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27 Nov 2006 : Column 392W—continued
Mr. Heald:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the timetable is for the
publication of the schedule of fees for the National Identity Card scheme. [102852]
Joan Ryan: A schedule of fees for the National Identity Scheme cannot be finalised until contracts with suppliers connected to the operation of the scheme are signed. A precise time for this will not be available until negotiations with suppliers have commenced. However, secondary legislation must be brought before Parliament to determine a schedule of fees in advance of the launch of the National Identity Register.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the number of individual authorised users of the National Identity Register there will be once it is fully operational and implemented. [102854]
Joan Ryan: Only a small number of strictly vetted persons will be authorised users able to manipulate information on the National Identity Register (NIR). Their use will be subject to strict auditing with alert functionality to detect unauthorised actions and no one individual would be permitted to create or delete an entry on the NIR. Until further design work with regard to the roles and responsibilities of staff members and their respective access controls is finalised, it is not possible to provide a precise figure of staff members who will be authorised users in this manner.
Staff responsible for processing applications for enrolment and maintenance of information on the NIR will use application processing systems for their work. The work of those processing applications will also be subject to control and auditing systems in order to ensure the integrity of the system. Once appropriate security measures have been completed, information from these systems will be submitted to update NIR records. Until further design work and procurement negotiations are complete, it is not possible to give a precise figure with regard to how many staff members would conduct this work. However, as an indication, the Identity and Passport Service currently has approximately 2,100 employees whose work is primarily focused on processing passport applications.
The National Identity Scheme intends to offer an identity verification service. This service does not provide access to the NIR but does allow for individuals to verify their identity with authorised users on the basis of information recorded in the NIR.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of Government officials who will be permitted to enter data into the National Identity Register. [102875]
Joan Ryan:
Only a small number of strictly vetted persons will be authorised users able to manipulate information on the National Identity Register (NIR). Their use will be subject to strict auditing with alert functionality to detect unauthorised actions and no one individual would be permitted to create or delete an entry on the NIR. Until further design work with regard to the roles and responsibilities of staff members and their respective access controls is
finalised, it is not possible to provide a precise figure of staff members who will be authorised users in this manner.
Staff responsible for processing applications for enrolment and maintenance of information on the NIR will use application processing systems for their work. The work of those processing applications will also be subject to control and auditing systems in order to ensure the integrity of the system. Once appropriate security measures have been completed, information from these systems will be submitted to update NIR records. Until further design work and procurement negotiations are complete, it is not possible to give a precise figure with regard to how many staff members would conduct this work. However, as an indication, the Identity and Passport Service currently has approximately 2,100 employees whose work is primarily focussed on processing passport applications.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will have operational responsibility for the National Identity Register. [102876]
Joan Ryan: The Identity and Passport Service will have operational responsibility for the National Identity Register.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is the Government's policy to use a private finance initiative in the development of the National Identity Register. [102877]
Joan Ryan: The Identity and Passport Service is currently examining a number of options with regard to how it could work with the private sector to develop National Identity Register capabilities. No decision has been taken regarding whether this would involve a private finance initiative. It is the Government’s policy that final decisions regarding the involvement of the private sector will be taken on the basis of which options represent the best value for money to the taxpayer.
Illegal Alcohol Sales
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licensed premises were closed down by (a) police and (b) local authorities for selling alcohol illegally in (i) Dudley, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) the UK in each of the last 10 years. [102074]
Mr. Coaker: The Home Office does not collect local or regional figures for the number of licensed premises that have been closed down by police and local authorities for selling alcohol illegally. Figures from the DCMS statistical bulletin on Liquor Licensing (2004) show that the total number of licences revoked, or not renewed, in England and Wales for the following years are:
| Number | |
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what penalties may be imposed in cases where licensed premises sell alcohol illegally. [102076]
Mr. Woodward: I have been asked to reply.
Penalties which may currently be imposed on conviction for offences involving the unlawful sale or exposure for sale of alcohol under the Licensing Act 2003 are set out in the following table:
In addition, under section 1 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, certain licensing offences included in the Licensing Act 2003 may be dealt with by the issue of a fixed penalty notice by the police. With regard to sales of alcohol, these include:
| Section of the 2003 Act and offence | Penalty (£) |
When commenced, section 23 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (c. 38) will also create a new offence of selling alcohol to a person under 18 from licensed premises on three or more occasions within a three-month period. Liability will attach to the premises licence holder. The maximum penalty will be a fine of £10,000 and the court may, in addition, suspend the offender’s premises licence for up to three months.
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of underage drinkers in (a) Dudley, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the UK. [102077]
Mr. McNulty: The Home Office does not collect local or regional figures for the number of underage drinkers. Findings from the 2004 Offending, Crime and Justice survey revealed that 56 per cent. of 10 to 17- year-olds reported having had an alcoholic drink in the previous 12 months. This figure was highest among 16 to 17-year-olds (88 per cent.) and lowest among 10 to 13-year-olds (29 per cent.).
National Identity Scheme Commissioner
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the appointment process is for the proposed National Identity Scheme Commissioner; and if he will make a statement. [103052]
Joan Ryan: The process will be governed by the code of practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, which requires appointments to be made on merit through scrutiny of candidates by a panel including membership independent of the department making the appointment. The appointment will be made before the first ID card as defined by the Identity Cards Act 2006 issued.
Passport Interviews
Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements the Government plans to make for residents of the islands of (a) Tiree, (b) Coll, (c) Jura and (d) Colonsay to attend the interview required for their first passport. [100761]
Joan Ryan [holding answer 20 November 2006]: There are no plans to establish permanent interview offices on these islands due to the low level of demand—estimated at nine applicants per year in total. We plan to provide a video link-based service for such remote communities, but this must still be delivered from a limited number of sites to be cost-effective.
An initial analysis has been undertaken to identify the most appropriate locations for remote interview sites throughout the UK, taking account of the cost to implement the solution and the number of first-time adult applicants anticipated for each area.
This computer modelling initially identified Tobermory as the most appropriate location for residents on Coll and Tiree (as well as the Isle of Mull). Bowmore has been initially identified as the most appropriate location for residents on Jura and Colonsay (as well as Islay). However, we anticipate that some of these applicants would choose instead to attend their interview at the Oban or other mainland office in line with visits to the mainland for business or social purposes.
A request was sent out via the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities representative at the Scottish Executive in October to all the relevant local councils, asking for their help in confirming whether the initial locations identified were the most appropriate. We are still awaiting a reply from Argyll and Bute council with their recommendation as to the best locations for our remote interview service within their area.
We will be taking their advice and recommendations into account, and will be working closely with them to implement this service.
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