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26 Nov 2007 : Column 172W—continued
Home Department
Local Policing
12. Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to increase transparency and accountability in arrangements for local policing. [167492]
Mr. McNulty: We are strongly committed to increasing transparency and accountability in arrangements for local policing, from giving local communities a better opportunity to shape local policing priorities and the response to those priorities through the roll-out of neighbourhood policing, to our plans to provide every community with monthly crime information for their local area.
We want to build further on this progress, and that is why we asked Sir Ronnie Flanagan to look specifically at how local accountability arrangements could be strengthened as part of his Independent Review of Policing, the final report of which we look forward to in the new year.
Migration
13. Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on the co-ordination of migration policy between Government Departments. [167493]
Mr. Byrne: Home Office Ministers discuss migration policy with ministerial colleagues on a regular basis through the Cabinet Committee structure, in particular the Ministerial Committee for Domestic Affairs Sub-Committee on Migration.
Several Government Departments are represented on the Migration Advisory Committee and the Migration Impact Forum.
We also work closely with individual Departments on a range of more specific issues relating to migration policy. For example, in June 2007 we published our joint Home Office/Foreign Office International Strategy on migration.
Security Staff
14. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made identifying security staff working illegally. [167494]
Mr. Coaker: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 13 November on Security Industry Authority licensing checks and the issue of entitlement to work in the UK. The Home Secretary instigated a retrospective check of all non-EEA licences and will make a further statement when that is complete.
Identity Cards
15. Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the introduction of identity cards on the incidence of crimes related to identity fraud. [167495]
Meg Hillier: Our plans for a National Identity Scheme will provide people with a secure means of protecting their identity and help citizens to prove their identities easily, quickly, simply and with vastly improved security. It is considered that this will have a significant impact upon identity fraud.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when passports will become designated documents under section 4 of the Identity Cards Act 2006. [166098]
Jacqui Smith: No decision has been taken yet on the timetable for the designation of passports and this will require approval by Parliament of an order under section 4 of the Identity Cards Act 2006.
Cannabis
16. John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research she has commissioned on trends in the use of cannabis. [167496]
Mr. Coaker: The British Crime Survey provides consistent trend data on the use of cannabis. Since the launch of the Government's Drug Strategy in 1998 the survey has shown a reduction in the level of cannabis use.
Terrorist Suspects: Detention
17. Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons were for the increases in periods of detention before charge for terrorist suspects introduced in each of the last 10 years. [167497]
Mr. McNulty: The increases in the maximum period of pre-charge detention for terrorist suspects in the last 10 years have been agreed by Parliament on the basis that they were needed for operational reasons.
20. Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on proposals to increase the maximum period of detention of terrorist suspects without charge beyond 28 days. [167500]
Mr. McNulty: We have undertaken an extensive consultation on extending the maximum period of pre-charge detention for terrorist suspects and have received representations from a range of stakeholders, including the police, civil liberty groups, the judiciary and wider community groups.
Border Security
18. Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the potential contribution of the e-borders scheme to the security of the UK’s borders. [167498]
Mr. Byrne:
The e-borders programme is a key component of our wider strategy to strengthen and modernise our border control and will mean that we will be able to count people in and out of the country.
It sits as part of our programme to introduce biometric visas, and a visa waiver programme to provide the UK with a new and robust offshore border control designed to complement the UK counter-terrorism strategy.
In developing e-borders, we have undertaken a thorough assessment of the requirements of the core agencies, including the Border and Immigration Agency, UKvisas, HM Revenue and Customs, the police service and the security and intelligence agencies.
E-borders is already being successfully tested and trialled through an operational prototype. Since November 2004, Project Semaphore has generated nearly 17,000 alerts and over 1,300 arrests.
Government Advisers
22. Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to ensure that religious leaders who are advising on Government policy do not have an extremist background. [167502]
Mr. McNulty: The Government have made clear that they are fundamentally rebalancing their engagement with Muslim organisations towards those organisations which take a leadership role in rejecting and condemning violent extremism and upholding shared values. That will be the guiding principle in engaging with religious leaders who advise Government.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
23. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of antisocial behaviour orders in reducing antisocial behaviour in the last 12 months. [167503]
Mr. Coaker: Three independent reports have confirmed that our approach to tackling antisocial behaviour is working. Also, we have appointed IPSOS Mori to undertake a qualitative study investigating the circumstances in which different antisocial behaviour interventions are most effective. Antisocial behaviour orders are just one of these. The outcome is to be published in 2008.
Youth Crime
24. Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of levels of youth crime. [167504]
Mr. Coaker: The information requested is not available from the Home Office recorded crime statistics. This data series solely covers offences recorded by the police and no details of the alleged offenders are collected. The Home Office’s Offending Crime and Justice Survey 2006 gives figures for young people’s self-reported offending. According to this research, 24 per cent. of 10 to 17-year-olds committed an offence in the 12 months prior to the survey.
Immigration
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her latest estimate is of the number of people held in detention under immigration law. [167501]
Mr. Byrne: As at 29 September 2007, 2,325 persons were recorded as being in detention in the UK solely under Immigration Act powers.
