| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
18 May 2007 : Column 953W—continued
Notes:
1. Comprehensive data for 2001-02 are not available or can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
2. The data for appraisal-related bonus payments are included only for Home Office HQ and Border and Immigration Agency (BIA). The data for the public sector Prison Service are excluded as they can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Identity and Passport Agency (IPS) does not run an appraisal-related bonus scheme.
3. Data for special bonus payments are included only for the senior civil service (for the whole Department and its agencies) and IPS for 2004-05 and 2005-06 for certain bonuses where information is available
4. Data recorded for performance appraisal payments relate to the previous reporting year and not the financial year in which the bonuses themselves were paid.
5. Staffing data are for those in Home Office HQ and BIA and all senior civil servants in the Department and its agencies. For 2004-05 and 2005-06 IPS staff are included.
Crime Prevention
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to reduce fear of crime amongst the elderly. [137883]
Mr. Coaker: Fear of crime is at historically low levels but we are not complacent and acknowledge that older people continue to have a high level of fear of crime despite the relatively low risk of them becoming victims of crime.
Previous work to lower this level of fear amongst older people has focused on addressing the misperceptions about crime by promoting the facts about crime levels, and encouraging common-sense precautions which individuals can take to prevent becoming a victim. This has been achieved by working with charities such as Help the Aged and Age Concern to find new and better ways of tackling fear among the older population, as well as tackling the crimes committed against them.
In addition, we are working to improve public confidence and, in turn, fear of crime. The roll out of neighbourhood policing will impact significantly on confidence in the police. Greater community engagement, more visible policing in communities and increased local accountability of crime and disorder reduction partnerships will all aid the reduction of fear of crime amongst the elderly.
Crime: Surveys
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much his Department spent on researching, producing, distributing and publicising the British Crime Survey in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07; and if he will make a statement; [136729]
(2) how much his Department spent on researching, producing, distributing and publicising the annual and quarterly version of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Crime in England and Wales in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07; and if he will make a statement. [136730]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer s 14 May 2007]: Following competitive tender, the Home Office commissioned an external survey research company to carry out the British Crime Survey on its behalf. The cost of this contract in each of the years asked about was (a) £4.5 million in 2004-05, (b) £4.6 million in 2005-06 and (c) £4.8 million in 2006-07.
The print and distribution costs of the annual and quarterly version of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Crime in England and Wales, was £19,000 in 2004-05; £19,000 in 2005-06; and, £14,000 in 2006-07. The cost of print and distribution has reduced as accessing Home Office statistics on-line has become more popular.
Departments: Disciplinary Proceedings
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many grievance procedures have been initiated in his Department in the last 12 months. [135157]
Mr. Byrne: For Core Home Office (excluding the Public Sector Prison Service) including Border and Immigration Agency, Criminal Records Bureau and Identity and Passport Service, the number of grievances raised from 27 April 2006 to 27 April 2007 is set out in the following table.
| Number of grievances | |
For Core Home Office and Border and Immigration Agency: Since 1 January 2005 people management has been devolved to a local line management level, including decisions on grievances, and therefore the figures supplied are those that have been reported to HR by line managers and recorded centrally.
Border and Immigration Agency figures do not include any new grievances lodged after 25 April 2007.
Information for the Criminal Records Bureau is not provided on grounds of confidentiality as there have been fewer than five grievance procedures initiated.
The Public Sector Prison Service does not hold the information centrally in the format requested, and this could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departments: Bullying
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of bullying have been investigated in his Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld. [134826]
Mr. Byrne: For Core Home Office (excluding Public Sector Prison Service, Criminal Records Bureau and Identity and Passport Service) and Border and Immigration Agency, the number of complaints investigated and upheld during the 12 month period to 27 April 2007 is set out in the following table.
| Department | Number of complaints upheld | Number of complaints not upheld |
Since January 2005 for staff in Core Home Office and Border and Immigration Agency people management has been devolved to a local line management level, with units either commissioning the investigation using HR staff or non HR staff who are specifically trained to carry these types of investigations. Line managers are only required to inform HR at the conclusion of the process, and therefore the figures supplied are those that have been reported to HR by line managers, and recorded centrally.
Border and Immigration Agency figures do not include any new complaints lodged after 25 April 2007.
