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14 Jun 2007 : Column 1234W—continued


Identity Cards

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2007, Official Report, column 1407W, on identity cards, what estimate he has made of the total savings from the cost of identity fraud which will be realised as a result of the introduction of identity cards in each of the first five years following their introduction. [136236]

Joan Ryan: A precise estimate of the impact of identity cards in combating identity fraud is difficult to quantify. However, in the Identity Cards Scheme Benefits Overview, published in June 2005:

it was estimated that the benefits arising from reduced fraud overall would be in the range of £310 million to £570 million per annum once the identity cards scheme is rolled out.

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on the confiscation of identity cards once issued. [141357]

John Reid: The circumstances under which an ID card must be surrendered are set out in section 11, subsections (3) and (4), of the Identity Cards Act 2006. In particular, someone who is in possession of an ID card without lawful authority would be required to surrender the card as soon as is practicable to do so and a person who is in possession of an ID card that had expired, been cancelled or was invalid may be required to surrender it.

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to how those with diseases such as Alzheimer's will be accommodated within the identity card application and issuing system, with particular reference to informed consent. [141358]

John Reid: The Identity Cards Act 2006 has been designed to allow for flexibility in the identity card application process. For example, in the case of an applicant who was unable to give informed consent or to sign an application form, it would be possible to provide in regulations for an authorised third party to make an application on the person's behalf, as happens currently with passport applications.

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make provision for those physically unable to travel to interview centres in the identity card issuing system. [141359]

John Reid: The Identity Cards Act 2006 has been designed to provide flexibility in the identity card application process. Regulations will be able to allow the Identity and Passport Service to accommodate the special needs of applicants, such as those unable to travel, either by making special arrangements or excluding particular individuals from the normal requirements.

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account has been taken of those individuals who work under a professional name in the development of the identity cards system. [141360]

John Reid: Schedule 1 of the Identity Cards Act 2006 sets out the information that may be held on the national identity register (the register will include details of those persons issued with identity cards). This information includes a person's full name, together with names by which a person is or has been known. It will therefore be possible for an alternative name, such as a stage name or maiden name, to be registered.

Illegal Immigrants: Faroe Islands

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of whether illegal migrants are avoiding border checks at ports by entering Scotland via the Faroe Islands. [142050]

Mr. Byrne: All passengers arriving from the Faroe Islands at Lerwick are subject to immigration control.

An additional route to Scrabster becomes operational on 18 June and all passengers arriving there will also be subject to immigration control.

Border and Immigration Agency officials advise there is no evidence to support speculation that this route is used for clandestine entry to the UK.

Immigrants

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken to process applications for indefinite leave to remain. [134117]


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Mr. Byrne: Following the IND review there is an ongoing programme of improvement activity across the whole of the Border and Immigration Agency including all migration casework areas. Resources have been diverted to some areas where backlogs exist in order to improve performance.

Immigrants: Unemployment

Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department provides any support to unemployed (a) A2 and (b) A8 nationals who have come to the UK to work but who do not have access to benefits as they have not completed 12 months of work. [134316]

Mr. Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency does not provide support to unemployed A2 and A8 nationals who have come to the UK to work but who do not have access to benefits as they have not completed 12 months of continuous employment in the UK. In work and contributory benefits are available to some migrants who meet the relevant DWP tests.

As for all EEA nationals, migrants from the A8 and A2 countries that come to the UK are expected to be self-sufficient if they are not working or self-employed.

Immigration: Detention Centres

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the staff/detainee ratio is at (a) Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre, (b) Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre, (c) Dover Immigration Removal Centre, (d) Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre, (e) Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre, (f) Haslar Immigration Removal Centre, (g) Lindholme, (h) Oakington, (i) Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre and (j) Yarls Wood Immigration Removal Centre. [136973]

Mr. Byrne: The staff to detainee ratios at the contracted out immigration removal centres are shown in the following table.

Any part of an operating contract can be changed through the ‘Notice of Change’ process which can be initiated by either side. This allows changes in operating circumstances to be recognised and resources added or reduced according to need, usually following informal consultation. This process is regularly used and contractors are fully familiar with it.

The agency does not provide guidance on staff to detainee ratios to HM Prison Service as they have vast experience in operating custodial environments.


