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17 Sep 2007 : Column 2329W—continued
Home Department
Asylum
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007, Official Report, columns 284-85W, on asylum seekers, (1) whether the working group on asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers will include representatives of local authorities with the highest number of failed asylum seekers awaiting deportation; [154988]
(2) what (a) resources and (b) information the working group on asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers will have available to them; [154989]
(3) what commitment she has made to implement the recommendations of the working group on asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers; and if she will make a statement; [154990]
(4) what powers the working group on asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers will have to obtain information on the costs of supporting failed asylum seekers not funded by her Department from local authorities; [154991]
(5) when the working group on asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers will be established; and on the basis of which criteria its members will be selected. [154992]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 10 September 2007]: Since the original proposal for the establishment of a working group, we have concluded that this would not be the best way to move forward the specific concerns raised by local authorities and other steps have therefore been taken. The Border and Immigration Agency has carried out a formal public consultation on the arrangements for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) which includes specific proposals addressing local authority concerns about arrangements for leaving care support for former UASC. On concerns relating to local authority support for people with no recourse to public funds, the Agency has been working closely with the No Recourse to Public Funds National Network (NN NRPF) which was established to address the challenges faced by local authorities in dealing with the NRPF issue. In 2006-07 the Border and Immigration Agency provided the network with a funding grant towards the cost of setting up and co-ordinating network activities and work is in progress to further enhance our relationship and partnership working with the network.
The Border and Immigration Agency liaises with authorities locally through the offices of its new Regional Directors. At the national level, the Border and Immigration Agency has established a Local Authority Taskforce, working in partnership with a number of individual local authorities focussing on issues related to people subject to immigration control, and also engages with local authorities through the National Asylum Support Forum and the LGA (Local Government Association) Asylum and Refugee Task Group.
Border and Immigration Agency: Higher Civil Servants
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many assistant directors of immigration services are in post; and where they are based. [155141]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 12 September 2007]: The number of Border and Immigration Agency permanent staff who would normally be described as assistant director, is recorded in the Home Office computerised personnel system ADELPHI as 357 on a full-time equivalency basis.
Border and Immigration Agency: Standards
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what performance indicators are used for the immigration services. [155140]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 12 September 2007]: The Border and Immigration Agency published its business plan on 14 June. This includes the key measures of performance that have been set in 2007-08 as it transitions from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to a fully operational agency. A copy of the Business plan has been placed in the House Library.
Departments: Manpower
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2007, Official Report, column 670W, on Departments: Manpower, what the estimated yearly cost is of employing the 99 staff referred to. [146884]
Mr. Byrne: Based on the grades of the 99 members of staff, and the average yearly cost to the Department of employing persons at each grade, we estimate that the yearly cost of employing the 99 members of staff to be in the region of £3,288,600. These staff have either found new posts or are undertaking work for the Department.
Departments: Training
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by her Department on staff away days in the last 12 months. [153138]
Mr. Byrne: The Home Office accounting system does not separately identify expenditure on staff away days. To provide the detail requested would incur disproportionate cost.
EU Law: Human Trafficking
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer given on 12 July 2007, Official Report, column 1635W, on EU Law: Human Trafficking, what changes to domestic legislation processes and guidance are required before the UK will ratify the treaty; what progress has been made to date on each of those changes; and what the anticipated date is by which all such changes will be complete. [155307]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 12 September 2007]: A dedicated project team within the Border and Immigration Agency has been set up to lead implementation of the convention and is reporting to a cross-Government project board and ministerial group. The UK is already largely compliant with the provisions of the convention but part of the ongoing work is to establish exactly what legislation, guidance and training is required to make us fully compliant. As we develop implementation options we will consult with stakeholders within and outside Government, including via our established non-governmental organisation (NGO) stakeholder group, chaired by myself and the Solicitor-General. It is recognised that it will take some time to move from signature to ratification of the convention as the Government are committed to implementing the convention fully and in accordance with our ongoing strategy on trafficking outlined in the UK's Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking.
Genetics: Databases
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of those imprisoned since 1997 have their records on the national DNA database. [155257]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 12 September 2007]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis) on 9 January 2007, Official Report, column 541W.
Illegal Immigrants
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many injuries were caused to lorry drivers by attempted illegal immigrants at the Channel ports in (a) 2006, (b) 2005 and (c) 2004; how many have been caused in 2007; and if she will make a statement. [155256]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 12 September 2007]: The Border and Immigration Agency is not advised of the incidents of injuries sustained by lorry drivers from illegal immigrants attempting to enter the United Kingdom and consequently does not compile statistics. Such incidents should be reported to the police authorities in the appropriate country.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many attempted illegal immigrants were detected in lorries passing through the Channel ports in (a) the first six months of 2007, (b) the final six months of 2006, (c) the first six months of 2006, (d) the final six months of 2005 and (e) the first six months of 2005. [155260]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 12 September 2007]: These statistics are not published.
National statistics were published in the Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2006 Command Paper on 21 August. Copies of this publication will be available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office’s Research, Development and Statistics website at:
Locally collated management information shows the number of illegal immigrants who were detected in lorries entering the UK through our channel ports as follows:
| Number | |
Locally collated management information also shows the following attempts to reach the UK by departure through continental channel ports. These individuals were prevented from reaching the UK by UK Immigration staff at our juxtaposed controls as well as by French security.
| Number | |
The statistical information provided is based on locally collated management information and as such is subject to change.
Immigrants: Criminal Records
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many entry refusals there were of (a) EU and (b) non-EU nationals on the basis of their criminal records in each of the last three years; and what the estimated cost was to public funds of those refusals. [154949]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 10 September 2007]: Published statistics are not broken down to the same level of detail. National refusal statistics were published in the Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2006 Command Paper on 21 August. Copies of this publication will be available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
The following information is based on locally collated management information and as such is subject to change.
| Port refusal made under the given refusal codes, all ports, 2004-06 | ||
| Nationality group | Port refusal—Convicted of a criminal offence in the UK/abroad | |
The information requested in relation to the estimated costs to public funds could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
Immigration: Skilled Workers
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of people resident in the United Kingdom who will be affected by the retrospective changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme; and if she will make a statement. [155538]
Mr. Byrne: The November 2006 changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme affect all those making applications for initial leave or extensions of leave under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme from the date the new rules came into effect. They are not retrospective.
Immigration Officers: Corruption
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration officers were prosecuted for corruption in each of the last five years. [155138]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 12 September 2007]: No immigration officers have been prosecuted for corruption in the last five years.
Immigration: Ministers of Religion
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will break down the Ministers of Religion in Table 2.2 of Control of Immigration Statistics UK 2006, by faith group. [155259]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 12 September 2007]: The requested breakdown is not available.
Police Custody: Death
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths there were in police custody in each of the last five years. [155346]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 12 September 2007]: Responsibility for the collation and publication of statistics relating to deaths in police custody rests with the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Police: Manpower
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers, (b) police community support officers and (c) civilians staff were employed per capita of general population in each police authority in (i) 1997, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2007. [155289]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 12 September 2007]: The requested information is shown in the following tables.
| Police officers per 100,000 population( 1) (FTE)( 2) by police force as at 31 March 1997, 2002 and 2007( 3, 4) | |||
| As at 31 March each year | |||
| Police force | 1997 | 2002 | 2007 |
| (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2 )Full-time equivalent excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (3) Boundary changes on 1 April 1996 transferred resources for the policing of the Rhmney Valley from South Wales police to Gwent police. 4 Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 transferred some resources from the Metropolitan police to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey police forces. (5 )Officers per 100,000 population for City of London and Metropolitan police are combined. | |||
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