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14 Nov 2007 : Column 307W—continued
Intelligence Services: Complaints
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures exist for people to make complaints to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal about alleged misconduct by the intelligence services when they have not been victims of that misconduct. [162814]
Mr. McNulty: Section 65 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 provides that a person who is aggrieved by conduct believed to have taken place in relation to him, or her, or their property by or on behalf of the intelligence agencies may complain to the independent Investigatory Powers Tribunal and have that complaint determined. It is for the Tribunal to decide on any relationship between alleged conduct and complainant.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to the letter of 1 October 2007 from the hon. Member for Walsall, North regarding a constituent, ref: M19658/7. [162401]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 12 November 2007]: The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Meg Hillier) wrote to my hon. Friend on 7 November 2007.
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reply to the letter of 30 July from the hon. Member for Beaconsfield. [163941]
Mr. Byrne: I wrote to the hon. Member on 16 August 2007.
MI5
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many files in the PF MI5 series there were; how many of these have been (a) declassified, (b) destroyed and (c) designated as remaining classified; what criteria were used to designate such files as falling into each category; how many of the PF MI5 series files that remain classified relate to (i) suspected and (ii) indicted war criminals; if he will declassify such files to enable an assessment by the Metropolitan War Crimes Unit to be made with a view to grounds for prosecutions; and if she will make a statement. [162757]
Mr. McNulty: The available information is that the Security Service held approximately 272,000 personal files in January 2005—this figure is an accumulative total covering the history of the Service and includes those files on individuals who have been subject to investigation, personnel files on members of staff and other files, for example, those who have been of assistance to the Service, but does not include those files that have been destroyed. Since 1997, the Service has destroyed approximately 114,000 personal files—these were destroyed in accordance with agreed procedures and do not include files of historic interest. As at September 2007, the Service had declassified and released to The National Archive over 2,700 volumes of personal files.
The Security Service will provide full assistance, including disclosure of information, in response to a police request arising from an investigation of suspected war crimes.
Offenders: Deportation
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many foreign nationals released from prisons have (a) been handed over to authorities in their country of origin, (b) been released into the custody of the Immigration and Border Agency, (c) been deported and (d) been released and allowed to remain in the United Kingdom (i) in each of the last five years and (ii) in 2007 up to the most recent time for which data are available; [161938]
(2) what crimes were committed by foreign prisoners who have (a) been handed over to authorities in their country of origin, (b) been released into the custody of the Immigration and Border Agency, (c) been deported and (d) been released and allowed to remain in the United Kingdom in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) 2007 to date. [161939]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested can be obtained only through the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost. The Chief Executive of the Border and Immigration Agency has written regularly to the Home Affairs Committee over the past 18 months providing the most robust and accurate data relating to foreign national prisoners. Copies of this correspondence are available in the Library of the House.
Police: Arbitration
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to accept as binding all decisions of the independent Police Arbitration Tribunal; and if she will make a statement. [162299]
Mr. McNulty: As I explained in my reply to the hon. Gentleman’s question on 4 October 2007, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary will consider very carefully the recommendations that result from the Police Arbitration Tribunal before making her decision on the 2007 police officer pay award.
Police: Incentives
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are applied in determining bonus payments for senior police officers. [163726]
Mr. McNulty: The criteria for determining bonus payments for senior police officers are determined by the Police Negotiating Board comprising representatives of the Secretaries of State, police authorities, chief police officers and the police staff associations. The criteria for determining bonus payments have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and are also available on the Police Negotiating Board Circular 2005/3 which can be viewed at the Office of Manpower Economies’ website at:
http://www.ome.uk.com/downloads/05-3percent20chiefpercent 20officerspercent20bonuspercent20nationalpercent20guidance. doc
Police: Information and Communications Technology
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police forces in England and Wales have referred cases to the National Technical Assistance Centre (NTAC) involving passwords in each year since NTAC’s inception; how many cases in each year were resolved within three months; and what the average time frame was for a case to be resolved in each year; [162097]
(2) how many police forces in England and Wales have referred cases involving encryption to the National Technical Assistance Centre (NTAC) in each year since NTAC’s inception; how many such cases were resolved within three months; and what the average time frame for such cases being resolved was in 2006-07. [162130]
David Miliband [holding answer 12 November 2007]: I have been asked to reply.
The number of police forces in England and Wales that have referred cases to the National Technical Assistance Centre (NTAC) for assistance to process lawfully obtained protected electronic information has been:
| Number | |
As my right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary (Margaret Beckett) informed the House in her written ministerial statement on 31 October 2006, Official Report, column 11WS:
“The National Technical Assistance Centre (NTAC) was formally transferred from the Home Office to Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in April 2006. As the Minister responsible for GCHQ, I now have ministerial oversight of its activities.”