14 Jun 2007 : Column 1236W
Ratio security staff to detainees—IRC estate
Centre Ratio—detainees per officer

Campsfield

7.6

(1) Day shift

15.2

(2) Night shift

Colnbrook

(1) Early shift

10

(2) Late shift

8.7

(3) Night shift

17.8

(4) Mid shift

26.3

Dungavel

(1) Day shift

5.5

(2) Night shift

9.1

Oakington

(1) Day shift

6.5

(2) Night shift

8.8

Tinsley

(1) Day shift

5.5

(2) Night shift

9.1

Yarl’s Wood

(1) Weekdays

11.6

(2) Weekends

13.06

Harmondsworth

(1)

(1) Average across all shifts converts to 16.7 detainees per officer

Immigration: Judgments

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance has been issued to immigration officers in light of the ruling by the House of Lords in (a) Huang and (b) Kashmiri v . Secretary of State for the Home Department. [141400]

John Reid: The House of Lords ruling related specifically to the considerations given by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT). This advised that, when assessing proportionality, the AIT was required to weigh up all relevant competing considerations and was not required to establish that the circumstances of a case were truly exceptional in order to find that removal would give rise to an unlawful interference with article 8 rights. As no specific findings were made to considerations given by immigration officers, no general guidance has been issued. Where article 8 claims are made the Border and Immigration Agency do consider all factors raised.

National Policing Improvement Agency

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the National Policing Improvement Agency since becoming fully operational on 1 April. [141778]

Mr. McNulty: The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) began its work on 1 April this year and its published Business Plan for 2007-08 includes 15 delivery statements reflecting the strategic priorities of the Police Service and of the tripartite partners in policing—the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), the Association of Police Authorities (APA) and the Home Office. Some good progress has already been made on a number of these, for example:


14 Jun 2007 : Column 1237W

There has also been progress in other areas of NPIA’s work. Key performance indicators have been established for both the external and internal strategic priorities of the organisation. The Chief Executive will be providing regular reports of performance and issues facing the Agency.

North Wales Police

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of police time was spent on front-line duties by North Wales Police in each year since 2001. [142210]

Mr. McNulty: Information on time spent by police officers on front-line duties has only been collected since 2003-04. The available data for the North Wales Police for each year since March 2004 is set out in the following table. The North Wales Police has set a target for 66.6 per cent. of police officer time to be spent on front-line duties by March 2008.


14 Jun 2007 : Column 1238W
North Wales Police—time spent on front-line duties
Percentage of police officer time spent on front-line duties

2003-04

53.34

2004-05

63.37

2005-06

63.50


Offenders: Deportation

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners were transferred to immigration removal centres (a) before the end of their sentence and (b) after the end of their sentence in each of the last five years, broken down by the number of weeks before or after their sentence that the transfer occurred. [135831]

John Reid: The information requested is not available.

Foreign national prisoners are only transferred into the Border and Immigration Agency's removal estate when their sentences have expired.

Offensive Weapons: Custodial Treatment

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people convicted of carrying a knife in each of the last three years were given (a) a non-custodial sentence and (b) a custodial sentence; [135582]

(2) how many people convicted of carrying knives received the maximum custodial sentence available in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [135584]

Mr. Coaker: The information requested, for England and Wales, for the years 2003 to 2005, is contained in the table.

Court proceedings statistics for 2006 will be available in the autumn.


14 Jun 2007 : Column 1239W

14 Jun 2007 : Column 1240W
Persons( 1) sentenced for offences of carrying knives or offensive weapons, by outcome, England and Wales
Offence Statute Year Total persons sentenced Non-custodial sentence Custodial sentence Persons given maximum custodial sentence( 2)

Having an article with a blade or point in a public place

Criminal Justice Act 1988 sec 139 as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 sec 3

2003

5,311

4,556

755

1

2004

5,802

4,999

803

2005

5,957

4,992

965

1

Having an article with a blade or point on school premises

Criminal Justice Act 1988 sec139A(1) and (5)(1) as added by the Offensive Weapons Act 1996 sec 4(1)

2003

88

82

6

2004

106

94

12

2005

45

40

5

Possession of offensive weapons(3) without lawful authority or reasonable excuse

Prevention of Crime Act 1953 sec 1 as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 sec 2(1)

2003

5,394

4,634

760

2004

5,758

4,941

817

2005

5,689

4,860

829

2

Possession of offensive weapons(3) without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises

Criminal Justice Act 1988 sec139A(2) and (5)(b) as added by the Offensive Weapons Act 1996 sec 4(1)

2003

21

17

4

2004

33

29

4

2005

30

27

3

(1) Principal offence basis.
(2) Two years for blade or point offences and four years for offensive weapon offences.
(3) Will include knives but information collected centrally does not provide a distinction between them and other offensive weapons.
Source:
RDS-NOMS, Home Office

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