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22 Jan 2009 : Column 1627W—continued
House of Commons Commission
Members: Security
John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many representations have been received by the House authorities from back-bench hon. Members on security matters relating specifically to (a) themselves, (b) their family and (c) their property in the last five years. [250382]
Nick Harvey: It is not the policy of the House authorities to answer questions on security matters.
Home Department
Human Trafficking: Prosecutions
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were prosecuted for offences relating to the trafficking of human beings for (a) the sex trade and (b) illegal labour in each year since 1997. [241045]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Human trafficking was criminalised with the introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004.
While the numbers of prosecutions for the offences of human trafficking is not held centrally by the Home Office there have to date been 92 convictions for trafficking for sexual exploitation and four for trafficking for forced labour.
Police Stations: Essex
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stations in Essex were not open to the public in each of the last 10 years. [250151]
Mr. Coaker: The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for Essex police authority and the Chief Constable of Essex, who are responsible for assessing local needs.
Police: Dual Jobholding
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines apply to police officers on involvement in business activities outside their employment within the police force; and whether she plans to revise those guidelines. [249816]
Mr. Coaker: Under the Police Regulations 2003 police officers must declare and obtain approval from their chief police officer for undertaking business interests. We have no plans to change existing policy.
Stop and Search
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) people and (b) people under 18 years of age have been stopped and searched under the Terrorism Act 2000 in each of the last eight years. [250309]
Mr. Coaker: Information on the number of persons stopped and searched under section 44 (sections 1 and 2) of the Terrorism Act 2000, from 1999-2000 to 2006-07 (latest available) are provided in the following table.
From the information reported to the Home Office it is not possible to separately identify the age of persons searched.
| Searches of pedestrians, vehicles and occupants under sections 44(1) and 44(2) of the Terrorism Act 2000( 1) , 1999-2000 to 2006-07, England and Wales | |
| Stops and searches in order to prevent acts of terrorism | |
| Total searches | |
| (1) Formerly sections 13A and 13B of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 and repealed under the Terrorism Act 2000 (which came into force on 19 February 2001). (2) Figures updated since publication of the 2004-05 Bulletin. | |
Telecommunications: Databases
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated (a) set-up and (b) running costs of the interception modernisation programme are. [250530]
Mr. Coaker: The Interception Modernisation Programme (IMP) will require a substantial level of investment which will need to tie in with the Government's three year CSR periods. The scale of overall economic investment is very difficult to calculate because of the complexity of the programme and wide ranging implementation solutions currently being considered.
Given the commercial and national security sensitivities, the precise costs of the programme cannot be disclosed. Further detail on budgetary estimates for the IMP will however become available once the public consultation process (announced by the Home Secretary on 15 October 2008) commences.
Terrorism
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the proportion of an anti-terrorist police officer's time taken up (a) by anti-terrorist work and (b) in the detection of other forms of criminal activity. [249878]
Mr. Coaker: The Home Office does not hold such information centrally. Significant Government investment has enabled the police service to establish a network of dedicated police counter terrorism units. Specialist officers within those units, while focused on counter terrorism work, remain under the direction and control of local chief officers.
Treasury
Bank Services: Overseas Workers
Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of money laundering prevention measures on the availability of UK bank accounts to UK citizens living and working abroad. [244994]
Ian Pearson [ h olding answer 18 December 2008 ]: I am advised that money laundering requirements, principally the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, and other anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist finance legislation, are not a determining factor in banks’ decisions to make available UK personal current accounts or savings accounts to persons without an address in the UK. I understand that decisions are taken largely on commercial grounds.
Banks: EU Grants and Loans
Mr. Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value of the loans made available to United Kingdom banks by the European Investment Bank (EIB) under the scheme announced on 30 October 2008 was on 12 January 2008; which United Kingdom banks have applied for funds; when each first applied; how much each received from the EIB; how many businesses have accessed the funds from each; and what the average number of employees of these businesses is. [248586]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 19 January 2009]: Since 30 October 2008, the following EIB loans for SMEs have been agreed between the EIB and UK banks:
Barclays signed a £150 million loan on 16 December 2008;
HBOS signed a £250 million loan on 18 December 2008; and
RBS signed a £250 million loan on 23 December 2008.
