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MI5

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many MI5 files were extant at 31 December 2001; how many were categorised as (a) green, (b) amber and (c) red in each category; and how many were (i) held on microfiche and (ii) held as hard-copy in each category. [28639]

Mr. Blunkett [holding answer 22 January 2002]: The Security Service held approximately 360,000 files at the end of December 2001, of which 210,000 are personal files and of those 40,000 were on microfiche.

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There were 20,000 personal files categorised as green, the remainder being either amber or red.

I cannot give an immediate breakdown between these categories but I will write to the hon. Member shortly with this information and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Immigration Advisers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) individuals and (b) organisations giving immigration advice for profit are (i) registered and (ii) in the process of registering with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioners. [28776]

Angela Eagle: I understand that, as of 18 January 2002, the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) had registered 135 immigration advisers in business for profit. Of these, 87 are sole practitioners and 48 are organisations comprising two or more practitioners. The OISC has under consideration 11 registration applications from sole practitioners and nine from organisations.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) individuals and (b) organisations giving immigration advice for profit have been refused registration with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner since 30 April 2001; and if he will publish a list of those individuals and organisations. [28777]

Angela Eagle: I understand that, as of 18 January 2002, the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) had refused to register 12 immigration advisers in business for profit of which eight are sole practitioners. Whether this information should be published is a matter for the OISC; I understand that there are no current plans to do so.

Probation Service

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed by the National Probation Service by division and function (a) on the last date for which figures are available and (b) in April 2001. [28784]

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is given in the tables.

Information on staff in post by grade, gender and type of employment is collected at end June and end December each year. There is a separate collection of numbers of staff in post by grade, gender and ethnicity; this was annually from December 1995 to December 2000 but has now changed to a September and March basis starting September 2001.

The numbers of probation officers in post fell between December 2000 and June 2001 because of the transfer of Family Court Welfare Work, and associated staff, to the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (CAFCASS) at 1 April 2001.

The reduction in numbers of probation officers is a reflection of the loss of "Family Court Welfare Officers". The Probation Service is no better or worse off, in terms of having enough staff, than before the transfer took place.

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The numbers exclude those in the National Probation Directorate (NPD). The numbers are purely those working in areas including Chief Officers who are appointed by the Home Office.

Table 1: Probation officers in post, by grade and typeNumber

England and Wales	31 December 2000	30 June 2001
CPO	T54	42
DCPO	12	11
ACPO	213	209
Area Manager	49	51
Regional Training	48	39
	Senior Probation Officers
Family Court Welfare	60	—
Other field work	816	864
Seconded to prison	110	121
Hostels	71	82
Other	8	14
Senior Practitioner
Field work	105	109
Seconded to prison	11	5
Hostels	9	8
Other	4	12
Main Grade
Family Court Welfare	543	—
Other field work	4,258	4,060
Trainee	564	543
Seconded to prison	509	480
Hostels	74	67
Other	53	69
All probation officers(18)	7,571	6,785

⁽¹⁸⁾ Whole-time equivalent. Individual figures may not round to the total because of the rounding of part-time hours.

Table 2: Staff other than probation officers in post, by grade and typeNumber

England and Wales	31 December 2000	30 June 2001
Probation Services Officers	1,019	1,083
CS schemes	1,019	1,083
Seconded to prison	132	136
Other duties	869	916
General duties	849	1,076
Clerical and Secretarial	2,529	2,317
Research and Information Officers	106	141
Administrative officers	1,489	1,532
Sessional supervisors	421	444
Others	254	194
Hostels	791	778
All staff other than probation officers(19)	8,458	8,616

⁽¹⁹⁾ Whole-time equivalent. Individual figures may not round to the total because of the rounding of part-time hours.

Either-way Criminal Offences

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the either-way criminal offences; and if he will make a statement. [29644]

Mr. Denham: There is no readily available list of triable either-way offences. Appendix Four of the annual Command Paper "Criminal statistics England and Wales" lists just over 370 triable either-way offence codes which are used for statistical purposes. Each code may cover

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more than one offence and these codes cover approximately 700 offences. Other triable either-way offences are grouped together under one ad hoc code. Copies of the Command Paper are available in the Library.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans to extend the interim regulations for the support of asylum seekers for another two years. [29834]

Angela Eagle [holding answer 24 January 2002]: Some asylum seekers fall to be supported by local authorities under the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999. These regulations came into force on 6 December 1999 and are due to end on 1 April 2002. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has decided that it would be appropriate to extend these regulations until 5 April 2004. This extension will enable Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) staff to complete the data matching exercise between its records and those held by local authorities. In addition during this time asylum seekers are to be issued with application registration cards. Once these two exercises have been completed we will have detailed information on the number of asylum seekers being supported by local authorities.

We can then discuss with the local authorities how best to transfer the cases to the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) system of support.

Skilled Migrant Programme

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans to attract skilled foreign workers to the UK; and if he will make a statement. [29835]

Angela Eagle [holding answer 24 January 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mrs. Ellman) on 13 December 2001, Official Report, column 1010W. Applications under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme will be accepted by diplomatic posts overseas from 28 January. The work permit system additionally provides a fast, effective route for employers to recruit skilled people to fill vacancies where they are unable to recruit or train a resident worker. The forthcoming White Paper will further set out the Government's strategy for making sure the immigration system maximises the benefits to the United Kingdom of skilled foreign workers.

Police Personnel Data

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the quality of data in recent police personnel statistics publications. [29476]

Mr. Denham: The Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate makes a careful assessment of the quality of any national statistics that it publishes and is carrying out a series of reviews under the National Statistics framework.

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A Police Numbers Task Force was established last year specifically to address concerns over police personnel data. This group has now completed its work and its report was made available to police forces for consultation on 18 December 2001. A copy of this report is available on the Home Office website.

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