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15 Jun 2009 : Column 33W—continued
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2009, Official Report, column 1293W, on entry clearances: overseas students, whether the stipulated accreditation entities define the (a) method and (b) frequency with which assessments are undertaken. [277885]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 3 June 2009]: The definition of the method and frequency of educational institutions' assessment of students is not the responsibility of the UK Border Agency's approved accreditation bodies.
The awarding bodies responsible for each recognised qualification set out the standards required to achieve the qualification, as well as the assessment methods that are appropriate for each particular qualification.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to expedite the issuing of visas for schoolchildren from overseas who wish to attend independent schools in the UK from September 2009. [278677]
Mr. Woolas:
There are no special arrangements to expedite the issuing of visas for schoolchildren from overseas who wish to attend independent schools in the
UK. We are committed to processing all visa applications in line with our Customers Service Standards, published on our website at:
and which provide a prompt service.
Firearms
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal firearms were seized as a result of operations by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in 2008-09. [278432]
Alan Johnson: In 2008-09, 72 illicit firearms were seized in the UK and 110 seized overseas as a result of operations by the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
Identity and Passport Service: Disciplinary Proceedings
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff of the Identity and Passport Service were (a) investigated, (b) disciplined and (c) dismissed for (i) making procedural errors and (ii) attempted fraud in the issuing of passports in each of the last five years. [276831]
Alan Johnson: The information requested is given in the tables.
These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, should be treated as provisional and is subject to change.
| Procedural errors of passports | Investigated | Disciplined( 1) | Dismissed |
| (1) Indicates an action other than a dismissal. | |||
IPS interprets 'procedural errors' as any situation where the designated policies and procedures involved in the issuing, examining, interviewing etc of passports are not followed, regardless of the intent, i.e. honest mistake (human error) or with a criminal intent.
Even if a an officer makes an honest mistake a sanction will be applied i.e. further training, work under supervision etc. Consistent thwarting of policies and procedures would involve dismissal as the ultimate sanction.
The following figures relate to investigations undertaken by the IPS Internal Investigations Team, into allegations or suspicions of fraud in the issuing of passports, in the last five financial years:
| Investigated | Disciplined | Dismissed | |
| (1) A further 12 investigations are ongoing. | |||
Immigration Controls: Fees and Charges
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2009, Official Report, column 1295W, on immigration controls, whether the charge for each certificate of sponsorship will be made in advance of a submission of a certificate. [277883]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 3 June 2009]: The payment for each certificate of sponsorship is taken before it can be released to a migrant to enable them to apply for a visa or further leave.
Immigration: Gurkhas
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on Government policy in respect of Gurkha settlement rights. [274005]
Mr. Woolas: We were determined to get the guidance right to ensure that it is fair to all Gurkhas. Officials in the UK Border Agency consulted across Government.
The consultation process and the issues involved were complex. There was a need to consider issues such as how many former Gurkhas would want to settle, the impact on communities and affordability.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of retired Gurkhas expected to settle in the UK following the High Court decision of 30 September 2008. [274006]
Mr. Woolas: As a result of the High Court decision of 30 September 2008 the UK Border Agency issued revised guidance on 24 April 2009 for considering settlement applications from former Gurkhas. We estimated that approximately 10,000 former Gurkhas and their families would benefit from the new guidance and would be entitled to settle in the United Kingdom should they choose to do so. These estimates were based on an analysis of records held by the Ministry of Defence.
On 21 May 2009 the Home Secretary announced that any former Gurkha with more than four years service who had been discharged from the Brigade of Gurkhas before 1 July 1997 would be eligible for settlement in the UK. We estimate that 36,000 former Gurkhas are now eligible to apply to come to the United Kingdom although we believe that not all of those would want to settle here.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many legacy cases involving Gurkhas the UK Border Agency has; [275905]
(2) how many Gurkha legacy cases had been concluded by 31 May 2009. [278549]
Mr. Woolas: Legacy cases are recorded by nationality. It is not possible to disaggregate the number of Nepalese cases that may involve Gurkhas without the examination of individual cases at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of (a) former Gurkha soldiers and (b) dependants of such soldiers eligible for residency in the UK following the recent change in policy, broken down by period of service during (a) 1947 to 1952, (b) 1953 to 1958, (c) 1959 to 1964, (d) 1965 to 1969, (e) 1970 to 1974, (f) 1975 to 1979, (g) 1980 to 1984, (h) 1985 to 1989, (i) 1990 to 1994, (j) 1995 to 1999 and (k) 2000 to 2004. [278660]
Mr. Woolas: The estimate of the number of former Gurkha soldiers and the dependants of such soldiers eligible for residency in the UK following the recent change in policy was not broken down by the period of service of the former Gurkha soldiers.
