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15 Jun 2005 : Column 450W—continued
Crime (Rural Areas)
Mr. Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to meet police officers from Norfolk to discuss matters of local concern. [1376]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I regularly meet with police officers from Norfolk.
Crime Records
David Davis:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the percentage change in recorded crime statistics resulting
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from the changes made by the National Crime Recording Standards in 2002–03, broken down by type of crime. [1390]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Percentage change figures for those offences where it was possible to make an estimate of the impact of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) are published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin 07/03 of 'Crime in England and Wales 2002–03'. Table 3.04 gives the available information and the publication is available on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hosb703.pdf '
A detailed analysis of the impact of the NCRS was published in a companion volume to 'Crime in England and Wales 2002–03'. This gives details of the impact for certain offence groups and is available on the Home Office Research and Statistics website as online report 31/03.
Eurostar
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many undocumented passengers arrived at Waterloo on the Eurostar in each of the last six months for which figures are available. [3628]
Mr. McNulty: Locally collated management information, which may be subject to change indicates that in the last six months there were 11 cases of undocumented passengers arriving at Waterloo, which were referred to the Immigration Service by other agencies.
G8 Summit
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) under what circumstances United States armed forces may be deployed against protesters at (a) the G8 Summit and (b) Prestwick airport; and under whose authority such deployment may be made; [4046]
(2) what equipment US forces will be issued with in the United Kingdom while deployed to guard (a) the G8 Summit and (b) Prestwick airport; [4047]
(3) what the rules of engagement of United States military personnel will be while deployed on UK soil to guard (a) the G8 Summit and (b) Prestwick airport; [4048]
(4) what equipment UK security forces will have available for deployment at the G8 Summit; [4049]
(5) whether the United States military forces that are to be deployed in the United Kingdom for the G8 Summit will be (a) under UK law jurisdiction and (b) exempted under (i) the Visiting Forces Act 1952 and (ii) the Visiting Forces and International Headquarters (Application of Law) Order 1999; and if he will make a statement; [4045]
(6) how many military forces will be deployed by the United States to Scotland for the G8 Summit. [4003]
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Mr. Charles Clarke: Policing and security arrangements for the forthcoming G8 Summit are a devolved responsibility for the Scottish Executive and Scottish police forces. Scottish Executive and Tayside Police have confirmed that US military personnel will play no role in the security operation.
Identity Cards
Mr. Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the likely impact of identity cards on (a) immigration control, (b) illegal working, (c) misuse of public services, (d) activities of organised criminals and (e) terrorism. [4143]
Mr. McNulty: The Identity Cards Bill Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), published on 25 May 2005, outlines the assessed benefits of the identity cards scheme in section two. Benefits specifically relating to the categories mentioned in the question above are summarised below: The scheme will provide a straightforward means to record and verify the immigration status of all residents aged 16 and over. The verification service will be available not just to the authorities for maintaining immigration controls but also to employers to check status and entitlement to work. The scheme will reduce the opportunity for those facilitating terrorist and organised criminal activity to operate using multiple identities, encourage verifiable proof of identity when conducting major financial transactions, provide the capability—with independent oversight—for law enforcement and security agencies to be provided with information on when a person's record on the National Identity Register has been checked or amended, allow for the more efficient use of police resources and to check fingerprint biometric information at scenes of crime where no match can be found against existing police records. Public services will benefit from the ID cards scheme through improving the administration of social security benefits, eligibility checks for free non-emergency NHS treatment, adult allocation of the national insurance number; speeding up and improving the accuracy of Criminal Records Bureau checks and in more general ways through speeding up administrative processes.
Mr. Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what he expects the cost to be for replacement of lost identity cards. [4136]
Mr. McNulty: No decisions have yet been made about the cost to the individual of replacing a lost ID card. The current best estimate of the average annual operating costs of issuing biometric passports and ID cards of £584 million which was published in the regulatory impact assessment on 25 May 2005 includes an allowance for the replacement of lost, stolen and damaged cards.
Mr. Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the pilot studies carried out for the identity cards scheme. [4141]
Mr. McNulty:
The United Kingdom Passport Service (UKPS) biometric enrolment trial, carried out in collaboration with Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and the Identity Cards Programme team, is the only
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pilot study carried out for the identity cards scheme to date. The UKPS trial was not a trial of ID cards nor the technology involved, rather a test of the practicalities of enrolling people's biometrics and people's perceptions of that process. A great deal was learnt from the trial. We now know much more about the practicalities of biometric enrolment and issues that arise with enrolment on such a large scale. We also learned that people's perception of the process was very positive overall, with a post-trial reduction in those who had reported concerns about having their biometrics taken pre-trial and a majority reporting a better than expected level of intrusion at the process. The vast majority of participants found their expectations of the overall experience to have been met or bettered. The full results of the trial are available on the UKPS website http://www.ukpa.gov.uk/news/news.asp?intElement=986.
