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19 Jan 2010 : Column 265W—continued
Meg Hillier:
Representations have been received about a range of Vetting and Barring Scheme issues from a number of voluntary sector organisations. Regular consultation meetings are held with the voluntary sector
and other stakeholders to discuss and resolve issues raised. Relevant feedback is considered by the scheme and by the ISA, which is responsible for vetting procedures.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the amount of fees to be paid for registration with the Independent Safeguarding Authority in the next three years. [310861]
Meg Hillier: The total value of fees for applications to the Vetting and Barring Scheme, based on an estimate of the numbers likely to apply to the scheme over the first three years, is £277.1 million. Fee income is intended to cover the estimated costs of both the Independent Safeguarding Authority and the Criminal Records Bureau.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Independent Safeguarding Authority procedures will apply to companies which have school pupils undertaking work experience. [310862]
Meg Hillier: Where staff are directly supervising children on work experience schemes, this constitutes regulated activities and companies or other agencies will not be able to employ in these posts any person they know to be barred from such work. Registration with the Vetting and Barring Scheme will not be a legal requirement in these circumstances, but employers will be able to check the status of relevant staff within the scheme. Placement organisers will work closely with providers to ensure appropriate procedures are followed.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which occupations Independent Safeguarding Authority procedures relating to controlled activities will apply. [310863]
Meg Hillier: The definition of controlled activities for the purposes of applications to the Vetting and Barring Scheme are set out in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. Provisions for controlled activities are currently under review in accordance with the recommendations of Sir Roger Singleton.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people likely to be referred to the Independent Safeguarding Authority on the grounds that they pose a risk of harm to vulnerable groups in the first year of operation of the vetting and barring scheme. [310864]
Meg Hillier: The overall estimate of cases to be referred to the ISA in the first year is 28,000.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are employed on the Independent Safeguarding Authority helpline; and what training such staff have received. [310866]
Meg Hillier: A helpline has been established to provide information on the vetting and barring scheme as a whole. This is contracted out to a commercial supplier, with standards set for the quality and volume of responses. Staffing levels and suitable training are determined by the provider to meet the overall requirements of the contract.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of public sector workers likely to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority in each of the next three years. [310867]
Meg Hillier: Estimates have not been made in the form requested.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of agency workers who will be required to pay the full fee for registration with the Independent Safeguarding Authority in each of the next three years. [310868]
Meg Hillier: Estimates have not been made in the form requested. Estimates are based on the total numbers likely to apply to the scheme.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of (a) pensioners and (b) unemployed people who will be required to pay the full registration fee for the Independent Safeguarding Authority in each of the next three years. [310869]
Meg Hillier: Estimates have not been made in the form requested. Fees for application to the vetting and barring scheme are charged to those in paid employment. No fee is payable for persons undertaking unpaid voluntary work.
Internet: Privacy
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with (a) his EU counterparts and (b) the European Commission on protection of the privacy of UK internet users. [310545]
Mr. Hanson [holding answer 12 January 2010]: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has had no recent discussions with his European counterparts or the European Commission on the protection of the privacy of UK internet users. However the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) have recently been engaged in discussion on revisions to the e-privacy directive 2002/58/EC as part of the wider Telecommunication Framework discussion, as this falls in their remit.
Olympic Games: Canada
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department are planning to attend the winter Olympics in Vancouver in February 2010; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such attendance. [310851]
Mr. Woolas: Since 1999 the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. From 2007-08 the list was extended to include all Ministers. The list also provides information on the number of officials who accompany Ministers. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2009-10 will be published as soon as the information is available.
All travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Civil Service Management Code respectively.
Passports
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts relating to biometric passports have been let; to whom each such contract has been let; for what projects or services each such contract provides; and what the monetary value is of each such contract. [310385]
Alan Johnson [holding answer 12 January 2010]: The Home Department has let only one contract specifically in relation to the design and production of biometric Passport Books. A 10 year contract valued at £400 million was awarded to De La Rue Ltd. in July 2009. This contract will replace the existing Passport Book production contract with 3M and is currently scheduled to become operational in the autumn of 2010.
Rape: Thames Valley
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Thames Valley Police's rape awareness campaign. [310222]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Home Office do not conduct assessments on the effectiveness of campaigns run at a local level by police forces. It is at the discretion of the Thames Valley Police chief constable to assess the effectiveness of their campaign.