Alcoholic Drinks: Chelmsford
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to reduce alcohol-related antisocial behaviour in Chelmsford. [167064]
Mr. Coaker: We are strongly committed to tackling, not tolerating, antisocial behaviour. That is why local crime and disorder reduction partnerships were introduced under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. These enable the police, local authorities and other agencies representing the local community to work together to identify the crime and disorder problems in their area and take action to tackle them.
Specifically in Chelmsford, a Section 30 Dispersal Order was introduced in Chelmsford Town Centre on 15 November; the police carry out high visibility patrols; the licensing laws are enforced; a Pub Link Scheme is in operation; educational programmes are in place for young people and adults, and Chelmsford also has a local Drug and Alcohol Strategy which is being reviewed for 2008.
Antisocial Behaviour: Criminal Proceedings
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to provide support to victims and witnesses of antisocial behaviour before, during and after relevant court proceedings. [162985]
Mr. Coaker: The Home Office is responsible for the policy on antisocial behaviour. The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 introduced special measures for witnesses in proceedings for antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs). These measures were introduced to address concerns about the protection of vulnerable and intimidated witnesses. The measures include screening witnesses from the defendants, giving evidence through video link or in private, and the use of video recorded evidence. This makes it easier for witnesses to give evidence in the Crown and magistrates court during an ASBO hearing. Special dedicated antisocial behaviour response courts have been established in magistrates courts sitting in their civil capacity to ensure that witness issues are addressed. Local agencies have also developed efficient case management systems which includes working in partnership with key agencies to provide support to victims after court proceedings. In addition the Home Office has issued a good practice guide to practitioners on how best to support victims and witnesses of antisocial behaviour through the whole length of the witness pathway. A range of detailed guidance is set out on our website at:
Antisocial Behaviour: West Midlands
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to reduce levels of antisocial behaviour in the West Midlands since 1997. [162984]
Mr. Coaker: We are strongly committed to tackling, not tolerating, antisocial behaviour. That is why local crime and disorder reduction partnerships were introduced under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. These enable the police, local authorities and other agencies representing the local community to work together to identify the crime and disorder problems in their area and take action to tackle them.
Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) were introduced in 1999 and the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 created a range of additional tools for tackling antisocial behaviour and we are working hard across Government and with agencies on the ground to ensure that the measures that are already in place are being used as effectively as possible. Presently, the Home Office is reviewing and updating the current guidance for the tools and powers available to practitioners.
Specifically in the West Midlands; Coventry has established a multi-agency tasking process to ensure police, housing and local authority resources, including the citywide warden service are deployed in the right areas. Wolverhampton has established a dedicated phone line to allow members of the public to tackle antisocial behaviour and in Birmingham the local authority has implemented a Family Intervention Project, run by Shelter, and has appointed a parenting co-ordinator to deliver evidence based parenting programmes across the city. The Local Government User Satisfaction Survey (LGUSS) shows that the vast majority of local authorities in the West Midlands have seen a significant reduction in the levels of perception of antisocial behaviour in 2006-07 compared with 2003-04. The data from this survey can be found on the Respect website at:
Anti-Terrorism Control Orders
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance individuals subject to control orders receive with their living costs. [162208]
Mr. McNulty: Individuals subject to control orders are not routinely prevented from taking employment or from receiving state benefits, including where appropriate, job seekers allowance, housing benefit and asylum support. However, if the terms of a control order prevent an individual gaining employment or render him ineligible for other benefits, the Home Office will make necessary subsistence payments.
If an individual subject to a control order is required to move from their current residence, the Home Office may provide suitable alternative accommodation and pay council tax and utility costs.
In some circumstances, the Home Office may pay the line rental for a telephone and/or provide pre-paid telephone cards. This may be appropriate where a controlled person is prohibited by the terms of the
control order from using telephones outside his residence and/or using mobile telephones.
All control order obligations are tailored to the individual concerned and in each case must be necessary and proportionate for purposes connected with preventing or restricting involvement by that individual in terrorism-related activity.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any of the individuals who have been subjected to control orders have been treated for self-inflicted injuries. [162210]
Mr. McNulty: Since control orders came into force in 2005, we are aware of two individuals who have been treated for self-inflicted injuries while on a control order. The Home Office, police and (as appropriate) the Prison Service take the mental and physical health of all individuals subject to a control order seriously. This includes monitoring the impact of the control order on the individual’s (and his family’s) physical and mental health; seeking representations from the individual on the impact of the control order on him and his family; and regularly reviewing the control order and its constituent obligations in the light of the order’s impact on the individual’s personal circumstances.
Arrests
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests on average were made by each police officer in (a) England and Wales and (b) each police force area in each year since 1997. [167098]
Mr. McNulty: Information on arrest rates is not collected centrally and is a matter for each police force.
British Nationality: Northern Ireland
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizenship ceremonies have taken place in Northern Ireland in each of the last 12 months; and how many people have become British subjects at these ceremonies, broken down by country of birth. [166207]
Mr. Byrne: A total of 31 citizenship ceremonies were held in Northern Ireland during the last 12 months. 520 people became British citizens at these ceremonies. A full breakdown by month and nationality is as follows.
A table giving the full breakdown of ceremonies by month and nationality has been deposited in the House of Commons Library.
The information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such, it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.
| Ceremony attended in Northern Ireland | ||||||
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