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Immigration Appellate Authority

Mr. Rooney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many adjudicators in the Immigration Appellate Authority have (a) been dismissed and (b) resigned in each of the last five years. [29243]

Ms Rosie Winterton: No Immigration adjudicators have been dismissed during the last five years. The Lord Chancellor's Department does not have definitive records of resignations during the last five years but estimates that 26 Immigration adjudicators have resigned during that period.

21 Jan 2002 : Column 635W

Mr. Rooney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the minimum qualification to serve as an adjudicator for the Immigration Appellate Authority. [29240]

Ms Rosie Winterton: All appointments are made under Schedule 3 to the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. All appointees must hold a seven year qualification within the meaning of section 71 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990, which is a right of audience in any class of proceedings in any part of the Supreme Court or in all proceedings in the county court or magistrates courts, or they should be an advocate or solicitor in Scotland of at least seven years' standing, a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland or a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Northern Ireland of at seven years' standing or have such legal or other experience as appears to the Lord Chancellor to make him or her suited for appointment.

Mr. Rooney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what training is given to adjudicators in the Immigration Appellate Authority. [29241]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Qualification for appointment for adjudicators is laid out in Paragraph 2, Schedule 3 to the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. For adjudicators new to the jurisdiction there is a structured four-day induction programme of training. This includes judicial practice, immigration and asylum law, discussion groups and practical exercises. Inductees are mentored and sit in with an experienced adjudicator for at least three hearing days.

For existing adjudicators there is a regular series of training events. All adjudicators receive a minimum of three days training per annum. Such training covers new developments as well as providing opportunities to refresh existing knowledge and skills.

Mr. Rooney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what written guidance is given to adjudicators in the Immigration Appellate Authority on the conduct and management of appeal hearings. [29242]

Ms Rosie Winterton: All adjudicators receive an extensive Bench Book covering all aspects of relevant law and practice. They are also provided with equal treatment guidance, standard legal texts and extensive guidance on determination writing. IAA Legal and Research support further provides regular updates on issues and developments in the immigration and asylum field.

Lost/Stolen Property

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list those items valued at more than £50 which have been stolen or lost from her Department in each of the last four years. [27995]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The figures are as in the table:

