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19 Nov 2007 : Column 501W—continued
Departmental Mobile Phone Bills
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse was of the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration's mobile telephone bill for the last month for which figures are available. [164776]
Mr. Byrne: The cost to the public purse of the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration's mobile telephone bill for the last month for which figures are available was £4.
Disabled
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which buildings occupied by her Department (a) are and (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if she will make a statement. [163829]
Mr. Byrne: No central data are held of the number of buildings occupied by my Department, which are or are not considered to be fully accessible to disabled people.
Where there are access difficulties for disabled people, my Department makes appropriate reasonable adjustments to its arrangements for the recruitment and employment of staff, and the services and functions it delivers to its users, in accordance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of student visa holders from (a) India, (b) Sri Lanka, (c) Pakistan and (d) South Africa applied to extend their visa at the end of their initial period in the latest 12 months for which figures are available. [163786]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is not recorded in the format required.
Student leave is granted for the duration of the course, therefore can vary greatly. It is not possible to cross reference the extension data for 2006 against the initial leave to enter data for any one previous year therefore it is not possible to provide data in terms of a percentage.
However, data of student visa holders who extended their leave to remain during 2006 can be found in the Home Office Command Paper “Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2006” pages 56 and 58 table 4.1. A copy of which is in the House Library.
Human Trafficking: Databases
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to adopt the Interpol global database system that allows border checks to be made on documents to tackle human trafficking. [164484]
Mr. Byrne: On 25 July 2007, the Prime Minister announced that the UK would link to the Interpol Stolen and Lost Travel Documents Database (SLTD) at the border.
Human Trafficking: EU Action
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what incompatibilities there are between the requirements of the Council of Europe Convention on Action on Trafficking in Human Beings and domestic immigration legislation. [164483]
Mr. Byrne: We judge that domestic immigration legislation is already largely compliant with the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. Victims of trafficking can already be identified, supported and where appropriate may be issued with limited or indefinite leave to remain in the UK under the existing legislative framework on immigration. We are currently reviewing whether changes to legislation, policies and procedures are necessary, including as part of the ongoing police-led anti-trafficking operation Pentameter 2, to ensure the United Kingdom is fully compliant with the requirements of the convention. In approaching this task, we will ensure that our arrangements to protect victims of crime, bring those who exploit them to justice, and avoid incentives to misuse the immigration system.
Immigration Controls
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers were under an obligation to report to a reporting centre as at (a) 30 June and (b) 30 September 2007. [163150]
Mr. Byrne: Records indicate that as at 30 June 2007 and 30 September 2007 there were 3,434 and 3,701 asylum applicants respectively under obligation to report to a reporting centre. This data is based on management information and is not a national statistic. It should be treated as provisional as it is subject to change.
The information does not include asylum seekers reporting at police stations or failed asylum seekers who are subject to reporting restrictions. It refers to asylum seekers who have made an application for asylum and have not yet had an outcome.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on UK embarkation controls; and if she will make a statement. [164050]
Mr. Byrne: There have been no recent representations on UK embarkation controls.
Immigration: Detention Centres
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average operational cost per bed space was in each establishment in the immigration detention estate as at 30 June 2007; and if she will make a statement. [163775]
Mr. Byrne: The average direct budget cost for 2007-08 for operating each establishment in the Immigration Removal Estate is £119 per bed space per day.
M56: Speed Limits
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many speeding tickets have been issued by Cheshire Constabulary in the 40 mph zone on the M56 between Frodsham and Runcorn since the introduction of the zone. [164600]
Mr. Coaker: Information is not collected centrally at the level of detail requested.
Information on the number of fixed penalties and convictions for speeding offences is available at police force level only and does not relate to specific roads or speed limits.
Migration Advisory Committee
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which groups, public bodies and organisations have submitted reports to the Migration Advisory Committee. [164786]
Mr. Byrne: No groups, public bodies and organisations have submitted reports to the Migration Advisory Committee. The MAC will be fully operational by April 2008. On 11 September I announced that Professor David Metcalf has been appointed as the chair of new Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the submissions to the Migration Advisory Committee. [164795]
Mr. Byrne: The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is an independent non-statutory non-departmental public body (NDPB). It will produce reports for Government on where in the economy migration can sensibly fill skills gaps. These reports will be made public. It will be for the MAC to decide whether and when it would be appropriate to publish any submissions to the MAC.
