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6 July 2009 : Column 564W—continued
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many breaches of information security there have been at (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in the last five years. [281057]
Mr. Woolas: It has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on breaches of information security.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in his Department are suspended; how many are suspended on full pay; for how long each has been suspended; and what the reasons are for each such suspension. [270524]
Mr. Woolas: Of the 26,935 staff employed within Home Office HQ, the UK Border Agency, the Identity and Passport Service and the Criminal Records Bureau, 34 members of staff were suspended as of 21 April 2009.
Information on the number of staff suspended on full pay is withheld on confidentiality grounds, as fewer than five members of staff are suspended with no pay.
The length of time staff have been suspended up to 21 April is as follows:
0-6 months—18 members of staff
6-12 months—fewer than five members of staff
1-2 years—six members of staff
2-3 years—fewer than five members of staff
3-4 years—fewer than five members of staff
4-5 years—fewer than five member of staff
The 34 members of staff were suspended pending the outcome of investigations into alleged misconduct or other serious concerns about their suitability for continued employment.
Departmental Public Consultation
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many public consultations have been conducted by his Department since 27 June 2007; what the title of each was; how many responses were received to each; and what estimate has been made of the total cost incurred for each consultation. [280912]
Mr. Woolas: In line with the Government’s code of practice on consultation, the Home Office publishes all its consultation documents on the websites referred to as follows. The number of responses received for individual consultations is recorded in the Government response documents. These are published on the relevant website alongside the consultations themselves. The costs incurred for each consultation are met from within existing departmental resources. It would not be possible to separate out the costs which could be attributed to a consultation from the normal day-to-day departmental business.
Deportation
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people awaiting deportation were held in open prisons on 1 June 2009. [282997]
Mr. Woolas: Figures published by the Ministry of Justice confirm that at March 2009 there were 204 foreign nationals held in open prisons. Information relating to the number of those who are awaiting deportation is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Deportation: Offenders
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of foreign nationals found guilty of a criminal offence and subject to deportation orders were deported in each of the last 10 years. [282996]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The chief executive of the UK Border Agency has regularly written to the Home Affairs Select Committee in order to provide it with all the robust and accurate information available relating to foreign national criminals. Copies of these letters are available in the Library of the House.
DNA: Databases
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many investigations of cases of (a) murder, (b) grievous bodily harm and (c) rape or other serious sexual assault have resulted in convictions on the basis of DNA samples previously taken from people arrested but not convicted in relation to an earlier suspected offence in each of the last 10 years; and how many such convictions were made (i) up to three, (ii) between three and six, (iii) between six and nine, (iv) between nine and 12 and (v) more than 12 years after the taking of those samples. [275083]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 14 May 2009]: Information is not held centrally on the number of cases in which a DNA sample has contributed to a conviction. The National DNA Database (NDNAD), which contains profiles obtained from DNA subject samples, does not hold any information indicating either innocence or guilt. It is used as an intelligence database to assist the police in the investigation of crime and detection of potential offenders. The Police National Computer (PNC) holds information on convictions and whether a record exists on the National DNA Database. However, a manual case by case examination would be required to determine whether the DNA profile contributed to the conviction.
The European Court of Human Rights in the case of S and Marper recognised that biometric data "pursues the legitimate purpose of the detection, and therefore, prevention of crime". The National DNA Database contributes to public protection. Between April 1998 and September 2008, there were over 390,000 crimes with DNA matches, providing the police with a lead on the possible identity of the offender. In 2007-08, 17,614 crimes were detected in which a DNA match was available. They included 83 “homicides”, 184 rapes and a further 15,420 additional detections.
Drunkenness: Fines
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were fined for an offence of drunkenness in (a) a highway, (b) a public place and (c) licensed premises in each year since 2003. [282954]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Information showing the number of people fined for “Being found drunk in a highway or other Public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises” in England and Wales, 2004 to 2007 is provided in table 1.
Data held on the Courts Proceedings Database cannot separately identify the exact location where the offence took place, the figures supplied refer to those found drunk in either a highway, public place or licensed premises, where such an offence was the principle offence for which the offender was sentenced, where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence the principle offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed.