Information for Criminal Records Bureau and Identity and Passport Service is not provided on grounds of confidentiality as there were fewer than five complaints investigated. The Public Sector Prison Service does not hold the information centrally in the format requested. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departments: Official Hospitality
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to limit the amount of money spent on alcohol for hospitality purposes by his Department. [132199]
Mr. Byrne:
The Department has a written policy on the provision of official hospitality in the form of food, drink and entertainment to non-civil servants which is available to all staff on the departmental intranet and which all staff are expected to comply with as part of
their terms and conditions of service. The policy complies with the Treasury Handbook on Regularity and Propriety and the principles of Government accounting and allows for a modest amount of alcohol to be provided at lunches or dinners, at the discretion of senior management, as long as the overall cost of the lunch or dinner falls within the stated expenditure ranges.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on hospitality by his Department in 2006-07. [133258]
Mr. Byrne: Home Office expenditure on official hospitality and entertainment conforms to departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, which complies with the principles of Government accounting and the Treasury Handbook on Regularity and Propriety. Hospitality is defined as the provision of food, drink and entertainment of non-civil servants where it is beneficial to the interests of the Department.
The spend for 2006-07 based on draft accounts is £94,044.
This figure covers hospitality provided by both civil servants and Ministers.
Departments: Sexual Harassment
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of sexual harassment have been investigated in his Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld. [135374]
Mr. Byrne: For Core Home Office (excluding Public Sector Prison Service), Border and Immigration Agency, Identity and Passport Service, Criminal Records Bureau, in the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007, seven complaints of sexual harassment were investigated. Of these, two were upheld, three were upheld in part and two were not upheld. As there were fewer than five complaints of sexual harassment in each of Core Home Office, (excluding Public Sector Prison Service), Border and Immigration Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau, a further breakdown is not provided on grounds of confidentiality.
Since 1 January 2005, for staff working in Core Home Office and Border and Immigration Agency, people management has been devolved to a local line management level, with units either commissioning the investigation into complaints of harassment using HR staff or non HR staff who are specifically trained to conduct these types of investigation. Line managers are only required to inform HR at the conclusion of the process, and therefore the figures supplied are those that have been reported to HR by line managers, and recorded centrally.
The Public Sector Prison Service does not have systems in place that hold centrally validated information in respect of complaints of sexual harassment and such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Extradition: Libya
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what agreements exist between the UK and Libya on the (a) forced repatriation and (b) extradition of nationals. [136162]
Mr. Byrne: Most removals to Libya under Immigration Act powers are undertaken on the basis of international conventions and practice, rather than bilateral arrangements. A Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries concerning the provision of assurances in respect of persons subject to deportation was signed on 18 October 2005.
There are no general extradition arrangements between the two countries. The UK and Libya, however, are parties to various international conventions under which extradition in respect of certain specific offences may be possible. The Extradition Act 2003 also allows the UK to consider entering into special extradition arrangements in individual cases.
Illegal Immigrants: Fixed Penalties
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices have been issued to illegal workers from (a) Bulgaria and (b) Romania since 1 January 2007; and what percentage of those have been paid. [126431]
John Reid: As of 29 April, 42 fixed penalty notices have been served, of which 38 on Romanian nationals and four on Bulgarian nationals.
Almost two thirds of these penalty notices have been paid in full within the 21 day period. A further 11 of them have yet to reach their due payment date.
Immigrants
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent estimate is of the number of irregular migrants (a) in the UK and (b) the rest of Europe. [134816]
Mr. Byrne: As the Home Secretary set out in his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 23 May 2006, no Government have been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally, and that remains the case.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published estimates for the sizes of the unauthorised migrant population for a selection of other countries in Europe on their website at: http://www.oecd.org. The following table is taken from the ‘International Migration Outlook’ publication.
International Migration Outlook—ISBN_92-64-03627-X-Â(c)_OECD_2006—Part 1
| Table 1.6: Estimates of the unauthorised immigrant population, selected OECD countries | ||||
| Number | Percentage of total | Method of estimation | ||
| Note: The number in parentheses indicates the number of years since the previous major regularisation. The regularisation numbers cover only persons applying and thus are a lower bound for the number of unauthorised immigrants. Sources: Australia, Japan, southern European countries: national SOPEMI reports. United States: Van Hook, Bean and Passel 2005. Netherlands: Snel et al. 2005. Switzerland: GFS 2005. | ||||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |