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14 Jan 2010 : Column 1093W—continued
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Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009, Official Report, columns 888-9W, on entry clearances, how many (a) postal and (b) premium applications for further leave to remain have been made under Tier 4 of the points-based system since April 2009; and how much revenue has accrued from fees for applications of each type since that date. [306369]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 14 December 2009]: The number of valid postal applications made for further leave to remain under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 1 April 2009 to 30 November 2009 is 68,777. The value of these applications is £25,058,389. The number of valid premium applications for further leave to remain made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 1 April 2009 to 30 November 2009 is 10,780. The value of these applications is £6,233,100.
The amount of revenue earned from fees from caseworking activities in respect of postal applications for further leave to remain made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 1 April 2009 to 30 November 2009 is £14,762,673.
The amount of revenue earned from caseworking activities in respect of fees for premium applications for further leave to remain made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 1 April 2009 to 30 November 2009 is £6,030,150.
This information is derived from internal management information systems. All figures from this source are provisional and subject to audit and amendment.
Entry Clearances: Graduates
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students who completed their qualifications at (a) a further education college and (b) a higher education institution have been granted leave to remain and sought employment under the Tier 1 (Post-study work) visa scheme since the introduction of the points-based system. [308790]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested is not centrally recorded and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bogus colleges have been closed in (a) England, (b) Bedfordshire and (c) Luton in the last six months. [304640]
Mr. Woolas: Within the last six months, 76 educational institutions have been found to be non bona fide as per the immigration rules, prior to the introduction of the points-based system. These institutions do not have Tier 4 licences, but being identified as non bona fide would not necessarily result in their closure, although it would result in the refusal of any outstanding overseas student applications.
Since the introduction of the points based system, the UK Border Agency maintains a register of educational establishments that meet the requirements of Tier 4. Establishments that do not meet these criteria will have their application for a sponsor licence refused.
Educational establishments that have been registered as a sponsor but found to no longer meet the requirements of Tier 4 have their licence revoked. As at 21 December, the licences for 14 establishments had been revoked. All of these are in England.
Exclusion Orders: International Cooperation
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UK's list of persons who are to be denied travel to and admission into the UK is automatically shared with the border agency authorities of (a) the Netherlands, (b) other European Union member states and (c) other states and jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement. [309980]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 11 January 2010]: The UK Border Agency holds a watchlist of adverse information drawn from a variety of sources, including visa refusals, the police, SOCA and other Government Departments. The system is used by UK Border Agency staff for the purposes of national security and the detection and prevention of crime. Refusal of entry may be based on information from any of these sources.
The UK Border Agency does not automatically share information held on the UK watchlist with The Netherlands. The only European member state that the UK Border Agency regularly shares information with, including that held on immigration watchlists, is the Irish Government.
This is undertaken on a routine basis in some instances and on a specific, case-by-case in others. We have a longstanding policy not to disclose exactly what information is shared.
Data sharing with the Irish Government remains a key area for increased co-operation between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and was recognised as such in the 'Strengthening The Common Travel Area' public consultation and subsequent response.
Decisions as to whether it is appropriate and proportionate to share information held on the watchlist with authorities in other countries are made by the owners of that information, on a case-by-case basis.
As the UK Border Agency does not own all of the data held on the watchlist, we cannot comment on the data-sharing policies of other data owners.
Foreign Workers: Entry Clearances
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many temporary visas have been issued to foreign nationals employed by IBM (India) to fulfil contracts between IBM and Avon and Somerset Constabulary. [306351]
Mr. Woolas: This information cannot be retrieved centrally. It would be necessary to examine individual application forms and we could therefore provide the information requested only at disproportionate cost.
Fraud: Credit Cards
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to reduce credit card fraud. [310835]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Figures published by the payments industry in October 2009 showed that card fraud losses overall fell by 23 per cent. to £232.8 million in the first half of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008.
The Home Office continues to work closely with the payments industry and supports industry initiatives to help prevent card fraud such as Verified by Visa and Mastercard Secure Code, and the Be Card Smart Online Campaign.
The Home Office actively supports the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit, a specialist police unit funded by the payments industry which investigates cheque and plastic card fraud where there is an element of organised criminal activity, and provides additional funds to the City of London Police to take on a lead force role in the investigation of serious and organised fraud. In addition the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police have made provision to establish a national police e-crime unit which has been set up to co-ordinate the law enforcement approach to all types of e-crime, including fraud.
