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12 Jan 2009 : Column 316W—continued


Theft: Motor Vehicles

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps the Government has taken to reduce levels of car thefts. [244560]

Mr. Alan Campbell: There has been a significant and sustained reduction in vehicle crime. Since 1997 all vehicle crime is down by 57 per cent. The police recorded a 5 per cent. decrease in the number of cars stolen between 2006-07 and 2007-08. This decrease is also reflected in the British Crime Survey for 2007-08 which shows a reduction of 11 per cent. for vehicle-related thefts compared with 2006-07.

Maintaining this reduction is important, but our strategy reflects the success to date and the maturity of practice in this area. The Crime Strategy outlines our approach that Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, Community Safety Partnerships and other local partners should focus on the issues of greatest priority in each locality through local area agreements. As part of the local area agreement process 98 of the 150 local areas have chosen serious acquisitive crime, of which vehicle crime is an important component, as one of their key priorities for improvement. Central Government are also held to account through Public Service Agreement 23 which measures the progress in tackling serious acquisitive crime.

Theft: Retail Trade

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps the Government have taken to reduce levels of retail theft. [244562]

Mr. Alan Campbell: In 2007, the Home Office set up the National Retail Crime Steering Group, to provide a forum for retailers to raise issues of concern with Government and devise strategies for tackling retail
12 Jan 2009 : Column 317W
crime. Current issues the group is addressing include ensuring Penalty Notices for Disorder are issued appropriately and consistently, developing and disseminating good practice guidance for local retailers and crime reduction partnerships to work more effectively together, and designing a new Commercial Victimisation Survey. The introduction of neighbourhood policing teams will also ensure that retailers concerns are reflected in local policing priorities. This will be backed up by guidance from the National Police Improvement Agency, and the reforms set out in the Policing Green Paper ‘From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together' to give local people, including businesses, a greater say in how their neighbourhoods are policed.

UK Border Agency: Olympic Games 2012

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost implications for the UK Border Agency are of the London Olympics in 2012. [241607]

Jacqui Smith: Work is continuing to finalise the strategy and plans for the security of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Any decisions will need to take account of operational needs, affordability within the total funding envelope and the need to secure value for money.

UK Border Agency: Prisoners

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in England and Wales were released into the custody of the UK
12 Jan 2009 : Column 318W
Border Agency and its predecessors in each of the last 12 months. [244481]

Mr. Woolas [holding answer 16 December 2008]: The Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency has regularly written to the Home Affairs Select Committee with all of the most robust and accurate information on the deportation of foreign criminals, including updates on the numbers of such individuals who are subject to deportation action and are detained following completion of their custodial sentence in order to facilitate their eventual deportation. In her letter of 23 July she advised the Committee that there were around 1,650 such individuals who were detained beyond their sentence under immigration powers. Copies of all of these letters are available in the Library of the House.

UK Border Agency: Working Hours

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency (UKBA) enforcement operations have taken place on Saturdays or Sundays in each month of 2008, broken down by each UKBA region. [243117]

Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency adopts an intelligence-led approach to operations. The number of UK Border Agency enforcement operations that have taken place on Saturdays or Sundays in each month to end September 2008, broken down by each region of the UK Border Agency is detailed in the following table.

The data provided are management information. They may be subject to change and do not represent published national statistics.

Saturday/Sunday operations by month, 2008
Command January February March April May June July August September Total

London and South East (L and SE)

193

161

212

28

34

56

76

45

26

831

Midlands and Eastern (M and E)

40

33

39

7

8

14

10

15

9

175

North East (NE)

33

23

22

7

16

22

8

13

5

149

North West (NW)

32

14

24

8

11

12

6

10

8

125

Scotland and Northern Ireland (S and NI)

10

11

14

12

11

11

8

14

5

96

South West and Wales (SW and W)

0

2

2

5

4

0

6

0

0

19

Total

308

244

313

67

84

115

114

97

53

1,395

Note:
All data are sourced from the National Operations Database (NOD) or Crime Management Information (CMI) system. The NOD/CMI is a management information tool and data from it are not quality assured under National Statistics protocols. Figures provided from the NOD/CMI do not constitute part of National Statistics and should be treated as provisional.

Vetting

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time to process Criminal Records Bureau checks in each police force area was in the latest period for which information is available. [246843]

Meg Hillier: Data concerning the average time taken to complete a disclosure by police force area are not a performance target and are not collated by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB).

The CRB operates to a set of published service standards (PSS) which include to issue 90 per cent. of Standard Disclosures within 10 days and 90 per cent. of enhanced disclosures within 28-days.

Average figures do not give an accurate indication of performance, since any forces' performance can be affected by a number of factors; the volume of cases sent to a force to process in any given month, the number of staff available to process the checks and the IT resources on hand to forces. With these variables, performance can fluctuate within individual forces from one month to the next.

