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16 Mar 2009 : Column 923W—continued
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) UK and (b) overseas-based lorry drivers were issued with fines for smuggling illegal immigrants into the UK in 2008. [263208]
Mr. Woolas: There have been 1,766 processed cases involving lorry drivers who were served with penalties for smuggling immigrants into the UK during 2008.
This figure can be broken down as follows:
(a) 195 UK lorry drivers
(b) 1,571 overseas drivers
Some penalties issued during the last two quarters of 2008 are still to be processed.
These figures have been sourced from locally collated management information held within locally accessed computer systems and do not represent National Statistics. They have not been the subject of National Statistics protocols and verification and should therefore be treated as provisional and subject to change.
Illegal Immigrants: Detainees
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants were being held in police detention on 28 February 2009. [263215]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual records which would be at disproportionate cost.
Immigration
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the evidential basis is for the Minister for Borders and Immigration disagreeing with the Office for National Statistics’ figures on the number of the British population who are born abroad. [264039]
Mr. Woolas: This Government established the UK Statistics Authority, the executive office of which is the Office for National Statistics. These bodies report directly to Parliament.
I made it clear that my concerns were not with the figures themselves but rather the news release published at short-notice on 11 February 2009 entitled “UK Born and Non UK Born Employment” and the way these figures, taken together, can be used by others.
The figure of 6.5 million people (one in nine of the total population) born overseas and resident in the UK, published by the Office for National Statistics on 24 February 2009, is a wide definition which includes British nationals born overseas (for example children whose parents are in the armed forces). The 4.1 million figure (one in 15 of the total population) provides a better indication of the nationality of those resident in the UK.
They also include people who are here temporarily (working or students).
We will continue to use the Points-Based System to ensure that we are doing the right thing by British workers and for the long-term stability of the economy. Given the economic circumstances and the action we are taking to be more selective, we expect the number of migrants coming to the UK from outside the European Economic Area to fall during the next financial year.
Immigration Controls: Educational Institutions
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions there have been between her Department and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills on the requirements placed upon higher and further education institutions under Tier 4 of the immigration controls established in 2008. [261849]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 9 March 2009]: The phased implementation of Tier 4 of the Points Based System, which has been agreed with the education sector and Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills, commenced on 28 July 2008, when the UK Border Agency started accepting sponsor licence applications from educational institutions that wish to bring students from outside the European Economic Area to the UK for study. The Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 314) laid before the House on 9 March 2009 marks the start of the second phase: from 31 March 2009, only UK Border Agency licensed institutions will be able to bring students to the UK, and student applicants will need to meet the Tier 4 points test before being granted leave to enter or remain.
The Joint Education Taskforce is the UK Border Agency's principal mechanism for consultation with the education sector and has been running since 2005. The JET comprises senior figures and representative
bodies from all parts of the education sector, including higher and further education and officials from DIUS, and it and its sub-groups meet on a regular basis.
In addition, throughout the development of Tier 4, the Home Department has had numerous meetings with DIUS and the education sector at both ministerial and official level. There has also been frequent ministerial and official correspondence between both Departments and the sector, regarding the requirements of the new system upon higher and further education institutions.
Immigration: Families
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultation her Department undertook before deciding to withdraw the seven year concession on removal of families. [251838]
Mr. Woolas: Wide debate and consultation was undertaken across the relevant UK Border Agency departments and with Ministers before withdrawing the concession and applying a much more structured consideration to all family cases under the Immigration Rules and the European Convention on Human Rights. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement of 9 December 2008, Official Report, column 49WS.
Members: Correspondence
Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the inquiry of 23 October 2008 from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood on Noreen Akhtar (reference A1048872). [259929]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency responded to the email from my right hon. Friend on 6 March 2009.
National Security
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings Ministers in her Department have had with groups of British Muslims on the possible effects of events in Gaza since 27 December 2008 on domestic security levels; and what the names were of the individuals who attended each meeting. [252090]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 27 January 2009]: On 8 January I met individuals from the Shah Jahal mosque, Bristol and on 15 January the Communities Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr. Khan) and I met representatives and individuals from a number of organisations, including the Sufi Muslim Council, Al Khoei Foundation, the National Muslim Women’s Advisory Group, the Ithna Asheri Khoja Shia World Federation, Association of Muslim Social Scientists, the Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, Active Change Foundation, and Quilliam Foundation.
