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8 Jan 2008 : Column 452W—continued
Emergency Calls: Hearing Impaired
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will introduce a nationwide scheme to enable deaf people to send text messages to the emergency telephone number 999. [174335]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 18 December 2007]: The telecommunications service providers, in discussion with the emergency services, have identified technical solutions for providing an emergency SMS for the deaf, and those with hearing or speech impairment. The mobile service providers are currently scoping a trial which will assess the technical feasibility of providing a service to mobile handsets which have been registered for the service.
The service will provide an alternative option for those who routinely use SMS and either do not use a text relay service or may be in circumstances where it is not available. It is anticipated that the trial will be conducted in the second half of 2008.
Entry Clearances: Employment
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the type of work undertaken in the UK by non-EU citizens who have obtained leave to enter as highly skilled or skilled workers; and what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of skilled workers who are working in the skill sectors relating to the skills on the basis of which they were given leave to enter. [162352]
Mr. Byrne: Highly skilled non-EU workers can apply to enter the UK under the highly skilled migrant programme (HSMP). HSMP migrants have free access to the labour market and are not given leave to enter to work in a specific skill sector. However, as part of our review of the HSMP changes we introduced last December, we have been collecting data on occupations self-reported by successful applicants extending their stay as HSMP migrants. Review data will be included in the impact assessment for tier 1 of the new points-based system which will be published before the tier is implemented this year.
Work permit system (for skilled workers)
Skilled non-EU workers with a job offer can apply to enter the UK under the work permit system. Under the terms of their leave, work permit migrants must remain with the employer who applied for their work permit. Should the migrant wish to switch employer, they will need to apply for a variation of leave and the new employer will need to obtain a work permit for them. This means that all work permit migrants should be working in the sectors relating to the skills on the basis of which they were given leave to enter.
We have previously released, in answer to a freedom of information request, data relating to approved work permit applications broken down by the 20 most frequent occupations.
The following table shows the number of approved work permit applications, broken down by the 20 most frequent occupations, from January 2004 to December 2005.
Genetics: Databases
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people had their DNA records removed from the police DNA database in each year since 2000. [167011]
Meg Hillier: The numbers of subject sample records removed from the National DNA Database (NDNAD) in each of the financial years from 2002-03(1) to date is given as follows. The figures provided are for subject sample records taken by police forces in England and Wales which were subsequently removed from the NDNAD. They do not include subject sample records taken by police forces in Scotland, the police service for Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey etc. which were subsequently removed from the NDNAD.
(1) No accurate data are available for the years 2000-01 and 2001-02; some estimated information only is available for calendar years prior to 2002. In 2002, an NDNAD Management Information Database was created which captures details of all record ‘transactions’ including the removal of records and enabled the collection of this information.
| Number of subject sample records removed | |
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a Criminal Records Bureau check would return information on whether an individual’s DNA was stored on the DNA database. [172033]
Meg Hillier: The Criminal Records Bureau has no responsibility for the DNA database. Therefore, it does not return information on whether an individual’s DNA is stored on the DNA database.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of people whose DNA records are held on the National Police Database have (a) a criminal record, (b) been the subject of wrongful arrest and (c) been given a custodial sentence. [176111]
Meg Hillier: In relation to the proportion of people whose DNA records are held on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) who have a criminal record, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) on 13 December 2007, Official Report, column 761W. This gives figures for the number of persons with a profile on the NDNAD sampled by police forces in England and Wales who have a conviction, caution, formal warning or reprimand recorded on the PNC—i.e. who have a criminal record. No data are held centrally on the number of persons with a DNA profile on the NDNAD who have been the subject of a wrongful arrest. No recent data are available on the proportion of people whose DNA records are held on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) who have a conviction and who have been given a custodial sentence. These data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Homicide
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were murdered in England in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [176850]
Mr. McNulty: The following table of data relates to the number of homicides recorded by the police in England between 2001-02 and 2005-06. The figure for 2002-03 includes 172 victims of Harold Shipman.
There was a reduction of 11 per cent. in the number of homicides between 2001-02 and 2005-06. The new Make Communities Safer public service agreement (PSA), effective from April 2008, includes a target to reduce the most serious violence. Many of the actions required to achieve this objective will have an impact on a range of violent and sexual offences, but there will be a particular focus on homicide.
The Government are developing a wide-ranging programme of work to deliver the new PSA target, and will set out a new framework for tackling violence,
based on the identification and management of risk and supporting victims to reduce harm, soon.
| Currently recorded homicides( 1) by police in England( 2) : 2001-02 to 2005-06( 3) | |
| Year( 4) | Number of offences |
| (1) Homicide offences are shown according to the year in which police initially recorded the offence as homicide. This is not necessarily the year in which the incident took place or the year in which any court decision was made. (2) As at 9 October 2006; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. (3) Does not include homicides recorded by British Transport Police. (4) Data for 2006-07 and revised data for the period 1996 to 2005-06 are scheduled to be released in late January 2008. | |
Human Trafficking
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the planned length of Operation Pentameter II was when it was launched; how long she expects it to continue; what progress has been made by the programme; and if she will make a statement. [175615]
Mr. Coaker: When Operation Pentameter 2 was launched on 3 October 2007 it was expected to draw to a conclusion in spring/summer 2008. This remains the position. The Operation has a number of phases. Intelligence gathering, forward planning and co-ordination of agencies began in July 2007. This in turn led to operational activity being undertaken, following which there will be a period of investigative and operational maintenance, which will include the processing of offenders and the continued support of victims. The precise length of the operational phase is not in the public domain for reasons of operational security.
The conduct of the operation will be evaluated on its completion and operational results will be published at that stage.
Illegal Workers
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people given Security Industry Authority (SIA) licences who were not legally entitled to work in the UK have worked for (a) the SIA, (b) the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) and (c) companies contracted to work for the SIA or BIA. [175491]
Mr. Coaker: Since the commencement of statutory licensing for security operatives by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) there have been no cases of security staff licensed by the SIA found to be working without the right to work for the SIA, or the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA), or companies contracted to work for the SIA or BIA.
As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary told Parliament on 13 December, the BIA is prioritising enforcement action in the security industry. As part of
this work, the BIA is working with their security sub-contractors to recheck the right to work of all their staff supplied to the BIA.
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