The estimates were based on the known age profile of former Gurkha soldiers and the estimated age profile of their spouses and dependants.
Immigration: Health Professions
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign-born (a) doctors and (b) nurses have achieved residency requirements in the UK in each of the last three years by country of origin. [276890]
Mr. Woolas: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 2 June 2009, Official Report, columns 362-63W.
Internet: Privacy
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make an assessment of the likely effects on the privacy of individuals of (a) Google's use of personal information in its online advertising and search functions and (b) the model for targeted online advertising used by Phorm and other companies. [276980]
Mr. McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
All providers of behavioural advertising have to comply with UK laws.
The Internet Advertising Bureau (the IAB), the UK trade association, has developed with Members a set of principles on the use of data to provide online behavioural advertising (OBA) to safeguard individual privacy. They are public commitments of good practice made by the signatory Members to users.
They are based on three core principles—notice about data collection, user choice as to whether to participate and education about behavioural advertising and its benefits—with the goal of building trust and understanding in OBA and enhancing users' ability to control the use of information for these purposes.
The principles address a broader scope than required under existing law, by covering the use of all information used for OBA, both anonymous information and personal data (in the United Kingdom, the latter is primarily addressed by the Data Protection Act 1998, as amended, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003). They also consider where special care is needed for certain categories of data, such as personally identifiable information or sensitive data.
Signatories of the Good Practice Principles include Google and Phorm.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter of 11 November 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Safia Sher Wali Mamakhel. [250863]
Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend the former Home Secretary (Jacqui Smith), wrote to the right hon. Member on 19 January 2009.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter of 12 February 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. A Ur Rehman. [266363]
Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend the former Home Secretary (Jacqui Smith) wrote to the right hon. Member on 6 April 2009.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter of 21 April 2009 from the hon. Member for Billericay on his constituents Mr and Mrs Adedoyin (case reference M9615/9). [277870]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 3 June 2009]: The UK Border Agency replied to the hon. Member on 3 June 2009.
Parliamentary Questions: Government Responses
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he plans to provide a substitution answer to question 265844, on European arrest warrants and prison escapes, tabled on 18 March 2009 for answer on 24 March; [268902]
(2) when he plans to provide a substitution answer to question 265788, on European arrest warrants, tabled on 18 March 2009 for answer on 24 March. [268903]
Alan Johnson [holding answer 21 April 2009]: I replied to the hon. Member on 9 June 2009, Official Report, column 814W.
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he plans to provide a substitution answer to question 265789, on European arrest warrants, tabled on 18 March 2009 for answer on 24 March; [268904]
(2) when he plans to provide a substitution answer to question 265787, on European arrest warrants and convictions, tabled on 18 March 2009 for answer on 24 March. [268906]
Alan Johnson [holding answer 21 April 2009]: I replied to the hon. Member on 9 June 2009, Official Report, column 815W.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to answer Question 270715 tabled on 20 April 2009, on the hon. Member for Ashford; and if he will make a statement. [275604]
Mr. Hanson: My hon. Friend, the previous Minister for Policing, Crime and Security (Vernon Coaker), replied to the hon. Member on 8 June 2009, Official Report, column 713W.
Passports
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new passport applications his Department has (a) received and (b) refused in the last 12 months. [278111]
Mr. Woolas: The following table shows total intake and volumes of applications that were failed on nationality grounds and volumes that were withdrawn from the application process for other reasons.
| Intake | Failed | Withdrawn | Total | |
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