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State Opening
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many uniformed military personnel were posted in the Westminster area for the State Opening of Parliament on 15 November 2006. [103683]
Mr. Ingram: I have been asked to reply.
The royal and ceremonial duties that London district personnel undertake throughout each year fall into two categories. The first is public duties which includes routine ceremonial guarding and the second is that of state ceremonial which involves regular annual parades such as the State Opening of Parliament.
The number of uniformed military personnel posted/assigned to the State Opening of Parliament held on 15 November 2006 was 70 officers and 1,110 soldiers(1). It is difficult to calculate the number posted into the actual Westminster area as the definition of area is too broad a reference. However an estimate would be approximately 15 officers and 300 soldiers.
(1) In accordance with departmental guidance figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many undercover police were posted to the Westminster area for the state opening of Parliament on 15 November 2006. [103684]
(2) how many uniformed police were posted to the Westminster area for the State Opening of Parliament on 15 November 2006. [103685]
Mr. McNulty: The operational arrangements for policing of the State Opening of Parliament are the responsibility of the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
Terrorism
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Get Safe Online website in protecting the public from e-terrorism. [103606]
Mr. McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
Get Safe Online gives independent, authoritative advice and information on how to keep safe whilst being able to reap the many benefits of the Internet.
Research carried out last December identified 75 per cent., of people who were aware of the get safe online campaign said they would back-up their systems whilst only 50 per cent., of those who were unaware would take any action, demonstrating the initiative’s effectiveness in protecting the public from online threats.
Westminster City Council
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will renew the Invest to Save funding for Westminster City Council. [101710]
Mr. Byrne: The Invest to Save Budget is held and administrated by Treasury and exists to provide funding to help innovative projects get off the ground. ISB funding is explicitly time-limited and is not intended to sustain a project over the long-term.
Yarl's Wood
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the Minister for Immigration has visited Yarl's Wood detention centre in the last 12 months. [101497]
John Reid: My hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, East (Mr. McNulty) visited Yarl's Wood once in 2005. My hon. Friend for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Byrne) has plans to visit in the near future.
Young Asylum Seekers
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what process the Government will use to assess risk of trafficking in developing the returns programme for unaccompanied children who have been refused asylum; and if he will consult non-governmental organisations in the UK in developing this programme. [101803]
Mr.
Byrne: If an unaccompanied child makes an application for
asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK the asylum caseworker will
assess whether there is a real risk of either persecution for a 1951
Refugee Convention reason or of serious harm in the country of return.
If their applications for asylum and humanitarian protection are
refused children will only be returned where safe and adequate
reception
arrangements exist and an assessment of each case has been carried out.
We will always give proper regard to a child's welfare in performing
immigration functions. We are currently reviewing our policy on the
return of
unaccompanied asylum seeking children whose applications have been
refused. In formulating our policy we will continue to consult
non-governmental
organisations.
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