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21 July 2008 : Column 953W—continued
Heathrow Airport: Security
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2008, Official Report, column 676W, on Heathrow Airport: security, whether UK Border Agency staff were able to ascertain the identities of passengers who left the domestic arrivals area prior to the error being identified. [213091]
Mr. Byrne: There were five incidents where international passengers were misdirected to the domestic arrivals area by either British Airways or the British Airports Authority staff.
On three of the occasions, a number of individuals had left the domestic arrivals area prior to the error being identified. UKBA staff completed checks on the individuals who had entered to ensure that they did not present a known risk to the UK.
The airline provided UKBA staff with the relevant passenger information that was held on their systems, in line with established protocols and procedures. This was then used to carry out the necessary checks on all of the passengers who had travelled on the flights involved. These checks included cross checking the details of all those who had been on board the aircraft against Home Office databases. In addition, passengers’ details were also passed on to the Metropolitan Police Service who carried out additional security checks.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2008, Official Report, column 676W, on Heathrow Airport: security, on what date each of the flights referred to occurred. [213184]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 23 June 2008]: Two flights were misdirected by British Airways staff on 27 and 31 March.
On 3 April a flight was erroneously coached into the domestic baggage hall.
On 19 April, the driver of the passenger bus went to the incorrect coaching area and erroneously dropped some passengers into the domestic arrivals area.
On 21 April a flight was being coached from a remote stand into the main terminal, the final bus went to the incorrect coaching area and erroneously dropped seven passengers into the domestic arrivals area.
All of these incidents were the result of errors made by the employees of either British Airways or the British Airports Authority. When notified of these events UKBA staff worked closely with the airport operator to secure the domestic arrivals area and to redirect the passengers to the appropriate area.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2008, Official Report, column 676W, on Heathrow Airport: security, on what date she was informed of each of the security lapses referred to in the answer. [213186]
Mr. Byrne [ holding answer 23 June 2008]: Of the five occasions where international passengers were misdirected by BAA or BA staff to the Domestic Arrivals area, the UK Border Agency, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, was immediately notified. UKBA staff then took appropriate and immediate remedial action.
All the necessary checks were carried out on the arriving passengers with every passenger being checked against the warnings index. On no occasion during these checks was there any security alert, and none of the passengers who entered the UK presented a known security risk.
The procedural issue was quickly addressed with the airport authority and the carriers. There have been no further occurrences of misdirecting flights through the Domestic area.
Given that there was no direct threat or risk to the UK, arising from the procedural problem, the issue was not raised beyond the Head of the Border Force.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2008, Official Report, column 676W, on Heathrow Airport: security, what steps UK Border Agency staff took to monitor the effectiveness of the reviews of security. [213188]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 23 June 2008]: After each incident detailed in my response of 16 June, a review was conducted in conjunction with both the British Airports Authority and British Airways and these reviews identified a number of actions to reduce the risk of reoccurrence. Since these were implemented, the UK Border Agency has continued to monitor to ensure that further misdirections do not occur. This monitoring activity involves a combination of CCTV coverage, formal and discreet observation by UK Border Agency Staff to ensure that airline and airport staff are operating the correct procedures. In addition, a regular series of review meetings has been set up between the senior management teams of UKBA, BAA and British Airways to specifically monitor these issues.
Home Information Packs
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many home information packs have been commissioned by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies to market a residential property; for which properties; at what cost; and whether a voluntary home condition report was purchased as part of the packs. [219019]
Mr. Byrne: None. The requirement to prepare home information packs applies to the marketing for sale of residential properties. My Department has not been involved in any such transactions since 1 August 2007.
Human Trafficking
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to publish statistics on human trafficking including information from police and UK Border Agency operations that have taken place since 2005. [217968]
Mr. Coaker: We have provided regular information on statistics in relation to human trafficking both in relation to Operation Pentameter 1 and more recently, on 2 July, the announcement on 2 July of the outcomes of Operation Pentameter 2.
There is no intention to produce a separate document on statistics on human trafficking given the large amount of information already available.
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many trafficked persons have been placed in (a) the fast track system and (b) the new asylum model since March 2007. [219279]
Mr. Byrne: Information on the numbers of people identified as subjects of trafficking who have applied for asylum and been considered under these processes is not available and could be available only by examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
Entry to fast track asylum processes is carefully assessed on an individual basis in accordance with suitability criteria. A person would usually be considered unsuitable for the detained fast track where there is independent evidence from a recognised organisation, such as the Poppy Project, that they had been a victim of trafficking.
On 14 January 2008 the Home Secretary announced that the Government intend to make the necessary legislative and procedural changes to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Trafficking before the end of this year as part of its wider strategy to combat trafficking. These changes will include implementing a National Referral Mechanism to help co-ordinate the identification of victims and to ensure that their status is recorded centrally. Our plans are developing and we are on track to ratify at the end of the year.
Illegal Immigrants: Ostend
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of people attempting to enter the UK illegally via Ostend in the most recent period for which figures are available. [218628]
Mr. Byrne: The Belgian authorities estimate that in the first six months of 2008 they have prevented 632 separate clandestine attempts to enter the UK from Ostend.
These figures have been sourced from locally collated management information and do not represent National Statistics. They have not been the subject of National Statistics protocols and verification and should therefore be treated as provisional and subject to change.
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to try to reduce the number of illegal immigrants entering the UK from Ostend via Harwich and other UK ports. [218629]
Mr. Byrne: The creation of the UK Border Agency has further strengthened our border by enabling customs and immigration staff to work more effectively and efficiently alongside one another as a single team protecting our borders.
Harwich is one of five flagship ports where new ways of working have already been implemented. As part of this work, customs staff in Harwich received training and powers to search for clandestine entrants and to detain any illegal immigrants. This has led to increased coverage of the immigration risk at the port.
