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14 Mar 2007 : Column 391W—continued
Home Department
Administration of Justice: Females
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to respond to the recommendations in the Corston report on vulnerable women in the criminal justice system. [127570]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government very much welcome this report and have given an undertaking that we will look carefully at the issues it raises and the recommendations it makes for change.
The 43 recommendations made are wide-ranging and propose action by a number of different Government departments and other organisations to address together the complex and multiple needs of women both in the criminal justice system and at risk of offending. These recommendations will be carefully explored with all the departments and agencies concerned and the Government will develop a detailed response and set out an agreed way forward; we aim to respond in detail to this report in around three months.
Asylum
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers were being required to report to a reporting centre in December 2006. [125655]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested regarding how many asylum seekers were being required to report to a reporting centre in December 2006 is not readily available.
This information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
Asylum: Children
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied children claimed asylum in the UK in each year between 1997 and 2006. [126079]
Mr. Byrne: The following table shows the total numbers of asylum applications received from unaccompanied asylum seeking children for each year between 1997 and 2006.
Further information on unaccompanied asylum seeking children is published quarterly and annually. Copies of these publications and others relating to immigration to the UK are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
| Unaccompanied asylum seeking children applications( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, 1997-2006 | |
| Total UASC applications | |
| (1) Figures rounded to nearest 5. (2) Figures exclude cases where the age of the applicant is disputed. (3) An unaccompanied asylum seeking child (UASC) is an individual who is under 18 (or if there is no proof is determined to be under 18), and is applying for asylum in his/her own right; and is separated from both parents and not being cared for by an adult who by law or custom has responsibility to do so. (4) Figures exclude age dispute cases. (5) Data obtained from electronic sources from 2002 and not comparable with prior manual counts. (6) Provisional figures. | |
Asylum: Iraq
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqi refugees there were in the UK in each year since 2000. [117886]
Mr. Byrne: The number of Iraqi refugees in the country at any time could not be determined as refugees may leave the country without advising the Home Office.
Departments: Databases
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what databases are controlled by his Department and its agencies; and what percentage of the data in each database he estimates is inaccurate or out of date. [124032]
John Reid: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departments: Energy
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what strategy he has put in place for (a) the use of renewable energy and (b) meeting energy targets in his Department’s buildings; and if he will make a statement. [125411]
Mr. Byrne: In 2004-05, the latest year for which figures have been published, 17 per cent. of the electricity consumed by the Home Office was acquired from renewable sources.
This exceeds the new sustainable operations targets (SOGE) announced by the Prime Minister in June this year, which requires Departments to source at least 10 per cent. of electricity from renewable sources by 31 March 2008.
The Home Office continues to explore opportunities to further increase the amount of renewable electricity acquired from renewable sources both with suppliers and through self generation.
The Department has recently agreed a strategy that will enable us to address the remaining SOGE energy targets which require improvements in energy efficiency, reduction in carbon emissions and offsetting those emissions that cannot be reduced. Our central sustainable development policy team will shortly begin work on action plans to meet the following:
increased Combined Heat and Power (CHP) uptake via central energy procurement initiatives and within new builds and major refurbishment projects
introducing pilot schemes as a first step towards a fully fledged carbon neutrality strategy for the office estate
participation in the OGC benchmarking scheme for the office estate which, among other aspects, looks at energy performance and will inform the setting of improvement targets.
These initiatives will be supported by more reliable data systems that will be realised through our new shared service operations, as well as by procurement initiatives and funding for energy efficiency programmes to reduce emissions and for carbon offset projects.
Departments: Internet
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he has considered the merits of merging the Respect, Together and Crime Reduction websites in order to improve the clarity of information provided to the public; [126421]
(2) what the annual running costs were of the (a) Respect, (b) Together and (c) Crime Reduction websites in the most recent year for which figures are available. [126422]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 9 March 2007]: The Crime Reduction website promotes positive crime reduction messages from a broad range of organisations—governmental and non-governmental—both from within the UK and overseas and is aimed at practitioners working to reduce criminal activity. The Respect website, which replaced the Together website in October 2006, aims to inform a broader range of practitioners about dealing with antisocial behaviour by tackling the underlying causes, how to intervene early where problems occur and how to work closely with local communities to effect sustainable improvements. Both websites have been designed to meet the different information needs of these two audiences and are not aimed at providing information for the public generally. We have no plans to merge these sites.
