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11 Feb 2009 : Column 2054W—continued
Police: Helicopters
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police helicopters in England were shared with local ambulance services in 2007-08. [254690]
Mr. Coaker: In 2007-08 there were two shared Police/Air Ambulance operations in England, based at Devizes in Wiltshire and at Shoreham in Sussex, operated by Wiltshire Constabulary and Sussex Police respectively.
Police: Licensing Act 2003
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effects of the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 on the shift patterns of police forces in (a) Lancashire and (b) England and Wales. [253222]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 2 February 2009]: The shift patterns of police officers is an operational matter, and as such is for the chief constable to determine. However, the Government published a review of the Licensing Act 2003 in March 2008 which revealed a mixed picture in terms of its impact. The change in opening hours has not led to the widespread problems some people feared. Overall, crime and alcohol consumption are down, but there has been a small increase in alcohol-related violence in the early hours of the morning and some communities have seen a rise in disorder. Our main conclusion is that people are using the freedoms, but people are not sufficiently using the considerable powers granted by the Act to tackle problems, and that there is a need to rebalance action towards enforcement and crack down on irresponsible behaviour.
Additionally, we have introduced legislation for a new, mandatory code of practice. This will contain some compulsory national conditions, banning the most irresponsible practices and promotions which encourage people to drink excessively, or promote a binge-drinking culture. This will not affect the majority of businesses, small or large, who behave responsibly—but will target those that do not.
Further, the Government are funding a £4.5 million enforcement campaign, in addition to existing resources from the police, local authorities and others, focused on 40-50 priority areas and led by ACPO Commander Simon O’Brien. There is additional funding for the 20 priority PCT areas, and a £10 million investment in national awareness campaigns.
Police: North Yorkshire
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the funding of policing in North Yorkshire; and if she will make a statement. [255831]
Mr. Coaker: The Police Funding Settlement 2009-10 was debated and approved on 4 February and was broadly unchanged from that announced in December 2007.
In 2009-10, North Yorkshire police authority will receive £76.7 million in general grants, an increase of 2.5 per cent. (+£1.9 million) over 2008-09. North Yorkshire benefits from the decision to provide a funding floor of 2.5 per cent.; it would have received £5.8 million less if the funding formula had been strictly applied. In addition to general grant, North Yorkshire will also receive an estimated £11.2 million from a range of other Government funding.
A review of the funding formula for the next CSR period (2011-12 to 2013-14) is currently taking place with the Police Allocation Formula Working Group (PAFWG) continuing to meet throughout 2009 and early 2010. Following consultation, the formula will be revised as appropriate.
Police: Olympic Games 2012
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when police forces will receive notification from the Olympic Delivery Authority of their funding entitlement for policing the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. [256129]
Mr. Coaker: Work is continuing to finalise the strategy and plans for the security of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Home Office has provided funding to police forces in 2007-08 and 2008-09 to enable them to plan and prepare for the Games. It will continue to make available funding as necessary. Any decisions will need to take account of the operational needs of the police and other security agencies, affordability within the total funding envelope and the need to secure value for money.
Police: Standards
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 98W, on police: standards, what targets have been removed; and on what date each ceased to have effect. [254341]
Jacqui Smith: The Government have been clarifying the performance management framework for the police for some time, to help the police focus more effectively on the issues that concern the public. The top down numerical target which concerned frontline officers the most—to increase the total number of offences brought to justice from the 2004 Public Service Agreements (PSAs)—ceased to have effect at the end of 2007-08. The Policing Green Paper made further significant changes as part of its broader proposals for reforming the relationship between the police service, the public and the Home Office. In particular, the Government committed to a single top down target for police forces—on improving public confidence.
Centrally set efficiency and productivity targets for individual forces and authorities ceased to have effect from the publication of the Policing Green Paper (17 July 2008). Volume and value targets on cash forfeiture orders also ceased to have effect on that date. Centrally set 10-year race employment targets relating to the recruitment, retention and progression of black and minority ethnic police officers and staff come to an end on 31 March 2009, when a final report against a centrally set progression target will also be made.
Centrally set multi-agency targets for local criminal justice boards (LCJBs, on which police forces are members alongside other agencies) on enforcement (including fail to appear (FTA) warrant enforcement, community penalty breach enforcement and licence recall) and asset recovery (specifically on obtaining and enforcing confiscation orders) cease from April 2009. The Persistent Young Offenders (PYO) Pledge ended on 31 December 2008.
