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14 Dec 2006 : Column 1320W—continued
Human Trafficking
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the UK Action Plan on Trafficking. [108976]
Mr. Coaker: We are currently developing the UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking which will be published early next year. The process involves discussion with stakeholders, relevant experts, and other government departments and agencies.
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government expect to publish their Response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ Report ‘Human Trafficking’, HC 1127-1. [108982]
Mr. Coaker: The Government’s response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights report will be laid before Parliament on 19 December 2006.
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) the Department for Work and Pensions and (b) the Department of Trade and Industry on signing the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. [108983]
Mr. Coaker: I chair an Inter-Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking which co-ordinates work on this issue across Government. The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Trade and Industry both sit on the Group.
Identity Card
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors were taken into account when deciding not to include optimism bias adjustments in scheme benefit analyses of the proposed identity card project; what effect optimism bias adjustments would have on the analyses based on Treasury baseline principles; and if he will make a statement. [108214]
Joan Ryan: The section 37 cost report, published in October, presented an estimate of benefits in a range of £1 billion-1.7 billion per annum. This presentation which excluded optimism bias is consistent with Her Majesty’s Treasury guidance for the current stage of the programme. If we had chosen to incorporate optimism bias, this would have reduced the figures by 10 per cent. The national identity scheme would still have a strong economic justification even if the quantified benefits were at the lower end of the range and the 10 per cent. reduction was applied.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether UK citizens will be charged under the proposed national identity card scheme for requiring a new card due to (a) accidental loss of a card, (b) change of address and (c) theft of a card. [108502]
Joan Ryan: With regard to change of address, I would refer the hon. Member to my answer to his previous question on 27 November 2006, Official Report, column 392W.
With regard to other changes of information that, unlike address changes, are likely to involve a change of card, a schedule of fees has not yet been decided and
will depend on the outcome of procurement processes related to the national identity scheme. Fees will be set out in regulations under section 35 of the Identity Cards Act. It is likely that a charge will be made to replace lost and stolen cards, as is currently the case with passports.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 29 November 2006, Official Report, column 776W, on identity cards and passports, who the (a) manufacturer and (b) supplier was of each piece of software; and what the cost was of each piece of software. [105597]
Joan Ryan: The manufacturer, supplier and cost of each piece of software noted in the answer provided on 29 November 2006, Official Report, column 776W, is as follows:
| Software | ‘Manufacturer’ | Supplier | Cost (£) |
| (1) Provided free of charge (included with other consulting work) | |||
Immigration Detention Centres
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times exceptional circumstances required Ministers to authorise the detention of families with children for more than 28 days in an immigration detention centre between 1 January and 31 October 2006. [106731]
Mr. Byrne: Local management information indicates that 63 families with children required ministerial authorisation for continued detention beyond 28 days between 1 January 2006 and 31 October 2006.
The figures provided do not constitute part of National Statistics as it is based on management information. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional.
Quarterly snapshots are published in the quarterly asylum bulletin, showing the number of people detained under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter. Statistics on the total number of persons leaving detention each quarter are also published in the quarterly asylum bulletin.
Published editions of this bulletin and other information on immigration and asylum are available on the Home Office's research development and statistics website at:
<http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html>.
Intercept Evidence
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases since the coming into force of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 intercept evidence has been admitted on the grounds that it came within section (a) 18(1)(a) and (b) 18(1)(b) of that Act. [106849]
Mr. McNulty: The information is as follows:
(a) The information is not collected centrally.
(b) None.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government expect to conclude their review of the use of intercept evidence in court; and if he will make a statement. [106911]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 4 December 2006]: The Home Office is leading work on a legal model to develop the safeguards that would be required before the Government consider changing the law to allow intercept evidence. A report, originally expected in November, is expected by the end of the year.
