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24 Apr 2009 : Column 946W—continued
Crimes of Violence: Licensed Premises
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many assaults on licensees were reported to the police in each of the last five years; [270530]
(2) how many cases of assaults on licensees were taken to court in each of the last five years; and how many custodial sentences were imposed following convictions in such cases; [270532]
(3) how many assaults on licensees resulted in a caution for the attacker in each of the last five years. [270534]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 23 April 2009]: The Home Office does not collect data centrally on the number of assaults on licensees.
Information held on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database does not include the employment status of persons assaulted as the database purely focuses on the persons proceeded against at court and not the victims of any offences. Only in certain rare instances can some of the victim details be gleaned from the wording of the statute involved.
This does not apply for assaults and neither is there a separate statute offence for assaults on licensees.
The issue of assaults on licensees has been raised with the Home Office by National Pubwatch. The Home Office is looking into this matter and a meeting has been arranged with the Chair of National Pubwatch to discuss the matter further.
Cybercrime
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed in the e-crime department of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in April 2006; and how many people are now so employed. [269673]
Mr. Alan Campbell: In April 2006 50 staff, employed previously by the National High Tech Crime Unit, were absorbed into the Serious Organised Crime Agency. At that point the work of the High Tech Crime Unit was divided between SOCA's e-crime department and the Child Exploitation and On-line Protection Centre (CEOP).
In April 2009, 38 staff were directly employed in the SOCA e-crime department, with other staff employed by CEOP working on offences of alleged child abuse where technology may be a factor.
Departmental ICT
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from her Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if she will make a statement. [269570]
Mr. Woolas: As already reported to the Cabinet Office in the CIO Green ICT roadmap, for Home Office core and UKBA we are currently analysing, planning and implementing (where appropriate) the actions laid out in the strategy. Our main ICT suppliers are required to provide low power consumption devices. We have initiated projects to configure our workstations to automatically power down after hours, to virtualise a significant proportion of our server estate and to implement thin client technology. We have reduced the amount of ICT devices and we are extending “smart working” which will also contribute to reduce the amount of ICT equipment on the estate.
Foreign Workers
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has she made of the effects on the economy of migrant labour; and if she will make a statement. [269155]
Mr. Woolas: We know that migration has made a huge contribution to the economy and the Treasury estimated that in 2006, new migrants added around £6 billion to the economy. Even during the recession migration continues to play an important role in the UK but there needs to be a balance and we are giving greater support to domestic workers so that we can all come through the recession stronger.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight of 5 December 2008 on protection of the personal details of a constituent, in respect of which the hon. Member has written to her on 9 January, 24 February and 27 March 2009. [268224]
Mr. Woolas: Inquiries from my officials have established that the letter referred to in the Question is about settlement in the UK for former Gurkhas who retired before July 1997.
In September 2008, the High Court agreed that the 1997 cut-off date applied to retired Gurkhas was sound and not discriminatory. However, it did find that the policy guidance relating to the treatment of Gurkhas discharged before 1997 was not sufficiently clear and did not cover service-related factors. We are determined
to get the revised guidance right to ensure that it is fair to all Gurkhas and this has involved consultation across Government.
The revised guidance for Gurkhas who retired before July 1997 and who wish to seek settlement in the UK will be published by 24 April. We want to give Members the fullest possible information and we therefore plan to write to them on or soon after that date with an explanation of our revised guidance.
Racial Hatred
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2009, Official Report, column 1315W, on Anti-Semitism: publications, how much racially inflammatory material that could be perceived as potential incitement to the committing of hate-related crime has been reported to the police for evaluation and assessment in the last six months; and if she will make a statement. [270162]
Mr. Alan Campbell: This information is not available. Data on such activity are collected by police forces at the point of report but are not collated.
Repatriation
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme in 2007. [269222]
Mr. Woolas: This information is currently not available as the cost of the 2007 Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) is subject to audit.
The UK Border Agency audit of this data will be completed within the next month.
Telecommunications: Databases
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2009, Official Report, column 1642W, on telecommunications: databases, from which budgets the Interception Modernisation Programme will be funded. [269931]
Mr. Coaker: The Interception Modernisation Programme is a cross-Government programme, funded by the Home Office.
Vandalism: Arrests
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests there have been for offences relating to acts of vandalism in (a) West Chelmsford constituency, (b) Essex and (c) England in each year since 2000. [269096]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Available information on arrests for criminal damage offences (which include vandalism) in Essex police force area and England are provided in the table.