Information showing the number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued for “being found drunk in a highway or other Public place” in England and Wales, 2004 to 2007 is provided in table 2. PND data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
| Offenders fined for offences under S.12 of the Licensing Act 1872( 1) , 2003-07 | |
| Number | |
| (1) Licensing Act 1872 S.12 - Being found drunk in a highway or other Public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system Source: OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice | |
| Number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued for being “Drunk in a Highway”, England and Wales, 2004 - 07( 1,2) | |
| Number | |
| (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) The Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) Scheme was implemented in all 43 police forces in England and Wales in 2004 under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit - Office for Criminal Justice Reform | |
Economic and Monetary Union
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what activities have been undertaken by his Department’s Euro Minister in that capacity. [277178]
Mr. Woolas: A Home Office Minister has not attended any meetings on the Euro since 2007 and there are no plans to do so.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of applications from overseas students for visa extensions have taken longer than three months to process in the last 12 months. [281391]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 19 June 2009]: During the last 12 months, 35,527 applications were made by students for an extension of leave, of which, 3,230 (9 per cent.) have taken longer than three months to decide.
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received from (a) training providers, (b) further education colleges and (c) universities on the effect of the points-based immigration system on student visas. [283015]
Mr. Woolas: Since the implementation of Tier 4 on 31 March 2009, UKBA has received many representations. These have been considered and where necessary changes made to the process. To facilitate a rapid response to issues, a priority resolution team has been established.
Forensic Science Service: Contracts
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the monetary value of each contract for overseas work held by the Forensic Science Service is; and at which sites work on such contracts is being undertaken. [283020]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Forensic Science Service (FSS) undertakes a range of advisory and consulting contracts with a number of international clients. These contracts are currently worth in the region of £2 million.
Contract 1—Work delivered at contract location (Europe). Staff to deliver required services are primarily situated in London, Birmingham (Trident Court) and Chepstow with some support from other FSS sites. The contract is due to finish in November 2009.
Contract 2—Work delivered in US and at Birmingham (Trident Court). Staff to deliver required services situated in Trident Court and London. The contract is due to finish in September 2009.
Contract 3—Delivered at Birmingham (Trident Court). Staff to deliver required services are primarily situated in Trident Court and London with some support from other FSS sites. The contract is due to finish in August 2009.
Contract 4—under negotiation—Work delivered at Birmingham (Trident Court) and in Abu Dhabi. Staff to deliver required services are primarily situated in Trident Court and London with some support from other FSS sites. Contract expected to finish in December 2009.
The FSS is unwilling to disclose the values of the individual contracts as those details are commercially sensitive.
Fraud
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimate he has made of the amount of money which has been lost through Ponzi-type frauds in each of the last five years; [283748]
(2) To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been victims of Ponzi-type frauds in each of the last five years. [283749]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 2 July 2009]: These figures are not available centrally, however in 2007 the OFT published its research into the impact of mass market scams which estimated that 90,000 people in the UK fall victim to high risk investment scams (including Ponzi schemes) each year at an estimated cost of £490 million per year.
G20: Greater London
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2009, Official Report, column 191W, on the G20: Greater London, at which central London hotel accommodation was provided. [281834]
Alan Johnson: Accommodation was provided at the Strand Palace Hotel.
Human Trafficking
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding his Department has allocated to the prevention of crime relating to the trafficking of people from (a) EU member states and (b) other countries in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [282542]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Since the introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004 which criminalised the trafficking of human beings, we have provided the UK Human Trafficking Centre with £5.6 million. Additionally, we fund the Serious Organised Crime Agency, which has organised immigration crime as its second highest priority, with around £400 million per annum.
Funds to these two organisations are not provided on a hypothecated basis in order to allow them the operational and financial freedom to put resources into all work, including prevention on an intelligence-led basis.
Within the existing budget, the UK Human Trafficking Centre has developed the "Blue Blindfold" brand under which future awareness raising and prevention work will take place.
Illegal Immigrants
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much funding his Department has allocated to the apprehension of illegal immigrants in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [282652]
(2) how much funding his Department has allocated to the prevention of illegal immigration in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [282653]
(3) how much funding his Department has allocated to assist the co-operation between the UK Border Agency and its predecessors and police forces in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [282654]
Mr. Woolas: It is not possible to break down how much funding the Department has allocated across the broad headings requested, in each year since 1997, without risking inconsistency or potential double counting, except at disproportionate cost.
The available public spending figures for the UK Border Agency and its predecessors for each year from 1997 onwards have been set out in the following table for convenience. The sources of this information are the Home Office annual reports cited as follows. These are available in the Library of the House.
| £000 | |
| Note: The 1997-98 figure is rounded to the nearest £1,000. | |
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