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16 Jun 2009 : Column 188W—continued
Cybercrime
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many websites were closed down by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency's E-Crime Unit in 2008-09. [278431]
Alan Johnson: The responsibility for closing down fraudulent or malicious websites rests with communication service providers, who act on a variety of information including that which may have been provided by SOCA. SOCA is only directly involved in the closure of the site in the event that the provider has failed to respond to a take down notice, or if data need to be preserved or acquired for a statutory purpose.
During 2008-09, there were more than 36 separate occasions where the e-Crime department was directly involved in the removal of such websites.
Departmental Older Workers
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of staff aged over (a) 55 and (b) 65 years his Department employs. [278145]
Mr. Woolas: As at 30 April 2009 the Home Office employed 3,315 staff aged over 55.
Of these, 115 are over 65 years.
Deportation: Vietnam
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Vietnamese (a) adults and (b) children have been deported from the UK in the last three years. [278934]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only by the examination of individual Home Office files at disproportionate cost.
Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate web site at:
Deportation: Zimbabwe
Chris Huhne:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people (a) have been
forcibly removed to and (b) returned voluntarily to Zimbabwe in each week of 2009. [278555]
Alan Johnson [holding answer 10 June 2009]: The requested information is not available. The following table shows the number of removals and voluntary departures from the United Kingdom to Zimbabwe between January and March 2009, by month and type of departure. This is the latest period in 2009 for which published information is available.
Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
Detention Centres
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times he has visited immigration removal centres in the last 12 months. [278108]
Mr. Woolas: My right hon. Friend the Member for Redditch (Jacqui Smith), the former Home Secretary visited one immigration removal centre (IRC) in the past 12 months—she opened Brook House IRC on 18 March 2009.
Entry Clearances: Religious Persons
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of the new regulations for religious workers who apply for a visa to enter the UK; how many applicants have been refused under the new arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [276435]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 20 May 2009]: There are provisions for religious workers to enter the UK under the new points based system, using Tier 2: Minister of Religion Route or Tier 5 Religious Worker. Both of these tiers were implemented on 27 November 2008. During the development of this policy and since implementation, officials have engaged with faith communities about these provisions. As the points based system beds in, it will undergo further evaluation.
In answer to the request for refusal figures, we are planning to publish information in August which will address grants and refusals. We will be able to provide the information requested at this point.
Entry Clearances: Sports Competitors
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were received for sports visas in each of the last five years; and what percentage of each were approved in each such year. [277437]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 1 June 2009]: The data are not available as visas for sportspersons were not identified separately for the period in question.
Forensic Science Service
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the likely effects of the proposed restructuring of the Forensic Science Service (FSS) on (a) the efficiency with which crimes will be solved and (b) the range of services and expertise available at the FSS. [280252]
Mr. Alan Campbell:
The transformation of the Forensic Science Service (FSS) was announced by written ministerial statement on 8 June 2009, Official Report, column 21WS. The FSS will continue to provide its services to
its customers throughout this period of change and the process of re-organisation is to make the business more efficient, more cost-effective and to consolidate its expertise so that it can compete more effectively in the competitive market for forensic procurement.
The way in which forensic science services are procured has changed significantly with the introduction of the National Forensic Procurement Framework, which is designed to improve the effectiveness of police procurement in this area.
It should be emphasized that at present all proposals are subject to collective consultation which was launched on 8 June 2009.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Minister authorised the proposed job restructuring at the Forensic Science Service. [280401]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The transformation of the Forensic Science Service (FSS) was announced by written ministerial statement (WMS) on 8 June 2009, Official Report, column 21WS. As the WMS makes clear, the transformation programme is the central focus of the FSS Strategic Business Plan presented by the board to the Home Office in December, and now approved following rigorous consultation with HM Treasury.
There are as yet no firm proposals for restructuring, the FSS has launched a consultation process on a major transformation programme, with the support of the Home Office shareholder.
G20: Greater London
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2009, Official Report, column 595W, on G20: Greater London, what accommodation was used by the 329 police officers from other forces while they were in London. [278430]
Alan Johnson: Out of the 329 non-Metropolitan police officers involved in the policing of the G20 protests referred to in the answer of 21 April 2009, Official Report, columns 594-95W, 80 were accommodated at a central London hotel. The rest did not require accommodation.
Gurkhas
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he plans to take in response to the Nepalese Government's request that his Department's policy on former Gurkha soldiers introduced in 2004 be applied to all former Gurkha soldiers. [280395]
Mr. Woolas: Policy introduced in 2004 enables those who served in the Brigade of Gurkhas, for a minimum of four years, on or after July 1997 to apply for settlement in the United Kingdom.
On 21 May 2009, the Home Secretary announced that new guidance would be published to make it clear that those who served between 1945 and 1997 and who
have served a minimum of four years would be eligible to apply for settlement. This guidance has now been published.
Human Trafficking
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2008, Official Report, column 512W, on human trafficking, what the nationalities were of those (a) arrested and (b) convicted of human trafficking offences in the UK in each of the last five years. [277147]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The list of countries of origin to date of those arrested and/or convicted of human trafficking offences is set out as follows:
United Kingdom
Nigeria
Somalia
Romania
Poland
Spain
Lithuania
Latvia
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Kosovo
Turkey
Thailand
Malaysia
Pakistan
Albania
Hungary
Moldova
Vietnam
Slovakia
Congo
Brazil
China
Ukraine
Czech Republic
Portugal
Serbia
Germany
Philippines
Macedonia
Greece
Immigration
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of stateless people residing in the UK. [271503]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 27 April 2009]: As signatories to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (‘the Stateless Convention’) we fulfil our Convention obligations, including recognition of the definition of stateless contained in Article 1 of the Convention.
No estimate has been made of the number of stateless people residing in the UK by the Home Office.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance is available to stateless people in the UK. [271504]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 27 April 2009]: As signatories to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (‘the Stateless Convention’) we fulfil our convention obligations, including recognition of the definition of stateless contained in article 1 of the convention.
There is no provision in primary legislation or in the Immigration Rules that provides for assistance to be made available to a person on the basis of a claim that they are stateless. As with any other person subject to immigration control, a person claiming to be stateless will only be eligible for publicly funded assistance in limited circumstances: if they have applied for leave to enter or remain in the UK under the Immigration Rules, or if they have made a claim for international protection, and meet the criteria for specific assistance as applicable. While each case would be considered on its merits, in practice stateless people who are granted international protection would be eligible for assistance.
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