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Deportations

Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider his decision to deport Eleonora Suhoviy. [40719]

Mr. McNulty: It is not appropriate to deal with an individual case in this manner, I will write to the hon. member separately.

DNA Database

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have refused to give police DNA samples for use in the national police DNA database in each year since 2000. [41669]

Andy Burnham: The Home Office does not hold statistics on the number of refusals made to requests for DNA samples.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to remove a DNA sample given (a) following an arrest and (b) following voluntary consent from the National DNA Database. [41701]

Andy Burnham: The decision to remove from the National DNA Database a DNA profile taken following arrest is an operational matter for the Chief Officer of the police force which took the DNA sample. When such a decision is taken, the Chief Officer will instruct the Custodian of the National DNA Database
 
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to remove the profile. A DNA profile obtained from a volunteer can be loaded onto the National DNA database only if the volunteer has given his/her written consent.

Elderly People (Fraud)

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to protect the elderly from fraud; and what recent discussions he has had on this issue. [41689]

Paul Goggins: A large amount of fraud can be prevented if people take simple precautions to protect themselves. Government therefore takes an active role in improving public awareness of fraud and how to avoid becoming a victim. These measures are targeted at all members of the community.

The Government publishes fraud prevention advice on the Home Office, Department of Trade and Industry and crime reduction websites and the Home Office published (jointly with the banking industry) a card fraud prevention leaflet that contains useful advice for members of the public. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and Financial Services Authority (FSA) websites also contain material on common scams and how to avoid them.

The Government recently launched Get Safe Online, the UK's first national internet and computer security awareness campaign. The campaign is a joint public and private sector initiative, primarily targeted at consumers and micro-businesses, which aims to raise awareness of internet security threats (including online fraud) and help users to protect themselves.

The Government have also set up, in conjunction with the private sector, a consumer website where people can get advice on protecting their identity. This has been followed up by a leaflet and poster campaign, with material distributed to consumers by police stations, libraries, Citizens' Advice Bureaux and Passport and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) offices.

To improve the law enforcement response to fraud, the Government have made available additional funding for the City of London police force, matched by funding from the Corporation of London, to enable it to take a lead role in fraud investigation not just in the City but across London and the south east. The Fraud Bill, introduced in the House of Lords in May, seeks to clarify and simplify the laws on fraud to better equip police and prosecutors to deal with modern crimes and keep up with new and inventive frauds.

Home Office Ministers and officials hold regular discussions with law enforcement and industry bodies about a number of fraud-related issues.

Eurojust

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Eurojust conference held in London in October. [40653]

Paul Goggins: The Eurojust conference on trafficking in human beings, held in London on 24 and 25 October last year under the UK presidency of the EU, was attended by investigators and prosecutors from across
 
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the EU. It provided an opportunity to share and exchange experience on national legislation, different investigative and prosecuting approaches and the sharing of information on trafficking networks. The conference also demonstrated the roles of Eurojust and Europol in improving co-operation and co-ordination between member states and raised awareness of other international measures to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings, including specialist training programmes supported by the EU.

The effectiveness of a co-ordinated response to trafficking was demonstrated in an operation facilitated by Eurojust on 14 December last year when authorities conducted simultaneous houses searches and arrests in Turkey, Greece, Italy, France and the United Kingdom against a network trafficking human beings into the UK and other member states.

The UK made action against trafficking a priority during its presidency of the EU and the adoption of an EU Action Plan by the Council of Ministers in December last year was a major achievement of our presidency. The plan aims to tackle trafficking at all stages of the process, focusing on priority areas where the EU, acting collectively, can make a real impact. Trafficking continues to be one of the Government's priorities. On 5 January 2006, we launched a public consultation document Tackling Human Trafficking-Consultation on Proposals for a UK Action Plan". The consultation period runs until 5 April 2005.

Murder

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recent Law Commission recommendation concerning the reclassification of the offence of murder. [41666]

Hazel Blears: The Law Commission's consultation is the first part of the Government's review of the law of murder and is the start of a wider consultative process. The Government welcome the detailed analysis that the Law Commission has done and hope that a wide range of organisations and individuals will respond to the consultation so that their views can be fully taken into account during this initial stage of the review.

Offenders (Prison Recalls)

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders were recalled to prison as a result of breach of a post-custody licence in each of the last five years; and what proportion in each year was recalled for (a) violations of their licence and (b) fresh offences. [15361]

Fiona Mactaggart: Information on the number of offenders sentenced to four years or more who were recalled to prison as a result of a breach of post custody licence in each of the last five years can be found in tables10.8 and 10.9 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004. Information on the number of offenders sentenced to less than four years who were recalled to prison in 2004–05 is provided at paragraph 10.12 of the same publication. Copies of this publication are available in the House of Commons Library.
 
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All offenders who have been recalled to prison have violated at least one of the conditions of their licence. Specific information on the reasons for the recall in each of the last five years of those released on parole is provided in the attached table. Data held centrally on non-parole cases recalled for further offences are not sufficiently complete or reliable for publication.
Proportion of persons recalled from parole by reason for recall

Reason for recall	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05
Further offences	40	27	45	42	37
Being out of touch	32	23	26	29	28
Hostel: failure to reside/ comply	15	9	9	8	10
Other reasons	13	41	21	21	25
Total number recalled	267	329	420	601	712

Organised Crime

Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the finding of the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary report closing the gap that organised crime is widespread, vibrant and growing. [27096]

Hazel Blears: By looking at organised crime utilising additional data sets to those traditionally used to examine criminal markets" such as counterfeit, contraband, illicit goods and immigration crime, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) came to the conclusion that the complexity, resilience and reach of organised crime was growing.

The closing the gap report provides a detailed and convincing case as part of the wider grounds for reconfiguring police service provision effectively to tackle all criminal and anti social threats. The issues in relation to organised crime were key drivers to the creation of the multi-disciplinary Serious and Organised Crime Agency that will come into existence in April 2006.

This body will bring together the National Crime Squad, the National Criminal Intelligence Service and elements of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the Immigration Service to develop an improved knowledge and understanding of the way criminal enterprises operate, and will intervene in a way that achieves a real and lasting impact.

It will also work to share intelligence with, and offer support to, others engaged in law enforcement at home and overseas to foster a holistic approach to harm reduction. The creation of strategic forces will give the police service and partner agencies the capability and resilience to tackle organised crime cross-force or cross-basic command unit without impacting on neighbourhood policing: indeed it is the information and intelligence that flows from effective neighbourhood policing that will enable success at this level.

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