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3 Dec 2009 : Column 896W—continued
Repatriation: Cameroon
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions there have been between the UK Government and the government of the Republic of Cameroon to facilitate the monitoring by UK High Commission staff of those returned to Cameroon from the UK. [303428]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 1 December 2009]: There have been no discussions between the UK and Cameroonian Governments to facilitate the monitoring by UK high commission staff of those returned to Cameroon from the UK.
The UK Border Agency only enforces the return of individuals to Cameroon whom they, and the courts, are satisfied are not in need of protection, and where the individual does not elect to leave voluntarily.
Travel Requirements
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 12 October 2009, Official Report, column 591W, on travel requirements, how many of the 6,787 people who arrived at UK airports without documentation in the last three years were (a) arrested, (b) prosecuted and (c) convicted of an offence. [301722]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested can be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
UK Border Agency: Serco
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what functions SERCO is required to undertake in the UK Border Agency's Case Resolution Directorate as part of its contract; what the length of the contract is; and what performance targets apply to it. [302527]
Mr. Woolas: Temporary staff are being employed to carry out administrative tasks, freeing up existing, trained, case resolution directorate (CRD) staff so they can concentrate on decision making. CRD have outsourced the administrative functions only and have therefore allowed their permanent experienced staff to focus on decision making. SERCO is required to recruit and maintain sufficient staff to complete this function and has challenging targets for quality and throughput that align to bring the SERCO element of work to conclusion before the contracted end date.
The current contract with SERCO runs until autumn 2010, although this may be subject to review. The date of the termination of the contract with SERCO does not necessarily indicate that CRD will have concluded all the cases in the backlog within this same time frame.
Work Permits
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the work permits granted on the basis of intra-company transfer in respect of non-EU IT contractors in each quarter of the last five years were granted in relation to Government-funded projects. [303039]
Mr. Woolas: The breakdown of work permits granted on the basis of intra-company transfers in respect of non-EU IT contractors in each of the last five years, specifically relating to Government funded projects, is not centrally collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
Defence
Afghanistan: Detainees
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the release of people taken prisoner by British armed forces in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [301434]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: A formal review is conducted by the UK Detention Authority in Afghanistan for each individual detainee. The authority considers whether to release or transfer them to the Afghan authorities. This decision is based on whether there is sufficient admissible evidence likely to result in a successful prosecution by the Afghanistan judicial system. If there is insufficient evidence for prosecution by the Afghan Authorities, they are released.
Afghanistan: Overseas Aid
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether humanitarian work carried out by the Military Stabilisation Support Team in Helmand is counted towards the UK's 0.7 per cent. of gross domestic product. [303193]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 1 December 2009]: No.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects Afghan security forces to be able to provide security in Helmand. [301529]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Afghan National Security Forces are already playing a key role in providing security in Afghanistan, including Helmand, as is shown by the role they played in providing security for the Afghan Presidential Election and contributing to Operation Panther's Claw. They regularly work with and operate successfully alongside international and UK troops.
As recently emphasised by the Prime Minister, the UK will continue to work with international partners, including the Government of Afghanistan, to establish the conditions under which the Afghans can start to take responsibility for their own security.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many night vision goggles have been (a) lost and (b) stolen in Afghanistan in each year since 2001. [302819]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Information on lost and stolen night vision goggles in Afghanistan is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Losses are recorded by individual units but information is not aggregated centrally.
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) minor injuries, (b) serious injuries and (c) fatalities among service personnel have been recorded by his Department in Afghanistan in each year since 2001. [303809]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Fatality and casualty statistics for UK military and civilian personnel in Afghanistan are routinely updated for each fortnight on the MOD website. The tables can be found at:
Armed Forces
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many and what proportion of serving military personnel of each sex in (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force have changed personal status category in each of the last five years; [301864]
(2) how many and what proportion of serving military personnel in (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force there were in
each personal status category in each of the last five years. [301865]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Personal marital status is recorded in order to determine entitlement to allowances and service families accommodation. These Personal Status Categories (PStat Cat) are:
PStat Cat 1-A legally married member of the services or a member of the services who has registered a civil partnership.
PStat Cat 2-A member of the services who has parental responsibility in terms of the Children Act for a child(ren).
PStat Cat 3-A member of the services not in PStat Cat 1 or 2 and provides financial support to their former spouse/partner by way of a voluntary agreement.
PStat Cat 4-A member of the services not in PStat Cat 1 or 2 and provides financial support to their former spouse/partner by way of a court order.
PStat Cat 5-All other members of the services.
Joint Personnel Administration has for the first time allowed service personnel to take responsibility for their own administration. All service personnel are encouraged to notify the service authorities on a change of personal circumstances that may require a change in PStat Cat. As a result the data provided in the following tables are derived from declarations that have been made by Service Personnel.
| UK regular service personnel in each PStat Cat as at 1 October 2009 | ||||||
| Royal Navy | Army | Royal Air Force | ||||
| Personal status category | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| UK regular service personnel in each PStat Cat as at 1 October 2008 | ||||||
| Royal Navy | Army | Royal Air Force | ||||
| Personal status category | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| UK regular service personnel in each PStat Cat as at 1 October 2007 | ||||||
| Royal Navy | Army | Royal Air Force | ||||
| Personal status category | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
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