Date of incident	Items stolen/lost	Value (£)
	Financial year 1997–98
11 April 1997	Cash	200.00
26 April 1997	Cash	55.00
1 May 1997	TV/video	450.00
11 May 1997	Cash	500.00
11 May 1997	Printers x 4	1,000.00
16 May 1997	Video recorder	350.00
20 May 1997	Printer	250.00
22 May 1997	Laser printer and fax machine	250.00
3 June 1997	Laptop	1,000.00
1 July 1997	Recorder and CD	1,000.00
17 August 1997	Laser printer	250.00
18 August 1997	Pen	150.00
9 September 1997	Laptop	1,500.00
15 September 1997	Video recorder	250.00
7 November 1997	Desk tops x 5 and printer	300.00
22 November 1997	Video recorder	250.00
16 December 1997	PC	1,500.00
22 December 1997	Laptop	1,500.00
6 January 1998	Laptop	1,000.00
9 January 1998	PC	1,000.00
12 January 1998	Printer, keyboard and telephone	250.00
17 February 1998	Answering machine	73.00
5 March 1998	Assorted cutlery	65.00
12 March 1998	External security light	100.00
19 March 1998	Laptop	50.00
19 March 1998	Colour TV and file server	50.00
20 March 1998	File server and chips	3,000.00
21 March 1998	Cufflinks	50.00
27 March 1998	Cash	160.00
29 March 1998	Keyboards x 4, mouse and barcode reader	300.00
Total		16,853.00
	Financial year 1998–99
3 April 1998	Cash	230.00
14 April 1998	Contents of payphone	80.00
18 May 1998	PC	150.00
19 May 1998	CPU's missing	1,000.00
29 May 1998	Video recorder	200.00
2 June 1998	Mobile phone	100.00
12 June 1998	Computers x 4	4,000.00
12 June 1998	PC	250.00
24 June 1998	Laptop	1,300.00
27 June 1998	TV and CD radio	800.00
29 June 1998	TV/video, TV, radio	800.00
10 June 1998	Wallet	130.00
11 July 1998	Safe and laser printer	50.00
14 July 1998	Laptop	2,000.00
15 July 1998	Safe	1,015.00
20 July 1998	Cash	102.00
21 July 1998	Roof lead	1,500.00
21 July 1998	External security camera	200.00
24 July 1998	Laptop	1,300.00
27 July 1998	First aid boxes	148.00
5 August 1998	Pen and lighter	90.00
6 August 1998	Office CD	350.00
12 August 1998	CD/radio	129.00
20 August 1998	Mobile phone	95.00
17 September 1998	Video recorder	350.00
24 September 1998	Printer	200.00
21 October 1998	Handbag and contents	110.00
29 October 1998	Printer	700.00
10 December 1998	Laptop	2,500.00
14 December 1998	Handbag and contents	50.00
16 December 1998	Vacuum cleaner	100.00
29 March 1999	Specialist phone	50.00
1 April 1999	Payphone and cash	500.00
Total		20,628.00
	Financial year 1999–2000
10 April 1999	Cash	67.00
26 April 1999	Payphone	505.00
9 May 1999	Roof lead	500.00
15 June 1999	Mobile phone	113.00
4 July 1999	Union flag and rope	65.00
11 August 1999	PC	1,500.00
17 August 1999	Payphone	340.00
20 August 1999	Laptop	1,500.00
20 August 1999	Laptop	1,500.00
24 August 1999	Payphone	340.00
15 September 1999	Cash	340.00
16 September 1999	Payphone	200.00
26 September 1999	TV and CD player	318.85
13 October 1999	Mobile phone	158.25
21 October 1999	Mobile phone	50.00
29 November 1999	Wallet and contents	120.00
9 December 1999	Laptop	200.00
10 January 2000	Hard drives x 3	600.00
13 January 2000	Video camera	500.00
2 February 2000	Payphone	50.00
16 March 2000	Dictaphone	69.81
19 March 2000	Vending machine	340.00
Total		9,376.91
	Financial year 2000–01
3 April 2000	Barrier rope	116.00
3 April 2000	Rope	116.32
12 April 2000	Cash and cheques	73,000.00
21 April 2000	Electronic postal scales	500.00
18 May 2000	PC base units x 15	15,000.00
13 June 2000	Handbag and personal palm pilot	400.00
22 June 2000	TV/video	250.00
28 June 2000	PC's x 54	16,000.00
1 July 2000	Laptop	1,500.00
3 July 2000	Mobile phone	50.00
3 July 2000	Mobile phone	50.00
27 July 2000	Cash	2,300.00
8 August 2000	Mobile phone	117.50
10 August 2000	Laptop	1,000.00
30 August 2000	Union flag	109.24
20 September 2000	Payphone	550.00
21 September 2000	Laptop	500.00
27 September 2000	Laptop	1,500.00
27 September 2000	Laptop	1,500.00
28 September 2000	TV/video	160.00
28 September 2000	TV/video	160.00
6 October 2000	PC	150.00
11 November 2000	Laptops x 9, keyboards x 2, projector and mobile phone	25,000.00
15 November 2000	Laptop	500.00
16 December 2000	Cash	140.00
11 January 2001	Department mobile phone	100.00
2 February 2001	CCTV camera	600.00
Total		151,369.06

21 Jan 2002 : Column 637W

Theft and Fraud

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what her estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years. [27983]

Ms Rosie Winterton: It is not possible to distinguish the figures between the Department and its agencies. Available figures for the cost of theft and fraud for each of the last financial years are:

	Department and agencies (£)	NDPBs (£ million)
1997–98	21,721.52	1.08
1998–99	79,923.02	0.8
1999–2000	21,558.40	3.2
2000–01	159,817.87	4.1

Figures for the current financial years are not yet available.

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