We cannot disclose specific information relating to Intelligence Operations or deployment of staff at specific UK ports, as this information could prove of significant value to those seeking to circumvent our border controls. To release such information would impede our ability to prevent and detect immigration and customs offenders, thereby prejudicing the security of the UK border.
Illegal Immigrants: Police Custody
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department has issued to local police forces on the detention of illegal immigrants. [202945]
Mr. Byrne: The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) applies to all persons detained in police custody, including those detained under immigration legislation. No additional guidance specifically for immigration detainees in police cells has been issued.
The United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) will respond to every police request where they encounter and arrest people who they have confirmed have been smuggled into the UK in lorries and take that person to immigration detention if appropriate. The UKBA have worked closely and in partnership with the Association of Chief Police Officers and have established Immigration Crime Partnerships with 85 per cent. of Constabularies in England and Wales with a target to increase this to 90 per cent. by 2008 and 100 per cent. by March 2009. The Government's plans, set out in ‘Enforcing the Deal’ published on 19 June 2008, set a clear goal to target and remove the most harmful people first, working with local authorities and enforcement agencies to shut down the privileges of the UK to those breaking the rules.
Copies of this document are placed in the Library of the House. It is also available to view at:
Immigrants: Catering
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the numbers of skilled restaurant staff, especially chefs, who speak English to the required level, whom the (i) China and (ii) South Asian restaurant trades will be able to recruit overseas. [163799]
Mr. Byrne: The Migration Advisory Committee is responsible for providing independent advice to the Government on skill shortages and migration. The Committee will report in August.
Immigrants: Deportation
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) failed asylum seekers and (b) illegal immigrants were deported from the United Kingdom between October 2006 and October 2007. [162036]
Mr. Byrne: The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of persons removed, including voluntary departures, from the UK on a quarterly basis. The numbers are broken down by asylum applicants, including dependants, and those who have not claimed asylum. The latest published information covers the final quarter in 2007 and is published in table 8b: Persons removed from the United Kingdom, in the quarterly web-based Asylum Statistics bulletin.
It is not possible to say what stage in the asylum process people have reached at the time of their removal, including whether their claim has failed at that point, because those departing voluntarily can do so at any stage.
Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
Immigration
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department has issued on the application of new paragraph 327B of the Immigration Rules. [197641]
Mr. Byrne: Guidance on the application of new paragraph 320(7B) was made available to immigration officers and entry clearance officers on 1 April, and has been updated to take account of the concessions that have been announced to the changes since then.
The guidance for entry clearance officers can be found in chapter 26.17 of the Entry Clearance Guidance, available at:
The guidance for immigration officers will be published in the summer and will be available at:
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Government will exempt from the no recourse to public funds rule persons fleeing all forms of violence who are subject to immigration control. [198371]
Mr. Byrne: Where a person makes a claim for asylum, regardless of the grounds on which that claim is made, and including asylum claims made on the basis of violence, that person will be supported by the UK Border Agency until that claim is determined, and will have no other recourse to public funds. If a person is subsequently granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the United Kingdom they are granted leave that enables them to access public funds.
Additionally, the immigration rules enable an applicant who has limited leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom as the spouse, unmarried partner, registered civil partner or same sex partner of a British citizen or person present and settled in this country and whose marriage or relationship breaks down during the probationary period as a result of domestic violence to be granted indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom at which point they are not prohibited from accessing public funds.
In March we announced a new scheme where victims of domestic violence who have no recourse to public funds may be eligible to receive support for their housing and living costs. Under the new scheme victims of domestic violence whose applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain are successful may qualify for a contribution towards these costs. Further details on this programme of work are still being worked up and will be available later this spring. The proposals under the new scheme will strengthen the way in which domestic violence cases are considered enabling those victims who are vulnerable to access immediate support.
We have worked with the third sector and other partners to provide victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation with comprehensive support since 2003. In 2007 the UK became a signatory to the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Beings which we are committed to ratifying by the end of 2008. This will enhance existing measures and will provide all identified victims of trafficking with minimum levels of support during a ‘reflection period’ and access to temporary residence permits in certain circumstances.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will ensure that the Minister of State gives personal consideration to the exceptional aspects of the case of Mrs. Sara Said, the constituent of the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam. [219330]
Mr. Byrne: It is not the policy of the UK Border Agency to comment on individual cases but we will write to the hon. Member detailing our consideration of Mrs. Said’s case.
Immigration Controls
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time was at immigration for non-EEA citizens entering the UK via London Heathrow Terminal One in the first six months of 2007. [164048]
Mr. Byrne:
The UK Border Agency did not commence collating queue performance information in its current format until August 2007. It is therefore not possible to provide the average waiting time for non-EEA citizens entering the UK via Heathrow Terminal one for the
first six months of 2007. Please find following, however, a table providing the most up-to-date queue performance at major London airports, including Heathrow, for the month of May.
The UK Border Agency recognises that it has a responsibility to process genuine passengers without delay but the safety and security of the public remains a priority.
There are currently arrangements in place at most ports to benchmark performance. Heathrow is among those airports that are currently using a 45 minutes (non-EEA) and 25 minutes (EEA) queuing time as such a benchmark. This is the maximum wait time in which we aim to process passengers and in turn informs staff deployment as well as informing considerations on further investment.
We are clear that the average queuing times are well within these benchmarks but we will continue to work on reducing the occasions where those figures are exceeded.
| Queuing times during May 2008 for London airports | ||||
| Location | Heathrow | Gatwick | Stansted | London City( 1) |
| (1) London city operates single queues but these are predominantly EEA passengers. | ||||
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