| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
4 Jul 2005 : Column 140W—continued
Retail Crime Initiative (Hemel Hempstead)
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment his Department will make of the Hemel Hempstead Shopwatch scheme as a model for implementation in other parts of the country; [5371]
(2) if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Retail Crime Initiative in Hemel Hempstead; how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions have resulted from the initiative; and what budget has been provided. [5372]
Hazel Blears: Hemel Hempstead Retail Crime Initiative was awarded the Safer Shopping Award in September 2002, through the British Retail Consortium. This award, developed by the Home Office in co-operation with the retail sector, recognises partnerships that have a developed set of protocols and management procedures which comply with the laws around data sharing and issuing exclusion orders.
We are committed to developing and increasing the number of schemes such as the Hemel Hempstead initiative. This is why we have given £899,000 to fund the setting up of an Action against Business Crime Group to develop 100 new town centre business crime partnerships across England and Wales to the same standard.
No separate statistics are kept by Hertfordshire policerelating to prosecutions and convictions directly resulting from the Retail Crime Initiative and the scheme has not received any additional Home Office funds.
4 Jul 2005 : Column 141W
Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students have applied to join the Science and Engineering Graduate scheme since its launch on 25 October 2004, broken down by courses defined by the JACS coding system; and how many have been refused. [6076]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 20 June 2005]: Since its launch on 25 October 2004, 1,990 students have applied to join the Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme (SEGS). Of these, a total of 110 applications were refused. We are unable to provide specific figures on SEGS applications broken down by the JACS coding system: this information is not held on the Caseworker Information Database (CID).
Figures correct as of 19 June 2004 and rounded to the nearest 10.
Sectors Based Scheme
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written statement of 23 June 2005, Official Report, columns 47–49WS, on the Sectors Based Scheme review, if he will publish the evidence on which the decision to terminate the SBS hospitality quota was based; what assessment he has made of the effect of the decision on 'Indian restaurants'; and if he will meet urgently representatives of the industry to discuss those effects. [7728]
Mr. McNulty: A report outlining the findings of the Sectors Based Scheme (SBS) review, including the basis of the decision to terminate the SBS hospitality quota, is being placed on Work Permits (UK)'s website. The effect of this decision on the ethnic catering industry was considered as part of the wider review. Home Office Ministers have meet representatives from this industry.
Sexual Offences
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the detection rate for (a) rape and (b) other sexual offences was in 2003–04 in each police force area in England and Wales. [6372]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The information requested is given in the following table. The Home Office are currently undertaking research to look in detail at detection rates in rape and sexual assault cases in England and Wales, including variation between forces.
(54)Includes rape of a female and rape of a male.
4 Jul 2005 : Column 142W
Student Visas
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which countries of origin students with student visas are required to report changes of residence; and how many such changes in residence were reported to each police centre where such reports are made in the last two complete academic years. [6318]
Mr. McNulty: People who are given leave to enter or remain as students, and who are relevant foreign nationals" for the purposes of Part 10 of the Immigration Rules are normally required to register with the police as a condition of their leave. They are also required to inform the police of any change of address.
The countries or territories whose nationals or citizens are relevant foreign nationals for the purposes of Part 10 are listed in Appendix 2 to the Immigration Rules.
Information about changes of address is recorded by the police force concerned. It is not reported to the Home Office, and information about the numbers of such changes could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members there are of the task force considering student visa charges and requirements; and whether the task force will consider the present residence reporting requirements imposed on a number of countries. [6329]
4 Jul 2005 : Column 143W
Mr. McNulty: 21 organisations are represented on the Joint Education Task Force announced on 7 February.
The requirement for students of certain nationalities to register with the police arises from the police registration arrangements in part 10 of the immigration rules. The task force will not be considering changes to part 10 of the rules.
Unaccompanied Children
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the National Register of Unaccompanied Children to be operational; and if he will make a statement. [6761]
Mr. McNulty: The National Register of Unaccompanied Children was launched on 23 November 2004, at which time it was a working model for testing purposes and the establishing of a network of local authority contacts. It will be fully operational from 18 July 2005.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied child asylum seekers from Africa have arrived in each of the 33 London boroughs since 2001. [6763]
Mr. McNulty:
The information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only by requiring individual local authorities to search their individual case records. There are currently 3,470 1 unaccompanied asylum seeking children supported by the 32 London boroughs and the Corporation of London. This compares to 4,220 1 in 2004.
4 Jul 2005 : Column 144W
In 2002 there were 1,745 1 applications for asylum from unaccompanied asylum seeking children from Africa. Corresponding figures for 2003 and 2004 are 1,355 1 and 1,190 1 respectively.
Volunteering
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) spending has been allocated and (b) policy initiatives have been pursued to support the International Year of the Volunteer. [5746]
Paul Goggins: The National Centre for Volunteering, in consultation with the Home Office and key volunteering-involving organisations, agreed a structure for the delivery of the International Year of the Volunteer which took place in 2001. Those involved in the programme considered the Year to be a success. The Active Community Unit at the Home Office provided £297,229 core funding for the Year. 2005 is the Year of the Volunteer. The aims and objectives of the Year are to create awareness of, increase the opportunities for and encourage more people to get involved in volunteering. The Year of the Volunteer 2005 is owned by volunteers, led by a partnership between Community Service Volunteers (CSV) and the Volunteering England Consortium, and supported by the Home Office. The Volunteering England Consortium consists of Volunteering England, TimeBank, YouthNet UK, The Media Trust, Business in the Community (BitC) and Youth Action Network. The Home Office is investing £7.1 million in the Year of the Volunteer. The devolved Administrations are funding and hosting their own campaigns and initiatives to support the year and these differ in each country.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |