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22 Feb 2010 : Column 362W—continued
Entry Clearances: Fees and Charges
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy for fees charged for visas to increase in line with inflation. [317562]
Mr. Woolas: Current policy is to set visa fees by balancing a number of complex factors, including inflation along with the cost of processing applications, the importance of attracting certain groups of migrants to the UK, and the value of a successful application in terms of entitlements and benefits to the applicant.
Entry Clearances: Indian Subcontinent
Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time taken between the date of adjudication of an entry clearance case in favour of the applicant and the date of issue of a visa at the British High Commission in (a) New Delhi and (b) Islamabad was in the latest period for which figures are available. [315147]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The UK Border Agency, however, recently issued its visa sections overseas with a target time of eight weeks to conclude the consideration of visa applications after receiving notification of an allowed appeal. The agency will be monitoring the performance of visa sections against this target.
Entry Clearances: Married People
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the appropriateness of the level of fees for spouse settlement visas; and how much revenue accrued from such fees in each of the last five years. [317560]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency's fees for immigration and nationality are reviewed annually.
The following table shows revenue collected from spousal settlement visas in each of the last five years.
| Income from spouse/civil partner visas from 2004-05 to 2008-09 | |
| Income (£000) | |
| Source: Internal management information-International Group | |
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the results of the joint review of student visas by his Department and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to be published. [314673]
Mr. Woolas: The outcome of the review of Tier 4, announced by the Prime Minister on 12 November 2009, were published on Wednesday 10 February 2010.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the economic impact of increasing the minimum level at which non-EU students may come to the UK for study from National Qualifications Framework Level 3 to Level 4. [316912]
Mr. Woolas: The Secretary of State for the Home Department's written ministerial statement of 10 February 2010 provides full details of the recommendations stemming from the Prime Minister's review of tier 4, the student route of the points based system. We will be publishing a full impact assessment on the review in line with implementation.
We are not increasing the minimum level at which non-EU students may come to the UK for study from National Qualifications Framework level 3 to level 4, however, only education providers that qualify as Highly Trusted Sponsors will be able to offer courses at level three to international students.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dependants of those with a (a) student visa and (b) student visa relating to a course lasting less than six months entered the UK in 2008. [317155]
Mr. Woolas: The available statistics show that 20,300 "dependants of students" (excluding EEA and Swiss nationals) were given leave to enter the United Kingdom, in 2008.
It is not possible to determine, from the systems used to produce these statistics on those given leave to enter the UK, how many of those admitted as "dependants of students" were dependants of students on a course lasting less than six months.
The Secretary of State for the Home Department's written statement of 10 February 2010, Official Report, column 58WS contains details of the recommendations stemming from the Prime Minister's review of tier 4, and this statement includes further details of the restrictions we are placing on the dependants of certain students.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the likely effects on student visitors of implementing the changes proposed in the recent review of tier 4 of the points-based immigration system. [317167]
Mr. Woolas: As a result of the changes we are implementing following the review of tier 4, the student tier of the points based system, we expect there to be an increase in the number of student visitor applications, as genuine students wishing to follow lower level courses no longer permitted under tier 4 will be permitted to use the student visitor route instead.
The student visitor category is for short-term, temporary visitors to the UK who intend to complete a course of study in the UK within six months. In order to be eligible, all those seeking entry under this category must have a place on a course of study offered by an education provider which either has a tier 4 sponsor licence, or
which is subject to public inspection, or which is accredited by one of the UK Border Agency's approved accreditation bodies.
Student visitors cannot follow a course that contains a work placement, and they are prohibited from taking employment in the UK.
The Secretary of State for the Home Department's written statement of 10 February 2010, Official Report, column 58WS contains details of the recommendations stemming from the Prime Minister's review of tier 4.
Firearms
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the number of unlicensed handguns in circulation in (a) England and (b) the North West; and if he will make a statement. [317549]
Mr. Alan Campbell: These data are not collected centrally. Handguns are prohibited under firearms law and can only be held with the authority of the Secretary of State. Such authority is generally limited to businesses such as arms manufacturers, and is not normally given to individuals. There are some exceptions for certain historic handguns and for certain professions (for example, vets and race starters) which need to use handguns, but they must still be held on a firearms certificate. Unlawful possession of a handgun carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a minimum of five years.
The National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) collects intelligence pertaining to the number of known and inferred illegal handguns in the UK, and when necessary these data are shared with the Home Office to inform firearms policy. As these data relate directly to active police operations it is not suitable for the public domain.
Forensic Science Service: Greater London
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the management of the Forensic Science Service in London on the future of the London site after the expiry of its lease in 2013. [317842]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Discussions between the Forensic Science Service, the Metropolitan Police Authority as landlord, and the Home Office as guarantor of the lease of the laboratory premises at Lambeth, are continuing. The proposed lease, of a five-year duration, has yet to be signed. The current plans by the Forensic Science Service envisage a continued occupancy of the Lambeth premises.
Forensic Science Service: Location
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether relocation packages will be available for skilled Forensic Science Service staff who are to be made redundant at sites listed for closure; and if he will make a statement. [317844]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Forensic Science Service will offer a relocation package for members of staff who have decided that they would like to move to another FSS location.
Forensic Science Service: Redundancy
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the number of redundancies at each Forensic Science Service for which closure is planned. [317845]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The FSS has stated that it anticipates a maximum of 800 redundancies across the organisation. As part of this figure, it is anticipated that redundancies will be made at the Chorley, Chepstow and central Birmingham (Priory House) laboratories in accordance with the following table:
| FSS location | Anticipated redundancies |
Government Car and Despatch Agency
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department paid to the Government Car and Despatch Agency in each of the last five years; how much it has spent on such payments in 2009-10; and what proportion of such payments was made in respect of the Government Car Service. [316784]
Mr. Woolas: The amount paid by the Home Department, inclusive of the Criminal Records Bureau and UKBA agencies, to the Government Car and Despatch Agency in each of the last five financial years and to January 2010 in the current financial year is as follows:
| Table 1 | |
| Financial year | GCDA expenditure (£) |
Costs to Departments of ministerial cars are reported annually to Parliament by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport through written ministerial statement and are available in the Libraries of the House.
The Department currently has an agreement with the GCDA's Green Car service for the provision of cars and drivers. Available expenditure data are as follows:
| Table 2 | |
| GCDA's Green Cars | £ |
| (1 )Available only at disproportionate cost | |
Greater Manchester Police: Forensic Science
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with Greater Manchester Police Force on its decision to hold back all volume crime work from processing by the Forensic Science Service until the next financial year; and if he will make a statement. [317843]
Mr. Alan Campbell: This is a matter for, primarily, the Greater Manchester police in consultation with its forensic suppliers. The FSS has received notification that Greater Manchester police has temporarily suspended submissions of fibres, gun shot residue and glass cases.
Hizb ut-Tahrir
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many years the group Hizb ut-Tahrir has been active in the UK. [317825]
Alan Johnson: It is normal Home Office policy not to comment on groups which may or may not be added to the list of proscribed organisations.
Hotels
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many separate bookings for stays at hotels rated five stars or above were made through the Expotel booking service by his Department in the latest year for which figures are available; and at what cost those bookings were made. [314813]
Mr. Woolas: From best available information, no bookings for stays at hotels rated at five stars or above were made through the Expotel booking service on behalf of the Home Department in 2009.
Human Trafficking
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps the Government has taken to tackle human trafficking. [316983]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Government's plans to combat human trafficking are outlined in the UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking. The plan is updated annually and can be found at:
The most recent update of the plan, published in October 2009 details 38 actions to tackle trafficking across four key areas of: prevention; investigation, law enforcement and prosecution; providing protection and assistance to adult victims of trafficking; and child victims.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of human trafficking were identified in the UK in 2008. [316984]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The formal identification system introduced under the national referral mechanism came into force from 1 April 2009.
In 2008 referrals of potential victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation were referred to the Poppy Project who in 2008 received a total 293 referrals.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to identify victims of human trafficking. [316985]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Government's overall approach to tackling human trafficking is outlined in the UK Action Plan:
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