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26 Feb 2007 : Column 1052W—continued

Community Support Officers: Shropshire

Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the target for the recruitment of police community support officers in Shropshire has been changed from 107 to 78. [121032]

Mr. McNulty: In my written ministerial statement on 27 November 2006, the Government accepted the view of the police service that the delivery of neighbourhood policing does not necessarily need 24,000 police community support officers (PCSOs). We are providing continued support in 2007-08 for 16,000 PCSOs, and we will not expect forces to increase the number of PCSOs beyond this. The share of this target for West Mercia Constabulary, whose force area includes Shropshire, is 270.

Departments: Official Cars

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles belonging to his Department were (a) lost and (b) stolen in each year since 1997; and what the (i) make and model and (ii) value was of each vehicle. [121364]

Mr. Byrne: Home Office central records show that 11 vehicles either belonging or leased to the Department were stolen in the last 10 years. There were no lost cars. Details are set out in the table.


26 Feb 2007 : Column 1053W
Home Office stolen vehicles 1997-2007
Description Date stolen Residual value (£)

Landrover 110 2.5td station wag

21 October 1997

3,312.25

Ford transit 130 2.5d lwb 15minibus

4 December 1997

1,065.55

Ford escort 40 1.8d bonus ii van

4 April 1998

1,958.42

Ford transit 2.5 td lwb 15minibus

30 April 1998

2,795.65

Vauxhall belmont 1.4 saloon

19 November 1999

1,559.87

Rover montego 2.0 td estate

20 October 2000

2,244.80

Landrover discovery td5s5l/h rear drive

24 August 2001

23,000.00

Landrover 90 2.5td hardtop

3 May 2003

3,322.73

Ldv 400 convoy 2.5td hi-loader van

29 July 2004

3,052.63

Volkswagen golf 1.9 tdi se (lease car)

23 June 2004

7,245.00

Ford transit 190 2.5td 35cwt lwb van

23 August 2006

2,242.95


Deportation: Appeals

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals he considered against tribunal decisions to deport asylum seekers in each of the last four years; how many such requests came from (a) hon. Members, (b) lawyers and (c) other individuals; and in how many cases in each category he overturned the decision of the tribunal. [118259]

Mr. Byrne: This data is not routinely collected and can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Drugs: East Riding

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people arrested in East Yorkshire between January and December 2006 were tested for (a) opiates and (b) crack cocaine; how many of those tested positive in each case; and if he will make a statement. [122729]

Mr. Coaker: East Yorkshire is part of the Humberside police force area. Three out of four BCUs are authorised to test for specified class A drugs as part of the Drug Interventions Programme and these are Kingston upon Hull; North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire. East Yorkshire does not currently operate drug testing as part of the Drug Interventions Programme.

Between January and December 2006, 4,844 tests for specified class A drugs (heroin, cocaine/crack cocaine) were conducted as part of the Drug Interventions Programme in Humberside police force area. Of the 4,844 tests conducted, 36per cent. of tests were positive for specified class A drugs, of which 559 tests were positive for both heroin and cocaine/crack, 833 tests were positive for (a) opiates and 334 tests were positive for (b) cocaine/crack.

Humberside Police: Manpower

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were employed by Humberside police in (a) 1996 and (b) 2006. [122795]

Mr. McNulty: The available data are given in the table.

Police strength data are published annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin “Police Service Strength, England and Wales”. The latest publication (data as at 31 March 2006) can be downloaded from:


26 Feb 2007 : Column 1054W
Police officer strength for Humberside police force as at 31 March 1996 and 31 March 2006 (FTE)( 1)
As at 31 March each year: Officer strength

1996

2,041

2006

2,224

(1) Full-time equivalent. All officers less staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

Illegal Immigrants: EC Action

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the establishment of a rapid reaction force for illegal immigrants at EU level; and to what extent UK officials will participate in this initiative. [121402]

Mr. Byrne: A proposal establishing a mechanism for the creation of Rapid Border Intervention Teams (RABITs) under the aegis of the European Border Agency (Frontex) is currently being negotiated. The UK is excluded from the Frontex Regulation (2007/2004) which established the organisation. Our legal relationship with the proposed RABITs Regulation is therefore complex, and it is not yet clear to what extent UK officials will participate in this initiative.

Immigration

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made on the review Fair, effective, transparent and trusted: Rebuilding confidence in our immigration system; and if he will make a statement. [120461]

Mr. Byrne: On 12 December 2006 the Home Secretary and the Permanent Secretary gave a detailed update on progress to the Home Affairs Committee and we will be shortly publishing further updates to the Home Affairs Committee Recommendations. We have substantially met the December milestones published in the review and have published detailed information on this, which is available on the Home Office website (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/dec-commitments-IND.pdf). We are making good progress towards the April milestones.

