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14 Nov 2005 : Column 993W—continued
Work Permits
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits have been issued in each of the last eight years. [21849]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The number of work permits issued by Work Permits (UK) in each of the last eight years is displayed in the table. These figures exclude approvals of extension and change of employment applications for existing permit holders.
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 31,734 |
| 1998 | 37,564 |
| 1999 | 41,965 |
| 2000 | 64,570 |
| 2001 | 85,144 |
| 2002 | 88,622 |
| 2003 | 93,021 |
| 2004 | 105,205 |
| Total | 547,825 |
Worker Registration Scheme
Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people have come to the UK under the Worker Registration Scheme; [19159]
(2) if he will list employment sectors in which successful applicants under the Worker Registration Scheme are employed. [19160]
Mr. McNulty: On 1 May 2004 the Government set up the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) to regulate Accession eight nationals' access to the labour market and to restrict access to benefits.
The Government committed to publish data from the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) on a quarterly basis. The latest quarterly statistics for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 June 2005 were published on 23 August 2005. The report includes the number of people registering on the WRS and gives details of the employment sectors in which Accession nationals are registered.
A copy of the report is available on the IND website: http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/0/reports/accession_monitoring.html
Youth Justice Board
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the study undertaken by the Youth Justice Board with the courts to explore the factors that influence sentences. [26672]
Ms Harman: I have been asked to reply.
The Youth Justice Board has commissioned research which seeks to identify:
(a) best practice by Youth Offending Teams in the provision of pre-sentence reports to judges and magistrates when young people under 18 are sentenced;
(b) the factors influencing custodial or community sentences being given, especially in cases which are on the cusp" of custody; and to
The research is being undertaken by the Policy Research Bureau working with MACRO. It is taking place in 16 Youth Offending Team areas and includes interviews with magistrates and judges in those areas. It is similar in nature to earlier research undertaken in the adult criminal courts by Professor Mike Hough, Dr. Andrew Millie and Dr. Jessica Jacobson. Their findings were published in the report The Decision to Imprison, Sentencing and the Prison Population" in 2003 by the Prison Reform Trust. It also supports a three year longitudinal study being undertaken by RDS section of the Home Office, using court records to explore the factors influencing sentencing decisions within both adult and youth courts. This study will be tracked to examine the relationship between offender characteristics, sentence content and outcome.
It is expected that the Youth Justice Board will publish the findings of the current research in the autumn of 2006.
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Agency Staff
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many agency staff are employed by her Department; and what the cost of employing them was in the last year for which figures are available. [27506]
Bridget Prentice: The Department has a national contract for the provision of agency workers. Information regarding the number of agency workers provided to the Department under this contract and the associated expenditure is provided as follows.
Information relating to workers employed through other agencies is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Ballot Papers
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2005, Official Report, column 1165W, on ballot paper descriptions, whether (a) the five descriptions will allow a generic locality description to be registered permitting a candidate to use a description comprising constituency name and party name in each constituency and (b) only a specific named locality may be registered. [27228]
14 Nov 2005 : Column 995W
Ms Harman: Further to my answer of 2 November, under clause 47 of the Electoral Administration Bill registered political parties would be permitted to register up to five descriptions with the Electoral Commission. There is no provision for a generic locality description. It would be for the party to decide whether they wished to register a description including a specific named locality.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2005, Official Report, column 1165W, on ballot paper descriptions, for what reasons the number of descriptions is limited to five. [27229]
Ms Harman: Clause 47 of the Electoral Reform Bill provides for there to be up to five alternative party descriptions registered with the Electoral Commission. This implements the Electoral Commission's recommendation in Standing for election in the United Kingdom", published in June 2003. It would allow one description each for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the United Kingdom as a whole and would simplify the use of party descriptions for the benefit of candidates and returning officers.
Bills (Supporters)
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list right hon. and hon. Members who (a) presented and (b) supported the Bills for the (i) Representation of the People Act 2000, (ii) Registration of Political Parties Act 1998, (iii) Political Parties Elections and Referendums Act 2000, (iv) Elections Act 2001 and (v) Election Publications Act 2001. [25591]
Ms Harman: The information requested is as follows:
Supported by: The Prime Minister, Mr. Secretary Prescott, Mr. Secretary Reid, Mr. Secretary Murphy, Mr. Secretary Mandelson and Mr. Mike O'Brien
Supported by: The Prime Minister, Mr. Secretary Prescott, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Secretary Margaret Beckett, Mr. Secretary Dewar, Mr. Secretary Davies, Mr. George Howarth.
Supported by: The Prime Minister, Mr. Secretary Prescott, Mr. Secretary Byers, Mr. Secretary Reid, Mr. Secretary Murphy, Mr. Secretary Mandelson and Mr. Mike O'Brien.
Supported by: The Prime Minister, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Secretary Prescott, Mr. Secretary Murphy, Mr. Secretary Reid and Mr. Mike O'Brien.
Call Centres
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many call centres were run by her Department and its agencies in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06 to date; and how many
14 Nov 2005 : Column 996W
and what proportion of calls (i) were handled by an adviser, (ii) were received but abandoned and (iii) received an engaged tone in each year. [23309]
Ms Harman: Two call centres are currently operated by the Department for Constitutional Affairs or its agencies.
The following tables set out the performance information sought for both centres.
(43) Information not available
(44) New monitoring software was only installed recently. No information is available prior to 1 April 2005.
(45) Information not available
Following the installation of monitoring software, the high abandonment rate at Gwent Magistrates Court Fines Centre was identified and investigated, with remedial measures put in place on 2 October 2005. The number of lines has been increased threefold (from six to 21) and the situation is being closely monitored to ensure performance improves.
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