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IND Training

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is provided to senior caseworkers in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to help them provide support and advice to junior officials. [221781]

Mr. Browne: Senior caseworkers will normally have had significant experience as asylum caseworkers and will have received the same training as caseworkers earlier in their careers.

In addition, all senior caseworkers have direct access to policy experts in the Asylum Policy Unit, country information specialists in the Country Information Policy Unit and, in appropriate cases, to legal advice from the Home Office Legal Advisers Branch.

Senior Caseworkers also have the opportunity to meet regularly with a wide range of external stakeholders to further augment their understanding of asylum policy and process.

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the nature is of the training in the assessment of asylum claims which is provided to asylum caseworkers. [221782]

Mr. Browne: Asylum caseworkers are trained to make asylum decisions without discrimination and on their individual merits in accordance with the criteria set out in the 1951 UN convention relating to the status of refugees.

Training focuses on the skills, knowledge and ability required to make effective decisions based on the law. Caseworkers are instructed on how to identify an asylum claim and to then apply the salient facts to the legislation.

Infectious Diseases (UK Entrants)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been deported for carrying tuberculosis in each year since 1997. [217743]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Figures for the number of people removed or deported from the United Kingdom are published regularly and are available from the Home Office website www.homeoffice.gov.uk.
 
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However, it is not possible to identify from the data how many are refused entry or deported because of health reasons.

John Lennon Airport

Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many individuals entering the country with questionable identification have been detained at John Lennon airport but have subsequently absconded from the airport in the last 12 months; [207335]

(2) what the minimum number of Custom and Immigration officers on duty at John Lennon airport was in the last period for which figures are available; [207318]

(3) what representations have been made to his Department on detention arrangements for passengers believed to be trying to enter the country illegally at John Lennon airport; [207319]

(4) what discussions have taken place with (a) Peel Holdings and (b) operators of no frills airlines with regard to improving security at John Lennon airport. [207321]

Mr. Browne: The Immigration Service provides a 24-hour service at John Lennon airport. Two immigration officers are scheduled for duty throughout the period, except from 07.30 to 10.00 hours when there is one. This shift coverage takes into account the schedule of incoming flights.

There are no customs officers permanently based at Liverpool John Lennon airport. Customs attendance is determined on the basis of risk. Customs officers deploy to the airport in accordance with flight or passenger profiles or more specific intelligence. Mobile staff are deployed from the local area, or from the regional or national strike forces on a flexible basis in order to be able to respond to any identified risk. They attend selected arrivals for class 'A' drugs, revenue goods and other prohibited or restricted items, and selected departures for work in connection with the Proceeds of Crime Act. Therefore, there will be no customs staff on duty for some arrivals/departures, but a much larger number of mobile staff for others, where a risk has been identified.

The Immigration Service is working to identify and implement cost-effective improvements to ensure appropriate access to detention and escort facilities when required.

Peel Holdings, as the airport operator, has overall responsibility for the security of John Lennon airport. A representative from the Immigration Service attends regular meetings with Peel Holdings, the police, HM Customs and Excise and other control authority partners, to discuss new airline routes and airport development. The Immigration Service also attend a monthly multi-agency threat and risk assessment meeting with other security stakeholders to make accurate assessments of any threats to John Lennon airport.

Between April 2004 and January 2005 there have been three occasions where passengers whose identity was in doubt have absconded from the immigration control at John Lennon airport. To reduce the risk of this happening again, the Immigration Service are in
 
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negotiations to improve security at the immigration control there. Records of such absconders prior to April 2004 are not available.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the parliamentary question reference 205820 tabled by the hon. Member for North Cornwall on 20 December 2004. [215856]

Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 10 February 2005]: I replied to the hon. Member on 20 January 2005, Official Report, column 368W.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer the question from the hon. Member for Portsmouth South, reference 200027. [216514]

Caroline Flint: I replied to the hon. Member on 16 March 2005, Official Report, column 65W.

Police (Convictions)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serving police officers were convicted of an offence in (a) England and Wales, (b) Scotland and (c) Essex in each year since 1997, broken down by type of offence; and what the average sentence was in each case. [221249]

Ms Blears: It is not possible to identify the occupation of defendants on the Home Office Court Proceedings database, as the individual circumstances of the offence are not collected.

Police Funding

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the funding per head of population for each police authority in England and Wales is in 2004–05. [204799]

Ms Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 28 February 2005, Official Report, column 1008W.

Police Surveillance

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the time taken to receive authorisation to enable police officers to undertake (a) covert and (b) directed surveillance of (i) named and (ii) as yet unidentified criminal associates of individuals under Part II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. [221128]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The time taken by a police officer to make a written application for authorisation for covert directed surveillance and by an authorising officer to consider that application and, if appropriate to do so, grant the authorisation will depend on the circumstances of the specific investigation or operation. No estimate or assessment has been made by the Home Office of the average time involved.

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is his policy to require a police officer to obtain a new authorisation to undertake (a) covert and (b) directed surveillance of (i) named
 
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and (ii) as yet unidentified criminal associates of individuals if they were not originally named in authorisation of surveillance, under Part II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. [221129]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Guidance on authorisation procedures is contained in the statutory code of practice on the use of covert surveillance, adopted by Parliament pursuant to section 71 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Paragraph 2.8 provides guidance on circumstances when an investigation or operation unexpectedly interferes with the privacy of individuals not covered by the authorisation. The Code states

When the original authorisation may not be sufficient, consideration should be given to whether the authorisation needs to be amended and reauthorised or a new authorisation is required."

When the identities of previously unknown subjects or their associates become known they should be identified in a renewal authorisation, so long as it is consistent with the original authorisation. If the scope of the investigation or operation is to be broadened a new authorisation will be required.

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what process of authorisation he requires a police officer to complete to undertake (a) covert and (b) directed surveillance of (i) named and (ii) as yet unidentified criminal associates, of individuals, under Part II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. [221131]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Guidance on the use of covert direct surveillance by public authorities, and the authorisation procedures involved, is contained in the code of practice on covert surveillance adopted by Parliament pursuant to section 71 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The code of practice is available from TSO (The Stationery Office) (ISBN 0113412843) or on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crimpol/crimreduc/regulation/codeofpractice/surveillance/index.html

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