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7 July 2008 : Column 1249W—continued
Mr. K.M.
Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reach a decision in the case of Mr. K.M (Home Office ref M1198907). [215057]
Mr. Byrne: The UK Border Agency wrote to my hon. Friend on 30 June 2008.
Passports: Biometrics
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the (a) range, (b) purpose and (c) cost of the antenna on the new biometric passport. [215690]
Meg Hillier: The purpose of the antenna in the UK biometric passport is to allow the chip to communicate with border control readers in accordance with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. In terms of range, these requirements call for the biometric passport to have a read range of up to 10 centimetres from the reader.
It is not possible to separately identify the cost of the antenna as it is part of an integrated component provided by the chip silicon manufacturer.
Police: Bournemouth
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers, (b) special constables and (c) police community support officers were based in Bournemouth in the most recent period for which figures are available. [215340]
Mr. McNulty
[holding answer 1 July 2008]: The information requested is published annually in the supplementary tables of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series ‘Police Service Strength, England and
Wales’. The bulletins are available in the Library of the House, and can be downloaded from the publications link within the Research Development and Statistics directorate website located at:
The most recent publication contains data as at 31 March 2007, and gives details of police officers and police community support officers. Details of specials constables are not included.
As at 31 March 2007, there were 315 full-time equivalent police officers, 36 full-time equivalent police community support officers and 74 special constables in Bournemouth.
Data for 31 March 2008 will be published on 22 July 2008.
Police: Sick Pay
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much sick pay was paid to police officers in each of the last five years; what proportion of police staffing expenditure this represented in each year; and if she will make a statement; [215980]
(2) what the average duration of single periods of sick leave taken by police officers was in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [215981]
Mr. McNulty: The information is not collected centrally. I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 3 April 2008, Official Report, column 1322W, to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne).
Police: Staffordshire
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to improve policing in (a) Tamworth constituency and (b) Staffordshire since 1997. [215823]
Mr. McNulty: Since 1997, policing in Staffordshire, including Tamworth, has improved with additional investment in officer numbers, the introduction of police community support officers and neighbourhood policing teams and national initiatives designed to improve citizen focussed police and reduce police bureaucracy.
We are taking forward the recommendations made by Sir Ronnie Flanagan, primarily in areas of overhauling the processes around Stop and Account, the RIPA review, and the use of technology to increase efficiency. Staffordshire constabulary is one of the four forces piloting radical new ways of reducing paperwork following Sir Ronnie's review.
In terms of investment for Staffordshire police, the sum of general government support has risen from £110.3 million to £114.3 million, an increase of 3.6 per cent. Staffordshire had 2,271 police officers on 30 September 2007, an increase of 60 since 1997. There were also 225 police community support officers (PCSOs) and 1,293 police staff (an increase of 530 since 1997). Tamworth, part of the Trent Valley Division had 50 Police Community Support Officers and 417 police officers on 31 March 2007, an increase of 25 since March 2004.
The Police Performance Assessment of 2006-07 showed Staffordshire to have built on the strong performance evident in the 2006 baseline assessment. The report
shows strong delivery of performance including: two “excellents” for tackling serious crime and protecting the public and implementing neighbourhood policing; as well as four “goods” for tackling crime, protecting vulnerable people, satisfaction and fairness, and resources and efficiency.
Revenue and Customs: Shipping
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many ships were searched by HM Revenue and Customs in Northern Ireland ports in each of the last three years. [214985]
Mr. Byrne: The number of ships searched in Northern Ireland ports by HM Revenue and Customs specialist search teams in each of the last three years is as follows:
| Year ending 31 March: | Number |
In addition to the searches carried out by these specialist teams, non-specialist UK Border Agency staff, including the Cutter fleet, also challenge and board commercial vessels arriving in UK ports, including Northern Ireland. These challenges and interventions vary in depth according to specific circumstances.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many ships were searched by HM Revenue and Customs in UK ports in each of the last three years. [214986]
Mr. Byrne: The number of ships searched in UK ports by HM Revenue and Customs specialist search teams in each of the last three years is as follows:
| Year ending 31 March: | Number |
In addition to the searches carried out by these specialist teams, non-specialist UK Border Agency staff, including the Cutter fleet, also challenge and board commercial vessels arriving in UK ports. These challenges and interventions vary in depth according to specific circumstances.
Terrorism
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Islamic experts her Department employs to work on the Prevent aspect of the CONTEST strategy. [174570]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 17 December 2007]: The Home Office does not employ any Islamic experts. Expert advice on Islam and other religions is obtained from independent experts selected according to the precise matter at issue.
The Home Office does have access to expert advice from the three Muslim advisers employed by the Communities and Local Government Department, as well as external partners.
Terrorism Act 2000
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date she received the independent reviewer's report on the operation of the Terrorism Act 2000 in 2007. [215256]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 30 June 2008]: The first draft of Lord Carlile’s report was received by the Home Office on 12 May. It was then circulated to stakeholders for them to check for factual accuracy and the last amendments were received from Lord Carlile on 15 June.
Terrorism: Leeds
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department has allocated to institutions working to counter terrorism in (a) Leeds West constituency and (b) Leeds Metropolitan District in 2008-09. [213334]
Mr. McNulty: Information on the Home Office's forecast spending on protecting the public from terrorism for the current year and the CSR period are set out in chapter 5 of the 2008 departmental report, which can be found on the Home Office website at the following address:
Home Office spend on counter-terrorism is not split and managed by allocation to constituency or district boundaries. Allocation of funding by the Home Office alone would not reflect the true expenditure on this work as other Government Departments and agencies contribute to their delivery. Further information on total Government spending on counter-terrorism is not held by the Home Office.
UK Border Agency: Labour Turnover
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the staff turnover rate was of each grade of immigration personnel in the UK Border Agency and its predecessor organisations in each of the last five years. [214576]
Mr. Byrne: The turnover rates for employees of UKBA, (this does not include UK Visas), and its predecessor organisations, for each grade, for each year, for which records are held, are shown in the following table:
UK Border Agency: Telephone Services
Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library telephone and fax numbers of desk officers at the UK Visas with the UK Border Agency upon which hon. Members may contact a member of staff directly or leave a message which will affect a response; and if she will make a statement. [206620]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 19 May 2008]: The UK Border Agency has a dedicated MPs' Hotline telephone service for hon. Members. The Hotline operates from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Thursday and 10.30 am to 6.00 pm on Fridays.
The telephone and fax numbers have been placed in the Library of the House.
Wood
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much timber and timber products were procured by her Department originating from independently verified legal and sustainable sources or from a licensed FLEGT partner in each of the last five years; and at what cost. [213775]
Mr. Byrne: While there is no FLEGT licensing schemes yet in place, the Home Office actively seeks to buy all wood and wood products (including furniture) from legal and sustainable sources. Data on quantity are not recorded centrally and there is no longer a requirement for expenditure to be recorded. We have data for two years within the last five: these are set out in the following table.
| £ | ||
| Value of timber from legal and sustainable sources | Value of timber products from legal and sustainable sources. | |
| (1) Includes Prison Service | ||
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