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1 Sep 2008 : Column 1594W—continued
Telephone Contact Centres
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will answer questions 166551 and 166552 on telephone contact centres, tabled by the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne on 15 November 2007. [190778]
Mr. Byrne: I replied to the hon. Member on 22 July 2008, Official Report, columns 1335-38W.
Terrorism
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many points of the Government's August 2005 counter-terrorism plan have been implemented. [219486]
Jacqui Smith: The 12 point plan was announced by the then Prime Minister on 5 August 2005 following the London bombings on 7 July that year. Significant progress has been made on the plan. Of the 12 points, 10 have been actioned and the consultation has been completed on two. All counter-terrorism work has now been subsumed into the United Kingdom's long-term strategy for countering terrorism (the CONTEST strategy).
Terrorism: Convictions
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were convicted of terrorist offences in each of the last five years, broken down by offence. [219436]
Jacqui Smith:
The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General’s Office are currently working with the National Co-ordinator for Terrorist Investigations to improve the quality of data relating to those arrested, charged and convicted under terrorist legislation and under other legislation but following a terrorist investigation. Once this is complete a statistical bulletin to cover information on arrests and convictions will be published.
This will include a greater breakdown of charges and convictions into offence categories by year.
Statistics compiled from police records are available on the Home Office website from 11 September 2001 to 31 March 2007.
These detail arrests under this Act and under other legislation where the investigation is considered terrorist related and the outcomes to those arrests, including convictions.
For this period, there were 41 Terrorism Act convictions. There were also 183 convictions under other legislation.
In addition to the aforementioned, statistics on the number of convictions in significant terrorist cases are collated for 2007 and 2008. In 2007, 37 individuals were convicted in 15 significant terrorist cases. 21 of those individuals pleaded guilty. So far in 2008, 33 people have been convicted in 10 significant terrorist cases. Of these 33, 12 individuals pleaded guilty.
Figures are compiled from police records and are subject to change as cases go through the system.
Terrorism: Crime Prevention
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many major terrorist plots were disrupted in each of the last five years. [219448]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 17 July 2008]: We are unable to provide a breakdown of terrorist operations for each year.
There have been 17 plots since 2000, 12 of which were disrupted.
Terrorism: Detainees
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2008, Official Report, column 387W, on terrorism, how many of those detained were held for (a) fewer than seven days after arrest, (b) between eight and 14 days, (c) between 15 and 21 days and (d) between 22 and 28 days before charge or release. [219412]
Jacqui Smith: Of the six men arrested in the London/Glasgow incident, detention length before release or charge was:
(a) one individual fewer then seven days who was charged;
(b) four individuals between eight and 14 days, one was charged and three were released without charge;
(c) one individual between 15 and 21 days who was charged;
(d) 0 individuals between 22 and 28 days.
Terrorism: Stop and Search
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many authorisations have been made to stop and search individuals taking photographs under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in each year for which figures are available. [219353]
Jacqui Smith:
Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 permits the authorisation of stop and search powers
within a specialised area or place for the purpose of preventing terrorism. The authorisation does not restrict the power to any single identified behaviour; therefore I am unable to give you a figure for the number of people who have been stopped and searched for taking photos.
Theft: Metals
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidences of theft of metal have been recorded in each police constabulary area in each of the last 12 months; how many successful prosecutions have been brought as a result; and what penalty was imposed in each case. [220390]
Mr. Coaker: The information requested is not collected centrally. In terms of the police recorded crime statistic, it is not possible to identify the number of thefts where metal was stolen. Such offences are recorded in the 'Other theft' classification and cannot be separately identified from other items stolen. The same applies to the court proceedings data collected by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the effect of trends in global scrap metal prices on trends in the levels of (a) opportunistic and (b) organised theft of metals from (i) public and (ii) private property. [220640]
Mr. Coaker: We are supporting the Association of Chief Police Officers led Scrap Metal Theft working group to address the problem of metal theft and will be working closely with all stakeholders and Government Departments to establish effective responses to the problem.
The ACPO working group have produced a problem profile which identified various levels of criminality from low level offenders to some evidence of organised crime groups starting to venture into metal theft. The police analysis shows increased criminal activity at low and organised ends are driven by increased price of scrap metal. The problem profile was used as the basis for the development of the working group’s strategy to address the issue.
Regardless of the level of criminality it is clear that the consequences of metal theft can be significant for local communities, businesses and the national infrastructure.
UK Border Agency: Conferences
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK Border Agency and its predecessor agencies have spent on conferences in each year since 1997. [218891]
Mr. Byrne: The information is as follows:
| £ | |
| (1) Three months April to June. | |
Figures for conference spend for years prior to 2004 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost as they are not held on the current Home Office accounting system.
