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28 Feb 2005 : Column 988W—continued
Fire Services
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consultation his Department has had with the West Midlands Fire Authority on proposed changes to night-time cover in the West Midlands region. [217691]
Mr. Raynsford: As was made clear in the debate on 22 February 2005, Official Report, column 55WH, the introduction of Integrated Risk Management Plans (IRMPs) in April 2003 allows fire and rescue authorities to target resources to address local risk, as well as to make the most effective use of their resources in preventing fires. Responsibility for the preparation of IRMPs lies with each individual Fire and Rescue Authority, having regard to my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.
As well as setting out general principles and guidance, the National Framework makes it clear that each Fire and Rescue Authority should consult with interested parties in its area when preparing its IRMPs. The West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service has issued its proposal for the period April 2005 to March 2006, Your Safety our Priority" for consultation. There is no requirement or expectation for consultation with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in respect of IRMPs.
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Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he has been able to provide the information on the location of the South West Regional Control Centre and related property issues requested by the Head of Legal Services of the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Authority under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [217791]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister responded to the request for information from the Head of Legal and Democratic Services of the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Authority on 3 February 2005 in accordance with the provisions of
28 Feb 2005 : Column 990W
the Freedom of Information Act 2000. There was no request for information on the location of the South West Regional Control Centre.
Planning
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many appeals are awaiting resolution at the Planning Inspectorate. [218005]
Keith Hill: The information requested is tabled as follows. It gives the number of appeals awaiting resolution at the Planning Inspectorate as at 23 February 2005 by appeal type and procedure.
Targets
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many targets have been set in each year since 1997 by his Department; and, of these, which have been (a) met, (b) nearly met, (c) not met, (d) changed and (e) dropped. [215802]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 21 February 2005 by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Official Report, column 75W.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Asylum Seekers
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) who will manage education at asylum accommodation centres; [211215]
(2) who will be responsible for providing education facilities at asylum accommodation centres; and who will be responsible for making decisions on provision. [211211]
Mr. Browne: These will be matters for the contractors. The contract for the Bicester accommodation centre requires GSL to provide a number of services including the provision of on site education which mirrors that provided in mainstream education.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken to remove individuals after all appeals to stay in the UK have been exhausted is. [211599]
Mr. Browne: Information about the average time taken to remove individuals after appeals to stay in the UK have been exhausted is not available for all case types.
However, management information indicates that the average time taken to remove individuals who have exhausted all rights to appeal following an unsuccessful asylum claim is approximately 20 months. This figure relates to the period January to December 2004.
This information has not been treated as quality assured and should be treated as provisional management information only.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of supporting asylum seekers awaiting a decision on whether they have a right to remain in the UK was in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many asylum seekers who have been refused permission to remain in the UK have not been removed from the country (a) because they are awaiting removal and (b) because they cannot be traced. [213491]
Mr. Browne [holding answer 4 February 2005]: In 2003–04 the cost of providing asylum support was £1,008 million. This figure includes the costs of supporting:
asylum seeking families who have received a final negative decision on their claim but who are still eligible to receive support; and
other unsuccessful asylum seekers who are receiving support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
It is not possible to readily identify the costs of providing support to families and those receiving support under section 4 from the total costs.
Reliable information on the total number of asylum seekers who have been refused permission to remain in the UK and have not been removed, is not available, partly because some applicants may leave the United Kingdom without informing the Immigration Service.
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers there are in North Durham. [214676]
Mr. Browne:
Reliable information on the number of failed asylum seekers in North Durham is not available, partly because some applicants may leave the United Kingdom without informing the Immigration Service.
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Biometric Data
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government's plans for the storage of biometric data on (a) passports and (b) associated databases exceed the requirements of (i)plans for the harmonisation of biometric storage on European passports recently agreed by the General Affairs Council of the European Union and (ii) plans agreed through the International Civil Aviation Organisation. [217617]
Mr. Browne: The current plan in respect of passports is that the new ePassport will store a facial image biometric contained in a chip. This will not exceed the requirements of the EU standards set out in the recently adopted Regulation on security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents (15152/04). The inclusion of a facial biometric is also in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation standard.
The biometric data will be held in a database used by current UKPS business processes and will be consistent with the data to be held in the new ePassport.
Community Support Officers (Huddersfield)
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Huddersfield constituency, on the effects on Huddersfield of the Community Support Officer Scheme, with particular reference to (a) the number of officers and (b) their impact. [217462]
Ms Blears: I am informed by the Chief Constable, Mr.Colin Cramphorn, that on 1 February the Kirklees Area had 39 Community Support Officers. Of that number 26 are deployed to Huddersfield Division, which includes four Community Support Officers allocated to the District Antisocial Behaviour Unit that works across the Huddersfield and Dewsbury Divisions.
The West Yorkshire Police has not carried out any analysis of the impact of the introduction of Community Support Officers in Huddersfield. However, I am informed that across Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Community Support Officers are achieving 79 per cent. of their duty time on visible patrol duties. An independent analysis has been undertaken by the Centre for Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Leeds, Patrolling with a Purpose" in relation to the impact of the introduction of Community Support Officers in Leeds and Bradford and was published in July 2004.
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