Human Trafficking
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals referred to the human trafficking national referral mechanism are (a) being accommodated by a specialist accommodation provider, (b) in an immigration removal centre and (c) in prison. [309624]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 11 January 2010]: Between 1 April 2009 and 31 December 2009 there have been 348 national referral mechanism referrals where the individual was accommodated by a specialist accommodation provider, 27 cases where the individual was in an immigration detention centre and 22 cases where the subject was in prison or a young offenders institution.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many referrals of potential victims of human trafficking have been made to the national referral mechanism by each first responder agency. [309625]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 11 January 2010]: Between 1 April 2009 and 31 December 2009 there have been 527 referrals made to the national referral mechanism. The referrals were made by the following agencies:
| Number of referrals | |
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many referrals of potential victims of trafficking to the National Referral Mechanism made since 1 April 2009 have received a (a) positive and (b) negative reasonable grounds decision; and in respect of how many such referrals (i) a decision is pending and (ii) no decision was made. [309666]
Mr. Woolas: Between 1 April 2009 and 31 December 2009 there have been 527 referrals made to Competent Authorities within the National Referral Mechanism. The breakdown of Reasonable Grounds decisions are as follows:
| Number | |
'Suspended' cases are where the individual has either absconded or is missing prior to the reasonable grounds decision being made.
'Withdrawn' are where the individual has left the UK prior to the reasonable grounds decision being made.
'No decision recorded' means the decision has not been officially logged with UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC). This is where the reasonable grounds decision is either still being considered or where the decision has yet to be recorded on the UKHTC system.
Immigration Controls
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Mid Sussex of 2 December 2009, Official Report, column 752W, on immigration controls, which educational institutions have (a) been granted sponsor licences since the inception of the points-based immigration system and (b) had their licences revoked. [305480]
Mr. Woolas: The list of colleges which are currently licensed under Tier 4 of the Points Based System is on the UKBA website at:
To date, 14 colleges have had their licences revoked. Information on the names of which educational institutions have had their licences revoked cannot be disclosed on grounds of commercial sensitivity.
Islam4UK
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department plans to take steps against the founders of Islam4UK under racial hatred legislation. [309642]
Mr. Alan Campbell
[holding answer 11 January 2010]: The actions of this group are of significant concern to the Government and an Order providing that Al Muhajiroun, Islam4UK, Islamic Path, Call to Submission and London School of Sharia are to be treated as alternative names for the proscribed organisation Al-Ghurabaa and The Saved Sect was laid in Parliament on Monday 11 January. This action will make membership of the organisation unlawful. The investigation and prosecution of offences under both proscription and race hate legislation are matters for, respectively, the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. Should members
of the public believe that members or supporters of this group have committed a racist hate crime then they should report the matter to the police.
Islam4UK: Internet
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to prevent the promotion through Islam4UK websites of the teachings of individuals who have been required to leave the UK as a result of their extremist views. [309640]
Mr. Hanson [holding answer 11 January 2010]: The Home Office has no powers to remove or modify extremist material on websites. Where websites are identified to contain unlawful material, the police have powers under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2006 to seek the removal or modification of that material.
As my hon. Friend will be aware, on Monday my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary laid an order providing that the name lslam4UK, along with several others, be treated as alternative names for an organisation which is already proscribed under the names Al Ghurabaa and The Saved Sect.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 16 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms N. Anjum. [310495]
Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 7 January 2010.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 12 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. M. Ishfaq. [310497]
Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 6 January 2010.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 25 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr E. Diala. [310499]
Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 7 January 2010.
Missing Persons
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of (a) UK national and (b) non-UK national missing persons of each age have been recorded by the Missing Persons Bureau in each year since 1997; and how many were subsequently found. [308757]
Alan Johnson:
The information requested is given in the tables. 34,972 missing persons cases have been recorded by the Missing Persons Bureau between 1 January 1997
and 16 December 2009. Of these 17,641 are British, 14,365 are non-British. No nationality data are available for 2,966 cases. Note that these figures relate to incidents of missing rather than individuals; the same person can go missing several times.
30,540 (87 per cent.) of these cases have subsequently been marked as 'closed' on the database (i.e. the missing person has returned or been located). Research suggests(1) that 99 per cent. of missing persons are located within one year of going missing. Not all cancellations are received by the Bureau. As force compliance with the code increases the percentage of closed cases on HERMES will increase.
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