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14 Jan 2009 : Column 799W—continued
Human Trafficking
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims of human trafficking have been rescued by the Metropolitan Police human trafficking unit in each of the last two years. [243326]
Jacqui Smith:
Figures from the Metropolitan police indicate that in 2007, there were 39 crime reports involving a potential 42 victims of human trafficking. Up to
1 December 2008, there had been 31 reports alleging trafficking for sexual exploitation involving 34 possible victims.
It is not possible to break down the number of victims rescued solely by the activities of the MPS trafficking team, which is one part of the Met’s wider commitment to tackling organised immigration crime including human trafficking.
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) arrests and (b) convictions there have been for human trafficking offences as a result of the activity of the Metropolitan Police human trafficking unit in each of the last two years. [243327]
Jacqui Smith: Figures from the Metropolitan police indicate that in 2007-08, the MPS human trafficking unit made a total of 33 arrests for human trafficking offences The figures from the Met indicate that to date there have been eight convictions within the last two years for human trafficking with six others being convicted of related offences such as controlling prostitution.
It is not possible to detail the outcome of all cases as many are still progressing through the criminal justice system.
Human Trafficking: Children
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many trafficked children have gone missing from the care of social services in each of the last five years. [243305]
Jacqui Smith: There is no central record of the number of victims of child trafficking who have gone missing from social services over the past five years.
Human Trafficking: Sentencing
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average sentence was for those convicted of human trafficking offences over the last five years. [243300]
Jacqui Smith: The sentences imposed by the courts on those convicted of human trafficking ranges from suspended sentences to 14 years imprisonment.
The average length of sentence however for the offence of human trafficking is 4.69 years although it should be noted in many cases those convicted are serving longer terms of imprisonment as result of convictions for other related offences such as rape, inciting prostitution or immigration related offences.
Identity Cards: Foreigners
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department plans to charge foreign nationals who (a) require and (b) do not require a visa for an identity card in each of the next five years. [243297]
Jacqui Smith:
The current fee for an application for a foreign national identity card made separately from an immigration application (e.g. for damaged or lost cards) for non-EEA nationals is £30. There is no additional
charge for a foreign national identity card issued as part of a visa application made by a non-EEA national. The cost of making a visa application to enter the UK varies from category to category.
It is intended that the fee for an identity card issued to UK and EEA nationals in 2009-10 will be £30.
We review fees annually to ensure that they continue to contribute to the costs of an application. Fees for future years have not yet been set.
Identity Cards: Welsh Language
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on issuing identity cards with text in both the Welsh and English languages; and what consideration she has given to the proposal. [246603]
Meg Hillier: Ministers are involved in discussions from time to time on many different aspects of the National Identity Scheme, including the format of the identity card. The initial cards issued to British citizens, starting in the second half of 2009 to airside workers at a small number of airports, including Manchester and London City airports, will have headings in English and French. This is in line with travel document standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
The issue of Welsh language ID cards has been raised with Ministers by a number of Welsh MPs and at an ID card event in Cardiff in 2008. As a result, officials are in discussions with the Wales Office to see how Welsh language could be included on cards issued to Welsh residents.
Illegal Immigrants: Employment
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal workers are estimated to be residing in the UK. [246238]
Jacqui Smith: Since the abolition of embarkation controls, which started in 1994, no Government have ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally and that includes those that might be working illegally.
By the end of December 2008, the majority of foreign nationals will be counted in and out of the country.
This is one part of the biggest shake-up of border security and the immigration system in a generation which also includes the global roll-out of fingerprint visas, compulsory watch-list checks for all travellers from high-risk countries before they land in Britain and ID cards for foreign nationals.
The UK Border Agency is committed to tackling illegal migrant working and will act on any intelligence it receives that a business is employing illegal workers. Equally, if an employer is found to be employing an illegal migrant worker and they have not ensured that the person has full entitlement to work in the UK, then they may be subject to a civil penalty of up to £10,000 or, in more serious cases, criminal prosecution. If convicted on indictment, the employer may face an unlimited fine and in some cases, imprisonment for up to two years.
Immigrants: Detainees
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what compensation payments have been made by (a) her Department and (b) private contractors working for her Department to immigration detainees in (i) response to allegations of unlawful detention, (ii) response to allegations of assault and (iii) total since 2004; and if she will make a statement. [244559]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 18 December 2008]: The information requested is not collected centrally and could be obtained through examination of individual records only at disproportionate cost.
Immigration Controls: Foreign Workers
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to her statement of 21 October 2008, Official Report, column 175, what the evidential basis is for the statement that 12 per cent. fewer low-skilled workers from outside the EU would have come to the UK to work last year had Tier 2 of the points-based migration system been in place. [241595]
Jacqui Smith: We expect volumes for Tier 2 General and Intra-Company Transfers (skilled workers within the points-based System) to decrease because of the requirement to satisfy points criteria, such as prospective earnings and qualifications thresholds.
Using data from work permit applications, including on earnings, we estimated that if tighter Tier 2 rules had been in place last year, 12.1 per cent. fewer people from outside EEA would have been allowed into Britain in that category (skilled migrants).
