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23 Oct 2006 : Column 1688W—continued
Malaysia
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether British overseas citizens from the Malaysian states of (a) Penang and (b) Malacca have ever been granted some form of leave to remain in the UK on claiming their rights to live in the UK; and whether there has been a change of policy in the last three years in each case. [94762]
Mr. Byrne: The requested information cannot be obtained without examination of individual records at a disproportionate cost. British overseas citizens (BOC) do not have a right to live in the UK unless they qualify under another immigration category providing they can accommodate and maintain themselves adequately. Under the 2002 Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act, 12(1) and (2), they are entitled to register as British citizens if BOC is the only status or nationality they have and they have not voluntarily renounced any other citizenship that was theirs. There has been no change in policy in the last three years.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals have been granted by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal against refusals to grant leave to remain to British
overseas citizens from the Malaysian states of Penang and Malacca in each of the last five years. [94763]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) does not hold information on appeals brought against refusals to grant leave to remain to British overseas citizens. We are unable to provide the information requested without incurring disproportionate costs.
Provisional information shows that of 5,859 appeals brought against a decision to curtail, refuse to extend or vary leave to remain and promulgated in the period April to June 2006, 28 per cent. (1,644) were granted. It is not possible to specify the immigration decision being appealed.
Naturalisation
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the requirement is for the retention of papers relating to interviews and processing of naturalisation requests; and if he will make a statement. [94729]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 17 October 2006]: Naturalisation applicants are not routinely interviewed. Papers relating to the processing of applications are retained on file indefinitely.
Ministers are currently considering proposals for a retention and destruction policy for all Immigration and Nationality Directorate applicants’ files, which would include files on those applying for naturalisation.
Neighbourhood Policing
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the implementation of neighbourhood policing in Pembrokeshire. [95422]
Mr. McNulty: We are committed to ensuring that neighbourhood policing will be introduced to every community in England and Wales by April 2007, and that every community will have a neighbourhood policing team by April 2008.
Dyfed-Powys Police, which is the force responsible for policing Pembrokeshire, is on track to meet both of these targets.
Pharmaceuticals
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the effect on (a) jobs and (b) the balance of payments if producers of oxycodone formulations move the manufacture of these formulations to the Republic of Ireland from the UK; whether it is his understanding that the Republic of Ireland would permit the import of oxycodone hydrochloride raw material from qualified producers in the US; and if he will make a statement. [89896]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 9 October 2006]: No such estimates have been made. Importation practice in other territories is a matter for their authorities.
Police (Milton Keynes)
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) community support officers there were and (b) frontline policemen were on the beat in Milton Keynes Basic Command Unit in each year between 1997 and 2005. [91493]
Mr. McNulty: Milton Keynes is a Basic Command Unit (BCU) within the Thames Valley Police force.
Data for police community support officer strength at the BCU level are not collected as part of National Statistics; however they are collected by the Police Human Resources Unit and are included. Data for police community support officer strength at force level are available from 2002-03 onwards and therefore data for Thames Valley Police are given in the following tables.
Data for police officer strength (total police officers including both males and females) at BCU level are available from 2002-03 onwards and are given in the following tables.
| Police community support officer strength within Thames Valley police force (FTE)( 1) as at 31 March 2004—05( 2) | |
| As at 31 March each year: | Thames Valley Police Force |
| (1) Full Time Equivalent. Includes those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (2 )Police community support officers were introduced in statue in 2002, therefore data is not available prior to 2002-03. | |
| Police community support officer strength within Milton Keynes BCU (FTE)( 1) as at 30 June 2005( 2) | |
| As at 30 June each year: | Milton Keynes BCU( 3) |
| (1) Full Time Equivalent. This figure includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (2) Data not available prior to 2005 and has not yet been validated for 2006. (3) Data collated and published by Police Human Resources Unit. This data was provided by the force and does not form part of National Statistics. | |
| Police officer strength within Milton Keynes BCU (FTE)( 1) as at 31 March 2003-05( 2) | |
| As at 31 March each year: | Milton Keynes BCU |
| (1) Full Time Equivalent. Includes those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (2) Data not available prior to 2002-03. | |
Prisoner Deportation
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what means his Department is notified of a judicial recommendation for deportation after conviction of a defendant. [68948]
Mr. Byrne: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) will be notified of a judicial
recommendation for deportation by the convicting Court and/or the receiving prison immediately following conviction.
Upon notification of such a recommendation IND will establish whether an appeal has been lodged against the sentence and the result of any such appeal. IND will at the same time collate all papers relevant to the person’s conviction and any previous convictions. Where there is no/an unsuccessful appeal IND will then consider whether in the light of all of the person’s known personal circumstances, any representations and the nature of the offence it is appropriate to deport the person. Where necessary enquiries will be made of the person to establish these personal circumstances.
Where it is considered appropriate to proceed in line with the judicial recommendation the person will be served with a notice of decision to make a deportation order. This decision will attract a right of appeal.
Where a person is unsuccessful in their appeal/or where the person fails to appeal IND will then submit a Deportation Order for signature by the Immigration Minister or duty Home Office Minister. Action will then be taken to deport the person on or as soon as possible after their release date.
In my written Ministerial Statement of 19 July 2006, Official Report, column 29WS, I set out the progress the Department is making in overhauling the system for the deportation of foreign national prisoners so that they face deportation and that this should happen as early as possible in their sentence.