It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on intelligence matters including the work of the intelligence agencies.
Prisoners: Deportation
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners were (a) released into the community, (b) detained on the Prison Estate pending deportation proceedings, (c) transferred into Home Office detention and (d) deported or removed in each year since 1997. [163347]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested can be obtained only through the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency has written regularly to the Home Affairs Committee over the past 18 months providing the most robust and accurate data relating to foreign national prisoners. Copies of this correspondence are available from the Library of the House.
Prisoners: Nationality
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to ascertain the (a) nationality, (b) residential status and (c) right to remain in the United Kingdom of the prisoners held in England and Wales whose nationality is classified as unknown. [163344]
Mr. Byrne: All cases that are referred to the Border and Immigration Agency by the Prison Service are given full and careful consideration before any action is taken. This consideration will take into account all factors pertinent to the circumstances of the individual. Border and Immigration Agency staff attend prisons in order to interview foreign national prisoners and ascertain their nationality and immigration status where required.
Stop and Search
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) training and (b) written guidance is provided to police officers for the use of stop and search powers under (i) section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and (ii) section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000. [163716]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 13 November 2007]: Training relating to stop and search procedures under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 is provided to all police forces through the police learning and development programme.
In 2002-03, the Central Police Training and Development Authority (later subsumed into the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA)), developed a training package for all police forces on stop and search powers in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice, itself updated in 2003. NPIA has continued to upgrade the programme and supporting materials in light of lessons in learning.
Among the areas covered in the training package are the powers to stop and search under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Initial training in stop and search procedures is provided by all police forces as part of the PCSO training programme and the initial police learning and development programme. The training, delivered by police forces at a local level, is aimed primarily at new police sergeant and inspector ranks in the operational, performance and planning sections of the national core leadership development programme. The current legislation relating to stop and search powers features prominently within this training programme.
Since 2006, and following much of the learning from Sir William Macpherson's Inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence, an electronic learning module on section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 has been made available to all police personnel. NPIA and the Association of Chief Police Officers has also produced 'Practice Advice on Stop and Search', which incorporates advice on stop and search procedures, as well as a bespoke piece of guidance issued this year on Section 44 anti-terrorism stops and searches.
Travel Requirements
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which foreign governments the Government has had recent discussions on the assurance and validity of travel documents; and if she will make a statement. [163138]
Mr. Byrne:
Officials from the Border and Immigration Agency regularly engage in dialogue with foreign government representatives when there is a need to discuss travel documentation. Visits have been made this year to several embassies and high commissions in the UK, including those of Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Estonia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia,
Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago and Turkey. Discussions have also been held with the Palestine General Delegate's Office in London.
Border and Immigration Agency Officials have also been involved this year in discussions on travel documentation in several countries, including China, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Jamaica, Nigeria and Sri Lanka.
Video Games: Crimes of Violence
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) violent attacks and (b) murders that were judged to be linked in some way to violent video games occurred in the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [164211]
Mr. Coaker: The Home Office does not collect information on how many violent attacks and murders are judged to be linked to violent video games.
Wales
Departmental Consultations
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many responses his Department received to its consultation on the Government’s draft legislative programme; and if he will publish them. [162897]
Mr. Hain: The Leader of the House of Commons issued a written ministerial statement today, “The Government’s Draft Legislative Programme—Taking a wider view” as a summary of the Government’s first steps in taking the wider view after the publication of the Draft Legislative Programme.
My Department received 18 responses about the Draft Legislative Programme from various organisations in Wales.
Legislation
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales of the legislation introduced by his Department since its establishment, which provisions have not been brought into force. [162894]
Mr. Hain: All of the Acts of Parliament for which the Wales Office is the responsible Department have been brought into force, subject to the following exceptions.
Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005
Section 20 and paragraph 15 (5) of Schedule 1 have not been brought into force. The power to commence those provisions rests with the Welsh Ministers. The other substantive provisions of the Act came into force in October 2005, but some amendments and repeals were made by the Government of Wales Act 2006 with effect from May 2007.
Sections 107, 108 and 110 to 115 (“the Assembly Act provisions”) have not yet come into force. The Welsh Ministers will have the power to commence those provisions in accordance with section 105 if the majority of voters in a referendum held throughout Wales vote in favour of them coming into force. The rest of the Act came into force between July 2006 and June 2007.
National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006
This Act consolidated the existing law and came into force on 1 March 2007. However, where the Act re-enacts provisions in certain legislation which has not yet come into force, the re-enactment of those provisions will not take effect until the original provisions come into force.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Admiralty House
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for how many days Lord Malloch-Brown has been resident in an Admiralty House flat. [161924]
Meg Munn: My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, has had residence since 1 August 2007.
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