Immigration: English Language
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department made of ETS's performance before approving its test of English as a foreign language for use within the immigration system; and whether any references provided were taken up. [233990]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency undertook an assessment exercise to ensure that all the tests included on the list of approved English language tests for Tier 1 satisfied our required standards of assessment and test security. In support of their application, ETS provided information on:
Award security features
Test methodologies
Test security
Test verification procedures
How ETS Mapped their test to the Common European Framework Reference for Languages: Learning, Training, assessment (CEFR)
How ETS train their test markers and how marking standards are set
The bona fides of their organisation
The results of ETS's English language tests are recognised by employers and institutions the world wide. However, the actual procurement of testing services is between ETS and the individual applicant taking their test.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to the letter to her of 28 October from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. A. Benmeddall. [241696]
Jacqui Smith: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 5 January 2009.
Metropolitan Police: Human Trafficking
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers work for the Metropolitan Police human trafficking unit. [243328]
Jacqui Smith: There are 11 police officers working for the MPS human trafficking team.
This team is one part of the Met’s wider commitment to tackling organised immigration crime. Other resources targeting these illegal activities, including human trafficking, include local borough policing, Operation Maxim, Swale, Golf, Paladin Child and the Clubs and Vice Unit.
Migration Impacts Forum
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are involved in running the Migration Impacts Forum; and what estimate she has made of the costs of running the Forum in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11. [245692]
Mr. Woolas: Four staff from the Home Office and Communities and Local Government jointly provide the secretariat for the MIF, as part of their wider responsibilities. Other staff from a number of Government Departments are involved on an ad hoc basis as required.
The MIF has no running costs other than those of staff time within the Departments and the logistical arrangements of the quarterly MIF meetings. These costs are paid for from within departmental budgets.
Offenders
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many former prisoners are employed by her Department; and what her Department's policy is on employing former prisoners. [246343]
Mr. Woolas: All people who wish to work for the Department are subject to criminal records checks as part of the National Security Vetting (NSV). The Department does not keep figures on how many former prisoners it employs and such staff cannot be distinguished from all other staff who are successfully cleared to work. Obtaining this information could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
The policy is that potentially suitable candidates for employment who have a criminal record will not automatically be ruled out from employment with the Home Office. Each candidate is considered on an individual basis, including consideration of severity and timing of convictions.
Offenders: Deportation
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign prisoners were removed under the Early Removal Scheme in the last year for which figures are available. [244462]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 16 December 2008]: The information requested is not available and can only be obtained through the detailed examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost. The Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency has regularly updated the Home Affairs Select Committee with all of the most robust information available. In her letter of 23 July 2008 she advised the Committee that the agency is now removing or deporting around a fifth of all individuals direct from prison an average of 180 days before their release date. For the remaining individuals it is taking the agency around 130 days, on average, to deport or remove them from the UK. A copy of this letter is available in the Library of the House.
Organised Crime
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to dissuade individuals from joining gangs. [246745]
Mr. Alan Campbell: In September 2007, the Home Secretary set up the Tackling Gangs Action Programme to focus renewed action in neighbourhoods in Birmingham, Liverpool, London and Manchester where guns and gangs have caused serious harm. The initial £1.5 million programme ran for six months to March 2008 but the work is ongoing.
This targeted approach delivered rapid results—a 51 per cent. reduction in firearms-related injuries across the four cities in six months. Recent quarterly statistics show that firearms offences continue to fall, with a reduction of 22 per cent. in April to June 2008 compared with the same period in the previous year.
A further £1 million of funds has been allocated to build on enforcement work, community reassurance and third sector delivery of support in the four TGAP areas. A practical guide was published in May to local partners highlighting examples of good practice on gang prevention. In September, we launched a gangs guide to parents to help prevent their children becoming involved in gangs and due to demand, a further 250,000 are being made available. More recently, £4.5 million of additional funding over the period 2009-12 was announced for local community groups in targeted areas. The new fund will provide grants for intensive work with young people most at risk of gun, gang or knife crime through mentoring and outreach work.
Police
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average crime clear-up rate was in England and Wales in 2007-08, broken down by police force; what assessment she has made of the reasons for differences in such rates between police forces; and if she will make a statement. [244301]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The information requested is given in the following table. Detections (or ‘clear ups') can be subdivided into sanction and non-sanction detections. Sanction detections are now the preferred method, providing a more meaningful comparison of individual force performance. From 1 April 2007 the rules governing recording of non-sanction detections were revised to reduce the scope within which they be claimed to a very limited set of circumstances. Some forces have already abandoned their use on non-sanction detections altogether. The reductions in the use of non-sanction detections are clearly demonstrated by the figures given in the table.
There are variations in detection rates across police force areas. These variations reflect a range of factors, including differing resources available to investigate crime, varying force priorities and the crime mix within the wider offence groups.
Different offence types have different detection rates so any changes in the ‘crime mix' will also affect the overall rates of detection. Furthermore, the most numerous crimes have the greatest influence on overall detection rates. Sanction detections rates for individual offence groups by police force area are published in Table 7.04 of “Crime in England and Wales 2007-08' which is available at:
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