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22 Oct 2008 : Column 442W—continued
Drugs: Misuse
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the classification regime for controlled drugs in meeting its objectives; and if she will make a statement. [227797]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 17 October 2008]: In replying to the Fifth Report of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee Session 2005-06 HC 1031 Drug Classification: “Making a hash of it?” the Government made their assessment that the classification system discharges its function fully and effectively. Our reply was published on 12 October 2006 (CM 6941) and is available at:
Entry Clearances
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what average waiting time for processing visa applications under (a) the highly skilled migrants programme and (b) tier 2 of the points-based system was in the most recent period for which figures are available. [223731]
Mr. Woolas: The highly skilled migrant programme was replaced by tier 1 of the points based system (PBS) on 30 June 2008. During July, the most recent period for which figures are available, the average processing time for visa applications under PBS tier 1 was 11.8 days. This does not include the time taken for applications to be couriered between visa application centres and decision-making posts. PBS tier 2 has not yet been implemented.
Entry Clearances: Foreign Workers
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many businesses had applied for licences to sponsor migrants as at 30 September 2008. [226054]
Mr. Woolas:
The number of businesses which have applied for licences to sponsor foreign migrants under the points based system is 3,340—this figure is rounded to the nearest five. A proportion of these applications are still awaiting payment and supporting documentation
as businesses have up to 28 days to provide this information from the date of submission.
The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
Genetics
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who were under the age of 18 years at the time they were arrested and had a DNA sample taken up to and including 1 December 2007 were subsequently not charged or cautioned for any offence; and if she will make a statement. [192969]
Meg Hillier: The national DNA database does not hold information on arrests, charges, cautions or convictions; this information is held on the police national computer (PNC). Information about the number of persons who were under 18 at the time they were arrested and have not been charged or cautioned with any offence could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, information on the number of persons who are currently under 18 who do not have a conviction, caution, reprimand, or received a final warning, and had no charge pending against them, is available. This was given in a reply to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 1 September 2008, Official Report, columns 1564-65W.
Genetics: Databases
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people arrested (a) in each financial year since 1995 and (b) in each month since April 2007, who were (i) under 16, (ii) 16 to 18, (iii) 19 to 21 and (iv) over 21 years at the time of their arrest had their DNA profiles added to the national DNA database; and if she will make a statement. [196121]
Meg Hillier: The information requested on arrests is not available centrally. Information on arrests held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform is based on aggregated quarterly data collected at police force area level covering persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) by gender, specific age groups (under 10,10-17,18-20, 21 and over and unknown), ethnicity and by main offence group only. The collection does not record whether DNA profiles were added to the National DNA Database (NDNAD) at the time of arrest.
It is not possible to calculate the information requested by comparing arrest figures with figures for the number of people added to the NDNAD, because if the same person is arrested on more than one occasion during the year, that person will appear in the figures more than once. Also, the age groups used in the arrest figures differ from those in the question.
Government Communications
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in (a) her Department and (b) its agencies (i) are classified as Government communicators and (ii) have access to the Government Communication Network. [215097]
Mr. Woolas: The information is as follows:
(i)Communication Officers in the Home Office and its agencies are employed at the Senior Information Officer (SIO), Information Officer (IO) and Assistant Information Officer (AIO) grades.
The following table gives details of the staff currently employed by the Department in these grades:
| Grades | ||||
| SIO | IO | AIO | Total | |
Further information on communications staff employed by Departments throughout the civil service can be found in ‘The White Book’, published by COI. This is available in the Library of the House; and is updated twice yearly.
Other specialist and generalist staff across the organisation may have communications as a core part of their role, as good communication is integral to helping implement Government policy. However information on the numbers of staff in this category is not held centrally and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
(ii) The Government Communications Network is open to all staff within the Department who mainly work in a communication role. These individuals have exclusive access to networks, events and community tools (including forums and document sharing) on the GCN website. Information on the numbers involved is not held centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
Immigration
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of the legacy exercise for resolving old immigration cases. [177352]
Mr. Woolas: Total operating costs for the case resolution directorate in 2007-08 were £31.3 million. The indicative budget for 2008-09 is about £30 million. Budgets for the remaining period up to July 2011 have yet to be finalised.
Work on supported legacy cases in 2007-08 yielded savings to the asylum support budget of £22 million in 2007-08 and expected savings of £120 million in 2008-09
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for (a) indefinite leave to remain and (b) further leave to remain made in person at public enquiry offices were not processed within 24 hours in each of the last three years. [219356]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested is in the following table.
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for (a) indefinite leave to remain and (b) further leave to remain were received in each of the last three years; and how many of these were (i) postal applications and (ii) applications made in person at public enquiry offices. [219429]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested is in the following table.
| Applications for (a) indefinite leave to remain and (b) further leave to remain by (i) postal and (ii) public enquiry office | |||
| Leave type | Work type | Number of cases | |
| Notes: 1. Based on lead applications 2. Applications created by General or Employment Casework | |||
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