| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
24 July 2007 : Column 938W—continued
Firearms: Crime
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people under the age of 21 have been charged with firearms offences in each of the last five years. [150327]
Mr. Coaker: Information on charges brought by the police are only held by the police themselves and not reported to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
However, data on cases brought to court are collected, and information on the number of persons under 21 years of age proceeded against for firearms offences in England and Wales for the years 2001-05 is provided in the table.
Data for 2006 will be available in the autumn.
| Number of persons aged under 21 years proceeded against at magistrates courts for firearms offences, England and Wales 2001-05( 1,2,3) | |
| Number proceeded against | |
| (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) See the following offence table for offences used. | |
Foreign Workers: Health Professions
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what data were used to make statements in the Race Equality Impact Assessment on the changes in immigration rules for postgraduate doctors and dentists, where those data are not provided within the assessment itself. [149762]
Jacqui Smith: The Race Equality Impact Assessment on the changes in the immigration rules for postgraduate doctors and dentists drew upon management information provided by Work Permits (UK) and discussions with the Department for Health on the increasing competition for training programmes.
Identity Cards
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the identity cards pilot scheme is expected to report; and if she will make a statement. [150826]
Meg Hillier [holding answer 19 July 2007]: There has yet to be a pilot of the identity cards scheme. However, there is provision in section 44(4) of the Identity Cards Act 2006 that will enable provisions of the Act to be brought into force in stages so as to allow for a trial in a particular area or relating to a particular category of persons. It also allows for transitional provisions following any such trial.
Identity Cards: Travelling People
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the implications of the introduction of identity cards for Gypsy and Traveller communities. [151419]
Meg Hillier: Issues relating to the Gypsy and Traveller communities were raised as part of the consultation on identity cards legislation and were included in the summary of responses, published in October 2004 (Cm 6348). Once identity cards are introduced, it is expected that Gypsies and Travellers would be able to apply for an identity card at the same time as applying for a passport.
Immigration: Bulgaria
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the number of (a) Romanians and (b) Bulgarians (i) available to fill the agricultural labour requirement in 2008; and what assessment she has made of whether they possess the necessary skills. [151699]
Mr. Byrne
[holding answer 23 July 2007]: The seasonal agricultural workers scheme is a low skilled scheme designed to help meet any shortfall in the supply of seasonal labour from within the UK and
those ED states with access to our labour market. As this is a low skilled scheme, we contract with operators to undertake with the individual the necessary assessment of suitability.
A recent International Organisation for Migration (IOM) survey in Bulgaria and Romania shows there is good reason to believe A2 nationals will offer an adequate pool of SAWS recruits. The survey found that 5 per cent. of the sample of respondents (which was representative of the population at large) would consider working in the UK. Of those 50 per cent. would consider working in agriculture and 38 per cent. intended to remain for less than six months. We are in regular contact with the operators and our embassies in Romanian and Bulgaria and will continue to monitor the situation.
Offensive Weapons: East Sussex
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) injured and (b) killed as a result of knife crime offences in (i) Eastbourne and (ii) East Sussex in each year since 1997. [151365]
Mr. Coaker: The information available centrally relates to homicides by sharp instrument recorded each year between 1997-98 and 2005-06. As figures are not collected below police force area level, data relating to Sussex police are given in the following table.
| Offences currently recorded( 1) as homicide by sharp instrument( 2) : Sussex police, 1997-98 to 2005-06 | |
| Year offence initially recorded | Number recorded |
| (1) As at 9 October 2006: figures subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information comes to light. (2) Includes all sharp instruments, including knives. Source: Based on England and Wales totals as published in ‘Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2005-06’ (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 02/07). | |
Passports: Fraud
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which consultants were employed by the (a) Identity and Passport Service and (b) her Department to examine and give advice on passport security and fraud detection and prevention in each of the last five years; what the (i) duration, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost was of each contract; what reports were submitted; and if she will make a statement. [151506]
Meg Hillier
[holding answer 23 July 2007]: IPS has not generally awarded specific consultancy contracts for advice on passport security, fraud detection and prevention. It has operated a model of engaging
specialist contractors on an interim management basis to provide guidance and knowledge to supplement in-house expertise.
Two contracts were awarded in 2004 on a consultancy basis. These are in the following table:
Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Scheme
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department has had with operators of the seasonal agricultural workers scheme on the future of the scheme; and if she will make a statement. [151695]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 23 July 2007]: There have been a number of meetings, both at ministerial and official level, with operators and their representatives since October 2006 about the future of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS). Those discussions have centred on the implications of the Government's obligations regarding EU Community preference, restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian nationals and the future role of the Migration Advisory Committee.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the ability of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme to fill the requirement for agricultural labour in 2008. [151698]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 23 July 2007]: The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) allows farmers and growers in the UK to recruit overseas workers to undertake work that is both seasonal and agricultural. The scheme helps to meet any shortfall in the supply of seasonal labour from within the UK and those EU states with access to our labour market.
It is not the purpose of SAWS to fill the requirement for agricultural labour in the UK, and it has only ever met a small proportion of the total requirement for agricultural labour. Migrants from a number of other routes such as working holidaymakers are also free to work in the agricultural sector.
The horticultural industry is also able to recruit workers from throughout the EEA.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme quota will be set for 2008. [151700]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 23 July 2007]: As in previous years, an announcement will be made on next year's quota in time to allow operators to recruit workers for 2008.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken following the meeting with the National Farmers Union about the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme on 2 May 2007. [151701]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 23 July 2007]: I met with Lord Rooker, Minister for Sustainable Food and Farming and Animal Health, on 15 May 2007 and we are arranging a further meeting with operators and the National Farmers Union to discuss the scheme.
Technology: Safety
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the implications for (a) public safety and (b) the (i) safety and (ii) privacy of individuals of use of mobile and location-based technology. [149449]
Mr. Coaker: The Government meets with the communication service providers, children’s charities and other interested parties to keep these matters under review. We are supportive of the industry Code of Practice for the use of mobile technology to provide passive location services in the UK. This code governs the way services are run and provide consumer (particularly child) protection measures that supplement legal and regulatory requirements. We will work with industry to ensure that the Code of Practice is updated to take account of technological advances.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |