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4 Feb 2009 : Column 1248W—continued
Passports: Lost Property
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports were (a) issued and (b) reported (i) lost and (ii) stolen from each passport office in each of the last three years. [254134]
Meg Hillier [holding answer 3 February 2009]: The figures in the following table set out the numbers of passport or supporting document deliveries that have been recorded as lost or stolen either during the delivery process, or due to being delivered incorrectly by the secure delivery courier.
| Number | ||
| (1) Provisional | ||
It is not possible, in the time given, to report these figures for each Passport Office or to differentiate between losses of passports and losses of supporting documents.
The majority of these losses (around 90 per cent.) are a consequence of items being incorrectly delivered. These figures are collated in line with the contractual arrangements with Secure Mail Services (SMS), the Secure Delivery provider, who commenced the secure delivery of passports in 2004.
Over five million items a year are delivered to IPS customers through the Secure Delivery service. IPS and SMS continue to work closely to improve upon losses
while maintaining minimum inconvenience to customers. All passport losses are added to the database of lost or stolen passports, which is maintained by IPS.
Police: Essex
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will commission a report from the Commissioner of Essex Police on the amount spent by (a) Essex and (b) Southend police on (i) own force investigations, (ii) supervised investigations, (iii) managed investigations and (iv) independent investigations in each of the last three years for which information is available. [253020]
Mr. Coaker: This information is not held by the Home Office. This is a matter for the chief constable of Essex police.
Police: Forensic Science Service
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces do not employ the Forensic Science Service (FSS); and what the average duration of a FSS contract with the police was in each of the last five years. [253169]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 2 February 2009]: All police forces submit some work to the Forensic Science Service (FSS).
Most police forces have contracted on the basis of service level agreements which are between one and two years’ duration. Other contracts have been awarded to FSS following a police tendering exercise and are usually three years’ in duration with an option to extend the contract for a further two years.
Police: Pay
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid to police officers of each rank in each police force under the Chief Officers' Bonus Scheme in each year since its creation; for what reason each bonus was paid; how many officers refused to accept a bonus; what criteria are used in awarding such bonuses; what discussions she has had with the Association of Chief Police Officers about the bonus scheme; and if she will make a statement. [252953]
Mr. Coaker: Data relating to the levels of bonuses, the reasons for payment and any refusals are not held centrally. Chief officers are eligible for bonuses as part of their performance pay arrangements; the bonus criteria are set out in Police Negotiating Board Circular 2005/03. I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the House Library. My right hon. Friend and I meet regularly with ACPO to discuss a range of issues.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid from the Chief Police Officers’ bonus scheme in each of the last three years; and what individual payments were made to each recipient. [253205]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 2 February 2009]: Decisions on chief officer bonus payments are a matter for the police authority. Data on the bonuses paid to chief officers are not held centrally.
Police: Prosecutions
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serving police officers have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted of a criminal offence in each month since June 2006, broken down by (i) sex, (ii) age and (iii) police force; and how many were (A) suspended from duty, (B) demoted, (C) dismissed and (D) cautioned. [253017]
Mr. Alan Campbell: I have been informed by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform that the data held centrally on court proceedings do not contain information about the circumstances behind each case, beyond the description provided in the statute under which prosecutions are brought.
It is therefore not possible to identify the occupation of a defendant who has been prosecuted or convicted of a criminal offence. As a result the information requested on court proceedings is not available.
Police: Resignations
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many heads of police forces have been requested to resign by (a) her and her predecessors and (b) the relevant police authority in each year since 1997. [247111]
Jacqui Smith: The information is as follows:
(a) Following the fatal shooting of James Ashley in 1998 the then Home Secretary wrote to Sussex police in 2001 urging it to take action to restore public confidence. Paul Whitehouse, the chief constable, retired.
Michael Bichard's independent enquiry into child protection measures, record keeping, vetting and information sharing in Humberside police and Cambridgeshire constabulary reported in 2004. Subsequently the then Home Secretary required Humberside police authority to suspend chief constable David Westwood. David Westwood retired.
(b) The Home Office does not keep records of all discussions between police authorities and heads of police forces.
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of a refusal to comply with a Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act section 49 notice were notified to her Department in 2008. [253781]
Mr. Coaker: I understand that there were seven notifications of refusal to comply with a section 49 notice in the calendar year ending December 2008.
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000: Convictions
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for refusal to comply with a Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 section 49 notice there were in 2008. [253771]
Mr. Coaker: I understand that there was one conviction in the calendar year ending December 2008.
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000: Prosecutions
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for refusal to comply with a Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 section 49 notice there were in 2008. [253782]
Mr. Coaker: I understand that there was one prosecution in the calendar year ending December 2008.
Right of Search: Computers
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government plans to introduce legislation to require the police and security forces to obtain a warrant before remotely accessing web users' hard drives. [252558]
Mr. Coaker: No. There is already legislation which governs this issue. Remote police interference with a computer would require authorisation under Part III of the Police Act 1997, from a chief constable. Any such authorisation must also be notified to a Commissioner from the independent Office of Surveillance Commissioners. The Intelligence and Security Agencies would require a warrant authorised by the Secretary of State under the Intelligence Services Act 1994.
Security: Illegal Immigration
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many of the 3,275 cases where persons were suspected of working in the security industry in breach of immigration laws after a false name or national insurance number had been given to the Security Industry Authority have resulted in the (a) prosecution and (b) deportation or removal of the person concerned from the United Kingdom. [244298]
Mr. Woolas: Premature release of information relating to the introduction of right to work checks within the security industry was likely to have forewarned potential targets of our investigation into illegal working and compromised the UK Border Agency’s opportunity to mount targeted, intelligence led removal operations. Nevertheless the UK Border Agency carried out an extensive programme of visits to workplaces and home addresses during the course of its subsequent investigation.
UK Border Agency internal management information indicates that 13 cases have been proceeded against for criminal offences, mainly involving forgery or the use of false identities and at least 35 former Security Industry Authority licence holders have been removed so far. This information has not been quality assured under national statistics protocols, is subject to change and should be treated as provisional.
In February this year, we introduced a tough new system of heavy financial penalties for employers found to be employing illegal migrant workers, making it progressively more difficult for illegal immigrants to remain in the United Kingdom. As a result of this—and the publicity surrounding action taken to revoke these
licences—we believe that many more individuals will have left the country voluntarily at no cost to the UK taxpayer.
Stop and Search
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2009, Official Report, columns 1628-29W, on stop and search, how many of those searched in each year were subsequently arrested. [252585]
Mr. Coaker: Information on the number of persons stopped and searched under section 44 (sections 1 and 2) of the Terrorism Act 2000 and resultant arrests, from 1999-2000 to 2006-07 (latest available) are provided in the following table.
| Searches of pedestrians, vehicles and occupants under sections 44(1) and 44(2) of the Terrorism Act 2000( 1) and resultant arrests, 1999-2000 to 2006-07—England and Wales | ||
| Number | ||
| Stops and searches in order to prevent acts of terrorism | ||
| Total searches | Resultant arrests | |
| (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. | ||
UK Border Agency: Appeals
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she monitors the length of time taken by the UK Border Agency between a successful appeal against its decisions and the regularisation of the applicants' paperwork; and if she will make a statement. [249970]
Jacqui Smith: UKBA does not currently monitor the length of time taken between a successful appeal and the regularisation of the applicants’ paperwork.
However, UKBA has recently reviewed the processes. The review has identified potential amendments to make the system more timely. We are currently working to finalise how these changes will be implemented. Arrangements have been made to monitor progress in this area.
Defence
Aircraft Carriers
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the effect of proposed job losses at Corus on the construction of the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers. [253477]
Mr. Quentin Davies: We do not anticipate this will have any effect on the construction of the aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.
Armed Forces: Expenditure
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on (a) the armed forces and (b) military intelligence since January 2002; and if he will make a statement. [252107]
Mr. Hutton: Historic Defence outturn figures, as published in UK Defence Statistics 2008, are set out in Table 1 as follows. Due to the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting in 2003-04 there are no comparable outturn figures for the years 2001-02 and 2002-03. More detailed Defence expenditure information is available in the annual report and accounts, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House.
| Table 1 | |
| Defence outturn (£ million) | |
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