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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]

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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]

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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
India209
Mauritius157
Trinidad and Tobago151
Nigeria116
United States of America112
South Africa102
Australia100
Zimbabwe76
Pakistan68
Malaysia57
Others475
Total1,623

1996

Number
India276
Mauritius200
Trinidad and Tobago192
South Africa190
Australia189
Zimbabwe146
Nigeria133
United States of America127
Pakistan96
Malaysia82
Others650
Total2,281

1997

Number
South Africa420
Australia357
India318
Trinidad and Tobago198
Nigeria196
United States of America187
Mauritius162
Zimbabwe142
Pakistan112
Canada102
Others926
Total3,120


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1998

Number
South Africa753
India457
Australia438
Nigeria338
Trinidad and Tobago278
United States of America232
Zimbabwe225
New Zealand192
Mauritius187
Malaysia178
Others1,465
Total4,743

1999

Number
South Africa2,024
Philippines1,770
India916
Australia720
Nigeria688
Zimbabwe581
Trinidad and Tobago501
United States of America376
Malaysia272
New Zealand259
Others2,629
Total10,736

2000

Number
Philippines6,592
South Africa2,880
India1,939
Zimbabwe1,149
Nigeria1,046
Australia827
Trinidad and Tobago471
United States of America401
Pakistan391
New Zealand390
Others3,874
Total19,960

2001

Number
Philippines10,017
India4,137
South Africa4,132
Zimbabwe1,959
Nigeria1,329
Australia1,097
Pakistan799
Ghana565
China Peoples Republic of539
New Zealand488
Others5,514
Total30,576


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2002

Number
Philippines11,143
India6,482
South Africa5,728
Zimbabwe2,646
Nigeria1,814
Australia1,241
Pakistan861
China Peoples Republic of713
Ghana631
Bulgaria599
Others6,598
Total38,456

2003

Number
Philippines12,014
India9,835
South Africa5,880
Zimbabwe2,825
Nigeria1,510
Australia1,292
China Peoples Republic of1,068
Pakistan964
Ghana850
Bulgaria787
Others7,417
Total44,442

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

Number
Nurse14,123
Medical practitioner543
Pharmacist411
Researcher243
Dental surgeon162
Physiotherapist157
Assistant dentist140
Veterinary surgeon114
Psychiatrist99
Occupational therapist90
Others3,879
Total19,961

2001

Number
Nurse22,414
Medical practitioner852
Doctor762
Pharmacist471
Researcher267
Physiotherapist261
Dental surgeon218
Psychiatrist188
Radiographer155
Occupational therapist135
Others4,854
Total30,577


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2002

Number
Nurse25,926
Doctor1,948
Medical practitioner524
Pharmacist443
Researcher378
Physiotherapist357
Radiographer352
Dental surgeon238
Psychiatrist213
Occupational therapist194
Others7,884
Total38,457

2003

Number
Nurse27,171
Doctor2,947
Pharmacist409
Physiotherapist389
Radiographer384
Medical practitioner340
Researcher339
Social worker208
Dental surgeon201
Psychiatrist189
Others11,866
Total44,443

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

OccupationTotal number issued
Trainee4,529
Manager2,579
Manager (Unspecified)1,943
Systems Analyst1,768
Staff Nurse1,527
Other Financial Occupations1,331
Company Director1,209
Other Medical Occupations1,007
Other Professional Sportsmen908
Musician839
Others25,204

1998

OccupationTotal number issued
Trainee5,649
Systems Analyst2,446
Manager2,254
Staff Nurse1,782
Manager (Unspecified)1,543
Company Director1,162
Other Financial Occupations1,102
Other Medical Occupations1,083
Musician846
Other Professional Sportsmen723
Others33,022


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1999

OccupationTotal number issued
Trainee3,957
Staff Nurse2,679
Nurse2,406
Other Managerial Related Occupation2,195
Manager1,871
Other Medical Occupations1,356
Systems Analyst1,284
Manager (Unspecified)998
Other IT Related Occupation905
Accountant899
Others39,695

2000

OccupationTotal number issued
Nurse15,040
Other Managerial Related Occupations14,971
Other IT Related Occupations14,971
Other Financial Occupations4,405
Other Engineering Occupations4,346
System Analyst3,606
Other Health/Medical Occupations3,347
Researcher3,246
Software Engineer3,006
Accountant2,531
Others21,417

2001

OccupationTotal number issued
Nurse24,263
Other Managerial Related Occupations13,308
Other IT Related Occupations9,220
Teacher (School/College)5,880
Software Engineer5,603
Other Engineering Occupations4,555
System Analyst4,435
Other Financial Occupations4,421
Researcher3,931
Other Health/Medical Occupations3,801
Others37,970

2002

OccupationTotal number issued
Nurse28,642
Other Managerial Related Occupations12,670
Teacher (School/College)8,353
Other Health/Medical Occupations7,004
Other IT Related Occupations6,935
Software Engineer6,768
Chef5,724
Other Engineering Occupations5,140
Researcher4,140
Analyst Programmer4,008
Others42,951

2003(70)

OccupationTotal number issued
Nurse22,055
Other Managerial Related Occupations10,049
Other Health/Medical Occupations7,711
Chef5,723
Teacher (School/College)5,342
Other IT Related Occupations5,146
Software Engineer3,905
Other Engineering Occupations3,519
Researcher3,098
Other Financial Occupations2,927
Others35,510

(70) To 30 September 2003.


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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
India209
Mauritius157
Trinidad and Tobago151
Nigeria116
United States of America112
South Africa102
Australia100
Zimbabwe76
Pakistan68
Malaysia57
Total1,623

1996

Number
India276
Mauritius200
Trinidad and Tobago192
South Africa190
Australia189
Zimbabwe146
Nigeria133
United States of America127
Pakistan96
Malaysia82
Total2,281

1997

Number
South Africa420
Australia357
India318
Trinidad and Tobago198
Nigeria196
United States of America187
Mauritius162
Zimbabwe142
Pakistan112
Canada102
Total3,120


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1998

Number
South Africa753
India457
Australia438
Nigeria338
Trinidad and Tobago278
United States of America232
Zimbabwe225
New Zealand192
Mauritius187
Malaysia178
Total4,743

1999

Number
South Africa2,024
Philippines1,770
India916
Australia720
Nigeria688
Zimbabwe581
Trinidad and Tobago501
United States of America376
Malaysia272
New Zealand259
Total10,736

2000

Number
Philippines6,592
South Africa2,880
India1,939
Zimbabwe1,149
Nigeria1,046
Australia827
Trinidad and Tobago471
United States of America401
Pakistan391
New Zealand390
Total19,961

2001

Number
Philippines10,017
India4,137
South Africa4,132
Zimbabwe1,959
Nigeria1,329
Australia1,097
Pakistan799
Ghana565
Peoples Republic of China539
New Zealand488
Total30,576


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2002

Number
Philippines1 1,143
India6,482
South Africa5,727
Zimbabwe2,647
Nigeria1,814
Australia1,241
Pakistan861
Peoples Republic of China713
Ghana631
Bulgaria599
Total38,457

2003(71)

Number
Philippines8,749
India7,367
South Africa4,422
Zimbabwe2,050
Nigeria1,128
Australia1,034
Peoples Republic of China732
Pakistan723
Ghana653
Bulgaria532
Total33,058

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


23 Feb 2004 : Column 262W


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