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18 Jun 2008 : Column 967W—continued
Immigration Controls: Airports
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets are set for maximum waiting times at (a) EU and (b) non-EU immigration desks at (i) Heathrow, (ii) Stansted and (iii) Gatwick airports; what performance was achieved against these targets in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [164223]
Mr. Byrne: I wrote to the hon. Member on 12 June 2008.
Intelligence Services
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what active operations members of security forces of foreign states are permitted to undertake in the UK; and what restrictions apply to them. [202113]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 28 April 2008]: Any activity is permitted as long as it is in accordance with law.
Members: Correspondence
Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the UK Border Agency to respond to the letter dated 18th April 2008 from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood sent on behalf of Sumithra Wickramage (acknowledgement reference B14770/8, Home Office reference W227390). [211330]
Mr. Byrne: The UK Border Agency wrote to my right hon. Friend on 13 June 2008.
Rape
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on (a) increasing the proportion of rapes reported to the police and (b) increasing women's access to rape crisis centres since January 2008; and if she will make a statement. [207117]
Mr. Coaker: The Cross Government Action Plan on Sexual Violence and Abuse, published in April 2007 set out the Government's actions to tackle sexual violence for 2007-08 by maximising prevention, increasing access to support services for victims and improving the response of the criminal justice system. An update on progress for 2007-08 and an action plan for 2008-09 will be available by the summer.
In order to increase reporting to the police, it is necessary to ensure that victims are supported adequately and can have confidence in the criminal justice system. Key actions to increase reporting to the police and improve access to rape crisis centres since January 2008 have included:
Grants of £75,000 made to each of the sexual violence umbrella groups: The Survivors Trust and Rape Crisis England and Wales.
Grants of £1.25 million from the Victims Fund allocated to 40 voluntary sector organisations providing services for victims of sexual violence and abuse.
Continued funding for existing independent sexual violence advisers announced.
Capital funding allocated to existing sexual assault referral centres.
£1 million announced to support rape crisis centres.
An indicator on support services for victims of sexual violence included in the National Indicator Set.
A joint police/Crown Prosecution Service protocol on investigating and prosecuting rape developed and seminars given.
The CPS Policy Statement on Rape has been updated and is shortly to be put out for public consultation.
Continued visits to police force areas by the joint Association of Chief Police Officers/Home Office expert support team and action plans initiated in every area.
Continued monitoring of police and CPS performance on rape by the Rape Performance Group.
A conference on rape to be attended by chief constables in July.
Security Industry Authority
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Security Industry Authority on the composition of the regulator's executive board. [210388]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 12 June 2008]: The Secretary of State has the power, under the Private Security Industry Act 2001, to appoint the Board of the Security Industry Authority (SIA). In 2007, Home Office Ministers decided, following discussions with the chair of the SIA, to appoint two additional members with expertise relevant to the Private Security Industry and Scotland. Following an open competition, two additional members, Linda Sharpe and Bill Matthews, were subsequently appointed with effect from 1 April 2008.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer Question 178371, tabled by the hon. Member for Hertsmere on 9th January, on entry clearances. [206265]
Mr. Byrne: I replied to the hon. Member on 11 June 2008, Official Report, columns 343-44W.
Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will provide a substantive response to question 207620, tabled by the hon. Member for Ilford South on 20 May 2008 on the MPs' UK Visas Hotline. [211391]
Mr. Byrne: I replied to the hon. Member on 11 June 2008, Official Report, column 353W.
Work and Pensions
Child Poverty Unit
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times the joint Child Poverty Unit has met. [211135]
Mr. Timms: Members of the unit work closely together day to day, whether physically side by side or through frequent e-mail and phone contact. As well as attending ministerial meetings, they have held numerous meetings with external stakeholders, and seminars on tackling child poverty (some jointly hosted with lobby organisations or think tanks) for local authorities and others. They have also hosted cross-Whitehall Stakeholder Group meetings, and attended Four Countries meetings.
Child Poverty Unit: Manpower
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people work full-time for the joint Child Poverty Unit. [211136]
Mr. Timms: The Child Poverty Unit currently comprises 19 staff, 18 of whom are full-time.
