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11 Jun 2008 : Column 340W—continued
Departmental Training
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the staff in her Department who work on immigration matters have undertaken training in child protection. [208338]
Mr. Byrne: The importance of appropriate training is recognised in the Code of Practice for Keeping Children Safe. A comprehensive training programme is being delivered and further developed to ensure that this is provided.
At the end of May 2008, 7,667 UK Border Agency staff had used a core e-learning module aimed at increasing awareness of children who may be at risk of harm, and instructing them how to follow up in these situations. More business-specific e-learning modules had been used by 8,267 staff. In addition, 133 two day courses had been delivered to 1,429 UK Border Agency staff who have direct contact with children as an integral part of their job.
Both the e-learning and face-to-face workshop training are still being offered. The intention is that all UK Border Agency staff will complete the core e-learning; and all staff who have direct contact with children will complete both types of e-learning and the two-day course.
Specialist training will also be available shortly for those staff undertaking particular activities such as the interviewing of minors.
Departmental Vocational Training
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what proportion of its staff her Department has provided vocational training in the last three years. [209424]
Mr. Byrne: The Home Office HQ, United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA), Identity and Passport Service (IPS), and the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) provide a range of vocational training.
Data are not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Deportation: Appeals
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals she made against decisions by judges not to deport foreign citizens in each year since 2003; and what proportion were successful. [201879]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 25 April 2008]: In 2005 legislation governing appeals changed to create the Unified Appeals Process. All UK Border Agency IT systems were updated at this time, and accuracy on data from before this change cannot be guaranteed. Hence we are unable to give reliable figures for the financial years 2003-04 and 2004-2005.
When an appeal against a deportation order is allowed by an Immigration Judge, the Secretary of State for the Home Department may apply either to the Court of Appeal or to the High Court for permission to appeal against the Immigration Judge's decision. If successful, the Secretary of State will be granted permission to appeal.
The figures for the number of requests lodged by the Secretary of State for the Home Department for permission to appeal against an Immigration Judge's decision in a deportation appeal, and the number of these requests that succeeded are given in the following table for the financial years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08.
| Number of requests made | Percentage of requests successful | |
Deportation: Children
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many children who are British citizens have accompanied parents who are currently subject to removal or deportation directions; [207582]
(2) to which countries children who are British citizens accompanying their parents have been removed in the last two years; [207585]
(3) what information is given to Foreign and Commonwealth Office representatives in receiving countries by the UK Border Agency about children who are British citizens who have been removed or deported with their parents; and what assistance is offered to these children. [207586]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 4 June 2008]: The United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) does not remove or deport children who are British citizens.
We invite parents who hail from a third country to take their UK-born children with them when they return to their country of origin. This is only done if that is in the best interests of the child and all parties (parents, UKBA, UKBA Children's Champion and children's services) agree.
Further advice on family removals is available in chapter 45 of the Enforcement Guidance and Instructions Manual. Copies of the document are placed in the Library of the House. It is also available to view at:
The information requested in PQ 207582 and PQ 207585 could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
The UKBA does not give any advice or assistance to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) representatives in receiving countries when parents take their UK born children with them when they return to their country of origin.
Drugs: Misuse
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hand swab drug tests were undertaken by police in each London borough in the last period for which figures are available. [210039]
Mr. Coaker: Compulsory screening tests of suspected drug drivers can only be conducted by means of a device of a type approved by the Secretary of State. No such device is at present available.
Entry Clearances
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) from which countries the Government does not require its nationals to hold a visa to enter the United Kingdom; [181671]
(2) what percentage of foreign nationals who entered the United Kingdom in each of the last five years did not require a visa to enter. [181625]
Mr. Byrne: European economic area (EEA) nationals are entitled to free movement and do not require leave to enter the United Kingdom.
There are two groups subject to immigration control known as visa nationals and non-visa nationals. A visa national needs entry clearance (a visa) to enter the UK in any circumstances. A non-visa national can come to the UK for less than six months as a visitor without a visa, subject to a number of exclusions such as marriage, study or medical treatment, but does need entry clearance to come to the UK for more than six months.
At present, nationals of over 100 countries or territorial entities are visa nationals. The countries are set out in attached table, Appendix 1 to the immigration rules. The nationals of all other countries outside the EEA are non-visa nationals. The UK global visa regime is currently being reviewed as part of the visa waiver test. This is an assessment against a series of benchmarks, by which we will consider whether a visa regime should be maintained, lifted or imposed. The results of the test will be announced in due course.
Data for the number of non-visa nationals and non-EEA nationals who entered the UK are available from 2004 to 2006; this is provided in the following table. Data are not available for earlier years. Statistics on non-EEA nationals entering the United Kingdom are published by reason for entry and main country of nationality in the yearly Command Paper “Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom”. This publication may be obtained from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research website:
| Passengers given leave to enter the United Kingdom, excluding EEA( 1) and Swiss nationals, 2004-06: United Kingdom | |||
| Number of journeys | |||
| 2004( 1) | 2005 | 2006( 2,)( )( 3) | |
| (1) Includes nationals of Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia before 1 May 2004, but excludes them from this date. (2) Due to some gaps in the data from ports, estimates have been used. (3) Provisional data subject to change. (4) Data rounded to 3 significant digits and relate to the number of journeys made: a person who enters more than once is counted separately on each occasion. (5) Includes visitors, business visitors, contract seamen, passengers in transit and passengers returning after a temporary absence abroad. (6) Excludes a few non-visa nationals (less than 1 per cent.) where it is not possible to determine from administrative data whether prior entry clearance was required. | |||
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will make a substantive decision on the case of applicant N214395 and N1102544 (CTS Ref M13830/7) submitted by the hon. Member for Thurrock on 25 July 2007. [208279]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 4 June 2008]: I have been advised that the United Kingdom Border Agency has now allocated the file to a caseworker in the Family Casework Team in Beckett House and the case will be dealt with as soon as possible.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons N. Lynn of the UK Immigration Service was unaware of the outstanding application submitted on 25th July 2007 by the hon. Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay) on behalf of applicant case reference N214395 and N1102544 (CTS Ref M13830/7) prior to the Border and Immigration Agency's attempt to detain the applicant; and if she will make a statement. [208280]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 4 June 2008]: I am not aware of any outstanding application submitted on the 25 July 2007 but if my hon. Friend would care to provide my office with fuller details, I will ask my officials to investigate.
Entry Clearances: Employment
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2007, Official Report, column 453W, on entry clearances: employment, what the 10 highest number of nationalities in each of the 20 occupations listed in the answer were in each year. [178371]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is available from the publication described as follows.
Work Permit information is published in the ‘Foreign labour in the United Kingdom: current patterns and trends’ report authored by John Salt and Jane Millar from the ‘Migration Research Unit, University College London’ and is available at the following website link:
A copy will be placed in the House Library.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2007, Official Report, column 453W, on entry clearances: employment, how many work permit migrants who applied for a variation of leave to switch employer were (a) refused and (b) granted their application in each year since 1997; and if she will give a breakdown of grants of variation in 2004 and 2005 for the 20 occupations listed in the Answer. [178372]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is as follows:
| Work permit switching applications 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2007—application type is “In Country—Change of Employment” | ||
| Application result | ||
| Approved | Refused | |
| Work permit switching applications approved 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2005—application type is “In-Country—Change of Employment”—Includes members of groups | ||
| Occupation | 2004 | 2005 |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to nearest five. 2. Because of rounding, figures may not add up to totals shown. | ||
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