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3 Nov 2009 : Column 848W—continued
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether enforced returns were suspended for any period of time for nationals or particular groups of nationals from (a) Iraq, (b) Somalia, (c) Eritrea, (d) Democratic Republic of Congo, (e) Afghanistan and (f) Iran between 2000 and 2009. [295060]
Mr. Woolas: The following information covers situations where there was a policy to suspend enforced returns and situations where there was a policy to grant Exceptional Leave to Remain (ELR) to all nationals of a particular country, or part of it, who did not qualify for asylum and which was an effective suspension of returns of failed asylum seekers.
There was an effective suspension of enforced returns to all of Iraq from before 2000 until October 2000. From October 2000 until February 2003 returns to central and southern Iraq were suspended. From February 2003 enforced returns to all of Iraq were again suspended. On 24 February 2004 the Home Secretary announced that enforced returns to Iraq were to resume.
There was an effective suspension of enforced returns to the whole of Somalia since before 2000 until July 2001. From July 2001 until October 2002 the policy was varied enabling return of those from the Somaliland and Puntland regions of Somalia. There has been no suspension of enforced returns to any part of Somalia since 7 October 2002.
Enforced returns to Eritrea have not been suspended in this period.
Enforced returns to the Democratic Republic of Congo were suspended from 23 August 2007 until 3 December 2008 pending the outcome of litigation.
There was an effective suspension of enforced returns to Afghanistan from before 2000 until 11 July 2002. There has been no suspension of enforced returns since that date.
Enforced returns to Iran have not been suspended in this period.
Asylum: Coventry
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people resident in Coventry were granted asylum in (a) 2008 and (b) 1997. [295341]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 27 October 2009]: The information is as follows.
(a) During the calendar year 2008, the midlands and east regional asylum team granted 76 cases where the main applicant resided at a Coventry postcode (which includes some of the geographical area in the surrounding county of Warwickshire). Grants of asylum may also have been made in other caseworking areas, but this additional data are not available in a specific regional format. The figure therefore only relates to applications which were handled through the regional asylum team.
(b) Data for specific geographical areas was not recorded prior to the implementation of the new asylum model process in March 2007. There are therefore no specific data for this calendar year.
Asylum: Young People
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress his Department has made on its programme to reform support for unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people. [295254]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 27 October 2009]: The UASC Reform Programme set out a number of reforms to the way unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are supported. We are continuing to work with local authorities and others in a number of areas including:
developing a model of grant arrangements that provides more clarity and certainty over funding;
exploring improvements to the method and process for assessment age; and
considering how UASC and former UASC might be returned to support arrangements in their countries of origin in a way that is safe and sustainable.
The range of reforms and policy improvements we are making are being progressed and implemented at different stages.
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of its grant to local authorities to meet the costs of unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people over the age of 16. [295255]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 27 October 2009]: We are satisfied the grant arrangements are adequate.
Local authority costs in supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children for the period up until the end of the financial year 2007-08 have been reimbursed in full as part of an agreement between the UK Border Agency and the Local Government Association (LGA). Funding claims for the financial year 2008-09 are still being checked. The grant for the financial year 2009-10 is very similar to the arrangements agreed with the LGA, with the exception that from October cash ceilings have been placed on indirect costs.
Cheshire Constabulary: Construction
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps (a) Cheshire police and (b) executive agencies of his Department are taking to (i) ensure that the supply chain completing the Pierse contracting construction project is paid and (ii) alleviate the financial problems of small and medium-sized businesses involved in that project. [296989]
Mr. Hanson: The management of local contracts is a matter for the chief officer and chair of the police authority.
Cocaine
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what quantity of cocaine was seized at (a) Gatwick and (b) Heathrow airports in each month between April 2008 and March 2009. [296478]
Mr. Woolas: From April 2008 until March 2009, a total of 1,158.42 kilos of cocaine were seized by UKBA officers working in the Border Force South Region, which includes Gatwick airport and all ports along the South Coast. During the same period a total of 434.23 kilos of cocaine were seized by UKBA officers in the Heathrow region.
The following tables provide a monthly breakdown of these seizures.
| South r egion | |
| Cocaine q uantity (kilos) | |
| Heathrow r egion | |
| Cocaine q uantity (kilos) | |
The above data have been extracted from locally-collated management information. It is provisional and therefore may be subject to change.
Crime: Nature Conservation
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding has been provided to each police authority to tackle wildlife crime in each year since 1997. [296064]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Total revenue provision for policing grants in 2009-10 is almost £9.5 billion, an overall increase of 2.8 per cent. over 2008-09. The main element is general formula grant (£8.3 billion), which can be spent entirely at the discretion of police authorities-so the amount they spend on tackling wildlife crime is their decision.
Chief constables and police authorities have maximum flexibility to make best possible use of resources to
maintain the historically high number of police officers and have the right workforce balance they need to deliver local priorities.
The Home Office takes wildlife crime seriously and has contributed £150,000 in 2009-10 towards the costs of the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which provides expert support to forces in investigation and enforcement of wildlife crime.
Departmental Fraud
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees of his Department have been convicted of an offence related to fraud in each of the last 10 years. [295706]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 27 October 2009]: We are aware of 13 members of staff within Home Office HQ, the UK Border Agency, the Identity and Passport Service and the Criminal Records Bureau, who have been convicted of an offence relating to financial fraud in the last 10 years.
A breakdown by year is as follows:
| Number | |
| (1) Less than five. | |
Where less than five members of staff were convicted in a calendar year further information has been withheld on confidentiality grounds.
Departmental Information and Communications Technology
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what IT systems have been in development for use within his Department in the last five years; what the reason for the development of each system was; how much has been spent on the development of each system; and which systems have been subsequently (a) implemented, (b) terminated prior to implementation and (c) terminated following implementation. [290568]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested is shown in the following table.
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