Child Support Agency: Pay
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average salary paid to Child Support Agency staff was in each of the last 10 years. [185124]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Mark Grimshaw, dated 18 June 2008:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As the Chief Executive is currently out of the office on business, I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average salary paid to Child Support Agency staff was in each of the last 10 years. [185124]
The Agency does not routinely collate the required information on basic salary costs to undertake the analysis requested without incurring a disproportionate cost. However, information on the number of people employed by the Agency and total staff costs is routinely published in the Child Support Agency Annual Report & Accounts.
The table below details the average staff costs, which includes wages, salaries, superannuation, national insurance and pension contributions as well as bonus payments, paid to Agency people in each of the last 10 years.
| Financial year | Average number of staff employed | Average staff cost (£) |
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Children: Maintenance
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made by the Child Support Agency in meeting its Operational Improvement Plan debt recovery targets (a) to collect at least £113 million of additional debt via the use of external private debt collection agencies by March 2009 and (b) to collect at least £110.8 million of additional debt using internal resources by March 2009. [181248]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Mark Grimshaw, dated 18 June 2008:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As the Chief Executive is currently out of the office on business, I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made by the Child Support Agency in meeting its Operational Improvement Plan debt recovery targets (a) to collect at least £113 million of additional debt via the use of external private debt collection agencies by March 2009 and (b) to collect at least £110.8 million of additional debt using internal resources by March 2009. [181248]
Between April 2006 and March 2007, the Agency collected £90.6 million towards its Operational Improvement Plan historic debt target, exceeding its £80 million baseline by £10.6 million. Between April 2007 and March 2008, a total of £126 million was collected exceeding the arrears target for the financial year 2007/08 of £120 million. This target includes a £40 million contribution to the Operational Improvement Plan historic debt recovery target.
By the end of March 2008, £11.9 million had been collected by external private debt collection agencies. In addition the seven-day warning letter sent by the Agency to inform clients that their debt is being transferred to the debt collection agencies resulted in £6 million being collected by the Agency bringing the total collected in this period to £17.9 million.
In total, the Agency has collected over £217 million in maintenance arrears since April 2006 and continues to make good progress towards meeting the Operational Improvement Plan commitment of collecting an additional £200 million in arrears, which is heavily weighted towards the final year of the Plan, by March 2009.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was owed in child maintenance arrears by non-resident parents in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in each year since 1997. [208646]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 18 June 2008:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was owed in child maintenance arrears by non-resident parents in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in each year since 1997. [208646]
The Agency is only able to analyse the amount of child maintenance arrears outstanding by parliamentary constituency on cases maintained on the new computer system (CS2) from February 2007. The Agency is not able to estimate the amount of child maintenance arrears outstanding on the old system (CSCS) at parliamentary constituency level. At the end of March 2008, the total amount of child maintenance arrears owed by non-resident parents, living in Bexleyheath and Crayford was £2 million compared to £1.6 million at the end of March 2007.
This debt is owed by non-resident parents as a result of their failure to meet their responsibilities to their children. Debt recovery is very much dependent on the willingness of non-resident parents to co-operate with the Agency. Some non-resident parents do their utmost to avoid their responsibilities—for example by moving house or changing jobs whenever the Agency tries to collect maintenance.
The Agency has increased the amount of child maintenance collected or arranged over the first two years of the Operational Improvement Plan, collecting a record-breaking £1 billion in the year to March 2008 of which £126 million was arrears. In addition, internal Agency figures show that the rate at which child maintenance debt has been growing continues to reduce. In the year to March 2008, child maintenance debt grew at a rate of £10 million a month, which is less than half the rate at which debt was growing in the year to March 2006.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Departmental Pilot Schemes
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which pilot projects initiated by his Department in the last two years have not proceeded to further roll-out. [211842]
Mrs. McGuire: The information requested is not available and can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on its international work in each of the last five years. [211148]
Mrs. McGuire: My Department, over the last five years, has been involved in a wide range of activities in support of the UK's international obligations. The costs associated with this work are paid by different parts of the Department and details of spend on international work is not held centrally. A full answer, with a breakdown of figures as requested, could be provided only by incurring disproportionate costs.
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