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24 Jan 2005 : Column 112W—continued
Firearms
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been proceeded against for the conversion of firearms in England and Wales in each year since 1993. [203520]
Caroline Flint: Statistics on the number of people proceeded against for the conversion of firearms is shown in the table.
Statistics for 2004 will be available in autumn 2005.
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(48) These data are on the principal offence basis. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Fixed Penalty Notices
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many penalty notices for disorder for consumption of alcohol in designated public places have been issued by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police since the scheme was rolled out nationally in 2004; [208951]
(2) how many penalty notices for disorder for using public telecommunications systems for sending messages known to be false in order to cause annoyance have been issued by (a) Essex Police and (b) Southend police since the scheme was rolled out nationally in 2004; [208952]
(3) how many penalty notices for disorder for wasting police time or giving false reports have been issued by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police since the scheme was rolled out nationally in 2004; [208953]
(4) how many penalty notices for disorder for disorderly behaviour while drunk in a public place have been issued by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police since the scheme was rolled out nationally in 2004; [208954]
(5) how many penalty notices for disorder for buying or attempting to buy alcohol for consumption in a bar in licensed premises by a person under 18 have been issued by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police since the scheme was rolled out nationally in 2004; [208955]
(6) how many penalty notices for disorder for throwing stones etc at trains or trackside buildings on railways have been issued by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police since the scheme was rolled out nationally in 2004; [208956]
(7) how many penalty notices for disorder for trespassing on a railway have been issued by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police since the scheme was rolled out nationally in 2004; [208957]
(8) how many penalty notices for disorder for knowingly giving a false alarm to a fire brigade have been issued by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police since the scheme was rolled out nationally in 2004; [208958]
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(9) how many penalty notices for disorder for alcohol related offences have been issued by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police since the scheme was rolled out nationally in 2004; [208959]
(10) how many penalty notices for disorder for throwing fireworks in a thoroughfare have been issued by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police since the scheme was rolled out nationally in 2004. [208960]
Ms Blears: Data are collected centrally at police force level only. The following table gives the number of notices issued, by offence, by Essex police from January to the end of November 2004.
Foreign Students
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of increasing charges to foreign students for leave to remain in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [208334]
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Mr. Browne: In September 2004 a joint project team—comprising representatives from the Department for Education and Skills, the Home Office and the British Council—was asked to improve the evidence base around international students, and to undertake an assessment of the likely impact of increased leave to remain fees to attract more international students to the UK.
The outcomes of this work will be made available, alongside a Regulatory Impact Assessment for the education sector, when the Government announces its response to the recent Home Office Consultation on "Review of Charges for Immigration Applications".
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) others about (i) the contribution to the UK economy made by foreign students and (ii) the proposals to increase the charges for leave to remain in the UK. [208346]
Mr. Browne: We hold frequent and regular discussions with other Departments, including the Treasury and the DFES, at both ministerial and official level, which involve consideration of the economic contribution made to the UK by overseas students.
The Home Office consultation paper, "Review of Charges for Immigration applications" in September 2004, was agreed within Government, as will the decision on the final fee levels. The consultation has engaged a wide range of stakeholders and individuals, including UKCOSA and Universities UK, among others.
Fraud
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of Chip and PIN technology on levels of fraud. [202992]
Ms Blears: Chip and PIN is a finance and retail industry initiative that aims to reduce plastic card fraud by requiring card transactions to be authorised by the customer keying in a PIN rather than signing a receipt. At the same time the introduction of microchips into cards will help prevent the production of counterfeit cards (skimming). The public trial of Chip and PIN was a success and national roll out has now started, with a view to the majority of card transactions being Chip and PIN by 2005.
The Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) estimates that without Chip and PIN card fraud might have risen to £1 billion by the end of the decade. APACS forecasts that in 2007 total card fraud losses on UK issued cards currently looks set to fall to approximately £330 million.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on card fraud; and what steps the Government are taking to make the use of cards as a method of payment safer. [205551]
Caroline Flint:
On 26 April 2002, the Government launched a two-year pilot of a unique policing unit (the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit(DCPCU) based in London, which works closely with the banking industry to reduce organised card and cheque fraud,
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using intelligence largely provided by the card industry. The Home Office funded 25 per cent. of the unit's costs (£1.4 million over two years) during the pilot with the remainder being met by the card industry. An independent evaluation of the unit showed that it had been successful in detecting or preventing a significant amount of cheque and credit card fraud. Government are delighted that the unit is now continuing with full financial support provided by the card industry. The Home Office continues to chair the Steering Group.
We have been encouraging financial and retail sectors to work towards early implementation of more secure systems to combat fraud. This includes Chip and PIN, a finance and retail industry initiative that aims to reduce plastic card fraud by requiring card transactions to be authorised by the customer keying in a PIN rather than signing a receipt. At the same time the introduction of microchips into cards will help prevent the production of counterfeit cards (skimming). The public trial of Chip and PIN was a success and national roll out is under way.
The Home Office publishes fraud prevention advice on its website and has launched a website to combat internet fraud. The e-tailing mini site forms part of the crime reduction website and provides information to help both consumers and businesses protect themselves when buying and selling over the internet.
The Home Office has also published, jointly with APACS, a leaflet for members of the public about safe credit card use. Supplies of the leaflet have been sent to all police forces and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership's in England and Wales. It is also available on the Home Office website.
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