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5 Feb 2010 : Column 580W—continued
Immigration Controls
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employers have (a) requested and (b) been granted certificates of sponsorship under the Tier 2 (i) general and (ii) intracompany transfer categories in each month since October 2009. [312411]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 21 January 2010]: The tables show how many sponsors have (a) requested and (b) been granted certificates of sponsorship under tier 2 general and tier 2 intra-company transfer categories of the points-based immigration system in each month since October 2009.
| Number of sponsors requested certificates of sponsorship under tier 2 | ||
| Migrant classification | ||
| General | Intra-company transfer | |
| Number of sponsors granted certificates of sponsorship under tier 2 | ||
| Migrant classification | ||
| General | Intra-company transfer | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to nearest five. 2. 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. | ||
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Tier 2 (a) general and (b) ICT certificates of sponsorship had (i) been requested, (ii) been allocated and (iii) were pending in each month since October 2009. [312413]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 21 January 2010]: The following tables shows how many certificates of sponsorship, under tier 2 general and tier 2 intra-company transfer categories of the Points-based Immigration system have been (a) requested, (b) allocated and (c) were pending in each month since October 2009.
| Certificates of sponsorship requested-Tier 2 | ||||
| Migrant c lassification | October 2009 | November 2009 | December 2009 | Total |
| Certificates of sponsorship allocated-Tier 2 | ||||
| Migrant c lassification | October 2009 | November 2009 | December 2009 | Total |
| Certificates of sponsorship pending-Tier 2 | ||||
| Migrant classification | October 2009 | November 2009 | December 2009 | Total |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to nearest 5. 2. 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. | ||||
Immigration: Children
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UK Border Agency keeps records of the number of unaccompanied minors arriving in the UK. [313611]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency does not keep records of all unaccompanied children who arrive in the UK.
Border force officers remain vigilant in identifying any arriving child who may be at risk of harm. When an unaccompanied child arrives, the border force officer must be satisfied that suitable arrangements have been made for the child's reception and welfare in the UK before allowing them entry. The UK Border Agency works closely with the police and children's services and will if appropriate alert them to any concerns.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to identify unaccompanied minors who are suspected of being trafficked. [313612]
Mr. Woolas: The Government's response to human trafficking is set out in their comprehensive 2007 Action Plan, which was updated in October 2009 and contains a number of specific measures to identify and protect child victims, including training for front line staff.
In December 2007 the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Home Office published practice guidance, "Working Together to Safeguard Children Who May Have Been Trafficked" to help practitioners safeguard and promote the welfare of children who may have been trafficked. We also established with the NSPCC, a national Child Trafficking Advice and Information Line in October 2007 to support practitioners with advice on safeguarding vulnerable children believed to have been trafficked.
As part of our improved services for trafficked children under the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings, we have introduced a National Referral Mechanism, which provides enhanced procedures for local agencies to identify, refer and support all victims of trafficking early on, including children. Alongside NRM, we are piloting a child trafficking assessment tool in 13 local authority areas, to trial a process for local practitioners to assess cases of separated children who may be trafficking victims and to take initial safeguarding action and make a referral to a Competent Authority under the NRM.
From 2 November 2009, Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act (2009) placed a new duty on UKBA to safeguard children subject to immigration controls, including trafficked children and those seeking asylum. All UK Border Agency staff at operational and case working grades are required to complete training on how to identify potential victims of trafficking, which contains specific sections on the features of child trafficking.
Updated multi agency guidance was issued on 10 June 2009 and 1 July 2009 on children at risk of sexual exploitation and those who go missing from care both of which highlight how trafficked children may be identified and protected from harm. We have incorporated child trafficking into the cross Government "Staying Safe" Action Plan and established trafficking sub groups at local and regional levels.
Immigration: ICT
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent on the Integrated Case Work IT system (Integrity) to date; and what the overall budget for the project is. [313457]
Mr. Woolas: Spend to date for the whole programme, from inception in 2007 up to 31 December 2009, is £71.7 million.
The total estimated cost of delivering the Immigration Case Work programme is £370 million over the period 2008-09 to 2015-16.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Integrated Case Work IT system (Integrity) to be fully operational. [313458]
Mr. Woolas: Implementation has commenced with three on-time releases during 2009. The target date to complete all functional components of INTEGRITY is the end of 2013, with full deployment and realisation of benefits expected by 2015.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he expects to reply to the letter dated 15 October 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs Saima Noreen Rashid; [310498]
(2) when he plans to reply to the letter to him dated 15 October 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mrs Saima Noreen Rashid; [311509]
(3) when he plans to reply to the letter of 15 October 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs Saima Noreen Rashid. [309155]
Alan Johnson: Due to an administrative error the UK Border Agency did not receive my right hon. Friend's letter until December 2009. I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 26 January 2010.
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 7 December 2009 from the hon. Member for Walsall North regarding a constituent Ref: S1410402/K1287157. [313772]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 28 January 2010]: The chief executive of the UK Border Agency wrote on 27 January 2010.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter of 30 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Zaheer Iqbal. [315022]
Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 1 February 2010.
Opinion Polls
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent on opinion polling in 2009-10. [314333]
Mr. Woolas: During the financial year 2009-10 the Home Office expenditure on opinion polling has been £240,816.
Prisoners: Foreigners
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners were transferred from immigration removal centres to open prisons in each of the last three years; and what the criteria for transferral are. [313453]
Mr. Woolas: Detainees being held in the UK Border Agency's detention estate would only be transferred to a prison where their behaviour threatens the security or safety of an immigration removal centre. Such detainees are transferred to closed, not open prisons.
Rape: Victim Support Schemes
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on services of each type for rape victims in each year since 1997. [309410]
Alan Johnson: Although the bulk of funding for local services comes from local sources the Home Office and other Government Departments including Ministry of Justice and Government Equalities Office do provide some grant funding to help meet the costs of providing services to sexual assault victims.
Based on the best available information, the approximated total of grants awarded:
Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) funding
2004-05-Home Office SARC Funding £310,000
2005-06-Home Office SARC Funding £709,000
2006-07-Home Office SARC Funding £620,000
2007-08-Home Office SARC Funding £805,000
2008-09-Home Office SARC Funding £663,000
2009-10-Home Office SARC Funding £1,500,000
Victim's Fund-grants to local sexual assault services (administered by MoJ)
2005-06-£1,458,718
2006-07-£1,300,600
2007-08-£1,249,644
2008-09-£1,249,644
2009-10-£1,250,000
Special Fund for local sexual assault services (administered by GEO)
2008-09-£1,000,000
2009-10-£1,600,000
Home Office funding for Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs)
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