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5 Jan 2010 : Column 152W—continued
Police: Ethnic Groups
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers of each ethnicity there were in Leeds, North-West constituency in each year since 2005; and what percentage of the total number of police officers was in each ethnic group in each such year. [307763]
Mr. Hanson: Data on ethnicity of police officers are only collected centrally at police force area level.
Police: Pay
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of police officers earn more than £18,000 a year. [306335]
Mr. Hanson: All full-time police officers earn above £18,000 per annum. As from 1 September 2009, the starting salary for a full-time police officer is £22,680.
Radicalism
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what cross-departmental committees with the purpose of tackling extremism there are; which Departments are represented on each such committee; and what the (a) membership and (b) terms of reference are of each. [301468]
Mr. Hanson: The Ministerial Committee on National Security, International Relations and Development (NSID) exists to consider issues relating to national security, and the Governments' international, European and international development policies. The NSID Sub-Committee on Tackling Extremism (NSID(E)) considers issues relating to tackling extremism. Details of these committees' membership and terms of reference are as follows.
In support of NSID there are, at official level, a range of specific programme boards, projects boards and working groups across government which consider extremism.
Ministerial Committee on National Security, International Relations and Development (NSID)
Prime Minister (Chair)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (alternate Chair)
Secretary of State for the Home Department (alternate Chair)
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor
Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Secretary of State for International Development
Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Minister for the Cabinet Office; and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Attorney-General
Minister for Security and Counter-Terrorism
Other Ministers, the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, the Heads of the Intelligence Agencies, the Commissioner of the
Metropolitan Police, and the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers may be invited to attend as required.
"To consider issues relating to national security, and the Government's international, European and international development policies".
Sub-Committee on Tackling Extremism (NSID(E))
Prime Minister (Chair)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor
Secretary of State for the Home Department
Secretary of State for International Development
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Secretary of State for Wales
Minister for the Cabinet Office; and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Attorney-General
Minister for Security and Counter-Terrorism
Other Ministers, the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers, and other officials, may also be invited to attend as necessary.
"To consider issues relating to tackling extremism; and report as necessary to the Committee on National Security, International Relations and Development and the Committee on Domestic Affairs"
Repatriation
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average payment to a foreign national under the Facilitated Returns Scheme has been since its inception. [303327]
Mr. Woolas: The Facilitated Returns Scheme (FRS), launched in October 2006, accounted for around a quarter of the total removals of foreign national offenders in 2007 and around a third of removals in 2008. Of those removed under FRS in 2008, less than three-quarters took up the reintegration package on return.
The average amount received per foreign national offender who claimed the reintegration assistance in 2008 was less than £2,500.
Security: Greater London
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the official threat level in respect of the new year celebrations in London. [307742]
Mr. Hanson
[holding answer 16 December 2009]: The threat level is kept under constant review. The current threat level to the United Kingdom from international terrorism is assessed by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre to be SUBSTANTIAL, meaning an attack is a
strong possibility. SUBSTANTIAL indicates a continuing high level of threat and that an attack might well occur without further warning.
The overall threat level to the UK is the only threat level which is made public. There are a number of other sector, area and event specific threat levels which are not made public but which are communicated to the police and security practitioners.
As always, the police will take all measures they deem necessary and appropriate to protect the public during the new year celebrations in London.
Serious Organised Crime Agency: Bullying
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of bullying of staff within the Serious and Organised Crime Agency have been brought in each year since 2006. [307762]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The information is as follows:
| Calendar year | Number of bullying cases |
UK Border Agency
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to his letter to the hon. Member for Thurrock of 1 June 2009 in respect of case reference W1035264-CTS M11279/9, handled by the UK Border Agency's Case Resolution Team, for what reason the undertaking to conclude the case within three months has not been complied with; and if he will make a statement. [305806]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 10 December 2009]: The Home Secretary replied to my hon. Friend on 8 December 2009.
