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22 July 2008 : Column 1352W—continued
| The number of individual attempts by people crossing the Channel illegally at the juxtaposed controls | |||||
| Total each year | |||||
| UK juxtaposed controls( 1) | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2003-06 |
| (1) The UK Juxtaposed Controls figures incorporate all detections made by all agencies including Calais Chamber of Commerce (CCCI), Eamus Cork Solutions (ECS), UK Border Agency. | |||||
| N umber of inadequately documented passengers denied boarding from flights to UK, by carriers after reference to ALO and by carriers without reference to ALO, from 2003 until 2006 | |
| Number | |
There is a big increase in the figures from 2005-06. Prior to 2006 we only kept detailed denied boarding figures on ALO home locations and not the region for which they were responsible.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to reduce illegal immigration since 1997. [190537]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 29 February 2008]: Over the last 12 months we have drawn up plans for the biggest ever shake-up of Britain's border security. This year we will make the change.
We have put in place fingerprint checks before we issue a visa anywhere in the world. We have already delivered 1.4 million sets of finger scans, generating over 14,000 hits and bringing to notice 1,255 cases of identity swaps.
In February, we introduced large on the spot fines for employers who don't make the right checks. In financial year 2006-07, there were 15 successful prosecutions including cautions under section 8, and 21 so far this financial year.
Last month we introduced the first stage of the points based system as part of a phased approach to manage the flow of migrants coming to the UK. Applicants under the points based system will earn points for their skills and the potential they show for economic success, competence in the English language and ability to support themselves and their dependents. It is a simple, transparent and objective process that enables us to ensure that only those migrants who benefit the UK can come here to work or study. So far over 1,800 applications have been received under tier 1, highly skilled migrant workers. Future tiers will include students, skilled workers, youth mobility and temporary workers.
On 1 April we launched the UK Border Agency, an organisation of 25,000 staff, with a presence in 135 countries world-wide. The new agency will protect our border with single immigration and customs checks, tackle smuggling, immigration crime and border tax fraud, and implement fast and fair decisions.
We have already had successes thanks to exporting the border. Airline liaison officers have assisted in preventing nearly 180,000 people boarding planes over the last five years. That's equivalent to about two jumbo jets a week. In 2007 our strengthening of cross channel border controls stopped 17,658 individual attempts to cross the channel illegally. Additionally at juxtaposed controls in France and Belgium we have refused over 6,000 people entry to the UK. This means the number of illegal immigrants arriving in Kent from juxtaposed locations has reduced by 86 per cent. since 2002.
Illegal Immigrants: Deportation
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what means her Department ensures that deported convicted foreign nationals cannot return to the United Kingdom at a later date. [163352]
Mr. Byrne: The UK Border Agency maintains a database which contains information on all foreign nationals who are deported from the United Kingdom. All passengers arriving in the UK and all visa applicants are checked against this database. On the basis of that, immigration officers and entry clearance officers will make a decision (under paragraph 320(2) of the immigration rules) on entry to the UK.
Immigration
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department plans to collect additional data from migrants via landing cards. [206844]
Mr. Byrne: A new style landing card is being phased in to reflect the changes to the UK Border Agency. This includes an extra question as to the passenger’s proposed length of stay in the UK.
In addition, as the e-Borders programme rolls out, we will be collecting additional passenger information. Full details of the information to be collected by e-Borders has been outlined in schedule 1 to The Immigration and Police (Passenger, Crew and Service Information) Order 2008, which formed part of the legislative package underpinning the e-Borders programme. The order came into force on 1 March 2008, after clearing parliamentary scrutiny.
The longer term future of the landing card is under review.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legacy immigration cases were being handled by her Department on 31 March 2008. [206854]
Mr. Byrne: We have previously estimated that there are around 400,000 to 450,000 electronic and paper records, although this is difficult to assess accurately as many case records are dependants, duplicates or errors. This figure does not therefore equate to numbers of asylum applicants. Lin Homer is due to update the Home Affairs Select Committee shortly on the latest position in regard to progress.
