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27 Jan 2010 : Column 896W—continued
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies have plans to sign up to the 10:10 campaign to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10 per cent. in 2010. [311432]
Chris Bryant: Yes, on 8 February 2010, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary plans to sign up the UK operations of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and our Trading Fund, FCO Services, to the 10:10 campaign and will urge our network of overseas posts to follow suit.
Departmental Disclosure of Information
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible sell information on a commercial basis to (i) companies or individuals in the private sector and (ii) other organisations. [313225]
Chris Bryant: Government Departments and agencies and non-departmental public bodies that have Crown status make most of their information available for free re-use under the Public Sector Information Click-Use Licence. Government trading funds, such as Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services, for which I have ministerial responsibility, are able under their trading fund status to charge for the services they provide in order to cover their costs. This covers information and its supply provided to other public bodies, commercial organisations and individuals. In common with other Government policy initiatives, some Foreign and Commonwealth Office information is published and sold as priced publications.
Departmental Mobile Phones
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) mobile telephones and (b) BlackBerrys were provided to (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department in 2009; and at what cost to the public purse. [313174]
Chris Bryant: At the start of 2009 a total of nine BlackBerries and one car phone were in operation. Ministers had a total of six BlackBerries and one car phone assigned between them. Special advisers were allocated a total of three BlackBerries
After the reshuffle in June the total was reduced to four BlackBerries, one mobile phone and one car phone.
Ministers had two BlackBerries, one mobile phone and one car phone in use between them. Special advisers were allocated a total of two BlackBerries.
Our billing cycle runs quarterly from 1 December to 30 November. Provision and usage of mobile phones for Ministers and special advisors over the 12-month period 1 December 2008 to 30 November 2009 has cost £7,263.56. This is broken down as follows:
Provision and usage of mobile phones for Ministers: £6,246.53
Provision and usage of mobile phones for special advisers: £1,017.03.
December 2009 expenditure will appear on our February statement.
Diplomatic Service
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the evidence of the Permanent Under-Secretary to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on 9 December 2009, HC 145-i, question 10, at which overseas posts local staff have (a) lost overtime payments, (b) been asked to take involuntary unpaid leave and (c) been asked to work four-day weeks. [311592]
David Miliband: Decisions about overtime, unpaid leave and working patterns for locally engaged staff are devolved to delegated budget holders and individual posts. Comprehensive information on these decisions are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter of 9 December 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. S Choudhry. [313438]
David Miliband: I replied to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 22 January 2010.
Snow and Ice
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the costs to his Department arising from the severe weather conditions in the period 4 January to 18 January 2010; and if he will make a statement. [313588]
Chris Bryant: This information is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Western Sahara
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what remedy exists under international law to remove settlements in the occupied Western Sahara which are deemed to be illegal. [312362]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
The Government see the status of the disputed territory of Western Sahara as undetermined and continue to believe that progress towards a negotiated solution to the dispute, providing for the self-determination
of the people of Western Sahara, is best achieved under the auspices of the UN. Therefore, any issues relating to residence and property rights will need to be considered in this context.
Western Sahara: Human Rights
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Western Sahara; and what steps he is taking to assist in improvements to the human rights situation in that territory. [312312]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London and our embassy in Rabat visited Layounne in December 2009 to assess the situation. A similar visit was also carried out in March 2009 to the refugee camps in Tindouf (Algeria) by an official from our embassy in Algiers. We will continue our programme of visits and our embassy in Rabat is developing links with Moroccan and Sahrawi non-governmental organisations who work on the dispute.
The Government believe that greater openness and transparency on human rights by all the parties to the dispute would create a significantly better environment for political dialogue through the auspices of the UN. We support the call by the UN Secretary-General, in his latest report, for the parties to remain engaged in a continuous and constructive dialogue with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and to make progress on the human dimension of the conflict.
Home Department
Antisocial Behaviour
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 27 October 2009, Official Report, column 284W, on antisocial behaviour, what the names are of the expert practitioners on the action squad. [303784]
Alan Johnson: The antisocial behaviour squad is a group of established practitioners working with our ASB local delivery managers to ensure that antisocial behaviour is effectively tackled. It is made up of 66 skilled practitioners, drawn from a broad range of expertise and specialisms including the police, councils and housing organisations, with national coverage which can be called upon at short notice to help local areas deliver the package of measures I announced on 13 October 2009.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 27 October 2009, Official Report, column 283W, on antisocial behaviour orders, how many antisocial behaviour orders were breached following the imposition of a parenting order in the latest period for which figures are available. [303785]
Alan Johnson:
Data collected centrally by my Department on breaches of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) cover the period to the end of 2007 (latest currently
available). ASBO breach data compiled by my Department do not include details of whether defendants proven in court to have breached their ASBO were subject to either an individual support order or a parenting order. This information could only be ascertained by examination of individual court files, which could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
Borders: Personal Records
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether an automated authority to carry capability will be specified in his Department's contract with Trusted Borders for services relating to the e-borders programme. [312900]
Mr. Woolas: The automated authority to carry capability did not form part of the core services in the e-Borders contract signed on 14 November 2007. However, it was included as an agreed option within the contract, as a potential future service.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress has been made on the implementation of the e-Borders programme; whether the programme met its project milestones in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [312901]
Mr. Woolas: The project milestone for processing 100 million annualised passenger movements per year has been met by the e-Borders Programme.
