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23 Feb 2004 : Column 251W—continued

Sentencing Guidelines Council

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the work of the Sentencing Guidelines Council. [152840]

23 Feb 2004 : Column 252W

Paul Goggins: The role of the Sentencing Guidelines Council is to issue guidance on all aspects of sentencing so as to promote consistent and just sentencing by the courts within the framework provided by Parliament. Recruitment of members is currently under way.

Tagging

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the case for (a) using tagging with an intensive supervision order and (b) making tagged offenders who can afford it pay a rental for tagging equipment. [150180]

Paul Goggins: The Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP) operates within the supervision order for juveniles. The programme is being evaluated by Oxford university and the evaluation report with 12 month reconviction data is now expected in April 2004. Electronic tagging provides the main form of monitoring of the offender on ISSP. Other forms of monitoring include voice verification.

Electronic monitoring is also used with curfew orders and tagging on bail as well as early release from custody. Evaluation of tagging for juveniles on curfew orders has been published. Progress is also being made on developing the Intensive Control and Change Programme with tagging for 18 to 20-year-old adults and we are extending the pilot areas.

We have no proposals to charge juvenile or adult offenders for tagging. The financial benefits of charging offenders for use of tagging equipment are likely to be small and offset by administration and enforcement costs. Tagging is already a cost effective alternative to custody.

Visas

Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government have to (a) re-examine and (b) change visa arrangements for US nationals entering the United Kingdom. [153299]

Beverley Hughes: The Government have no plans to re-examine or change the entry clearance requirements for US nationals entering the United Kingdom, although all such requirements are kept under review.

Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) the arrangements for the issuing of visas and (b) eligibility for visas are for (i) US citizens and (ii) other non-EU and non-Commonwealth citizens entering the United Kingdom. [153300]

23 Feb 2004 : Column 253W

Beverley Hughes: Arrangements for the issuing of visas are specific to the individual visa issuing Post and are influenced by factors such as the level of demand, and local security situation. Applicants may lodge applications online, in person or by courier service or post. Visa sections may return successful applicants' passports by courier service, or return their endorsed passport to them in person. In the US the visa issuing Posts in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York accept applications made on-line, by post or in person. Visa sections in non-EU or non-Commonwealth countries may operate any one or more of these methods.

US Nationals are not visa nationals and are therefore only obliged to apply for entry clearance to the UK in specific categories, as set out in the Immigration Rules or if coming to the UK for longer than six months. Visa nationals, which include certain non-EU and non-Commonwealth citizens, are required to obtain entry clearance to enter the UK for any period or purpose. Whether applying for entry clearance or not, the same conditions, as set out in the Immigration Rules, apply to all non-EU or non-Commonwealth nationals.

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken by his Department to respond to requests for information made by the Visa Section of the British High Commission in Harare about visa applicants. [149486]

Beverley Hughes: Immigration and Nationality Department officials are working closely with UKvisas to ensure that all requests for information are handled promptly, effectively and securely by those involved. On 10 January this year a new system was introduced making greater use of electronic transmissions. This will also provide an audit trail for each request for information. UKvisas and the relevant Home Office Departments are constantly reviewing the system. Work is currently under way to identify further improvements.

Wetherby Young Offenders Institution

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 14 January 2004, Official Report, column 762W, on HMYOI Wetherby, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increases in costs per prisoner and cost per prisoner place; and what the (a) cost and (b) increase in cost is per (i) prisoner and (ii) prisoner place. [151692]

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. member to the answer I gave to question (151131) on 9 February 2004 which set out the reasons for increases in the cost per prisoner and cost per prisoner place at HMYOI Wetherby between 1998–99 and 2002–03. The costs themselves were set out in my previous answers to questions 145649 and 145650.

Work Permits

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits were issued in 2002. [145413]

Beverley Hughes: Under the work permit arrangements, 136,151 approvals were issued during the calendar year 2002. This figure includes initial approvals and approvals of applications to extend and to change existing work permits. It represents a 13 per cent.

23 Feb 2004 : Column 254W

increase on the numbers of approved in 2001 and a 203 per cent. increase since 1997. These increases are part of our overall policy of expanding legal migration where it meets the needs of the economy while bearing down on illegal migration.

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits were granted to health care professionals to work in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) country of origin and (b) profession. [151609]

Beverley Hughes: [holding answer 29 January 2004]: The tables provide figures for the numbers of work permits granted to health care professionals between 1995 and 2003 (the period for which information is available) broken down by country of origin, and between 2000 and 2003 broken down by occupation.