Mr. Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the technology that will be used for identity cards; and if he will make a statement. [4144]
Mr. McNulty: Given the constant advancement of biometric technology and the need to conduct a fair and thorough procurement process, final decisions have not been taken about the technology that will be used for the Identity Cards scheme.
Rather than evaluate equipment at this time, much of which may be superseded by the time cards are first issued, we are working with other Government Departments and with expert advice to set the requirements for performance. We have engaged independent and Government advisers to work on the Identity Cards programme team and to provide advice with regard to technologies to be considered for use by the Identity Cards scheme. We are also applying the lessons learnt from the experience of other large scale technology implementation projects within the Home Office and across Government.
Mr. Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the likely impact of identity cards on civil liberties; and what response he has made. [4145]
Mr. McNulty: Since the publication of the Identity Cards Bill on 25 May 2005, 21 representations have been received from members of the public. No representations have been received from any organisations or official bodies. The representations took the form of both letters and e-mails, and they expressed concern that the Identity Card Scheme would infringe civil liberties.
The Government believe that the Identity Cards Scheme will support civil liberties and human rights. The scheme will be bound by legislation such as the Data Protection Act, Human Rights Act and the Disability Discrimination Act. The Identity Cards Bill also contains a number of important safeguards such as setting limitations on the information that may be held
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by the scheme and its use. Only Parliament would be able to change the statutory purposes of the Register or the type of information which could be held and only via primary legislation.
Mr. Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he expects further primary legislation to be required to extend the use of the information stored on the National Identity Register in the second stage of the identity cards process. [4165]
Mr. McNulty: The scope of the legislation currently before Parliament is sufficient to ensure that the benefits of the scheme are realised without the need for further primary legislation.
Ms Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will have access to data stored in connection with identity cards. [4410]
Mr. McNulty: Other than staff involved in the administration of the scheme, no individual or organisation will have direct access to the National Identity Register itself.
Instead, accredited organisations will be allowed to verify information or, in certain circumstances, be able to obtain some limited information from the register through the scheme's verification services and—in the main—only with the consent of the card-holder. Information from the register can only be provided without the consent of the card-holder if specifically authorised by the powers in the Identity Cards Bill. Organisations entitled to request such information are listed on the face of the Bill and any changes to the list must be approved by Parliament.
Ms Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of the proposed identity card will be for (a) pensioners, (b) the unemployed, (c) low earners, (d) lone parents and (e) students. [4413]
Mr. McNulty: The Identity Cards Bill provides powers to set concessionary fees. This is set out in clause 37 of the Bill. No decisions have yet been made in respect of the fee schedule or concessionary fees for Identity Cards, however Parliament will have the final say on the fees that will be charged.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the maximum criminal penalty is which will apply to individuals who fail to comply with Clause 6(6) of the Identity Cards Bill. [4677]
Mr. McNulty: Clause 6(6) of the Identity Cards Bill imposes no criminal penalty for failing to register with the scheme should such an obligation be agreed by Parliament.
Mr. Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the requirements for the National Identity Register to be finalised. [4131]
Mr. McNulty:
Work is continuing to specify requirements for the National Identity Register. The procurement phase of the scheme cannot begin until the Identity Cards Bill currently before Parliament is passed. In line with procurement best practice, each requirement will be finalised before the procurement starts, but the details will be worked through with potential suppliers to ensure that the Government can take full advantage of innovation in the market place.
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Mr. Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to audit the accuracy and efficiency of (a) biometric readings and (b) the National Identity Register. [4134]
Mr. McNulty: During procurement we will undertake carefully designed scientific tests of the performance of the biometric system. The overall verification and identification performance of the ID card system will be tested both during rollout of the technology and when the scheme is running, this will include the quality of data held on the National Identity Register. Primarily, individual cardholders will be encouraged to keep their record up-to-date in order to maintain the integrity and accuracy of the register. It is likely that the convenience of having a reliable method of verifying identity in everyday situations will encourage individuals to keep their details up to date, so they can access services in a secure and speedy manner. The proposed identity cards agency will seek to validate and verify new information provided as far as is practically possible. However, in addition, there is a power for the Secretary of State to require individuals to keep prescribed details up to date.
Mr. Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has conducted on systems to link identity card readers to the National Identity Register. [4135]
Mr. McNulty: The Identity Cards Programme has examined the viability, resilience, security, technical interoperability and practicality of various reader and network options. This includes remote authentication where the card-holder and the service provider are not present at the same location, Chip and PIN and checks for the purposes of border control. For example, the ID Cards Programme is working closely with the Association for Payment Clearing Services to examine the technical architecture underpinning Chip and PIN and to benefit from lessons learned during the rollout. The dialogue will help to develop considerations of where shared technical opportunities with the Chip and PIN infrastructure might exist in the future.
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