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University Ranking
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if he will consider creating a system by which to rank universities; [80577]
(2) what recent representations his Department has received on establishing its own criteria for ranking universities. [80578]
Bill Rammell: We have received no formal recent representations on criteria to rank universities nor do we have any immediate plans to create a ranking system. However, we have started to make more comparative information available to prospective students. However, there is currently no consensus on how English higher education institutions could be ranked taking due account of their increasingly diverse size and missions and distinguishing between inputs and outputs. We will listen to any suggestions on possible ways forward.
Weapons (Schools)
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps are being taken by his Department to provide security measures to ensure that (a) knives and (b) guns are not taken into schools. [82264]
Jim Knight: School security is a local matter. Under health and safety law, it is for individual school employers to determine what measures a school should take to keep pupils and staff safe. In the main, schools are very safe places and the majority of pupils have never carried a knife. It is a criminal offence to carry an offensive weapon on school premises. Where schools have suspicions they can call the police, and should do so if they believe pupils or staff are at risk of serious harm. Schools and local police can agree a Safer School Partnership to prevent crime in and around a school. We also propose a power in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill to enable schools to search, without consent, pupils they suspect are carrying a knife or other weapon.
Home Department
Animal Experiments
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many project licences for animal experiments were (a) applied for and (b) successful in 2004; and for what reasons applications were rejected. [81433]
Joan
Ryan: In 2004, 595 project licences were applied for and
of those 413 were ranted in 2004, 122 in 2005 and two in 2006. None
were formally refused. Nineteen
are still being processed. Thirty nine applications are recorded as not
proceeded with.
A feature of the regulatory regime under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 is the discussion that often takes place at an early stage between applicants (or prospective applicants) and the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate. This means that proposals unlikely to meet the Act’s stringent requirements are revised or withdrawn before formal refusal becomes necessary.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) age and (b) sex was of each of those made subject to an antisocial behaviour order in the Bristol local authority area in each year since their introduction. [80591]
Mr. McNulty: The available information is given in the following table:
| Number of ASBOs issued, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, where restrictions are imposed within the local government authority area of Bristol city council, by period, sex and age group, from 1 June 2000( 1) to 30 September 2005 (latest available) | ||||||||
| Males (age) | Females (age) | |||||||
| Period | 10-17 | 18+ | Unknown | Total | 10-17 | 18+ | Unknown | Total |
| Persons (age) | ||||
| Period | 10-17 | 18+ | Unknown | Total |
| (1)
From 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 data were collected on aggregate
numbers only by police force area. (2) Includes one
order made at Bristol magistrates court—petty sessional area
only
known. | ||||
Asylum/Immigration
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps he has taken to ensure that the supporting documents produced by asylum applicants are recorded. [73700]
John Reid: Any document presented by an applicant at their screening interview in relation to their identity, nationality or route taken to the UK is retained by the screening officer, the applicant is given a copy, and a copy placed on file.
The screening form includes a question 7.38 “What other documents do you have (Record full details and attach copies of all documents to this screening form)”. The applicant and screening officer both sign the screening form at the end of the interview.
The Casework Integrated Database has a field for recording documents that have been submitted, the screening officer will update that field, any additional entries will be recorded under the name of the officer who added the information. CID would also record the date and time of any amendments.
It is also practice in the ASU to record on the file minute sheet documents that have been retained.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is taken in respect of immigration and asylum applicants who are assessed by Immigration and Nationality Directorate officials as posing a security risk. [73691]
John Reid: Where an individual in question is assessed as posing a security risk, and is overseas and is seeking to enter the United Kingdom, they will be excluded. Those applicants assessed as posing a security risk who are already present in the UK, we will seek to deport, consistent with our international human rights obligations.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what language qualifications are required of employees of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate; and if he will make a statement. [73693]
John Reid: All Home Office employees are expected to demonstrate competency in the English language. For those in more operational roles such as immigration officers there is a provision to demonstrate proficiency in languages other than English.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the director general of the immigration and nationality directorate last considered his policy on the quality of decisions made by staff. [73705]
John Reid: The policy on the quality of casework decisions made by staff is kept under constant review.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate hold dual citizenship. [77120]
John Reid: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is being taken to improve the speed of access to the immigration and nationality directorate website; how many complaints the IND has received about this problem; what the estimated cost is of the necessary remedial measures; and when he expects the site to be fully operational. [79019]
John Reid: The immigration and nationality directorate website was re-launched on Wednesday7 June 2006. Visitors to the site should now find it much faster to access. During the time the site was running slowly, the IND web team received approximately 600 complaints.
CCTV
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the installation of CCTV cameras on levels of crime in Beverley in each of the last five years. [79531]
Mr. Coaker: The scheme in Beverley was installed at a cost of £203,000. The local police in Beverley have indicated that the presence of CCTV plays an important part in their operational work to prevent and detect crime. The quality of cameras, colour images on screens, recording, storage and photographic reproduction provides the possibility of admissible evidence for court proceedings against offenders.
Compensation Claims
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial support is available for people found to be not guilty during their trial to investigate the circumstances and make claims for compensation against the Crown Prosecution Service and the police. [81035]
Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
Any party who qualifies for legal aid under the standard means and merits criteria can obtain legal advice and information, or legal representation, for any civil proceedings which are within the scope of the legal aid scheme, including proceedings against the Crown Prosecution Service and the police.
Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 26 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Rashid Mahmood. [58113]
John Reid: I replied to the right hon. Member on16 March 2006.
Crime Statistics (Suffolk)
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many burglaries have been recorded in Suffolk in each of the last five years. [82107]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested is given below.
| Table 1: Recorded burglary offences in Suffolk—2000-01 and 2001-02 | |
| Number of offences | |
| Note: The
data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime
Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with
those for later
years. | |
| Table 2: Recorded burglary offences in Suffolk—2002-03 to 2004-05 | |
| Number of offences | |
| Note: The
data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National
Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly
comparable with those for earlier
years. | |
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