A breakdown by occupations for the years 1995 to 1999 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

All health and medical work permit applications approved, broken down by country of origin: 1995

	Number
India	209
Mauritius	157
Trinidad and Tobago	151
Nigeria	116
United States of America	112
South Africa	102
Australia	100
Zimbabwe	76
Pakistan	68
Malaysia	57
Others	475
Total	1,623

1996

	Number
India	276
Mauritius	200
Trinidad and Tobago	192
South Africa	190
Australia	189
Zimbabwe	146
Nigeria	133
United States of America	127
Pakistan	96
Malaysia	82
Others	650
Total	2,281

1997

	Number
South Africa	420
Australia	357
India	318
Trinidad and Tobago	198
Nigeria	196
United States of America	187
Mauritius	162
Zimbabwe	142
Pakistan	112
Canada	102
Others	926
Total	3,120

23 Feb 2004 : Column 255W

1998

	Number
South Africa	753
India	457
Australia	438
Nigeria	338
Trinidad and Tobago	278
United States of America	232
Zimbabwe	225
New Zealand	192
Mauritius	187
Malaysia	178
Others	1,465
Total	4,743

1999

	Number
South Africa	2,024
Philippines	1,770
India	916
Australia	720
Nigeria	688
Zimbabwe	581
Trinidad and Tobago	501
United States of America	376
Malaysia	272
New Zealand	259
Others	2,629
Total	10,736

2000

	Number
Philippines	6,592
South Africa	2,880
India	1,939
Zimbabwe	1,149
Nigeria	1,046
Australia	827
Trinidad and Tobago	471
United States of America	401
Pakistan	391
New Zealand	390
Others	3,874
Total	19,960

2001

	Number
Philippines	10,017
India	4,137
South Africa	4,132
Zimbabwe	1,959
Nigeria	1,329
Australia	1,097
Pakistan	799
Ghana	565
China Peoples Republic of	539
New Zealand	488
Others	5,514
Total	30,576

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2002

	Number
Philippines	11,143
India	6,482
South Africa	5,728
Zimbabwe	2,646
Nigeria	1,814
Australia	1,241
Pakistan	861
China Peoples Republic of	713
Ghana	631
Bulgaria	599
Others	6,598
Total	38,456

2003

	Number
Philippines	12,014
India	9,835
South Africa	5,880
Zimbabwe	2,825
Nigeria	1,510
Australia	1,292
China Peoples Republic of	1,068
Pakistan	964
Ghana	850
Bulgaria	787
Others	7,417
Total	44,442

All health and medical work permit applications approved, broken down by occupation: 2000

	Number
Nurse	14,123
Medical practitioner	543
Pharmacist	411
Researcher	243
Dental surgeon	162
Physiotherapist	157
Assistant dentist	140
Veterinary surgeon	114
Psychiatrist	99
Occupational therapist	90
Others	3,879
Total	19,961

2001

	Number
Nurse	22,414
Medical practitioner	852
Doctor	762
Pharmacist	471
Researcher	267
Physiotherapist	261
Dental surgeon	218
Psychiatrist	188
Radiographer	155
Occupational therapist	135
Others	4,854
Total	30,577

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2002

	Number
Nurse	25,926
Doctor	1,948
Medical practitioner	524
Pharmacist	443
Researcher	378
Physiotherapist	357
Radiographer	352
Dental surgeon	238
Psychiatrist	213
Occupational therapist	194
Others	7,884
Total	38,457

2003

	Number
Nurse	27,171
Doctor	2,947
Pharmacist	409
Physiotherapist	389
Radiographer	384
Medical practitioner	340
Researcher	339
Social worker	208
Dental surgeon	201
Psychiatrist	189
Others	11,866
Total	44,443

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will break down, by occupation, work permits awarded in each year since 1997. [154150]

Beverley Hughes: Figures for the primary occupations for which the most work permit applications have been issued since 1997 are given in the following tables:

1997

Occupation	Total number issued
Trainee	4,529
Manager	2,579
Manager (Unspecified)	1,943
Systems Analyst	1,768
Staff Nurse	1,527
Other Financial Occupations	1,331
Company Director	1,209
Other Medical Occupations	1,007
Other Professional Sportsmen	908
Musician	839
Others	25,204

1998

Occupation	Total number issued
Trainee	5,649
Systems Analyst	2,446
Manager	2,254
Staff Nurse	1,782
Manager (Unspecified)	1,543
Company Director	1,162
Other Financial Occupations	1,102
Other Medical Occupations	1,083
Musician	846
Other Professional Sportsmen	723
Others	33,022