However, you may be interested to note that comparative police force performance data can be found on the CRB website at:


12 Jan 2009 : Column 319W

Work Permits: Foreign Workers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been granted work permits in the last 12 months, broken
12 Jan 2009 : Column 320W
down by (a) country of origin and (b) duration of work permit. [244722]

Mr. Woolas: The following table shows the number of work permits granted broken down by the country of origin and the duration of the work permit:


12 Jan 2009 : Column 321W

12 Jan 2009 : Column 322W

12 Jan 2009 : Column 323W

12 Jan 2009 : Column 324W
Applications granted for period 1 December 2007 to 30 November 2008, broken down by nationality and duration of work permit
Months
Nationality 0-12 12-24 24-36 36-48 48-60 Over 60 Total

Afghanistan

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

15

0

35

Albania

25

5

5

5

30

0

70

Algeria

40

25

15

5

40

0

120

Angola

30

10

(1)

(1)

(1)

0

45

Antigua and Barbuda

(1)

0

0

0

(1)

0

5

Argentina

1,355

115

30

10

90

0

1,600

Armenia

15

5

(1)

(1)

5

0

25

Australia

2,040

1,040

620

345

2,190

5

6,245

Azerbaijan

25

10

5

5

30

0

70

Bahamas, The

(1)

(1)

0

0

5

0

5

Bahrain

10

(1)

0

(1)

10

0

20

Bangladesh

175

110

65

45

330

(1)

725

Barbados

45

5

(1)

5

15

(1)

70

Belarus

65

30

5

5

80

(1)

185

Belize

(1)

0

0

0

5

0

5

Benin

(1)

0

0

0

(1)

0

5

Bolivia

20

5

(1)

0

10

0

35

Bosnia - Herzegovina

15

15

5

0

10

0

45

Botswana

20

10

5

10

45

0

90

Brazil

745

185

105

30

260

(1)

1,320

British National Overseas

35

55

30

10

155

(1)

285

British Overseas Citz.

(1)

0

0

(1)

5

0

5

Brunei

5

(1)

0

5

(1)

0

10

Bulgaria

1,510

45

20

5

165

5

1,750

Burkina

5

(1)

0

0

0

0

5

Burundi

5

0

(1)

0

(1)

0

5

Cambodia

5

0

0

0

(1)

0

5

Cameroon

40

20

10

15

70

0

160

Canada

2,560

460

275

130

880

5

4,310

Cape Verde

5

0

0

0

0

0

5

Chad

0

0

0

0

(1)

0

(1)

Chile

90

25

10

5

20

0

150

China

1,655

1,260

525

355

3,750

5

8,090

Colombia

205

55

20

10

135

(1)

430

Comoros

0

0

(1)

0

0

0

(1)

Congo

25

10

(1)

0

5

0

45

Costa Rica

5

5

(1)

0

10

0

20

Croatia

85

20

15

5

90

(1)

210

Cuba

245

5

(1)

5

5

0

260

Czech Republic

0

0

0

0

(1)

0

(1)

Djibouti

(1)

(1)

0

0

0

0

(1)

Dominica

15

(1)

(1)

(1)

5

0

25

Dominican Republic

5

(1)

(1)

(1)

5

0

15

Ecuador

15

5

0

(1)

15

0

35

Egypt

300

80

40

20

155

(1)

595

El Salvador

5

(1)

(1)

0

5

0

10

Eritrea

0

(1)

0

0

0

0

(1)

Estonia

(1)

(1)

0

0

0

0

(1)

Ethiopia

35

5

5

(1)

10

0

55

Fiji

10

5

5

0

(1)

0

20

Gabon

15

(1)

(1)

0

0

0

15

Gambia, The

10

5

(1)

(1)

15

0

40

Georgia

25

10

(1)

(1)

15

0

50

Ghana

210

105

40

70

525

(1)

955

Grenada

15

0

(1)

(1)

5

0

20

Guatemala

5

5

(1)

0

5

0

10

Guinea

50

0

0

0

5

0

55

Guinea-Bissau

(1)

0

0

0

0

0

(1)

Guyana

15

5

5

15

65

(1)

105

Haiti

(1)

(1)

0

0

0

0

5

Honduras

5

0

5

5

(1)

0

15

Hungary

0

0

0

0

(1)

0

(1)

India

16,285

19,250

2,600

930

10,875

10

49,950

Indonesia

80

30

15

5

70

(1)

200

Iran

155

75

35

15

250

0

530

Iraq

35

25

5

(1)

35

0

100

Israel

320

80

45

25

140

0

610

Ivory Coast

35

0

(1)

(1)

10

0

50

Jamaica

745

90

45

95

195

(1)

1,170

Japan

1,065

555

430

215

1,365

5

3,640

Jordan

35

25

10

5

65

0

135

Kazakhstan

60

45

20

5

50

0

180

Kenya

145

85

55

35

350

(1)

665

Kosovo

5

5

0

0

(1)

0

5

Kuwait

25

5

5

0

5

0

40

Kyrgyzstan

(1)

5

(1)

(1)

