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7 Dec 2009 : Column 74W—continued
DNA: Databases
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the written ministerial statement of 11 November 2009, Official Report, columns 25-28WS, on DNA and fingerprint retention, whether all those arrested and not charged under counter-terrorism legislation will have their DNA retained beyond the six-year limit. [301934]
Mr. Hanson: DNA profiles and fingerprints taken from adults detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 or Schedule 7 to that Act will only be retained beyond six years if the relevant chief officer of police determines that it is necessary to do so for national security purposes.
All cases will be reviewed on a rolling two year basis after the six year timeframe and the material will be destroyed when it is no longer necessary to retain it for those purposes.
Entry Clearances
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) leave to remain, (b) indefinite leave to remain and (c) student visa (tier four) applications have been refused in the last five years. [300921]
Mr. Woolas: Statistics on leave to remain and indefinite leave to remain (settlement) applications refused for the last five complete years, 2004-08, are provided in the following table.
Provisional calendar year totals for 2009 are due to be published in February 2010. The leave to remain refusals total for 2009 will include in-country applications from non-EEA students that have been considered and refused under tier 4 of the points-based system from 31 March 2009.
Provisional leave to remain and indefinite leave to remain quarterly data for the first three quarters of 2009 were published on 26 November in the "Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom-Third Quarter 2009". Copies are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the financial effect on language schools teaching English as a foreign language of proposed reforms to Tier 4 of the points-based system. [302084]
Mr. Woolas: The Prime Minister announced on 17 November 2009 that a review of tier 4, the student tier of the points based system, would be conducted by a joint team from the UK Border Agency and the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. The review team have been asked to assess whether the current tier 4 policy strikes the appropriate balance between facilitating access of genuine students to education in the UK and preventing abuse by economic migrants.
The review is looking at evidence gathered from the early stages of tier 4, which was launched in March this year, to look at the case for or against any policy changes. The review will consider all of the available data and evidence, including the potential financial impact of the proposals on the different parts of the education sector such as the English language sector.
Entry Clearances: Skilled Workers
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) work permits with a length of more than 12 months and (b) highly skilled migrant programme permits were issued in 2008-09. [302155]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 30 November 2009]: The UK Border Agency issued 60,305 work permits with a length of 12 months or more and 10,775 highly skilled migrant programme permits in the financial year 2008-09.
Figures are rounded to nearest five.
The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
Extremism Unit: Finance
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department's Extremism Unit spent under each budget heading in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09. [301038]
Mr. Hanson: Extremism may take many forms. As regards funding for OSCT Prevent this was spent as follows:
| £million | ||
| Actual admin. spend | Actual programme spend | |
Fixed Penalties
Nick Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department has issued to police forces on the publication of information on the number of fixed penalty notices issued in respect of offences committed upon a particular part of the highway; and if he will make a statement. [303532]
Mr. Hanson: Decisions on the release of any information held by the police is a matter for individual chief officers of police.
Nick Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ask South Wales Police Force to review its decision on publication of the number of fixed penalty notices issued for speeding in the 50mph limit area on the approach to the Severn Bridge toll booths on the M4. [303533]
Mr. Hanson: Decisions on the release of any information held by the police is a matter for individual chief officers of police.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, if the requester is not satisfied with the response that they have received from a police force, they have two options which they can follow:
(a) ask the force to conduct an internal review of their decision and if they remain dissatisfied then
(b) they should take the matter to the Information Commissioner.
Foreign Nationals: Convictions
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals who have been convicted in this country in each of the last five years were identified by a Government department or agency as having a criminal record in another country or countries (a) on entry into the UK and (b) on release from custody. [303323]
Mr. Woolas: It is not possible to obtain the requested information.
In the case of EU nationals there is a mechanism for the exchange of conviction information, operated under 2009 Framework Decision (previously conviction information was transferred under the Council of Europe arrangements, 1959).
In the case of non-European countries there are arrangements via Interpol, which concentrate on more serious offences.
Identity Cards
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 12 November 2009, Official Report, column 946W, on identity cards, what proportion of the 1,000 applications received has come from (a) Identity and Passport Service and the Home Department staff and (b) airport operator staff at Manchester and London City airports. [303782]
Alan Johnson: Since 20 October, and up to and including 30 November, 1,589 applicants have been enrolled or have made an enrolment appointment for an identity card. The information held on the National Identity Register does not include the occupation of an individual.
Identity Cards: Databases
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisations were accredited under the Identity Cards Act 2006 to access data on the National Identity Register on 1 October 2009. [303816]
Meg Hillier: No organisation will have access to the information held on the National Identity Register. However, the Identity Cards Act 2006 does allow for information to be provided from the register in prescribed circumstances. The register was not in operation on 1 October 2009, and powers to provide information were not commenced until 20 October 2009.
Identity Cards: Greater Manchester
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the personal information of British citizens applying for identity cards in Greater Manchester from 30 November will be stored on the National Identity Register. [303791]
Alan Johnson: British citizens resident or working in Greater Manchester who apply for an identity card will have their identity information including biometrics stored on the National Identity Register. The register will hold the same sort of personal information as is already held for the issue of passports.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on informing people in Greater Manchester that they may apply for identity cards from 30 November 2009. [303792]
Alan Johnson: The Identity and Passport Service has spent £41,195 to date to buy advertising space that utilises regional press and online search to inform people who live or work in Greater Manchester that they may apply for Identity Cards from 30 November 2009.
Immigration
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children from each country of origin aged (a) 17, (b) 12 to 16, (c) five to 11 and (d) under five years old have been detained under immigration rules in each of the last 12 years. [302881]
Alan Johnson: The requested information is not available; however, in August 2009 the Control of Immigration Quarterly Statistical publication was expanded to include information on persons entering detention, total number of persons leaving detention and the number of families with children held in detention. This information is available split by age (to separately identify children), and will be published quarterly in the future; however data for earlier years will remain unavailable.
Information on the number of children under the age of 18 entering detention solely under Immigration Act powers in Q1-Q3 2009 by age and country of nationality is available in:
Table 8a and 8b of the Control of Immigration Quarterly Statistical Summary United Kingdom publication
Tables G and H of the supplementary tables
Table 9 of the Control of Immigration Quarterly Statistical Summary United Kingdom publication
Table H of the supplementary tables
Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
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