The annual cost for the technical support of the Crime Reduction site for 2006 is £113, 307. The accumulated costs for the Respect website for 2006-07 are £73,000. There are no associated running costs with the Together website as it is hosted by the Home Office and is no longer updated. Visitors to the site are signposted to the Respect website.
Departments: Logos
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisations have been employed to provide external consultancy advice on departmental rebranding since December 2006; and what the cost was of such advice. [125725]
Mr. Byrne: The Home Office has not re-branded or undertaken a re-branding exercise. Our logo and strapline has not changed since it was created in 1999 and no external consultancy advice has been procured with regards to re-branding since December 2006.
Domestic Violence: Victim Support Schemes
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) financial and (b) practical assistance his Department gives to groups providing support to families affected by instances of violence towards a parent by a child. [126675]
Mr. Dhanda: I have been asked to reply.
The Department, via the children, young people and families, strengthening families and family support grant programmes is supporting 207 3rd sector projects with over £20 million. These projects enable an increase in family and relationship support. The projects provide a range of information, advice and guidance which may include support for parents, carers and
families experiencing different levels and types of family and relationship difficulties. This support might include, but is not specifically aimed at, families in which there may be instances of violence towards parents by children.
Downview Prison: Catering
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Aramark took over responsibility for provision of canteen services at HMP Downview; when the prison management was supplied with a draft service level agreement between Aramark and the Home Office; when he expects this agreement to be finalised; and when Aramark’s contract expires. [126263]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Aramark took over the canteen service in May 2006. The draft Service Level Agreement was provided to the prison in December 2006. This is currently the subject of a review which is expected to be completed in April 2007. Aramark’s contract with the prison expires in May 2009.
Holloway Prison
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007, Official Report, column 108W, on Holloway Prison, if he will list the other further facilities referred to. [126118]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The further activities referred to are Bible Studies and one off events.
Immigration Controls: Fishguard
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suspected illegal immigrants have been stopped by (a) Immigration and Nationality Directorate officials and (b) the police at the ports of (i) Fishguard and (ii) Pembroke Dock since 2005. [125265]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 5 March 2007]: Passenger ferries at Fishguard and Pembroke Dock arrive from Rosslaire in the Republic of Ireland which is part of the common travel area (CTA). The Immigration (Control of Entry through Ireland) Order 1972 sets out the laws under which foreign nationals are deemed to be given leave to enter when travelling within the CTA. There are police controls in place at Fishguard and Pembroke Dock.
The following table sets out the number of suspected illegal immigrants stopped by police at these ports.
Immigration: Detainees
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of those required to report to an immigration detention centre while their applications were being processed missed at least one appointment in (a) December 2005 and (b) December 2006. [125656]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
Offenders: Deportation
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign prisoners were deported in (a) October, (b) November and (c) December 2006. [118113]
Mr. Byrne: The Director General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, Lin Homer, wrote to the Home Affairs Committee on 12 December 2006 and 19 February 2007 setting out deportation consideration and deportation action taken since April this year. A copy of these letters have been placed in the Library.
Prison Service: Pay
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the new Contract Supplementary Hours Scheme payment represents as a percentage of basic pay for (a) prison officers on each pay scale point, (b) senior officers and (c) both payscale points for principal officers; and if he will make a statement. [126489]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The rate for additional hours worked by operational prison staff under the Contract Supplementary Hours scheme is set annually by the Prison Service Pay Review Body. The rate is currently £15.38 per hour. The following table shows the hourly rate of pay for normal contracted hours for prison officers, senior officers and principal officers at each spine point, compared to the hourly rate for additional Contract Supplementary Hours.
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