15

0

20

Latvia

5

0

0

0

(1)

0

5

Lebanon

90

60

20

20

140

0

330

Lesotho

5

(1)

5

5

25

0

45

Liberia

0

(1)

0

(1)

(1)

0

5

Libya

30

5

(1)

5

20

0

65

Lithuania

(1)

0

0

0

0

0

(1)

Macedonia

10

10

(1)

(1)

15

0

40

Madagascar

(1)

0

(1)

0

(1)

0

5

Malawi

35

5

5

10

65

0

120

Malaysia

415

315

160

80

1,135

(1)

2,110

Maldives

5

(1)

0

0

(1)

0

5

Mali

70

(1)

(1)

0

(1)

0

75

Mauritania

5

0

0

(1)

5

0

10

Mauritius

50

45

40

60

355

(1)

555

Mexico

260

60

45

20

160

0

545

Moldova

340

10

5

(1)

10

0

370

Monaco

0

(1)

0

0

0

0

(1)

Mongolia

20

25

(1)

0

(1)

0

50

Montenegro

(1)

(1)

0

0

(1)

0

35

Morocco

155

25

15

5

65

0

265

Mozambique

15

(1)

(1)

0

(1)

0

20

Burma

45

25

10

5

75

0

160

Namibia

10

5

(1)

5

25

0

40

Nepal

50

170

95

40

520

(1)

885

New Zealand

605

230

175

130

670

5

1,810

Nicaragua

5

(1)

(1)

0

(1)

0

10

Niger

5

0

0

0

0

0

5

Nigeria

355

160

110

90

1,150

(1)

1,870

Korea (North)

(1)

(1)

0

0

0

0

(1)

Oman

15

(1)

(1)

5

(1)

0

20

Pakistan

565

560

285

215

1,645

(1)

3,270

Occupied Palestinian Territories

10

10

5

0

20

0

45

Panama

5

0

0

(1)

5

0

10

Papua New Guinea

5

(1)

0

0

(1)

0

5

Paraguay

5

0

0

0

5

0

10

Peru

25

10

5

(1)

20

0

60

Philippines

735

685

430

335

3,615

(1)

5,810

Qatar

5

(1)

5

0

(1)

0

10

Romania

440

75

60

20

315

5

910

Russia

1,545

310

110

50

505

5

2,525

Rwanda

15

(1)

0

0

(1)

0

20

Samoa

5

5

10

5

0

0

20

Sao Tome and Principe

(1)

0

0

0

0

0

(1)

Saudi Arabia

55

20

5

(1)

20

0

100

Senegal

175

5

(1)

(1)

10

0

195

Serbia

65

30

5

10

60

0

195

Seychelles

0

0

(1)

5

5

0

10

Sierra Leone

5

(1)

(1)

5

20

0

35

Singapore

160

90

55

30

265

0

600

Slovakia

(1)

0

0

0

0

0

(1)

Somalia

(1)

(1)

0

0

0

0

(1)

South Africa

1,375

645

320

310

2,220

5

4,870

Korea (South)

245

180

70

60

390

(1)

950

Sri Lanka

330

145

65

40

605

(1)

1,185

St. Kitts and Nevis

10

0

0

0

5

0

15

St. Lucia

20

(1)

(1)

(1)

20

0

45

St. Vincent

5

5

(1)

(1)

10

0

25

Sudan

40

25

5

5

25

0

100

Surinam

(1)

(1)

0

0

(1)

0

5

Swaziland

(1)

(1)

5

(1)

20

0

30

Switzerland

5

0

0

0

0

0

5

Syria

30

15

15

5

50

0

115

Tajikistan

5

0

0

(1)

5

0

10

Tanzania

50

15

10

5

40

0

125

Thailand

170

210

45

25

650

0

1,100

Togo

5

5

0

(1)

5

0

15

Tonga

5

(1)

5

(1)

0

0

10

Trinidad and Tobago

95

50

15

25

145

0

325

Tunisia

30

20

5

(1)

40

0

95

Turkey

315

145

75

30

325

0

895

Turkmenistan

0

(1)

0

0

5

0

5

Uganda

100

25

10

15

80

0

230

Ukraine

315

180

45

25

220

0

780

United Arab Emirates

10

(1)

(1)

0

5

(1)

15

United States

20,985

2,610

1,135

465

3,635

10

28,835

Uruguay

20

10

5

0

5

0

40

Uzbekistan

15

5

5

(1)

30

0

55

Vanuatu

0

0

0

0

(1)

0

(1)

Venezuela

75

20

10

10

85

0

205

Vietnam

65

30

20

5

90

(1)

210

Yemen

5

(1)

0

0

(1)

0

10

Zambia

25

10

15

15

190

0

255

Zimbabwe

250

105

90

235

1,300

0

1,970

Total

61,870

31,475

8,815

4,900

43,880

85

151,635

(1) Indicates figure of one or two.
Notes:
1. Totals may not add up due to rounding.
2. Figures are rounded to nearest 5.

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