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1999

Occupation	Total number issued
Trainee	3,957
Staff Nurse	2,679
Nurse	2,406
Other Managerial Related Occupation	2,195
Manager	1,871
Other Medical Occupations	1,356
Systems Analyst	1,284
Manager (Unspecified)	998
Other IT Related Occupation	905
Accountant	899
Others	39,695

2000

Occupation	Total number issued
Nurse	15,040
Other Managerial Related Occupations	14,971
Other IT Related Occupations	14,971
Other Financial Occupations	4,405
Other Engineering Occupations	4,346
System Analyst	3,606
Other Health/Medical Occupations	3,347
Researcher	3,246
Software Engineer	3,006
Accountant	2,531
Others	21,417

2001

Occupation	Total number issued
Nurse	24,263
Other Managerial Related Occupations	13,308
Other IT Related Occupations	9,220
Teacher (School/College)	5,880
Software Engineer	5,603
Other Engineering Occupations	4,555
System Analyst	4,435
Other Financial Occupations	4,421
Researcher	3,931
Other Health/Medical Occupations	3,801
Others	37,970

2002

Occupation	Total number issued
Nurse	28,642
Other Managerial Related Occupations	12,670
Teacher (School/College)	8,353
Other Health/Medical Occupations	7,004
Other IT Related Occupations	6,935
Software Engineer	6,768
Chef	5,724
Other Engineering Occupations	5,140
Researcher	4,140
Analyst Programmer	4,008
Others	42,951

2003⁽⁷⁰⁾

Occupation	Total number issued
Nurse	22,055
Other Managerial Related Occupations	10,049
Other Health/Medical Occupations	7,711
Chef	5,723
Teacher (School/College)	5,342
Other IT Related Occupations	5,146
Software Engineer	3,905
Other Engineering Occupations	3,519
Researcher	3,098
Other Financial Occupations	2,927
Others	35,510

⁽⁷⁰⁾ To 30 September 2003.

23 Feb 2004 : Column 259W

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits were awarded to health workers (a) from each of the top 10 countries of origin and (b) in total in each of the last 10 years. [154601]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 12 February 2004]: The tables provide figures for the number of permits granted to healthcare professionals between 1995 and 2003 (the period for which information is available). The tables give details of the number of applications approved for each of the top 10 countries of origin and the total of approved applications for each year.

Health and medical permit applications approved— top 10 countries of origin and total approved applications by year: 1995

	Number
India	209
Mauritius	157
Trinidad and Tobago	151
Nigeria	116
United States of America	112
South Africa	102
Australia	100
Zimbabwe	76
Pakistan	68
Malaysia	57
Total	1,623

1996

	Number
India	276
Mauritius	200
Trinidad and Tobago	192
South Africa	190
Australia	189
Zimbabwe	146
Nigeria	133
United States of America	127
Pakistan	96
Malaysia	82
Total	2,281

1997

	Number
South Africa	420
Australia	357
India	318
Trinidad and Tobago	198
Nigeria	196
United States of America	187
Mauritius	162
Zimbabwe	142
Pakistan	112
Canada	102
Total	3,120

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1998

	Number
South Africa	753
India	457
Australia	438
Nigeria	338
Trinidad and Tobago	278
United States of America	232
Zimbabwe	225
New Zealand	192
Mauritius	187
Malaysia	178
Total	4,743

1999

	Number
South Africa	2,024
Philippines	1,770
India	916
Australia	720
Nigeria	688
Zimbabwe	581
Trinidad and Tobago	501
United States of America	376
Malaysia	272
New Zealand	259
Total	10,736

2000

	Number
Philippines	6,592
South Africa	2,880
India	1,939
Zimbabwe	1,149
Nigeria	1,046
Australia	827
Trinidad and Tobago	471
United States of America	401
Pakistan	391
New Zealand	390
Total	19,961

2001

	Number
Philippines	10,017
India	4,137
South Africa	4,132
Zimbabwe	1,959
Nigeria	1,329
Australia	1,097
Pakistan	799
Ghana	565
Peoples Republic of China	539
New Zealand	488
Total	30,576

23 Feb 2004 : Column 261W

2002

	Number
Philippines	1 1,143
India	6,482
South Africa	5,727
Zimbabwe	2,647
Nigeria	1,814
Australia	1,241
Pakistan	861
Peoples Republic of China	713
Ghana	631
Bulgaria	599
Total	38,457

2003⁽⁷¹⁾

	Number
Philippines	8,749
India	7,367
South Africa	4,422
Zimbabwe	2,050
Nigeria	1,128
Australia	1,034
Peoples Republic of China	732
Pakistan	723
Ghana	653
Bulgaria	532
Total	33,058

⁽⁷¹⁾ Figures are only available for the period January to September 2003.

23 Feb 2004 : Column 262W

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