All of this demonstrates how we are complying with our commitment in the Green Paper to “neither set nor maintain” top down numerical targets for individual police forces with the exception of one—to raise public confidence that their local crime and antisocial behaviour priorities are being addressed.
Powers of Entry
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department has issued to public authorities with powers of entry on the manner in which those powers should be exercised in respect of forced entry. [256717]
Mr. Coaker: Section 67(9) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 requires that persons other than police officers charged with the duty of investigating offences or charging offenders shall have regard to the relevant provisions of the PACE code of practice. PACE code B on searching premises and seizing property requires that reasonable and proportionate force may be used if necessary to enter premises if the person in charge of the search is satisfied the premises are those specified in any warrant or in the exercise of statutory powers and if the occupier or any other person entitled to grant access has refused entry; it is impossible to communicate with the occupier or any other person entitled to grant access; the person entitled to grant access is absent; or there are reasonable grounds to believe that alerting the occupier or any other person entitled to grant access would frustrate the object of the search or endanger those exercising the search or others.
Tackling Knives Action Programme
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of additional (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions which have taken place as a consequence of the Tackling Knives Action Programme (TKAP) in each of the 10 TKAP areas. [252116]
Jacqui Smith: Management information being used to monitor TKAP suggests that in the period June to November 2008 there were 815 more convictions for possession of a knife or offensive weapon in the 10 TKAP areas than in the same period of 2007. This figure is provisional.
Figures for prosecutions are published annually. The latest available figures are for 2007 (prior to the establishment of the Tackling Knives Action Programme). Figures for 2008 will be released in autumn 2009.
Terrorism: Deportation
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the Government in its policy of seeking to persuade the European Court of Human Rights to reconsider its jurisprudence on the deportation of terrorist suspects in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement. [255248]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 9 February 2009]: The Government’s submissions on this point were considered by the Grand Chamber of the Court in the context of the case of Saadi v. Italy. In its judgment (given on 28 February 2008), the Court rejected the Government’s arguments and reaffirmed the existing article 3 case law as set out in Chahal v. the UK.
UK Border Agency: Correspondence
Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a reply will be sent to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood’s letter of 16 December 2008 to the UK Border Agency on behalf of Said Bouzinab (Home Office reference B493071, acknowledgement reference B41558/8). [255765]
Mr. Woolas: The regional director for the North West, Gill Mortlock, wrote to my right hon. Friend on 5 February 2009.
Work Permits
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits have been issued to non-EU nationals in each of the last 10 years. [254416]
Jacqui Smith: The following table shows the number of work permit applications for non-EU workers approved in each of the last 10 years.
| Individual approved work permit applications for the period 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2008 | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to nearest five. 2. The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. | |
The figures do not equate to the number of individual nationals who were granted permits because they include those applications approved to extend or amend an existing permit or where the individual has moved to another job with a different employer. Not all those who were granted a permit took up the job and some may have been refused entry clearance or further leave to remain.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for a work permit on the basis of an intra company transfer in respect of non-UK nations were (a) made and (b) granted in each of the last (i) five years and (ii) four quarters. [254490]
Mr. Woolas: The following table shows the number of work permit applications made and approved for Intra-Company Transfers in each of the last five years and each of the last four quarters.
| Number of individual work permit intra-company transfer applications made and approved for the period 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2008 | ||||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | Total | |
| Number of individual work permit intra-company transfer applications made and approved for each quarter during the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 | |||||
| January to March | April to June | July to September | October to December | Total | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to nearest 5. 2. Because of rounding, figures may not add up to totals shown. 3. Caveats: The figures do not equate to the number of individual nationals who were granted permits because they include those applications approved to extend or amend an existing permit or where the individual has moved to another job with a different employer. Not all those who were granted a permit took up the job and some may have been refused entry clearance or further leave to remain. | |||||
The figures quoted are not provided under national statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many companies obtained a grant for an intra company transfer in each of the last five years, broken down by industry sector. [254491]
Mr. Woolas: The following table shows the number of companies who obtained an approval for an intra-company transfer in each of the last five years, broken down by industry sector.
Number of companies who obtained an approval for an intra-company transfer application for the period 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2008
| Industry Name | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | Total |
| (1 )Indicates 1 or 2. Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to nearest 5. 2. Because of rounding, figures may not add up to totals shown 3. The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. | ||||||
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