Leak Inquiries
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions his Department has conducted a leak inquiry since May 1997; what the subjects were of these leak inquiries; and who authorised each inquiry. [106882]
Mr. Byrne: Since 1997 the Department has investigated 93 apparent leaks of information on a range of Home Office subjects some relating to National Security issues. Normally the Permanent Secretary authorises such inquiries.
Leave to Remain
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the requirement to speak English for those seeking indefinite leave to remain in the UK will apply to individuals coming into the UK through arranged marriages. [105687]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 11 December 2006]: The requirement to demonstrate knowledge of life in the UK and knowledge of the English language will apply to those who seek indefinite leave to remain under the immigration rules on the basis of marriage to a person settled here. Such individuals are usually admitted to the UK for two years in the first instance which should provide sufficient time for applicants to develop the required English language skills. Those who do not will be entitled to apply for and receive further periods of leave to remain during which they should take steps to develop their English language skills if they would like to apply again for indefinite leave to remain. These arrangements, which will come into force on 2 April 2007, will apply irrespective of whether the marriage is an arranged marriage or not.
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which fundraising organisations in the UK have been identified as having links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. [107294]
Mr. Byrne: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were proscribed under Section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in March 2001.
Under the Terrorism Act 2000 it is unlawful to raise funds for a proscribed group. Any organisation
providing funding to LTTE would therefore be subject to criminal investigation. Such an investigation, and any subsequent prosecution, would be a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
National Single Non-emergency Number
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the national single non-emergency number will be available throughout England and Wales. [103916]
Mr. McNulty: A full evaluation of the 101 service in wave one areas, including costs and benefits, will be available in the autumn of 2007; the outcome of this evaluation will inform the future development of the programme.
Northamptonshire Police
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what level of (a) formula grant and (b) one-off or special grant Northamptonshire police force has received in each of the last five years. [105235]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested is set out in the table.
| Government funding for Northamptonshire police authority 2002-03 to 2006-07 | |||
| £ million | |||
| General formula grant( 1) | Specific grants and capital provision( 2) | Total grants | |
| (1) General grant includes Home Office police grant and Department for Communities and Local Government revenue support grant and national non-domestic rates. (2 )Includes: Crime fighting fund, basic command unit funding, community support officer funding, neighbourhood policing fund, rural policing fund, special priority payments, forensic DNA expansion grant and capital grant. (3) The police standards unit have been working with Northamptonshire police since spring 2004 on a number of projects to help improve performance. The force has been provided with £0.8 million for 2004-05, £1.2 million for 2005-06 and an estimated £0.5 million for 2006-07 in project funding. (included above). Adjusted for comparison purposes following the transfer of pensions and security funding from general grant in 2006-07. | |||
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what level of grant aid Northamptonshire police has received in relation to formula funding in each of the last five years. [105236]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested is set out in the table.
Online Job Applications
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on (a) the provision of online information and application forms for job applicants and (b) equal opportunities to apply for those without access to the internet in respect of (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies, with particular reference to the practice of the new Isle of Wight Passport and Identity Office. [108754]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 12 December 2006]: The Home Office which includes Immigration and Nationality Directorate, Prison Service and its agencies routinely advertise external vacancies online. The website contains information about the ‘Guaranteed Interview Scheme’ and our commitment to fair and open competition as defined by the ‘Civil Service Recruitment Code’. Candidates, including those applying for posts at the new Isle of Wight Identity and Passport interview office, who are unable to access the internet have the option of contacting the recruitment provider for a hard copy of the application form and any additional candidate information.
Organised Crime
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with his (a) Bulgarian and (b) Romanian counterparts on serious and organised crime. [105324]
Mr. Coaker: Home Office Ministers have frequent discussions with Bulgarian and Romanian Ministers on a range of issues including serious and organised crime. These discussions take place during inward visits to the UK (most recently for example, Baroness Scotland met the Romanian Minister of Justice in October), in multilateral fora, and during visits to the region. Most recently, the former Home Secretary, the right hon. Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Charles Clarke), visited both countries in April 2006.
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