The programme has not yet achieved the milestone for processing 60 per cent. of all passenger journeys into and out of the UK.
Currently, e-Borders is checking between 45 and 50 per cent.(1) of all passenger movements.
(1) This figure is subject to verification by statisticians.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the level of compliance by airlines with the data requirements of the e-Borders programme; and when he expects all airlines to implement that programme. [312902]
Mr. Woolas: Currently 111 carriers are providing data to the e-Borders system, covering approximately 2,454 routes.
It is expected that all commercial airlines will be compliant by the end of December 2010, in line with the Prime Minister's statement of 20 January.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department expects to meet its target of capturing 100 million passenger movements through passenger name record checks; and how many such movements have been captured to date. [312907]
Mr. Woolas: We have met our target to capture the travel document information (TDI) for 100 million passenger movements.
To date, through the e-Borders system and its pilot project Semaphore, TDI data have been processed on over 147 million passengers travelling to and from the UK, at an annualised rate of over 100 million passenger movements per year.
e-Borders expects to capture 100 million passenger name record (PNR) movements into and out of the UK by 2013.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress has been made on the inclusion of the category of other passenger information in the e-Borders programme. [312909]
Mr. Woolas: Other passenger information (OPI) is known within the aviation industry as passenger name record (PNR).
OPI collection will be rolled out on a phased approach, with particular focus on higher risk routes first. The e-Borders/Semaphore system is already collecting OPI data on a voluntary basis and includes 121 carriers on 76 routes.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the cost of implementing the authority to carry element of the e-Borders programme. [312910]
Mr. Woolas: Following a limited trial last year and the Prime Minister's recent statement on security and border protection, we are examining the options for preventing people travelling to the United Kingdom. No recent estimate has been made of the cost of implementing an authority to carry scheme through the e-Borders Programme.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has plans to increase the number of security checks on (a) outbound and (b) transit passenger movements carried out by the UK Border Agency. [312925]
Mr. Woolas: UK Border Agency officers carry out a range of intelligence-led checks on outbound and transit passengers. More than 50 per cent. of the data analysed by our e-Borders system relate to people who are leaving British ports. This will increase as e-Borders continues to roll out.
Following the Prime Minister's recent statement on security and border protection, we are examining the options for strengthening our checks further.
British Nationality
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what regulations govern the re-admission to the UK of a UK national who has taken US citizenship but whose citizenship has been revoked upon deportation from the United States. [312726]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 25 January 2010]: All passengers, including deportees, who claim to be British nationals, must be able to demonstrate this on arrival in the UK. This is normally achieved by presentation of a valid travel document, confirming their nationality and identity. The requirement is irrespective of any other nationality currently or previously held by the passenger.
British nationals are not subject to immigration control; however, all arriving passengers are checked against the Watchlist. In certain circumstances, their arrival in the UK may be referred to other law enforcement agencies, for further action.
Community Safety Accreditation Schemes
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in each area have been approved by the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme since it was introduced. [302192]
Alan Johnson: Community Safety Accreditation Schemes allow Chief Officers to designate limited powers to employees of organisations which contribute towards community safety and tackling antisocial behaviour (ASB) such as park wardens, train operators and private security guards. These powers enhance the contribution of people in roles that are already concerned with keeping communities safe; and mean that there are more people on the streets with powers to tackle and not tolerate ASB.
The Home Office does not hold the information requested centrally. In order to provide an answer, all police forces that have operated a scheme would have to be asked to provide figures and this could be done only at disproportionate cost. The Home Office does conduct an annual audit of persons accredited by each police force. This is a snapshot of accredited persons at one time and does not represent all people accredited over time. Figures for accredited persons in the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency are collected separately as theirs is a specialist role with a single power granted to stop vehicles for testing. The last published figures, for 2008, are set out in the following table. The 2009 CSAS audit was published on the Home Office website on 15 December 2009 and can be accessed at:
| spring 2008 | ||
| Force a rea | Accredited persons (non-VOSA ) | VOSA accredited persons |
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