| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
30 Nov 2005 : Column 594W—continued
Illegal Immigrants (HIV)
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of individuals with HIV who have stayed illegally in the UK for longer than 12 months. [32074]
Mr. McNulty: Although it is impossible to determine accurately how many people are in the UK illegally the Home Office has published a report which included an estimate of the size of the illegal migrant population in the UK in 2001. A copy of the RDS On-line report 29/05 Sizing the unauthorised (illegal) migrant population in the United Kingdom in 2001 can be found at:
This estimate does not separately identify those who have stayed illegally in the UK for longer than 12 months, and there is no evidence on which an estimate of the proportion of such people who are HIV positive could be based.
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of letters the Immigration and Nationality Directorate received in 2004–05 from the legal representatives of applicants for leave to remain received (a) an acknowledgement and (b) a response; what the average time for response was; and if he will make a statement. [31408]
Mr. McNulty: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate does not keep separate statistics on correspondence received from legal representatives.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of replies to letters from hon. Members to the immigration and nationality directorate were sent within 20 days of receipt of the letter in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [30076]
Mr. McNulty: In 2004, 34 per cent. of letters from Members on immigration and nationality (IND)-related matters were answered within 20 days. The year to date figure for 2005 is currently around 50 per cent., though for the last two months (August and September) it has exceeded 70 per cent. This improvement has beenmade against a backdrop of huge increases in correspondence volumes: 24,700 letters from Members in 2003; 35,800 in 2004; and 30,600 in 2005 up to the end of September (and so likely to exceed 40,000 by December).
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time was in the last 12 months for a reply to be sent to an hon. Member by the immigration and nationality directorate from date of receipt of the letter; and if he will make a statement. [30077]
Mr. McNulty: Our published target is to answer 95 per cent. of letters from Members on immigration and nationality (IND)-related matters within 20 working days. The average time taken in 2004–05 was 32 days.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) (i) letters and (ii)emails were sent and (b) phone calls were made by each hon. Member and their staff to (A) the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and (B) the Minister for Immigration in the period 6 May to 31 October, ranked in descending order of total number of representations made; how many received a substantive reply in each case; and if he will make a statement. [30271]
Mr. McNulty:
The available information is contained in the table which I have placed in the Library. The total number of telephone calls during this period was 18,963. A breakdown of these calls by individual Member is not available because it is not possible for the call handling equipment to identify from which Member's office a call is being made.
30 Nov 2005 : Column 596W
We are constantly striving to improve the service the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) provides to Members. During October I held a series of three meetings with newly-elected Members and those who write most often on IND-related matters. These meetings were intended as an opportunity for Members to tell me how IND needs to improve its communications with them. I shall shortly be writing to all Members setting out how we intend moving forward on the areas for improvement which the meetings identified.
International Arrest Warrants
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether his Department is considering proposals to amend guidelines to the police on international arrest warrants; [31402]
(2) whether his Department is considering proposalsto amend legislation on international arrest warrants. [31404]
Andy Burnham: The Government are currently considering a range of issues relating to the issuing of arrest warrants in international cases but has not yet concluded what changes, if any, are required.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations his Department has received from the (a) Israeli Government and (b) United States Administration concerning amendments to legislation on international arrest warrants; [31403]
(2) what meetings (a) he and (b) his Department (i) has had since 11 September and (ii) is planning to have with representatives of the Israeli (A) Ministry of Law, (B) State Attorney Office and (C) Foreign Ministry regarding the arrest warrant for General Almog. [31405]
Andy Burnham: I refer my hon. Friend to my previous answer of 24 November 2005. Since the meeting referredto in that answer, Home Office officials have participated in one further meeting, with Israeli officials. The detail of that meeting is confidential. No further meetings are scheduled.
Home Office officials have had no direct contact with the United States Administration concerning amendments to legislation regarding international arrest warrants.
IRIS Project
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the evaluation of the project IRIS operational pilot. [32151]
Mr. McNulty: The evaluation of the Project IRIS operational pilot will be commercially sensitive but Iwill report the key findings to the House when appropriate.
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the timetable is for the rollout of IRIS recognition in UK locations. [32152]
Mr. McNulty:
Completion of the IRIS rollout is planned for June 2006.
30 Nov 2005 : Column 597W
Leave to Remain
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff at the Immigration and Nationality Office in Sheffield are assigned to processing applications for leave to remain under the provisions of the European Community Association Agreement. [30940]
Mr. McNulty: 39 members of staff at the Immigration and Nationality Office in Sheffield are assigned to processing such applications.
Managed Migration Routes
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which managed migration routes are being reviewed; if he will list countries which are on hold as a result of the review; and when he expects the review to be completed. [28673]
Mr. McNulty: My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced a review of all managed migration routes on 27 April 2004 in his speech to the Confederation of British Industry on migration. No routes from specific countries are on hold as a result of this review. The review culminated in the five year strategy on asylum and immigration Controlling our Borders: Making Migration Work for Britain" which was published on 7 February 2005. Our consultation on the subsequent document on the proposed points-based system for managed migration, Selective admission: making migration work for Britain", closed on 7 November 2005 and the Government expects to publish its response in the new year.
Mobile Telephones (Child Safety)
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with the mobile phone industry towards protecting children from undesirable contact and unwanted contacts online by using blocking and filtering technology, since the written answer of 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 316W. [21734]
Paul Goggins: Further to my answer of 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 316W, I am able to report that following on from the self-regulatory code of practice on new forms of content, the UK mobile phone providers have appointed an independent classification body to develop the framework for classification of content available, and to investigate complaints about providers' classification decisions. The task of classification has been taken on by the Independent Mobile Classification Body, and in February 2005 a classification framework against which content providers will self-classify was completed.
Today, mobile devices are increasingly available with enhanced features, including colour screens, picture messaging, video cameras and internet browsers and can be used to access a growing variety of content. In anticipation of these products being widely adopted by consumers, including consumers under the age of 18, the mobile operators are putting in place measures that will allow parents and carers to have access to the information with which they can show their children how to use new mobile devices responsibly and the power to influence the type of content they can access.
30 Nov 2005 : Column 598W
For content that is offered on the internet, and not classified in accordance with the independent classification framework, the mobile operators continue to offer parents and carers the opportunity to apply a filter to the mobile operator's internet access service so that the internet content thus accessible is restricted. The filter will be set at a level that is intended to filter out content approximately equivalent to commercial content with a classification of 18.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |