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29 Oct 2007 : Column 922W—continued


29 Oct 2007 : Column 923W

We have provided figures for advertising campaigns but not marketing campaigns. To separate out expenditure on marketing campaigns from other communications expenditure could be done only at disproportionate cost.

The following table provides information on Home Office recruitment advertising:

Creative agency Media spend (excluding VAT)

2002-03

Barkers

6,498

2003-04

Barkers

255,533

2004-05

Barkers

204,804

2005-06

Barkers

217,396

2006-07

Barkers

22,004

Total

706,235


(b) Executive Agencies

(i) Identity and Passport Service (formerly UK Passports Agency)

Costs are as follows:

COI only (media spend on advertising campaigns)
£

2002-03

489,170

2003-04

648,624

2004-05

466,616

2005-06

826,290

2006-07

992,942


Recruitment and selection costs
£

2000-01

127,950

2001-02

214,900

2002-03

48,493

2003-04

106,866

2004-05

238,683

2005-06

1,183,467

2006-07

2,099,392


Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the name is of each special adviser in her Department. [153148]

Jacqui Smith: The annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by her Department on official hospitality in the last 12 months. [158894]

Mr. Byrne: Home Office expenditure on official hospitality and entertainment conforms to departmental guidance on financial procedures and
29 Oct 2007 : Column 924W
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 last 12-month period for which there are audited figures is financial year 2006-07. The spend for 2006-07, based on final accounts, is £91,829 (0.0000066 per cent. of total resource spend for 2006-07).

This figure covers hospitality provided by both civil servants and Ministers.

Departments: Policy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policy changes her Department has implemented since 27 June 2007. [159297]

Mr. Byrne: The Home Office has implemented a number of new policies since 27 June 2007, and we have kept Parliament fully informed of these. Following the terrorist incidents in Glasgow and London in June, we have spent much of the last few months focused on counter terrorism and security. The Prime Minister has asked Lord West to conduct a review of the protection of crowded places, critical national infrastructure, and transport infrastructure from a critical terrorist attack.

On July 19 The Home Secretary launched the new Crime Strategy. This includes a stronger focus on serious violence, continued pressure on antisocial behaviour, a renewed focus on young people, a new national approach to designing out crime, and continuing work to reduce re-offending. The newly created National Crime Reduction Board to oversee delivery across government departments held its first meeting on 10 October 2007.

On 24 August 2007 immigration officers began wearing uniforms at Gatwick’s border control, creating a stronger and more visible presence at the border.

On 9 September we launched the Tackling Gangs Action Programme with focused work in areas of London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool where gun crime and gangs are a particular issue.

On 27 September the Home Secretary announced a new £50 million fund to give the police access to 21(st) century crime fighting technologies. This includes the provision of 1,000 new mobile computers we intend to roll out this year followed by a further 10,000 more next year.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates her Department breached its (a) resource, (b) near-cash, (c) administration and (d) capital budget since 2001; what the value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach. [160308]

Mr. Byrne: The Home Office has not breached any of its spending limits during the period in question.


29 Oct 2007 : Column 925W

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which financial years since 2001 her Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the (a) value and (b) reason for the underspend was in each case. [160327]

Mr. Byrne: The National Audit Office measures spending performance against plans by comparing outturns against final provision following Supplementary Estimates rather than against plans at the start of the year as plans can change during the year for a number of reasons, such as machinery of government and classification changes. The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in the Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper. Changes to plans arising in-year are published in “Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses”, as are differences between provisional and final outturns.

Departments: Public Participation

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens’ juries have been arranged by her Department since June; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens’ jury; and what the cost was of each exercise. [159491]

Mr. McNulty: The Home Office held a Citizens’ Jury on Crime and Communities on 12 September 2007. The research and events companies BMRB and Live Events were appointed to run the event following a transparent and competitive tender organised by COI. The total cost for the event was £105,000.

Departments: Secondment

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are seconded to her Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. [157896]

Mr. Byrne: The non-agency Home Office maintains detailed records of staff on inward secondment to its own business areas, but does not maintain this information for its agencies. The agencies themselves do not maintain a central record of this information, and the information for the agencies could not be obtained without incurring a disproportionate cost.

The following table sets out the requested information for the 22 centrally recorded secondments into the non-agency Home Office from outside government.


29 Oct 2007 : Column 926W
Seconding organisation Number of secondees Length of secondment (months)

Hampshire constabulary

2

1. 19

2. 24

Avon and Somerset Probation Area

1

24

Essex police

1

24

Metropolitan police

1

24

Hertfordshire constabulary

3

1. 24

2. 34

Merseyside police

2

1. 24

2. 24

Greater London Authority

12

West Midlands police

24

Durham constabulary

24

Thames Valley police

12

Reading borough council

12

London Probation Area

2

1. 24

2. 24

South Wales Probation Area

24

Staffordshire Probation Area

24

London borough of Lewisham

34

London borough of Waltham Forest

12

NHC Scotland

24

Total

22


Dispersal Orders

Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the efficacy of dispersal orders made under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003. [160128]

Mr. Coaker: Dispersal Orders are one of a number of measures to tackle antisocial behaviour and have succeeded in tackling underage drinking, joyriding, noise nuisance, the antisocial use of fireworks and the harassment and intimidation of residents. They are not intended to be used in isolation, but should form part of a tiered and integrated response to tackling crime and disorder and antisocial behaviour in local areas. This includes work by YOTs to prevent young people getting involved in offending and antisocial behaviour.

While no assessment has been made of the efficacy of dispersal orders on their own, a study and report by the National Audit Office (“Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour”, HC 99 Session 2006-07, 7 December 2006) confirmed that a tiered approach to tackling antisocial behaviour is highly effective. This is also borne out by the fact that we have driven down perceptions of antisocial behaviour by 4 percentage points from the baseline of 21 per cent. in 2002-03 to 17 per cent. in 2005-06.

Driving: EC Countries

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the implications for security of the application procedures for the EU driving licence; and if she will make a statement. [159663]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 19 October 2007]: Driving licences issued in the UK conform to the format and standard laid out in the second EC directive on driver licensing (91/439/EEC) and are considered to be EU driving licences.


29 Oct 2007 : Column 927W

All applicants for a first driving licence must provide evidence of identity. This is usually a passport but, in instances where a passport is not available, alternative documentation will be considered. In 2003 DVLA conducted a wide ranging review of its identity checking procedures and associated fraud prevention arrangements. Following the review, DVLA established specialist teams using sophisticated equipment to help identify counterfeit and forged identity documentation.

Drugs: Testing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for concurrent animal and non-animal testing of recreational drugs. [160165]

Meg Hillier: In order to be licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 a project must be for one of the “permissible purposes” listed in section 5(3) of the Act.

These include:


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