Leave to Remain

Mr. Mudie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2007, Official Report, column 701W, on leave to remain, what process was used to provide the substantive answer of 29 November 2006, Official Report, column 777W, on leave to remain. [120446]

Mr. Byrne: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate’s records do not contain the time of a case decision, so where more than one decision on discretionary leave was made in a day it is not possible to identify which was the last. The answer given on 29 November 2006 related to week commencing 23 October 2006 in which only one such decision was made on the last day.


26 Feb 2007 : Column 1055W

Norfolk Constabulary: Finance

Mr. Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what level of annual efficiency savings Norfolk constabulary is required to make. [121887]

Mr. McNulty: Norfolk Constabulary, like the rest of the police service, has been asked to make cumulative efficiency gains of 3 per cent. of net revenue expenditure per year over the three years from 2005-06 to 2007-08. Half of the efficiency gains are to be cashable. No target has yet been set for years beyond 2007-08, but it remains vital for the police service to identify and to realise opportunities for further efficiency gains.

Omed kadir Hamzak

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Omed kadir Hamzak, Home
26 Feb 2007 : Column 1056W
Office Ref: O 1054841, a constituent of the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, will be informed of the content of the decision that was made on his case on 6 December 2006. [119048]

Mr. Byrne: I will write to my right hon. Friend shortly explaining the details in this case.

Police

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stations have (a) opened and (b) closed in each police force area in each year since 1997. [118665]

Mr. McNulty: The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and the chief officer, who are responsible for assessing local needs.


26 Feb 2007 : Column 1057W

26 Feb 2007 : Column 1058W
Survey completed in March 2006: number of police stations opened and closed since 1992
March each year
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Opened Closed Opened Closed Opened Closed Opened Closed Opened Closed

Avon and Somerset*

0

-13

2

-1

3

0

0

0

2

0

Bedfordshire*

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

0

Cambridgeshire

0

0

0

-1

1

-4

0

0

0

-1

Cheshire*

0

-3

0

-1

0

-2

1

-4

1

-2

City of London

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Cleveland*

Cumbria*

1

-1

0

0

0

-10

0

0

0

0

Derbyshire*

0

0

0

0

1

-1

0

0

1

0

Devon and Cornwall*

Dorset

0

0

0

0

0

-1

1

-2

0

-3

Durham

2

-4

1

-1

o

0

0

0

3

-3

Dyfed-Powys*

0

-3

4

-1

1

0

0

0

0

0

Essex*

1

-1

0

0

1

-1

1

-43

4

-19

Gloucestershire

0

-1

1

0

0

-4

0

-12

1

-6

Gtr Manchester*

0

0

1

-9

0

-4

0

0

0

-2

Gwent

0

-7

Hampshire

2

0

0

0

0

-1

0

-2

0

0

Hertfordshire

0

0

1

-1

0

0

0

-2

4

0

Humberside

0

0

1

0

0

-2

1

-2

2

-2

Kent*

1

-1

3

-3

2

0

0

-2

0

0

Lancashire

0

-3

0

-4

0

-5

0

-3

0

-1

Leicestershire

3

0

2

-2

3

-3

2

0

0

0

Lincolnshire

1

-6

0

-1

1

-1

0

0

0

0

Metropolitan*

Merseyside

0

0

0

-1

0

-1

0

-6

0

-1

Norfolk*

0

-1

0

0

Northamptonshire*

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

-1

Northumbria

0

0

0

North Wales

-5

0

-2

North Yorkshire*

1

-1

1

0

0

-3

0

-3

0

0

Nottinghamshire

1

0

o

-22

1

-1

2

0

2

0

South Wales*

4

-19

1

-2

4

-5

1

-12

1

-4

South Yorkshire

0

-3

2

0

0

-4

0

-2

3

-6

Staffordshire

0

0

1

-2

1

-1

1

-1

0

0

Suffolk

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Surrey

0

0

0

-2

0

-2

o

-4

6

0

Sussex*

0

-1

0

0

1

0

1

0

0

0

Thames Valley

1

0

1

-7

9

-1

2

-2

0

-4

Warwickshire

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

West Mercia*

0

-2

0

0

4

-4

1

-1

1

-1

West Midlands*

West Yorkshire

2

0

Wiltshire

0

-2

0

-2

0

-2

0

0

0

0

Totals

19

-64

23

-63

35

63

14

-109

33

-65


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