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24 Nov 2009 : Column 126W—continued
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people under the age of 18 years have been arrested for alcohol-related acts of disorder or violence in each of the last five years. [300352]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 23 November 2009]: The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery. It is not possible to identify the number of arrests made for alcohol related acts of disorder or violence from the data on arrests reported to the Home Office.
Closed Circuit Television: Regulation
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent consideration he has given to the establishment of a TV Regulator in respect of the use of closed circuit television to monitor public space; and if he will make a statement. [300267]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 23 November 2009]: A review of the recommendations of the National CCTV Strategy, including those concerning the regulatory framework, is currently under way. We recognise the important role that CCTV plays in preventing and detecting crime and in raising public confidence. We will announce the outcome of the review to the House.
Crime: Milton Keynes
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes of each type were committed by young people aged (a) under 16 and (b) between 16 and 18 years in the Milton Keynes local authority area in each of the last five years. [300718]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The information requested is not collected centrally. From the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office it is not possible to identify the age of the alleged offender.
DNA: Databases
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in S. and Marper v. the United Kingdom has been implemented in relation to the functions of the UK Border Agency. [300239]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency is mindful of its obligation to ensure that its operations are compatible with the European Convention of Human Rights. The case of S. and Marper found that Article 8 (right to privacy) was infringed by the collection and retention of DNA from those individuals arrested but later acquitted. The Home Office conducted a public consultation exercise from May to August 2009 and the Home Secretary made a written statement announcing the Government's response to the judgement on 11 November 2009, Official Report, column 25WS.
The agency has in place in the draft Immigration Bill, currently under pre-legislative scrutiny, provisions for the laying of regulations specifying retention periods. The agency is formulating a retention policy that will be both mindful of the need to protect people's privacy under Article 8 of the ECHR while at the same time ensure that immigration officers have the necessary tools and powers in which to fulfil their jobs. This policy will be subject to public consultation with various interested groups including the Information Commissioner's Office.
I should like to emphasise however that the UKBA overwhelmingly uses fingerprints, which is less intrusive, rather than DNA for the purpose of immigration control. Where DNA is used, it is done so only on a voluntary basis.
Immigration: Polygamy
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to Lord Pearson of Rannoch of 21 July 2009, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 301-02WA, on polygamy, whether officials in his Department have now determined whether changes to the UK Border Agency's entry clearance guidance are required in the context of polygamous marriages. [300989]
Mr. Woolas: I have amended the current entry clearance guidance (SET 14.8) to read that any case where there is evidence to suspect a divorce of convenience should be referred to entry clearance support team for consideration and advice.
Immobilisation of Vehicles
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any documents issued by the Security Industry Authority indicate that it is permitted for a licensed clamper to place a clamp on a vehicle displaying a disabled badge. [301023]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Regulation 6 (2)(a) of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (Licences) Regulations 2007, states that
"the licensee shall not immobilise, remove or restrict a vehicle in accordance with paragraph 3 or 3A of Schedule 2 to the 2001 Act if the vehicle is an invalid carriage or if a valid disability badge is displayed on the vehicle or if the vehicle is an emergency vehicle which is in use".
This is made clear on page 19 of the Security Industry Authority's (SIA) publication, "Get Licensed". This states that,
"when carrying out front line vehicle immobilisation duties the following conditions must be followed. A vehicle must not be clamped/blocked/towed if:
a valid disabled badge is displayed on the vehicle;
it is an emergency service vehicle which is in use as such."
This document is available on the SIA's website at:
Police: Newark
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in Newark constituency in (a) 1997 and (b) 2009; and how many police community support officers there were in the constituency in (i) 2002 and (ii) 2009. [301003]
Mr. Hanson: Police personnel statistics are not collected by parliamentary constituency. Newark constituency is within the Nottinghamshire police force area.
There were 2,323 police officers in Nottinghamshire constabulary as at 31 March 1997 and 2,380 police officers as at 31 March 2009.
Police community support officers were not introduced until 2002-03. There were 243 police community support officers in Nottinghamshire constabulary as at 31 March 2009.
This 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.
UK Border Agency
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone calls the UK Border Agency helpline has received in the last 12 months. [300991]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency has three principal UK call centres. For the period October 2008 to September 2009 they received 4,888,923 calls.
This is broken down as follows:
| Call centre | Calls received |
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone calls the UK Border Agency helpline has received in the last 12-months. [300368]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 23 November 2009]: The UK Border Agency has three principal call centres. For the period October 2008 to September 2009 they received 4,888,923 calls. This is broken down as follows:
| Call centre | Calls received |
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what period of time the UK Border Agency helpline has been out of order in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the number of calls that were not answered as a result of such unavailability. [300369]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 23 November 2009]: For the period October 2008 to September 2009 the call centres have not had to close down due to system unavailability.
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what periods the UK Border Agency helpline has been out of service in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the number of calls that were not answered as a result of such unavailability. [300980]
Mr. Woolas: For the period October 2008 to September 2009 the call centres have not had to close down due to system unavailability.
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