Non-Departmental Public Bodies
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) budget and (b) remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by her Department; who the chairman is of each; and to what salary, including bonuses and expenses, each chairman is entitled. [163606]
Mr. Byrne:
Non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Home Office, the budget of each, their remit of each and the chairman of each body, the
chairman’s remuneration, which includes their bonuses and expenses is published as at 30 March of each year in Public Bodies. Public Bodies can be found on the Home Office external website:
Police: Finance
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effect of budgetary plans on future police officer numbers, broken down by Government region; and if she will make a statement. [162217]
Mr. McNulty: Government funding allocations to each police authority will be announced shortly. It is for the police authority to set the budget and with the Chief Constable to decide on police officer and police staff numbers.
Police: Fringe Benefits
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) pension and (b) other benefits packages are offered to new police constables joining the (a) Metropolitan police and (b) Hertfordshire constabulary. [163408]
Mr. McNulty: All new entrants to police forces in these two and all other Home Department forces in England and Wales are able to join the Police Pension Scheme 2006, which provides a maximum pension of half final salary and a maximum lump sum of four times annual pension after 35 years service. The scheme also provides other pensions such as those for adult survivors and children.
Police officer pay and benefits are determined nationally and set out in determinations of the Secretary of State made under the Police Regulations 2003. In addition to these national arrangements, newly appointed police constables in the Metropolitan Police Service receive London weighting of £2,055, a London allowance of £4,338 and free travel within a 70 mile radius of London. Newly appointed police constables to the Hertfordshire constabulary receive a South East England allowance of £2,000 a year in addition to the national arrangements.
Police: Muslim Organisation Groups
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines have been issued to police forces on criteria to be applied to formal contacts between the police and Muslim organisations and groups; and if she will make a statement. [164410]
Mr. McNulty:
There have been no guidelines issued to police forces on criteria to be applied to formal contacts between the police and Muslim organisations and groups. However, the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has issued Practice Advice (Professionalising the Business of Neighbourhood Policing) which emphasises the need for neighbourhood police officers to engage with a cross-section of the community to ensure that the views of minority groups are represented. NPIA is supporting the development of the National Muslim Police Association, an organisation we welcome
as an important bridge between the police service and the Muslim community. We have also piloted community engagement training in a number of police basic command units across England and Wales to provide neighbourhood officers with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve this.
Sexual Offences: Registration
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the exchange of sex offenders registers between the UK and the US. [162292]
Mr. Coaker: We made initial contact with US Department of Justice officials during a visit, earlier this year, which formed part of the Review of the Protection of Children from Sex Offenders. A meeting was conducted specifically to discuss the possibility of developing an arrangement for the exchange of appropriate data on convicted sex offenders between authorities in the UK and USA. This meeting was followed by a letter, at official level, from the Home Office to the Ministry of Justice seeking to progress work in this area. We intend, shortly, to pursue the matter at ministerial level as part of a broader effort to seek closer co-operation in tackling sex offenders.
Special Constables
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many special constables are attached to the Lincolnshire constabulary; [162962]
(2) how many special constables are attached to police constabularies in England and Wales. [162964]
Mr. McNulty: The most recent information available shows that, as at 31 March 2007, there were 171 special constables in Lincolnshire and 14,021 special constables in England and Wales.
Terrorism: Detainees
Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suspects detained under counter-terrorism legislation have been released without charge because of expiry of the 28 days limit on such detention. [164007]
Mr. McNulty: The maximum period that an individual can be held is 28 days. This came into force on 25 July 2006 as part of the Terrorism Act 2006. Six individuals have been held for the maximum 27 to 28 day period. Of these three individuals were charged and three individuals were released without charge.
Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the people detained on suspicion of terrorist offences since July 2006 were charged (a) before 10 days, (b) between 11 and 20 days, (c) between 21 and 26 days, (d) on the 27(th) day and (e) on the 28(th) day. [164011]
Mr. McNulty:
The 14 day detention period came into effect on 20 January 2004 and the maximum period of detention pre-charge was extended to 28 days with effect from 25 July 2006. The following table,
compiled from police records, provides details, to date, of the numbers of individuals charged or released and held from between 14-15 days and through to 27-28 days. We do not collate statistics for the timescales requested.
| P re-charge detention to date | |||
| Period of detention (days) | Number of persons held | Charged | Released w/o charge |
Workers Registration Scheme
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the most recent Accession Monitoring Report, what estimate she makes of the number of dependants who have entered the UK with applicants to the Worker Registration Scheme. [164794]
Mr. Byrne: Information concerning the actual number of dependants accompanying A8 nationals is published quarterly in The Accession Monitoring Report. This report currently gives data from 1 May 2004 to 30 June 2007. The information you require is published in table 5 of the report, at the following link:
http://www.ind. homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/accession_ monitoring_report
The next Accession Monitoring Report (AMR) will be published on 20 November 2007.
A copy of the AMR will be placed in the House Libraries.
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