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Identity Cards: Fees and Charges

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the effect on the cost to the public purse of revenue from charges for (a) identity cards, (b) biometric passports and (c) registration of biometric information in each of the next 10 years. [243274]

Jacqui Smith: The latest projected estimates for the cost of issuing identity cards are published in the National Identity Scheme Cost Report.

A copy of the latest report published on 6 November 2008 may be found at:

I would refer the hon. Member to that report.

Identity Cards: Foreigners

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of issuing identity cards to foreign nationals in each of the five years from 2010-11. [243420]

Jacqui Smith: The latest projected estimates for the cost of issuing identity cards are published in the National Identity Scheme Cost Report.

A copy of the reports may be found at:

I would refer the hon. Member to that report.

Identity Cards: Government Departments

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on the likely levels of take-up of identity (ID) card verification across Government; what estimate she has made of the number of agencies which expect to use ID card verification when the scheme is rolled out; and how many separate locations in each agency are likely to need an ID card reader; [243515]


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(2) which of her Department’s agencies she expects to use identity card verification when the scheme is rolled out; and what estimate she has made of the number of separate locations in each agency which will require an identity card reader. [243517]

Jacqui Smith: Identity cards will make it easier for individuals to prove their identity quickly, securely and reliably when using public services. A key purpose of the National Identity Register, as laid out in the Identity Cards Act, is to help identity verification so as to secure the efficient and effective provision of public services. Details of the secondary legislation needed to introduce identity cards and for information to be provided from the Register is set out in “Identity Cards Act Secondary Legislation: A Consultation” which may be found at:

Government agencies will all be able to make use of identity cards to verify identity through a visual check, as they do now for passports. It will be a matter for individual agencies to determine at what point in the future there is a case for the introduction of any further systems which might include identity card readers. The Identity and Passport Service will continue to work with other Government Departments to establish how each organisation may make the best use of the National Identity Scheme.

Immigration: Finance

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Home Office plans to consult on the no recourse to public funds rule. [247664]

Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 15 January 2009]: There are currently no plans to launch a consultation on migrant women who are victims of domestic violence and have no recourse to public funds.

The development of a new scheme, where those supporting victims of domestic violence who have no recourse to public funds may be eligible to receive financial support towards their housing and living costs, is currently being negotiated in partnership with the UKBA, the No Recourse to Public Funds Network and stakeholders.

Language Analysis

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 9 December 2008, Official Report, column 48WS, on language analysis, what percentage of persons claiming asylum from Eritrea and Somalia who were subject to language analysis had their claim refused on the basis of language analysis; and what estimate her Department has made of the likely effect of the introduction of language analysis on applications from Afghan nationals. [244230]

Mr. Woolas: No asylum claim from a person claiming to be of Eritrean or Somali nationality has been refused on the basis of language analysis alone. Language analysis is a tool used by asylum case-owners in the UK
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Border Agency to help in the decision making process. It is only one of several factors that contribute to grant or refusal.

Where there is a suspicion that a person claiming to be from Afghanistan is not an Afghan national that person will be asked to take part in a language analysis interview. It is anticipated that language analysis will identify Afghan claimants who are in fact nationals of other countries and that this procedure will deter others from making false claims of Afghan nationality.

Licensed Premises: Antisocial Behaviour

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions police have closed disorderly and noisy premises with an on-licence to sell alcohol in each of the last five years. [247590]

Mr. Alan Campbell: Figures relating to the closure of disorderly or noisy premises by the police are not collected centrally.

Members: Correspondence

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a reply will be sent to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford’s letter of 27 October 2008 regarding his constituent Ms Sharon Singizi of Chelmsford. [248982]

Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member on 16 January 2009.

Metropolitan Police: Disciplinary Proceedings

Mr. Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Association of Chief Police Officers members at the rank of commander and above in the Metropolitan police have been the subject of criminal or disciplinary investigations since January 2005; and which such officers have been suspended from duty following such investigation. [247329]

Mr. Coaker: The Home Office does not hold this information. This is a matter for the Metropolitan Police Authority.

Offensive Weapons

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) warnings and (b) cautions have been issued related to the possession of knives in each of the last 10 years; how many prosecutions have been brought; and how many convictions have been secured for such offences. [244982]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 18 December 2009]: Information on the number of defendants issued with a caution, proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty at all courts and for offences relating to possession of a knife covering the years 1998 to 2007 (latest available), can be viewed in the following table.

From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals.


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The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

The number of defendants issued with a caution, proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences relating to possession of a knife( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Caution Proceeded against Found guilty

1998

1,976

4,888

3,805

1999

1,663

4,566

3,548

2000(3)

1,758

4,625

3,531

2001

1,652

5,823

4,361

2002

1,805

6,963

5,338

2003

1,746

6,928

5,396

2004

2,374

7,352

5,890

2005

3,154

7,319

6,005

2006

3,503

7,699

6,369

2007

3,460

7,404

6,169

(1) These data are on the principal offence basis.
(2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
(3 )Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.
(4 )Includes the following statutes and corresponding offence descriptions:
Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139 as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.3. Having an article with blade or point in public place.
Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139A (l)(5)(a) as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(l). Having an article with blade or point on school premises.
(5 )From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals.
Source:
OCIR—E & A: Office for Criminal Justice Reform - Evidence & Analysis Unit

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) warnings were given, (b) cautions were issued and (c) prosecutions were brought for the illegal possession of knives in each of the last three years, broken down by police force area. [246852]

Mr. Alan Campbell: Data showing the number of offenders cautioned for illegal knife possession and the number of defendants proceeded against for the same offences, from 2005 to 2007 (the latest available), broken down by police force area, are in the following tables.

From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals.

The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or
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more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.


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Number of defendants proceeded( 1) against at magistrates courts for knife possession offences( 2) , England and Wales, 2005 to 2007, broken down by police force area( 3)
Force 2005 2006 2007

Avon and Somerset

155

214

200

Bedfordshire

99

74

81

Cambridgeshire

72

83

65

Cheshire

87

101

121

City of London

21

16

10

Cleveland

85

90

109

Cumbria

59

50

51

Derbyshire

100

94

123

Devon and Cornwall

167

138

171

Dorset

76

81

78

Durham

101

96

107

Essex

273

217

182

Gloucestershire

47

48

48

Greater Manchester

391

441

436

Hampshire

182

194

198

Hertfordshire

127

105

78

Humberside

123

135

170

Kent

9

3

2

Lancashire

182

169

176

Leicestershire

105

140

135

Lincolnshire

71

85

54

Merseyside

240

253

250

Metropolitan Police

2,113

2,099

1,810

Norfolk

91

80

96

North Yorkshire

80

70

62

Northamptonshire

6

1

3

Northumbria

241

246

318

Nottinghamshire

151

176

184

South Yorkshire

197

169

179

Staffordshire

76

111

108

Suffolk

84

123

97

Surrey

38

47

65

Sussex

139

165

165

Thames Valley

192

227

165

Warwickshire

30

38

32

West Mercia

112

124

117

West Midlands

386

469

485

West Yorkshire

214

214

227

Wiltshire

66

82

53

Dyfed-Powys

54

39

51

Gwent

45

74

77

North Wales

85

131

101

South Wales

147

187

164

England and Wales

7,319

7,699

7,404

(1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
(2) Includes the following offences and statutes;
Having an article with blade or point in public place. (Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139 as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.3).
Having an article with blade or point on school premises. (Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139A (1)(5)(a) as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(1)).
(3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
Source:
Evidence and Analysis Unit—Office for Criminal Justice Reform

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