) remain since 1 May 1997. [139377]
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Mrs. Roche: The information requested on grants of asylum and exceptional leave to remain is given in the table.
| Grants of asylum | Grants of ELR | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | ||
| January | 75 | * |
| February | 150 | * |
| March | 160 | * |
| April | 140 | * |
| May | 95 | * |
| June | 90 | 40 |
| July | 100 | 35 |
| August | 100 | 45 |
| September | 120 | 40 |
| October | 145 | 40 |
| November | 85 | * |
| December | 95 | 5 |
| Total | 1,355 | 210 |
| 1998 | ||
| January | 120 | * |
| February | 95 | * |
| March | 100 | 15 |
| April | 100 | 20 |
| May | 120 | 10 |
| June | 110 | 5 |
| July | 50 | 20 |
| August | 50 | -- |
| September | 40 | -- |
| October | 55 | -- |
| November | 80 | -- |
| December | 10 | -- |
| Total | 935 | 75 |
| 1999 | ||
| January | n/a | n/a |
| February | n/a | n/a |
| March | n/a | n/a |
| April | n/a | n/a |
| May | n/a | n/a |
| June | n/a | n/a |
| July | n/a | n/a |
| August | n/a | n/a |
| September | n/a | n/a |
| October | n/a | n/a |
| November | n/a | n/a |
| December | n/a | n/a |
| Total | 6,290 | 85 |
| 2000 | ||
| January | n/a | n/a |
| February | n/a | n/a |
| March | n/a | n/a |
| April | 10 | 165 |
| May | 20 | 50 |
| June | 25 | 20 |
| July | 30 | 35 |
| August | 45 | 40 |
| September | 30 | 70 |
| Total to date | 160 | 385 |
Notes:
1. Figures rounded to the nearest 5, with '*' = 1 or 2
2. Includes some who arrived in the UK under the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme
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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-asylum after-entry decisions were made (a) in 1999-2000 and (b) in 2000-01 to date. [139364]
Mrs. Roche: The numbers of non-asylum after-entry decisions, excluding those in respect of European Economic Area cases, were 230,000 in 1999-2000 and 140,000 in the period April to September 2000. These figures include cases dealt with by the Public Caller Unit which did not involve a decision, such as the return of a passport following a withdrawn application and the transfer of conditions from an old to a new passport.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of detailed non-asylum immigration examinations have culminated in refusal during 2000-01 to date. [139360]
Mrs. Roche: As at 31 October, 20,972 cases of detailed non-asylum immigration examinations have resulted in refusal since 1 April 2000. This is 64 per cent. of the total number of cases where detailed examinations have occurred.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many nationality decisions were taken in 1999-2000, how many have been taken in 2000-01 to date; and if he will make a statement. [139381]
Mrs. Roche: The number of decisions taken in nationality cases in the period April 1999 to March 2000 was 66,499. As at 31 October 2000, 53,480 decisions have been taken in the period April to October 2000.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the gross expenditure, receipts and net expenditure of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (a) during the financial year 2000-01 to date and (b) for the entire financial year 2000-01; what were the equivalent figures for the financial year 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [139385]
Mrs. Roche: Gross expenditure for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate for the period 1 April to 31 October 2000 was £355.5 million, receipts were £14.2 million and net expenditure was £341.3 million. For the full financial year 2000-01, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate is provisionally forecasting gross expenditure of £1,292 million, receipts of £33.5 million and net expenditure of £1,258.5 million.
For the period 1 April to 31 October 1999, gross expenditure was £128.8 million, receipts were £5.5 million and net expenditure was £123.3 million. For the financial year 1999-2000, gross expenditure was £804.6 million, receipts were £10.5 million and net expenditure was £794.1 million.
Information for the financial year 2000-01 is not directly comparable with that for 1999-2000. There has been a substantial increase in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's budget for processing asylum
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applications, expanding the detention estate and for supporting asylum seekers, including some costs that fell elsewhere in 1999-2000.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the backlog in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate is for (a) general and settlement cases, (b) European cases, (c) deportation and illegal entry cases and (d) nationality cases. [139375]
Mrs. Roche: The information requested is given in the table.
| Type of case | Number |
|---|---|
| General and settlement | 400 |
| European | 10 |
| Deportation and illegal entry | 19,700 |
| Nationality(30) | (31)76,000 |
(30) Total cases awaiting a decision
(31) Provisional figure
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many airline liaison officers are in post. [139358]
Mrs. Roche: On 1 November 2000, 21 airline liaison officers were in post at 20 different locations around the world.
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