Immigration: Children
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to ascertain and record the citizenship of children who (a) accompany foreign national parents (i) into immigration detention and (ii) upon removal from the UK and (b) are included in family removal directions made under section 10A of the Immigration Act 1971. [220272]
Mr. Byrne: Information relating to families and dependant children including welfare issues, preparatory and detention visits, actual detention, mitigating circumstances, absent family members, removal and citizenship is ascertained during contact management events and recorded on the recently introduced family welfare form. This information is also recorded electronically and on the family's paper file.
The general processes followed in relation to family cases are all contained within chapter 45 of the enforcement instructions and guidance. Processes concerning the setting of removal directions and actual removal under Para 9 and 10 of Schedule 2 of the Immigration Act 1971 are in chapter 47.
The enforcement instructions and guidance is available to view on the UK Border Agency external website at:
Immigration: Police Custody
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions the immigration service has used police cells to hold immigrants in each police force area in each year since 1997; and what the average cost of such accommodation was in each year in each police force area; [219159]
(2) what the nightly rate paid by the immigration Service for the use of police cells was to each police force in each year since 1997. [219160]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
Lost Working Days
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many working days have been lost due to industrial action by employees for which her Department is responsible in each year since 1997. [218049]
Mr. Byrne: Table 1 shows the total number of days lost due to industrial action in Home Office headquarters, UK Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau in 2007 and 2008.
The Department does not hold historical information on levels of industrial action. The payroll system holds details of absence due to industrial action but it is not possible to produce accurate information prior to 2007 due to the level of payroll changes over time.
| Table 1: Number of days lost due to industrial action | |
| Period | Number |
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer the letter to her dated 29 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Nafeesha Babri. [218872]
Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 21 July 2008.
Migrant Workers
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take in response to the judicial review judgement CO/924/2007 on the highly skilled migrants programme; and if she will make a statement. [218910]
Mr. Byrne: We published our response to this judgment on the UK Border Agency website on 10 July:
A copy will be placed in the House Library.
Offensive Weapons: Detection Rates
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the percentage clear-up rate for knife crime in each region was in the last 12 months; [219860]
(2) how many people in each region of England and Wales were charged with offences relating to knife crime in each of the last three years; [219861]
(3) how many offences were committed in each region of England and Wales in which a knife was employed by the perpetrator in each of the last three years. [219864]
Mr. Coaker: It is not possible to identify those offences that are knife-related from the data centrally collected on overall recorded crime. However, since April 2007, police forces have been providing the Home Office with aggregate data on serious violence (attempted murder, grevious bodily harm and robbery) involving knives and sharp instruments. Data relating to such offences recorded during 2007-08 were published in table 3.09 of the recent “Crime in England and Wales 2007/08” statistical bulletin. A breakdown by region is shown in table A. Information about the number of persons charged and number of offences detected, or ‘cleared-up’, by police cannot be provided as they are not collected on the new statistical return.
Available data from the homicide index relates to offences currently recorded as homicide where the apparent method of killing was ‘sharp instrument’, as at 12 November 2007. Table B shows the number of such offences recorded within each region in England and Wales in the years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07, the number of these homicides with a current suspect and the number that have resulted in a homicide conviction. Figures for 2007-08 are scheduled to be published in January 2009.
| Table A: Knife and sharp instrument offences( 1) recorded by the police for selected offences( 2) , by region: England and Wales 2007-08 | |
| Region | Number of offences |
| (1) Refers to the use of a knife or sharp instrument. (2) Total of selected serious offences only: attempted murder; wounding with intent to do GBH; wounding or inflicting GBH (i.e. without intent), which includes racially or religiously aggravated wounding or inflicting GBH; robbery of business property; robbery of personal property. Other offences involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument may exist, but are not shown in this table. | |
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