Treasury
Banks: Loans
Alan Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of banks which have secured the agreement of customers to long-term fixed-rate mortgages for periods during which such banks had forecast that interest rates would be reduced in each of the last three years; and what his policy is on that practice. [306889]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government do not hold this information.
Benefits: Children
John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many child tax credit applications were contested with two or more individuals asserting claims for the same child in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2007-08 and (d) 2008-09; [308108]
(2) in how many cases two or more individuals asserted child benefit claims for the same child in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2007-08 and (d) 2008-09. [308109]
Mr. Timms: Reliable information is not available, as HM Revenue and Customs' system does not accurately capture the number of competing claims.
Boilers: Government Assistance
Mr. Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement of 9 December 2009, Official Report, column 365W, on the pre-Budget report, when the boiler scrappage scheme will become operational; what the (a) eligibility criteria and (b) application process will be for the scheme; whether the scheme will be open to applications from Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [307914]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Greener Boiler Incentive scheme is being implemented by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, which is working to launch the scheme at the earliest opportunity in 2010.
The incentive will be available to all households in England replacing a working G rated boiler with a high efficiency boiler or renewable heat technology, and application details will be published in due course.
The scheme will be available in England only, as the encouragement of energy efficiency other than by prohibition or regulation is a devolved matter in Scotland and Wales, and in Northern Ireland responsibility for energy policy, including energy efficiency, is also a devolved matter.
Child Benefit
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims for child benefit have been made in each of the last three years. [302554]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 9 December 2009]: The information requested is provided in the following table.
| Child benefit claims (Thousand) | |
| (1) New claims, claims for an additional child, or a claim for transfer of entitlement. | |
These figures do not include child benefit claims already in payment.
John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many requests to expedite individuals' child benefit claims were made (a) by (i) local authorities, (ii) voluntary agencies, (iii) Jobcentre Plus office, (iv) hospitals, (v) hon. Members, (vi) local councillors and (vii) claimants and (b) in total in (A) 2005-06, (B) 2006-07, (C) 2007-08 and (D) 2008-09; [308107]
(2) how many requests have been made to expedite individuals' child benefit claims (a) by (i) local authorities, (ii) voluntary agencies, (iii) Jobcentre Plus offices, (iv) hospitals, (v) hon. Members, (vi) local councillors, (vii) claimants and (b) in total in (A) 2005-06, (B) 2006-07, (C) 2007-08 and (D) 2008-09. [308196]
Mr. Timms: The information requested is not available, as the Child Benefit Office does not collect the number of requests to expedite individuals' child benefit claims.
John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the longest time was for payment of a child benefit claim to be started for (a) UK nationals, (b) non-UK EEA nationals, (c) A8 EEA nationals, (d) A2 EEA nationals and (e) non-European nationals in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07, (iii) 2007-08 and (iv) 2008-09. [308112]
Mr. Timms: The information is not available broken down by the categories requested. However, for information on the time taken to pay new child benefit claims in 2006-07; 2007-08 and 2008-09 I refer my right hon. Friend to the answers given to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland (Dr. Kumar) on 2 February 2009, Official Report, column 894W; the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 22 October 2008, Official Report, column 356W and to the hon. Member for Glasgow, East (John Mason), on 27 April 2009, Official Report, columns 1046-47W.
I also refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for West Ham (Lyn Brown) on 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 328W and the hon. Member for Glasgow, East (John Mason), on 27 April 2009, Official Report, columns 1046-47W.
HM Revenue and Customs aims to pay 66 per cent. of new child benefit claims in nine working days in 2009-10 and all claims in an average of 20 calendar days.
John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the largest sum of child benefit paid retrospectively to an individual or couple was in (a) 2009, (b) 2008 and (c) the last five years. [308114]
Mr. Timms: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost, as HM Revenue and Customs does not systematically compile information about the size of individual child benefit payments made each year.
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