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29 Nov 2007 : Column 664W—continued
Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to provide updated guidance for the Certificate of Approval for marriage or civil partnership applications online. [167615]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 26 November 2007]: The guidance for Certificate of Approval for marriage or civil partnership applications was revised in 2006 and again in 2007 following court judgements, and these changes are reflected in the guidance currently available in the Library of the House and on
The Certificate of Approval scheme is subject to judicial review, and we will review the guidance and forms and make any amendments necessary in the light of the outcome of the judicial review.
Road Traffic Offences
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists were (a) charged with and (b) convicted of (i) failure to accord correct precedence at pedestrian crossings, (ii) failure to comply with traffic signs, (iii) speeding offences, (iv) driving after consuming alcohol or taking drugs, (v) reckless driving and (vi) driving while disqualified in (A) each police force area and (B) England and Wales, in each year since 1997. [167008]
Mr. Coaker: Information on drivers charged with motoring offences is not collected centrally.
Available information on convictions for the offences listed is held by the Ministry of Justice and copies can be found in the House Library. These cover the total findings of guilt at all courts, from 1997 to 2005 (latest available).
2006 data will be available next year.
Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what effect she expects the doctrine of Community preference to have on the countries from which workers come under the seasonal agricultural workers scheme; whether she has had discussions with her Polish, Belgian and Cypriot counterparts on their decisions to allow seasonal agricultural workers from non-EU countries to continue to work; and if she will make a statement. [165643]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 19 November 2007]: The accession treaty for Bulgaria and Romania requires the UK to give preference to accession state workers over non-EU workers. Accordingly, non EU nationals cannot be treated more favourably.
While transitional restrictions continue to be in place on Romanian and Bulgarian nationals' access to the UK labour market, we will not be providing for migration from nationals outside the EU on specific low-skilled schemes. Therefore in 2008, applications to the seasonal agricultural workers scheme will only be accepted from Romania and Bulgaria.
This was confirmed in my written ministerial statement issued on 30 October 2007 regarding the application of SAWS from 2008:
"From 2008 applications to the existing ‘Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme’ will be accepted only from Romania and Bulgaria—meaning a potential increase from 6,500 A2 migrant workers through this scheme this year to 16,250 next year. The overall number of migrants coming to the UK through SAWS is unchanged.”
No new statement is planned regarding SAWS.
The Government have ongoing discussions with European counterparts on a range of issues including accession. It is for each EU member state to determine the application of the community preference principle to their labour market.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the proposals in the Communication from the European Commission on circular migration and mobility partnerships between the European Union and third countries on the Government's review of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme. [165645]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 19 November 2007]: While the Government recognise many of the principles underpinning the European Commission’s communication, for example close co-operation and dialogue between countries, they do not believe that the UK can benefit from encouraging low skilled migration from outside the European Union. There is sufficient labour within the enlarged EU to fill all low skilled vacancies including the Seasonal Agricultural Worker scheme.
The SAWS quota for 2008 will be 16,250, and applications will only be accepted from Romania and Bulgaria.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether she had discussions at EU level on the UK’s decision to restrict 40 per cent. of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals; and if she will make a statement; [166607]
(2) whether she has held discussions at EU level on the principle of community preference in respect of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker scheme. [166613]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 20 November 2007]: The Home Office has not had discussions with EU partners on either of these points.
Speed Limits: Fines
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers were fined for speeding in (a) England and Wales and (b) in each police force area in each year since 1997; and how much was paid in fines in each area in each year. [167006]
Mr. Coaker: Information on the total revenue from speed limit convictions is not collected centrally.
Available information collected centrally and held by the Ministry of Justice identifies the amount of court imposed fines for such offences within each police force area together with the number of fixed penalties offered. Not all fines and fixed penalties will have been paid.
Available information from 1997 to 2005 (latest available) showing the total number of court imposed fines and fixed penalty notices issued for speeding offences in England and Wales and by police force area are provided in tables A and B respectively.
2006 data will be available next year.
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