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Child Trafficking
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of recommendations put forward in the UNICEF report, "Stop the Traffic", to assist victims of child trafficking in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [129086]
Beverley Hughes: The Government welcome the UNICEF report drawing attention to the heinous crime of trafficking. Work is already in hand to develop a better understanding of the scale of child trafficking, and the Home Office has sponsored research by the International Organisation for Migration that will be presented to a major EU conference later this month.
Work to develop intelligence and co-ordinate operations against trafficking is the responsibility of Reflex, the multi-agency response to organised immigration crime. Reflex has supported Operation Paladin Child which is profiling unaccompanied children arriving at Heathrow, as well as similar exercises at Gatwick and Dover.
The Sexual Offences Bill, currently before Parliament, introduces wide ranging criminal sanctions covering trafficking and sexual exploitation of children. We are committed to introducing legislation covering trafficking for other purposes when parliamentary time permits.
Responsibility for child protection falls to Social Services under the Children Act 1989. There are wide ranging proposals for changes to the child protection arrangements contained in the Green Paper, "Every Child Matters", published recently. In particular, co-ordination arrangements between social services and the police will be enhanced through greater clarity over the responsibilities of Area Child Protection Committees. The Home Office has developed a Trafficking Toolkit, published earlier this year, with practical advice around identifying and supporting victims of trafficking that is available to police and social services.
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to introduce a system whereby victims of child trafficking are given leave to stay in the UK for a period of reflection of up to six months; and if he will make a statement. [129087]
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Beverley Hughes: There are no plans to introduce a blanket reflection period for the victims of trafficking, children or adults. Rather, each case is considered on its individual merits.
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources his Department will make available to provide for specialist training for immigration officers and social workers in order to (a) help them identify cases of child trafficking and (b) provide them with the necessary skills to assist victims of child trafficking; and if he will make a statement. [129088]
Beverley Hughes: The Government are committed to protecting trafficked children, and have recently announced a Children's Commissioner for England and other measures to protect vulnerable children in the wake of the recommendations from the Laming Inquiry into the tragic death of Victoria Climbié.
All immigration officers are already trained to a high standard in interviewing skills. In addition to this, the Immigration Service is shortly to deliver specialist training to around 600 operational members of staff nation-wide. Central to the theme of the course will be that children arriving in the UK may be here as a result of coercion or criminal activity, including trafficking.
Immigration officers also receive regular intelligence bulletins and inter-agency briefings that highlight issues and trends in respect of trafficking so that they may make informed decisions. All UK immigration officers at ports of entry have been issued with a profile of potential child trafficking victims.
The Home Office has also recently published a 'trafficking toolkit', providing guidance for immigration officers on how to recognise a victim of trafficking and what to do if such a victim is encountered. A vice team consisting of specially selected immigration officers has also been established in London. The team is fully aware of the procedures for the identification of trafficked children.
It is for local councils to decide training priorities for social workers. However, the Government have made £6 million available in the Training Support Programme grant for post-qualification specialist training for social workers, with a target of 7,000 social workers awarded the Child Care Post-qualifying Award by 2006.
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There is also new post-qualifying funding for social workers in the Human Resources Development Strategy grant at £0.5 million this year, rising to £13 million by 2005–06.
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to provide central funding for specialist care and protection for the victims of child trafficking in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [129090]
Beverley Hughes: Child victims of trafficking are referred to social services to receive assistance and support based on their particular needs. Social services have a duty under the Children Act 1989 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are in need by providing a range and level of services appropriate to those children's needs or, where appropriate, by arranging for the provision of services from other agencies. Child victims of trafficking are likely to be in need of welfare services and—in many cases—protection under the Children Act 1989.
There is no current specific earmarked funding for services of this nature. Instead, Government funding is allocated to councils with social services responsibilities on the basis of the needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each body's target fair share of available resources. It is, therefore, for councils, working in partnership with relevant stakeholders, to determine their spending priorities on the basis of local needs.
Entitlement Card Scheme
Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria he has set to evaluate the success of his Department's pilot entitlement card scheme. [128276]
Beverley Hughes: The Government have not announced that they will be piloting an entitlement card scheme. My hon. Friend is probably referring to press reports of a proposed UK Passport Service project to pilot the recording of facial recognition, fingerprint and iris image biometric information for passports and the proposed passport card. Discussions with short-listed suppliers are still continuing.
Fixed Penalty Notices
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists who were served with a fixed penalty notice for speeding in 2002–03 as a result of information recorded on speed cameras were subsequently informed that a mistake had been made and that no prosecution would result. [129770]
Ms Blears: This information is not collected centrally.
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place for ensuring that motorists are not served with fixed penalty notices for speeding when the details of their vehicle are incorrectly recorded. [129782]
Ms Blears: Before the issue of a fixed penalty notice, officers analysing offences caught on film check the registration of the car against the DVLA record and the police national computer. A further check is made on the vehicle model and colour. Plans by a number of
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police forces to introduce in the near future automated viewing technology into the system should further reduce errors. Where an error is identified, the notice is withdrawn and the situation investigated to see whether further operative training or other remedial action is required.
The most likely reason for an innocent person to be sent a fixed penalty notice is that the vehicle detected had been stolen and given the registration of another registered vehicle to disguise it. The police take this type of criminal activity very seriously and investigate each case thoroughly. To help counter the problem, it has been a requirement since January to show proof of entitlement when buying a number plate; number plate suppliers have to be registered with DVLA and maintain records of transactions. DVLA are currently conducting a consultation exercise on the possible incorporation on number plates of additional features which would make it more difficult to display them on vehicles for which they were not intended.
Foreign Travel Documents
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the policy of the Passport Office is on advising members of the public about the travel documents required for foreign travel. [130245]
Beverley Hughes: The UK Passport Service (UKPS) has a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy that includes a range of initiatives to advise members of the public about the passport requirements for foreign travel. UKPS works closely with the travel trade and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to ensure that timely and relevant information is conveyed. UKPS advises travellers to check with relevant embassies about visa requirements and length of passport validity which must remain to travel to each country as these are matters for them to determine. UKPS also distributes its literature to a range of organisations including the Citizens' Advice Bureau and Registrars offices throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Media campaigns are normally planned to take place in early January and autumn each year to remind customers to think about their passport requirements and act as early as possible. Most recently UKPS and the FCO worked together to publicise the new requirements for travel to USA, about which there are ongoing discussions between the FCO and US.
The UKPS has a range of information channels, which it utilises to convey its messages. These include:
- an established 24 x 7 Passport Adviceline on 0870 521 0410;
a comprehensive website at www.passport.gov.uk; and
a network of high street partners which include the Post Office and Worldchoice travel agents.
The UKPS also produces contact cards, which are available via its website, to businesses, voluntary organisations etc. who wish to provide their clients with contact details for the UK Passport Service.
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