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21 July 2009 : Column 1514W—continued
Passports: Forgery
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fake British passports (a) containing and (b) not containing biometric information have been recovered by (i) the police, (ii) the UK Border Agency and (iii) HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last five years. [276829]
Alan Johnson: The lead role in protecting the United Kingdom from the use of false travel documentation is taken by the UK Border Agency Intelligence Directorate's National Document Fraud Unit (NDFU). As part of this role, the NDFU compiles statistics on all false identity documents used for international travel and detected by the UK Border Agency (and its predecessors). Current statistical collection methods do not allow for a distinction between biometric passports and non-biometric passports.
On this basis, the following table details the detections of false UK passports encountered by the UK Border Agency (and its predecessors). 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.
| Detections | |
Police National Intelligence and Co-ordination Centre
David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has allocated to the Police National Intelligence and Co-ordination Centre in each year since its establishment; and how many staff the centre has employed in each such year. [284133]
Mr. Hanson: The Police National Information and Co-ordination Centre (PNICC) was set up in 2003 by the Association of Chief Police Officers in order to coordinate the national mobilisation of police resources. Funding for PNICC is provided via contributions from police authorities rather than directly from the Home Office. This funding provides for three permanent PNICC staff and associated costs. Additional staff are seconded to PNICC to meet specific operational requirements, as required.
Police Pledge Publicity Campaign: Finance
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total budget for marketing, public relations, communications and advertising is for the 2009 police pledge publicity campaign. [288847]
Mr. Hanson: The Home Office ran a campaign in the spring of 2009 to raise awareness and understanding of the policing pledge, a set of promises to residents about the service they can expect from their local police.
The media spend on the advertising and marketing of the policing pledge in England and Wales in the 2008-09 financial year was £3,427,521.00.
Police: Gwent
Mr. Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were employed in Gwent in (a) 1997-98 and (b) 2008-09. [288799]
Mr. Hanson: There were 1,233 police officers in Gwent constabulary as at 31 March 1998.
The latest available information is at 30 September 2008, when there were 1,470 police officers in Gwent constabulary.
These figures are calculated on a full-time equivalent basis.
These and other related data are published annually as part of the annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest bulletin can be found at:
and bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.
31 March 2009 figures are due to be published on 23 July 2009 on the same webpage.
Police: Journalists
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of incidents of police officers selling to journalists information obtained through their official duties his Department has received in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [288170]
Mr. Hanson [holding answer 20 July 2009]: The Home Office does not hold records of any such reports. Any allegation of the selling of information is likely to be investigated and dealt with under the police discipline procedures and/or the criminal law depending on the circumstances of the case.
Police: North Yorkshire
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent (a) police officers, (b) police community support officers and (c) police civilian staff were employed by North Yorkshire police force on the latest date for which figures are available. [285710]
Mr. Hanson: The requested data were published within the "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 30 September 2008, Statistical Bulletin" and are available at the following weblink:
A copy of this publication has also been deposited in the House of Commons Library.
Annual 30 September figures are provided as interim figures to the more detailed 30 March figures which can also be found at the above link. 30 March 2009 figures are due to be published on 23 July 2009 on the same webpage.
Police: Torfaen
Mr. Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers and (b) police community support officers are employed in Torfaen. [288899]
Mr. Hanson: Police personnel data are not available by parliamentary constituency. Information for Gwent along with basic command unit (BCU) data for police officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) as at 31 March 2008 are provided in the tables.
| Police officer strength by basic command unit, Gwent, 31 March 2008( 1) | ||
| Full-time equivalents | ||
| Police force | BCU | Police officers |
| (1 )These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, due to rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of constituent items. Figures include those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. | ||
| Police community support officer strength by basic command unit, Gwent, 31 March 2008( 1) | ||
| Full-time equivalents | ||
| Police force | BCU | Police community support officers |
| (1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, due to rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of constituent items. Figures include those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. | ||
Prisoners: Foreigners
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign prisoners released from a mandatory life sentence in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008 were deported or removed. [287737]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 20 July 2009]: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only by examination of individual files at disproportionate cost.
The UK Border Agency continues to make considerable progress in delivering an effective deportation system. In 2008 we deported or removed nearly 5,400 foreign criminals, including 50 people found guilty of murder, attempted murder or causing death, around 260 sex offenders and 1,600 drug offenders.
The Chief Executive at the UK Border Agency has regularly written to the Home Affairs Select Committee in order to provide them with the most robust and accurate information available relating to foreign national prisoners. Copies of these letters are available in the Library of the House.
Right of Abode: European Economic Area
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time taken to process an application for an EEA residence permit was in the latest period for which figures are available. [283953]
Mr. Woolas: The time taken to process applications will depend on the type of application made and how it is submitted. There is currently a backlog of applications, and UK Border Agency is taking steps to address this situation as soon as possible. UKBA aims to be operating back within service standards from the beginning of December 2009.
Road Traffic Offences
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females aged (i) between 17 and 24 years, (ii) between 25 and 30 years, (iii) between 31 and 35 years, (iv) between 36 and 40 years and (v) over 40 years have been (A) charged with and (B) convicted of failing to comply with an instruction given by a traffic signal in each year since 1997. [282197]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 25 June 2009]: Information on prosecutions and convictions for selected motoring offences covering the years 1997 to 2007, latest available, can be found in tables 1 and 2 as follows:
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