This means that since the reform by the EIB of its SME financing products in September 2008, a total of £1 billion of EIB loans for SMEs were made available by the end of last year. Further negotiations with a number of UK banks for additional new lending are ongoing.
The Government do not currently hold information on the number of firms to have accessed the agreed funding. The Government continue to work closely with all UK banks to monitor their progress on drawing down and disbursing EIB loans.
With regard to the number of employees of recipient SMEs, EIB rules state that its funding is available for businesses with 250 employees or less, consistent with the European Commission’s definition of SMEs.
Banks: Government Assistance
David Howarth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the oral statement of 19 January 2009, on financial markets, by what authority he has authorised the Bank of England to create the £50 billion fund to purchase corporate assets from banks. [250206]
Ian Pearson: Arrangements for the Debt Management Office (DMO) to make finance available to the Bank of England are set out in paragraph 6.9 of the Debt and Reserves Management Report 2008-09.
Banks: Guernsey
Sir John Butterfill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what conditions the Financial Services Authority attached to its approval of the sale by the Portman Building Society of its Guernsey subsidiary to Landsbanki; [248334]
(2) what discussions the Financial Services Authority (FSA) had with the Portman Building Society on its application to establish a wholly-owned banking subsidiary in Guernsey; and what assurances the FSA received in respect of (a) the terms of business of the subsidiary and (b) the protection and indemnification of depositors. [248336]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 19 January 2009]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 13 January 2009, Official Report, column 569W.
Banks: Iceland
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has made on behalf of (a) Guernsey, (b) Jersey and (c) the Isle of Man to the Icelandic Government on the consequences of the Icelandic banking collapses in 2008. [249182]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 19 January 2009]: In line with usual constitutional arrangements, the Government will represent the Crown Dependencies in its negotiations with the Icelandic authorities.
Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.
Jersey does not have a branch or subsidiary of an Icelandic bank, and is therefore not part of these discussions.
Banks: Isle of Man
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take urgent steps to protect UK citizens who had deposits in Isle of Man banks. [247845]
Ian Pearson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne) on 5 November 2008, Official Report, column 539W.
Sir John Butterfill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what discussions the Financial Services Authority (FSA) had with the Derbyshire Building Society on its application to establish a wholly-owned banking subsidiary in the Isle of Man; and what assurances the FSA received in respect of (a) the terms of business of the subsidiary and (b) the protection and indemnification of depositors; [248335]
(2) what conditions the Financial Services Authority attached to its approval of the sale by the Derbyshire Building Society of its Isle of Man subsidiary to Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander. [248337]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 19 January 2009]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1902W.
Banks: Regulation
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings Ministers in his Department have held to review (a) capital ratios and (b) liquidity requirements for banks in the last three months. [249553]
Ian Pearson: As the Memorandum of Understanding between HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the FSA sets out, the tripartite authorities have regular meetings to work together towards the common objective of financial stability in the UK.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what provisions the Government is making for any future (a) losses and (b) capital requirement of banks in which UK Financial Investments has a stake; [249556]
(2) how his Department plans to account for any (a) profits earned and (b) losses sustained by (i) the Royal Bank of Scotland and (ii) Northern Rock. [249559]
Ian Pearson: UK Financial Investments Limited (UKFI), which is wholly owned by the Government, manages the Government’s investments in the recapitalised banks but ownership of the shares of the recapitalised banks still lies with HM Treasury.
The Government will assess the need for any impairment or profit on our investments in the banks in accordance with our accounting policies and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Manual (FReM). Any amounts will be disclosed in HM Treasury’s Resource Accounts in due course.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what instructions the Government has issued to the Royal Bank of Scotland in the last six months; [249563]
(2) how many meetings Ministers in his Department have held with (a) staff and (b) directors of the Royal Bank of Scotland in the last six months. [249564]
Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many meetings Ministers in his Department have had with (a) directors and (b) staff of Northern Rock since its entering into temporary public ownership; [249565]
(2) what the policy of Northern Rock is on the payment of bonuses to (a) staff and (b) directors in respect of (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009; [249600]
(3) how many (a) employees and (b) directors of Northern Rock were paid more than £100,000 in 2008; [249601]
(4) what Northern Rock’s level of mortgage lending is; and what it was in January 2008. [249602]
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