Public Records
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the criteria are for deciding what is operationally necessary when deciding on disposal of files on naturalisation under the Public Records Act 1958; and if he will make a statement. [94730]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 17 October 2006]: Currently the Home Department has no published criteria for the disposal of files on naturalisation under the Public Records Act 1958.
Ministers are currently considering proposals for the introduction of a review and destruction criteria for all Immigration and Nationality Directorate applicants’ files, in line with the Public Records and Data Protection Acts. This would include files on those applying for naturalisation.
Special Immigration Appeals Commission
Mr. Hogg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what directions have been given to ensure that officials concerned with cases before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (a) make full disclosure of all relevant information and documents and (b) provide accurate statements of fact; and if he will make a statement on the implications of the MK case. [94794]
Mr. Byrne: All officials concerned with cases before SIAC are aware of the obligation to make full disclosure of all relevant information, and of the
necessity for factual statements to be accurate in every respect. They are given advice as to the extent of these obligations, in particular in individual cases. That advice has been reviewed in the light of the incident referred to in the judgment. The particular processes involved in the preparation of the case in question have also been reviewed, with the aim of excluding the possibility of a repetition.
The error in this case was brought to the judge’s attention before he reached his judgment and the judge accepted that the error raised no concerns about the integrity, reasoning and conclusions of the court. He also accepted that the mistake had not been made in bad faith.
Trade and Industry
Aerospace Research
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with European and Aeronautic Defence and Space Company on the establishment of a research and development facility in the UK. [95381]
Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry had discussions with EADS at the Farnborough Air Show in July, and was able to announce that EADS had agreed in principle to establish a research and development facility in the UK. This is one of the measures intended to deepen its strategic relationship with the UK.
Since then, officials from my Department have been in close discussions with EADS to determine the scope and scale of the centre, although no decisions have yet been taken on its location.
Airbus
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the current difficulties facing Airbus and the implications for the aerospace industry in the north west. [94183]
Margaret Hodge: I am aware of the programme problems that Airbus has announced, and my Department is in regular contact with the company. Airbus is assessing its options on how to recover its position. Airbus has a strong order book, with over 2,000 planes on order, representing about four to five years of deliveries. The Government remain a strong supporter of Airbus.
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with Airbus on the manufacture of wings for the proposed A350XWB aircraft at the plant in Broughton. [95380]
Margaret Hodge: I am in regular contact with Airbus and EADS about a wide range of issues, including the UK’s role in the proposed A350XWB aircraft.
Arms Exports
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about UK arms exports being used (a) by (i) criminal gangs, (ii) pariah states, (iii) terrorists, (iv) paramilitaries and (v) rebel forces and (b) for the purposes of human rights abuses. [95532]
Malcolm Wicks: I have received a large number of representations concerning UK arms exports being used by undesirable end-users for the purpose of human rights abuses.
I can assure the hon. Member that all export licence applications are considered on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria, taking into account the circumstances prevailing at the time and other relevant announced Government polices, which includes a thorough consideration of the risk of diversion to undesirable end-users. Should it be judged that an export would contravene any of the criteria, the application would be refused.
Bridges Community Ventures
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value has been of (a) contracts held with and (b) payments and grants made to Bridges Community Ventures since May 2002. [94532]
Margaret Hodge: The Community Development Venture Fund (CDVF), more commonly known as the Bridges Fund, is a £40 million fully commercial venture capital fund managed by Bridges Community Ventures Ltd. The Government are committed to investing £20 million alongside £20 million from private sector investors. As at October 2006, the fund has drawn down a total of £15,454,434 from DTI's total investment commitment.
Broadband
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he or his officials have had with (a) the Department for Communities and Local Government, (b) the Treasury and (c) Ofcom on (i) the exemption of local loop unbundling broadband operators from non-domestic rates and (ii) any interim arrangements to ensure that the operators are subject to the same effective non-domestic rate as BT; and if he will make a statement. [92445]
Margaret Hodge: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and Office of Communications (Ofcom) have held formal and informal discussions with British Telecom (BT) and local loop unbundling operators on this subject and there will be further discussions as part of the work on finding a long-term solution.
Local loops are not exempt from non-domestic rates. BT is currently liable for non-domestic rates on all
unbundled local loops in England until 31 March 2008. Local loop operators pay an annual charge to BT for each local loop they unbundle. BT is entitled to recover a contribution to their non-domestic rates bill within this annual charge, as determined by Ofcom.
A consultation paper was issued by DCLG in December 2005 proposing various options including regulating to make BT responsible for the rates liability on all local loop unbundles in England as a short-term option. DCLG intends to issue a further consultation paper on the long-term options.
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what definition his Department uses of broadband; what the evidential basis is for the selection of the kbit/s rate in that definition; and what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on broadband kbit/s rates used by other EU member states. [93680]
Margaret Hodge: We use the Office of Communications' (Ofcom) definition of “higher bandwidth, always-on service, offering data rates of 128kbps and above”, first published in its report “Review of the Wholesale Broadband Access Markets” in May 2004 on the Ofcom website www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/wbamp/wholesalebroadbandreview/broadbandaccessreview/pdf
This definition is used to measure take-up of the dynamic range of services available to residential and business consumers that are classed by the industry as broadband and to make comparisons with other European countries.
My Department has neither commissioned nor evaluated broadband kbit/s rates used in other EU member states as the independent regulator, Ofcom, is responsible for the communications regulatory framework in the UK. Ofcom's final decision published in “Review of the Wholesale Broadband Access Markets” was communicated to the European Commission and the regulatory authorities in other member states as required by EU communications directives designed to create harmonised regulation across Europe.
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