UK Border Agency: Finance
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) budget for and (b) expenditure on maritime border patrols and operations was by (i) the UK Border Agency and (ii) other agencies involved in border patrol in each year since 1997. [220115]
Mr. Byrne: The following table provides details of expenditure relating to these operations, for the financial years 2002-03 through to 2007-08. These costs include: staffing; travel and subsistence; vessel service and maintenance; running costs and depreciation. This information has been taken from management information reports from both HMRC and HMCE finance ledgers.
| £ million | |
UK Border Agency: Patrol Craft
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many operational hours were undertaken by boats and other marine craft operated by (a) the UK Border Agency and (b) other agencies engaged in border patrol in each year since 1997. [220116]
Mr. Byrne: From April 2008, the UK Border Agency took on responsibility for vessels which had previously been operated by HM Revenue and Customs and were formerly the responsibility of HM Customs and Excise.
UKBA estimate that from 2001 to 2008 these vessels undertook a total of 21,900 operational hours per year.
Due to fluctuations in the number of vessels in operation, and operating patterns, we do not have a record of operational hours undertaken before this date.
UK Border Agency: Powers
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many frontline officers serving in the UK Border Agency had been granted both immigration and customs powers by 30 June 2008. [218886]
Mr. Byrne: When the creation of the UK Border Agency was reported to the House on 3 April 2008, it was announced that by the summer we expected over 1,000 front-line staff to have cross conferred customs and immigration powers.
The UK Border Agency expected to exceed the 1,000 target by the end of June and I am pleased to confirm that is the case. As of 30 June, cross conferrals have
enabled in excess of 1,020 UK Border Agency front-line officers to exercise both immigration and customs powers at the UK border.
UK Border Agency: Southampton
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much her Department spent on the visit of the Minister of State for Immigration and the media to UK Border Agency operations off the coast of Southampton in the week commencing 7 July 2008; and from which budget this expenditure was met; [220112]
(2) what the purpose was of the border operations off the coast of Southampton in the week commencing 7 July 2008. [220113]
Mr. Byrne: As Borders and Immigration Minister I spend as much time as possible listening to front line staff about reform to the UK Border Agency.
On 8 July 2008, I visited the Maritime Forces in Southampton to listen and learn from UKBA officers in a routine patrol of a cutter. I met with UK Border Agency staff to discuss their local operations as part of the UK Border Agency’s new combined force at the border. Four representatives from the media were present to capture and provide information to the public on the UK Border Agency’s activity at the border.
The costs to the Home Office were negligible, comprising travel and subsistence for myself and three officials as well as light refreshments which were provided for myself and members of the press.
Vetting
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the differences between basic and enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks are; and what guidance she issues to public authorities on which type of check should be commissioned. [219178]
Meg Hillier: A basic disclosure is the lowest level of disclosure. This would contain details of convictions considered to be unspent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 or state that there are no such convictions. The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) does not currently provide a basic check.
There are two levels of disclosures currently available from the CRB, known as standard and enhanced. The two checks are available in circumstances where an employer is entitled to ask exempted questions under the ROA. This includes any organisation whose staff or volunteers work with children or vulnerable adults.
Standard disclosures are available to anyone working with children or vulnerable adults, as well as certain other occupations and entry into professions as specified in the ROA. They show spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer. If the post involves working with children or vulnerable adults, the following may also be searched:
Protection of Children Act (POCA) List.
Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) List.
Information that is held under Section 142 of the Education Act 2002 (formerly known as List 99).
Enhanced disclosures are available to anyone involved in regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children or vulnerable adults. They are also available for certain licensing purposes and judicial appointments. Enhanced disclosures contain the same information as the standard disclosure with the addition of any relevant information held by local police forces and disclosed at their discretion.
It is ultimately for each employer and not the CRB to determine what level of check is required for specific employment positions. Such determination is based on their legal and other responsibilities and subject to any statutory requirements as set by their own regulatory authorities.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer Questions 202448, 202449, 202450 and 202451, tabled on 24 April 2008, and Questions 202758, 202759, 202760 and 202763, tabled on 25 April 2008, on the national identity register. [208107]
Meg Hillier: My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Security, Counter Terrorism, Crime and Policing replied to Question 202449 on 22 May 2008, Official Report, column 455W.
I replied to the hon. Member as follows: Questions 202759-60 on 4 June 2008, Official Report, column 1000W, Question 202763 on 17 June 2008, Official Report , column 835W, Question 202451 on 26 June 2008, Official Report , column 444W, Question 202450 on 2 July 2008, Official Report , column 912W, and Questions 202448 and 202758 on 10 July 2008, Official Report , columns 1768-9W.
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