The data on arrests held by the Home Office are reported at police force area level only therefore information on arrests in West Chelmsford is not available.
| Number of persons of all ages arrested for criminal damage, 2000-01 to 2006-07 | ||
| Police force area | ||
| Essex | England | |
House of Commons Commission
Members: E-mail
Mr. Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009, Official Report, columns 1211-2W, on hon. Members: email, if the Commission will make the House's remote access software compatible with Pretty Good Privacy software in order to enable hon. Members to communicate with constituents securely. [269925]
Nick Harvey: PICT's encryption services do not cover Members' emails once they have left the parliamentary network. Members' ability to install their own email encryption software was covered in the answer referred to above.
Mr. Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009, Official Report, columns 1211-2W, on hon. Members: email, for what technical reasons the remote access software is incompatible with the Pretty Good Privacy cryptography application. [269926]
Nick Harvey: PICT was advised by Pretty Good Privacy Corporation that their product was not compatible with the versions of VPN software in use by Parliament.
Mr. Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009, Official Report, columns 1211-2W, on hon. Members: email, what the encryption software identified during the PICT assessment that may be installed on PICT-owned personal computers at no cost to hon. Members is; and what the technical encryption standard of such software is. [269927]
Nick Harvey: Following industry practice and as a policy PICT does not disclose information about the security products in use within Parliament.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Adult Education
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many (a) men and (b) women there were on adult learner places funded by the Learning and Skills Council in each year since 2004-05. [269825]
Mr. Simon: The table shows the number of male and female adult learners that were participating in further education and skills funded by the Learning and Skills Council, between 2004/05 and 2007/08.
| Male and female adult participation (aged 19+) in LSC-funded further education and skills | ||||
| Full year (final) | Full year (provisional) | |||
| 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | |
| Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest hundred, and may not sum to totals. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the academic year. 3. Learner volumes are used as a measure for comparative purposes. Full-year numbers are a count of the number of learners that participated at any point during the year. Learners are included only once for each programme they are involved in. For example, if a learner is undertaking two A-levels at an FE college, they will be counted only once. If a learner undertakes an apprenticeship and a Train to Gain qualification in the same year, then they will be counted twice in this table. Source: Further Education, Work Based Learning, Adult Community Learning, University for Industry, Train to Gain ILR | ||||
Over the past few years the Government have prioritised investment in adult skills towards those courses that best provide individuals with the skills to enter into sustained employment and progress into further learning. This strategy has paid dividends with record levels of adults participating in Skills for Life (Numeracy and Literacy), Full Level 2 and Full Level 3 qualifications.
Adult Education: Finance
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans his Department has for the funding of the foundation learning tier for learners aged (a) 16 to 19, (b) 19 to 25 and (c) over 25 years with learning difficulties or disabilities. [270235]
Mr. Simon: As part of the 14 to 19 education and adult skills reforms, we are developing the Foundation Learning Tier (FLT) to create a more coherent set of entry level and level 1 qualifications for both young people and adults. By 2010/11 we expect the majority of foundation learning to be offered through the FLT in all settings. There will be a focus on employability throughout the FLT, supporting independent living where possible, which is vital for those with LDD.
Planned investment for adults aged 19 or over (including those aged 25 or over) undertaking FLT activity is estimated at around £230 million each year for 2008-09 and 2009-10 (Grant Letter to Learning and Skills Council (LSC), November 2008). The exact amount spent on adults through the FLT will depend on demand; however the funding is not separated out within this age group.
Funding for 16 to 18-year-olds is allocated in line with the expected route of learning, for example schools, further education colleges, work-based learning and specialist colleges for those with LDD. This provides support for all 16-18 year olds across a range of levels including accessing learning within the FLT, although there is no separate budget identified for this activity within the Grant Letter to the LSC.
Apprentices: Management
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people in each (a) age group and (b) region and of each (i) sex and (ii) ethnic group (A) started and (B) completed apprenticeships in management in each of the last five years. [268145]
Mr. Simon: Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4 show the number of apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship starts and achievements in management related frameworks (Business Administration and Management) in the last five years, broken down by age, gender, ethnicity and region, respectively. Copies of these tables have been provided and the relevant data will be placed in the Library.
The Government are committed to rebuilding apprenticeships. Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007-08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeship—up from 37 per cent. in 2004-05.
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