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15 Dec 2009 : Column 1111W—continued
Entry Clearances: Pakistan
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applicants resident in Pakistan who were granted entry clearance to the UK following an appeal have been waiting for over two months for a visa to be issued. [304957]
(2) what the longest period has been for which a visa applicant in Pakistan has waited for a visa to be issued following a decision on appeal in the last three months. [304958]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
UKBA staff aim to process allowed appeals within eight weeks of receiving notification of the appeal outcome. There have, however, been delays in processing allowed appeals in Pakistan in recent months. UKBA sent additional staff to Pakistan in September. They have now contacted almost all successful applicants to process their visas.
Entry Clearances: Republic of Ireland
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in the Irish Republic on the implications for the UK of the varying visa requirements of the UK and Irish jurisdictions in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [304490]
Mr. Woolas: We have been working closely with the Government of the Republic of Ireland to strengthen the common travel area (CTA) for a significant period of time and remain committed to building on that relationship in the future.
No discussions have taken place between Ministers on the differing visa regimes of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. However, officials regularly meet through the bilateral Immigration and Counter Terrorism Group. This allows the two governments to explore and mitigate
abuse of the immigration and asylum systems within the CTA. These meetings include discussions on the visa requirements.
We continue to work in partnership with the Republic of Ireland to explore ways of aligning our respective visa regimes and further increase cooperation in the field of visa regimes in the future.
Entry Clearances: Skilled Workers
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) people have been granted post-study entry into Tier One of the points based system in each quarter for which information is available and (b) new arrivals have been granted visas under (i) the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme and (ii) Tier One in each quarter since the inception of the former. [302856]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 30 November 2009]: In answer to part (a) of the question, please see Table 1:
| Table 1: Main applicants : Leave to remain and entry clearance tier one post study applications approved by quarter | |
| Year/quarter | Granted applications |
| Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest five (- = 0). 2. Tier one post study leave to remain route began 30 June 2008. 3. Tier one post study entry clearance route began 30 June 2008. | |
| Table 2: Main applicants: Leave to remain and entry clearance HSMP applications approved by quarter | |
| Year/quarter | Granted applications |
| Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest five (- = 0). 2. Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP). 3. The highly skilled migrant leave to remain route closed 28 February 2008. 4. The highly skilled migrant entry clearance route closed 31 March 2008. 5. Figures include review application grants. | |
In answer to part (b) (ii) of the question, please see Table 3:
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. The figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
Foreign Workers
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what recent assessment he has made of the effects of migrants in meeting the skills requirements of the economy; [300490]
(2) what research his Department has undertaken on the contribution of migrants to reducing skills deficits in the UK. [301399]
Mr. Woolas: The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is commissioned by the Government to recommend shortage occupation lists for the UK and Scotland. Recommended lists were published in September 2008, April 2009 and October 2009. The next update is scheduled for spring 2010. In its reviews the MAC considers the contribution migration makes to filling skilled labour shortages and meeting the skills needs of the economy.
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many economic migrants of each profession came to the UK from each country in South America, Central America and Europe in each year since 2006. [305768]
Mr. Woolas: Information on the profession of migrants entering the United Kingdom is not available.
However, statistics on passengers entering the United Kingdom by purpose of journey and country of nationality are published annually in the Home Office publications "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom" which are available from the library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at
The statistics can be found in supplementary table 1a in the 2008 edition and in table 2.3 in the 2006 and 2007 editions.
Fraud: Internet
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the incidence of internet fraud. [305102]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Government are determined to tackle the problem of fraud, and it has signalled its commitment to tackling fraud with the allocation of £29 million in new money over three years to implement the National Fraud Programme. The National Fraud Authority (NFA) published the first National Fraud Strategy in March and will drive forward a comprehensive strategy for tackling fraud, bringing together the Government, criminal justice practitioners, business and the public. The funding also enabled the establishment of a National Fraud Reporting Centre (NFRC) which will provide a reporting mechanism for individuals and small businesses to report fraud where no other law enforcement or regulatory reporting mechanism exists. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), which is linked to the NFRC, will develop intelligence from these reports, and pass it to law enforcement agencies. The intelligence gathered will also help form the basis of better prevention advice and alerts to fraud threats for business and the public.
In addition to the funding for the National Fraud Programme the Government are providing £3.5 million over three years to create the Police Central e-crime Unit (PCeU).
This will provide support to the Police Service in developing a structured response to online crime, and its initial focus will be on the area of fraud-related electronic crime, working with the NFRC to develop a response to reports on such matters.
Human Trafficking
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group has met since the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. [306508]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 14 December 2009]: It has met once since the convention came into force on one April 2009.
Immigration
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of applications for a residence card as the spouse of an EEA national had been decided within six months on the latest date for which figures are available on his Department's website. [303650]
Mr. Woolas: This information is not available as the UK Border Agency's Case information database records all family members of EEA nationals who apply for residence cards in one category (EEA2).
Immigration: Children
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children aged (a) 17 years, (b) between 12 and 16 years, (c) between five and 11 years and (d) under five years who have been detained under immigration rules have (i) absconded and (ii) attempted to abscond from detention in each of the last 12 years. [302958]
Alan Johnson: There has been one escape by a minor aged 14 years of age from Oakington Immigration Removal Centre in 2004.
Internet
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2009, Official Repor t, column 489W, on the internet, if he will issue guidance on the application of the (a) Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 and (b) Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 to trials of the CView Deep Packet Inspection technology developed by Detica. [306650]
Mr. Hanson [holding answer 14 December 2009]: I have no plans to issue guidance in respect of deep packet inspection generally or specifically in respect of the use of a particular product. It is for the users of such equipment to ensure that the way in which it is used is in accordance with the law as set out in the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 or any other relevant legislation.
Internet: Advertising
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to regulate online advertising. [306326]
Mr. Simon: I have been asked to reply.
All advertising in paid for space in the UK, including online advertising, is strictly controlled through a system of co-regulation and self-regulation, which is administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). This regulatory system is independent of Government and is ultimately responsible for setting the standards for all advertising.
The bodies responsible for writing and maintaining the advertising codes, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP), are currently finalising a full review of all the advertising codes to ensure they remain up-to-date.
In addition to this work, the industry has also been considering the extent of new media regulation, particularly in the light of the recommendations set out in the Byron Review-"Safer Children in a Digital World". The review recommended industry take steps to 'future proof' the current system for advertising regulation, taking account of new forms of online advertising outside the remit of the existing regulatory system.
It is anticipated that the new advertising codes and the industry's proposals to extend the scope of regulation to areas of new media marketing, will be published in the first quarter of 2010.
National Policing Improvement Agency: Public Relations
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the National Policing Improvement Agency has spent on advertising and marketing in each of the last five years. [306358]
Alan Johnson: The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) was established on 1 April 2007. The expenditure of the NPIA Marketing team for the past two years was:
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