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16 Dec 2008 : Column 725W—continued
| Number | |
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of individuals trafficked into the UK for (a) sexual exploitation and (b) forced labour purposes in the most recent year for which figures are available. [243480]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 15 December 2008]: The covert nature of crime makes it difficult to make an accurate assessment of the scale of the problem faced by the United Kingdom.
The latest estimate is that at any one time in 2003 there were up to 4,000 women in the UK who were possibly victims of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. There is no estimate available at this time on the numbers of possible victims of trafficking for the purpose of forced labour.
The UK Human Trafficking Centre, in conjunction with the Serious Organised Crime Agency and Police Regional Intelligence Units continues work to build a clearer picture of the nature and scale of the threat posed by all forms of trafficking.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate has been made of the number of individuals trafficked into the UK for (a) sexual exploitation and (b) forced labour purposes who have been rescued as a result of work carried out by the Metropolitan Police human trafficking team. [243481]
Mr. Alan Campbell: It is not possible to give an estimate of the number of trafficking victims rescued solely as a result of the work of the MPS human trafficking team as operations against this crime often involve officers from the boroughs, other forces, the Clubs and Vice Unit as well as from the joint operations involving UKBA staff.
Human Trafficking: Ministerial Statements
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy that all oral and written statements to be made in the House regarding human trafficking and related matters are notified in advance to the hon. Member for Totnes in his capacity as Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Trafficking of Women and Children. [242536]
Mr. Alan Campbell [ holding answer 11 December 2008]: We shall continue to issue oral and written statements in the usual way.
Human Trafficking: Press Releases
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy that all press releases from her Department regarding human trafficking and related matters are sent to the hon. Member for Totnes in his capacity as Chairman of the
All Party Parliamentary Group on Trafficking of Women and Children at the same time as they are released to the media. [242537]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 11 December 2008]: We shall continue to release press statements on human trafficking in the usual way.
Human Trafficking: Prosecutions
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been prosecuted as a result of work carried out by the Metropolitan Police human trafficking team. [243482]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 15 December 2008]: Of the 92 convictions secured for human trafficking offences 27 have been as a result of operations by the police in the Metropolitan Police Service area. It is not possible to break down the number solely related to the work of the Met’s trafficking unit as operations against this crime often involve officers from the boroughs, the Clubs and Vice Unit as well as from the joint operations involving UKBA staff.
Maritime Analysis Operations Centre - Narcotics
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding the Government (a) has contributed to the Maritime Analysis Operations Centre—Narcotics in 2007-08, (b) plans to contribute to the Centre in 2008-09 and (c) plans to contribute in each of the next three years. [241864]
Jacqui Smith: Under the terms of the EC Action Grant, 70 per cent. of the total agreed funding of the centre is provided by the European Commission. The remaining 30 per cent. is divided up between the seven partner countries involved in MAOC (N), which includes the UK.
In accordance with these terms, SOCA has contributed the following cash funding to MAOC (N):
| Cash funding (£) | |
The initial funding of £23,973 (€35,000) was sought from each partner country in advance as a contribution to set up costs. However, the amount sought turned out to be insufficient to fulfil the agreement that the seven partner countries should contribute 30 per cent. of the total funding. The second year's contribution of £4,626 (€5,782) was therefore the additional amount required from each partner country to make up the 30 per cent. of the total grant. The grant will cover MAOC (N) until June 2010, when a second application for funding will be made.
In addition to this funding, SOCA provides three full-time staff to MAOC (N): two on loan and one fully funded by SOCA.
It is not yet possible to provide details of the funding contributions for future years.
Metropolitan Police: Human Trafficking
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for the withdrawal of funding for the Metropolitan Police Human Trafficking Unit; and if she will make a statement. [243116]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Following discussions with the Metropolitan Police Service, we have decided to provide additional funding for the MPS trafficking team.
Human trafficking is part of core police business and this funding, which is a one-off grant, is designed to enable the MPS to mainstream this work into its daily activities in a planned and organised fashion.
Parenting Contracts
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 19 November 2008, Official Report, column 595W, on parenting contracts, how the use of such contracts is monitored; and how their effectiveness is assessed. [242030]
Jacqui Smith: Parenting contracts are voluntary, informal arrangements and as such are not suitable for data collection. As data are not collected there is no formal monitoring system. However, while breach of a parenting contract carries no criminal sanction, evidence of non-compliance can be used by applicant agencies when applying to the courts for a parenting order.
Breach of a parenting order is a criminal offence.
Passports: Finance
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of (a) issuing and (b) producing passports in each of the last eight years has been; and what estimate has been made of the cost of (i) issuing and (ii) producing passports for each of the next eight years. [241860]
Jacqui Smith: The costs of (a) issuing and (b) producing passports within IPS for the last eight financial years are as follows:
| £ million | ||
| Issuing costs | Production costs | |
The Identity Cards Scheme cost report published in November 2008 sets out the expected costs for the delivery of the scheme as a whole, which includes both identity cards and passports. In many cases, the same application will result in the issue of both a passport and ID card. The full cost of registering individuals for passports and ID cards is included in common costs because the same technology infrastructure and business
processes will be used, thus costs cannot be separated for passports only. Further details are contained within the November 2008 cost report.
Police: Finance
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the change in police force costs in each year since 2001; and if she will make a statement. [240346]
Mr. Coaker: General estimates of inflation are made by reference to the Treasury gross domestic product deflator. Changes in the index since 2001-02 have been as follows:
| Percentage change | |
| Source: HM Treasury http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/gdp_deflators.xls | |
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding was made available to (a) Gloucestershire constabulary and (b) police forces in England from (i) the general grant, (ii) additional rules 2 grant, (iii) security grant, (iv) Crime Fighting Fund grant, (v) police community support officer grant, (vi) Basic Crime Unit grant and (vii) probationer training grant in each year between 2001-02 and 2008-09; and if she will make a statement. [240814]
Mr. Coaker: The information requested is set out in the following table.
| £ million | ||||||
| 2001-02( 1,2) | 2002-03( 1) | 2003-04( 3) | ||||
| Gloucestershire | Total English police authorities | Gloucestershire | Total English police authorities | Gloucestershire | Total English police authorities | |
| £ million | ||||||
| 2004-05( 3) | 2005-06 | 2005-06( 3,4) | ||||
| Gloucestershire | Total English police authorities | Gloucestershire | Total English police authorities | Gloucestershire | Total English police authorities | |
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