Offenders: Personal Records
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances information from the Police National Computer is sold; to whom it may be sold; what charges may be made; and if she will make a statement. [259059]
Mr. Coaker: The Police National Computer is operated and managed by the National Policing Improvement Agency on behalf of the police service.
The cost of operation and management is charged to users (police forces in England, Wales (Scotland, Northern Ireland)) and the following bodies which are authorised by information access principles:
1. Access Northern Ireland
2. British Transport Police
3. Charity Commission
4. Civil Nuclear Constabulary
5. Courts (Warrant Enforcement)
6. Criminal case Review Commission
7. Criminal Records Bureau
8. Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Litigations and Prosecutions
9. Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
10. Department for Transport
11. Department of Works and Pensions Solicitors
12. Disclosure Scotland
13. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority
14. Environment Agency
15. Financial Services Authority
16. Foreign and Commonwealth Office
17. Guernsey Police
18. Health and Safety Executive
19. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
20. Highways Agency
21. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
22. Home Office
23. Independent Police Complaints Commission
24. Isle of Man Police
25. Jersey Police
26. Mersey Tunnel Police
27. Ministry of Defence (MOD) Police
28. Ministry Of Justice
29. MOD Defence Vetting Agency
30. National Air Traffic Services Ltd.
31. National Offender Management Service
32. National Health Service Counter Fraud
33.Office for Civil Nuclear Security
34. Office of fair Trading
35. Port of Tilbury Police
36. Prison Service
37. Royal Military Police
38. Security Services
39. Service Police Crime Bureau
40. Serious Organised Crime Agency (Domestic)
41. Serious Organised Crime Agency (International)
42. United Kingdom Border Agency
43. Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.
Stop and Account
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces ceased using the stop and account form following the removal of the requirement to do so. [262348]
Jacqui Smith: From 1 January 2009, police forces in England and Wales are no longer required to complete a form when a stop and account is carried out. The only datum required to be recorded is that of ethnicity. The recording of that data is a matter for the chief officer of each individual police force.
Terrorism
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in implementing counter-terrorism local profiles to enable the sharing of information between local authority chief executives and police borough commanders. [263167]
Mr. Coaker: Guidance was sent to police counter-terrorism environments in January, and counter-terrorism local profiles are currently under production by forces. Some have already been completed and delivered to basic command unit commanders and local authority chief executives. We are working with Association of Chief Police Officers and forces to support the delivery of CTLPs for priority areas in the 24 forces in receipt of PREVENT funding by June, and all other areas by 31 August.
UK Border Agency: Complaints
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints regarding staff the UK Border Agency received in 2008. [263204]
Mr. Woolas: There were 436 recorded complaints made by members of the public against UK Border Agency staff in 2008.
There were 105 recorded complaints made by UK Border Agency staff against other UK Border Agency staff in 2008.
UK Border Agency: Correspondence
John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency will reply to the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare's, letters of 18 November 2008 and 5 January 2009 on behalf of his constituent, Mr. Richard Roller. [253132]
Mr. Woolas: Visa Services Directorate replied to the hon. Member's correspondence on 9 March. The Directorate apologises for the delay in replying. However, the Border Agency has no record of receiving the correspondence originally and Visa Services Directorate obtained a copy from the hon. Member's office on 2 February.
UK Border Agency: Data Protection
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in the UK Border Agency are authorised to access electronic files and databases relating to an individual's (a) immigration status, (b) asylum application and (c) passport application. [254445]
Mr. Woolas: UK Border Agency officials are authorised to access the Case Information Database (CID). It performs a vital role as the main system for case-working applications and checking immigration status. CID is also the sole system for the processing of asylum applications. There are approximately 16,000 registered users across the Agency; all of them are security cleared and trained to use the system. The system is subject to stringent security and data protection processes and is monitored regularly to ensure compliance with these areas.
Passport applications are handled separately by the Identity and Passport Service.
UK Border Agency: Marketing
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the UK Border Agency's 2008-09 budget is allocated for publicity and promotional purposes. [263206]
Mr. Woolas: The proportion of the UK Border Agency’s budget for 2008-09 allocated for publicity and promotion is 0.38 per cent.
This includes £2 million on marketing and £3.3 million on advertising and promotion.
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