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost of Thames Valley Police's rape awareness campaign to date. [310228]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Home Office do not hold this information.
Thames Valley Police are responsible for expenditure on their local awareness campaign.
Sexual Offences: Essex
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many referrals to a sexual referral centre were made by (a) Essex police force and (b) Essex county council in the latest year for which figures are available. [309959]
Mr. Alan Campbell: These data are not centrally collated.
Sexual Offences: Victim Support Schemes
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department where each sexual referral centre is located. [309960]
Mr. Alan Campbell: This information is available on the Home Office Website and can be accessed using the following web link:
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish a sexual referral centre in Essex. [309961]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Last year the Government approved an application for a new sexual assault referral centre to be established in Essex. Start-up funding was provided for financial year 2009-10.
Vetting
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the criminal record checking systems completed by the Criminal Records Bureau were last reviewed in respect of (a) their efficiency and (b) their cost to (i) his Department and (ii) the applicant. [311136]
Meg Hillier [holding answer 18 January 2010]: The Home Office sets the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) a number of performance targets each year and the efficiency of the process of completing a CRB check is measured within the context of these targets.
The CRB currently operates to a set of published service standards (PSS) which include to issue 95 per cent. of standard certificates within 10 days and 90 per cent. of enhanced certificates within 28 days.
The CRB is a self-funding Executive Agency within the Home Office. There is no cost to the Home Office as the CRB's running costs are being met by fees from its customers. Those fees are reviewed each year as part of the budget setting process.
Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006: Prosecutions
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted under section (a) 28(1) and (b) 29(2) of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. [301656]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 2007 (latest available, presented on calendar year basis) indicate there were no prosecutions.
You can view this information on the Ministry of Justice Website using the following web link:
The Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
Leader of the House
Departmental Surveys
Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House if she will place in the Library a copy of the results from her Department's most recent staff survey; which organisation carried out the survey; and what the total cost of the survey was. [310769]
Barbara Keeley: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons joined the Cabinet Office in 2007.
The Cabinet Office will publish the October 2009 people survey results on their website in February 2010. Following publication they will place a copy of the results in the Library.
The supplier of the Cabinet Office October 2009 people survey was ORC International who were procured by the Department to deliver the first cross-civil
service people survey. The people survey replaced all existing staff surveys in the civil service with a single questionnaire.
The cost of the Cabinet Office survey will be £30,550.
By procuring a single supplier for people surveys in 2009-10 the civil service has saved 35 per cent. on the total cost of staff surveys in 2008-09.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
West Bank
14. Mr. McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on restrictions on movement of Palestinians in the west bank; and if he will make a statement. [311326]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK welcomes Israel's recent easing of restrictions on movement in the west bank and urges Israel to continue to remove barriers. We also look forward to the implementation of the ruling by the Israeli High Court, on 29 December 2009, which allowed for Palestinians to be able to access Route 443.
Iranian Nuclear Programme
15. Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his overseas counterparts on the Iranian nuclear programme. [311327]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Addressing Iran's nuclear programme is our top foreign policy concern. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has discussed this with each of his E3+3 colleagues since the beginning of December, as well as with EU and other Foreign Ministers.
Iran must restore the international community's confidence in its nuclear programme. We will continue to pursue the dual track approach of engagement and pressure.
Turkey
16. Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the political situation in Turkey; and if he will make a statement. [311328]
Chris Bryant: The political situation in Turkey is stable-the Justice and Development Party have been in power since 2002.
We support the Turkish Government's 'democratic opening', including reforming Kurdish rights.
Following a constitutional court ruling on the closure of the DTP (pro-Kurdish party) in December, we supported an EU statement expressing concern.
Piracy
17. John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on policy to combat piracy round the horn of Africa and off the coast of Somalia. [311329]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary chairs cross-Government work on UK strategy and has held regular discussions with EU counterparts. The UK is leading the EU counter-piracy naval operation. We are instrumental in improving wider international naval co-ordination mechanisms, and we are engaging with the shipping industry to improve self-protection measures. We are also working with partners to tackle the root causes of piracy including improving the rule of law, a sustainable economy and alternative livelihoods.
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