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13 Sept 2004 : Column 1407W—continued
Italian Identity Cards
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment the Government plans to conduct of the new Italian identity card scheme. [183909]
Mr. Browne: Identity card schemes have existed in most EU countries for many years.
Home Office officials have had detailed discussions with colleagues involved in the operation of identity card schemes in Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany and lessons learned have informed the development of policy where appropriate.
Comprehensive information has been supplied by each of the EU member states on the operation of their card schemes. The results of this work comprise Annex 3 of "Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud: A Consultation" (CM 5557) published in July 2002.
Home Office officials have met Italian counterparts on two occasions to discuss their experience on the design and implementation of identity cards schemes and we will continue to work closely with colleagues in EU member states.
13 Sept 2004 : Column 1408W
Non-EU Students
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make it easier for non-EU students to work in the UK after they have graduated provided they have graduated from a UK university, with particular reference to residency criteria. [186817]
Mr. Browne: The Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme (SEGS), to be introduced on 29 October 2004, will allow non-EU graduates from UK universities who have graduated in specific science and engineering courses to apply to remain in the UK to seek work.
Participants on SEGS will be required to show that they have achieved a degree at 2:2 or above in such courses and that they can maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds. Participants will be granted leave for one year and will be able to live and work in any region of the UK. Participants on the scheme will be allowed to switch, at any time during the year, to other managed migration categories provided they meet the criteria.
In summer 2005, a further pilot scheme (Fresh Talent: Scotland) should be introduced to allow third country national graduates from Scottish universities to apply to stay in Scotland and look for work for up to two years.
November 9th Society
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the activities of the November 9th Society. [186293]
Fiona Mactaggart: The Government condemn any individual or group which promotes racism. The Home Office is currently developing a cross-Government community cohesion and race equality strategy, due to be launched later this year, which will among other matters address how we can most effectively respond to the threat from political extremism. It is for the police and Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether to prosecute any alleged offences.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take action to close the website of the November 9th Society; and if he will make a statement. [186294]
Fiona Mactaggart: The Government condemn those who use the internet to distribute racist material of this kind. The law on incitement to racial hatred applies to material on the internet which comes within our jurisdiction. It is for the police to investigate complaints and decide whether there is evidence that website operators have committed offences
The Internet Watch Foundation serves as a central point of contact for those who wish to report examples of inflammatory material on the internet.
The Government are currently working on an e-crime strategy which will include consideration of racist material on the internet.
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Overseas Students
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost is to overseas students from (a) new entrant countries in the EU and (b) non-EU countries of registering to work in the UK during their studies. [183795]
Mr. Browne: Students from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia who take up employment in the UK and who are subject to the Worker Registration Scheme are required to pay a one-off fee of £50 to register with the Home Office. After 12 months in continuous legal employment in the UK they can work here without registration.
Students from non-EU countries can legally work part-time alongside their studies, without reporting the details to the Home Office, provided they continue to satisfy the requirements of their stay as students.
Passports
Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when biometric passports will be available to British passport holders to allow entry into the US under the visa waiver scheme; and if he will make a statement. [186367]
Mr. Browne: US Congress have recently approved legislation which extends the target date by which participating members of the US visa waiver scheme should be producing biometric passports to October 2005. British citizens will be able to travel to the States under current arrangements until that date provided they hold machine readable passports.
It is planned to commence the introduction of biometric enabled British Passports in late 2005.
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason he has not acted upon the recommendation by the Chief Surveillance Commissioner that certain NHS bodies should be excluded from Schedule 1 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [185958]
Caroline Flint: The conduct of directed surveillance by NHS bodies has been reviewed by the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS), the Special Health Authority responsible for operational matters relating to the prevention, detection and investigation of fraud and corruption and the management of security in the NHS. The review has concluded that the CFSMS should authorise and undertake directed surveillance on behalf of NHS bodies. Consequently the Government will be laying an Order to amend the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, in line with the recommendation of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner.
Speed Cameras
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists were (a) fined and (b) banned from driving as a result of the evidence of
13 Sept 2004 : Column 1410W
speed cameras in each of the last five years; how much money was raised from fines in each year; and if he will make a statement. [187001]
Caroline Flint: Available information for England and Wales on the number of fixed penalties and court fines ordered to be paid and on the number of persons disqualified from driving for the offence of 'speeding detected by camera' in 1998 to 2002 is shown in tables A and B respectively. Data for 2003 will not be available until the autumn.
Information on the revenue raised from speeding fines is not available centrally.
| Court proceedings(11) | Fixed penalties | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of fines | Total amount of fine (£) | Average fine (£) | Number of tickets(12) | Estimated revenue (£)(13) | |
| 1998 | 25,500 | 2,928,000 | 115 | 338,800 | 13,552,000 |
| 1999 | 32,300 | 3,434,000 | 106 | 423,000 | 16,920,000 |
| 2000 | 31,800 | 3,400,000 | 107 | 599,200 | 25,965,000 |
| 2001 | 40,500 | 4,510,000 | 111 | 877,500 | 52,650,000 |
| 2002 | 46,300 | 4,778,000 | 103 | 1,135,000 | 68,122,000 |
(9) Automatic cameras until 1998, all camera types from 1999.
(10) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and The Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973.
(11) Includes cases where fixed penalty notices were originally issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court.
(12) Paid i.e. no further action.
(13) Estimate based on £40 fixed penalty charge to October 2000. From November 2000 the penalty was raised to £60.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 1,300 |
| 1999 | 1,300 |
| 2000 | 1,400 |
| 2001 | 2,000 |
| 2002 | 1,800 |
(14) Excludes persons disqualified under s.35 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 (penalty points system).
(15) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and The Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973.
(16) Automatic cameras until 1998, all camera types from 1999.
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