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Departmental Efficiency

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department's spending plans are based on a continuing reduction in the number of asylum applications. [196589]

Mr. Browne: The Department's spending plans are based on an assessment of the likely future costs of the immigration and asylum system. We have more than halved the number of asylum applications since October 2002.
 
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However, the spending plans are not primarily based on a continuing reduction in the number of asylum applications, but do take into account the published aim to reduce the number of unfounded asylum applications.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to ensure that efficiency saving plans do not have a detrimental effect on service provision. [196590]

Fiona Mactaggart: The purpose of the Home Office Value for Money programme is to redirect resources to the frontline services and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of frontline delivery. These improvements will underpin success in delivering the Department's public service agreement targets and in meeting the challenges identified in the Strategic Plan (Cm 6287). The Value for Money technical note, published on 1 November 2004 http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/inside/org/pubs/index.html#servdel set out how overall the Value for Money programme would bring public service benefits and identified a number of particular ways by which the quality of service provision would be ensured.

Domestic Violence (Immigration Cases)

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applications have been made under the domestic violence rule; and how many have involved children; [195629]

(2) how many applications under the domestic violence rule have been subject to judicial review; [195630]

(3) how many applications under the domestic violence rule were accepted when the initial decision was made; and how many were refused. [195631]

Mr. Browne: Data are not available on the number of applications received, whether they involve children, their outcome or whether they have been the subject of judicial review.

More general information about the number of marriage applications granted and refused is published annually in the Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom". The publication covering 2003 was published on 16 November and can be accessed on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants who were refused permission to stay, under the domestic violence rule, appealed; and how many of those appeals were successful. [195632]

Mr. Browne: Information on how many applicants have been refused indefinite leave to remain under the domestic violence rule and how many have appealed are not available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.

Some information about immigration appeals is published annually in the Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom". Information covering 2003 was published on 16 November on the
 
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Home Office Research and Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the outcome of his Department's research and monitoring into the number of cases of women applying under the domestic violence rule; [195640]

(2) what assessment has been made of the reasons for refusal of applications under the domestic violence rule. [195643]

Mr. Browne: The domestic violence provisions were first introduced as a concession in 1999 and were reviewed after they had been in force for two years. It was as a result of this review, that the provisions were extended so that other types of evidence of domestic violence were accepted. The provisions were also incorporated into the immigration rules, giving the applicant the right of appeal against any refusal decision.

The majority of refusals now are made on the grounds that the applicant has not produced satisfactory evidence that violence has occurred during the probationary period and has led to the breakdown of the marriage. Officials have met with women's support groups to discuss ways in which we can improve the quality of evidence presented with applications. This will allow decisions to be made more quickly.

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to extend the types of evidence required to prove domestic violence under the immigration rules; [195650]

(2) what plans he has to extend the domestic violence rule to protect all women subjected to domestic violence and immigration control. [195651]

Mr. Browne: The domestic violence provision in the Immigration Rules is there to protect victims of violence who have been admitted or given leave to remain in this country as a spouse and who would otherwise have a legitimate expectation of settlement at the end of their probationary period. It ensures that they can escape from the violence of their relationship without jeopardising their future in the UK.

We have no intention of extending the provision for others here in a temporary capacity—such as a visitor or student. Their partnership does not affect their immigration status and they have no expectation of settlement. We have recently extended the types of evidence we accept as proof of domestic violence. Ideally, we would still like evidence of criminal or legal proceedings being taken against the perpetrator of the violence. Those who inflict violence and terrify their partners should not get away with it. However, we realise that criminal action is not always possible and we therefore will accept other types of evidence, provided it is substantive and objective. This may take the form of more than one of the following:

a medical report from a hospital doctor confirming that the applicant has injuries consistent with being a victim of domestic violence;

 
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a letter from a family practitioner who has examined the applicant and is satisfied that the applicant has injuries consistent with being the victim of domestic violence;

an undertaking given to a court that the perpetrator of the violence will not approach the victim of the violence;

a police report confirming attendance at the home of the applicant as a result of a domestic violence incident;

a letter from a social services department confirming its involvement in connection with domestic violence;

a letter of support or report from a women's refuge.

We are looking at the interpretation of refuge in this context and will be issuing further guidance on this point in the near future.

Electronic Terrorism

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what security measures are being taken to protect the UK from the threat of electronic terrorist attacks. [198328]

Mr. Blunkett: The Government take the threat of electronic terrorist attacks seriously.

There is a fine line between criminal acts against computer and information systems, so called "e-crime", and what we would call a terrorist act. Damage or disruption to IT systems can be the same irrespective of whether a criminal or a terrorist is responsible. Action will be taken against those responsible irrespective of the reason for the attack.

We have set up the National HiTech Crime Unit (NHTCU) as part of the National Crime Squad to combat national and transnational hi-tech crime within, or which impacts, upon the UK.

The National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre (NISCC) was set-up in 1999 and its work includes ensuring the security of Government systems. NISCC works with the private sector to improve the protection of electronic systems which are part of the UK's Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). It provides a 24/7 service for alerting CNI organisations to vulnerabilities which could be exploited in an electronic attack irrespective of whether the attack is of criminal or terrorist origin.

Emergency Service Calls

Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a new tiered emergency services call line; and if he will make a statement. [196732]

Ms Blears: The Government have made a commitment to introduce a new national three-digit non-emergency phone number for contacting the police by 2008. The White Paper on Police Reform, "Building Communities, Beating Crime—a better police service for 21st century", published on 9 November, foresees the core of the system in place by the end of 2006. The main objectives are to make telephone access to the police easier and also to reduce the number of inappropriate 999 calls. Currently we are considering which range of civic services in addition to policing, crime and anti-social behaviour the public would most benefit from having a single point of access to.
 
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We are determined to establish the best possible service and we first need to identify what best meets the requirements of the community.

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