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22 Feb 2010 : Column 382W—continued
In addition to the searches carried out by these specialist teams, non-specialist UK Border Agency staff, including the Cutter fleet, also challenge and board commercial vessels arriving in UK ports.
Special Advocates
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether special advocates have been employed in cases involving (a) control orders, (b) the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, (c) asset freezing, (d) the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission, (e) the Security Vetting Appeals Panel, (f) the Employment Tribunal, (g) the Employment Appeal Tribunal and (h) race discrimination claims under the Race Relations Act 1976 since their introduction; [316606]
(2) whether special advocates have been employed in cases involving (a) criminal prosecutions where closed material is relied upon, (b) the Information Tribunal, (c) judicial review of Government decisions not to provide exculpatory material relating to Guantánamo detainees, (d) private law compensation claims from former Guantánamo detainees, (e) other judicial reviews where closed material is used, (f) decisions on the release and recall of prisoners involving the use of closed material under various statutory provisions in Northern Ireland and (g) the National Security Certificate Appeals Tribunal Northern Ireland since their introduction. [316618]
The Solicitor-General: I have been asked to reply.
The answers to the questions the hon. Member for Hendon has posed may most helpfully be put in the form of a table, which appears as follows. The table
relates to the UK and has been prepared with the assistance of the Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate-General for Scotland.
Stun Guns
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the potential for use by the police of the extended range electronic projectile Taser. [314784]
Mr. Hanson: The Government have no current plans to introduce extended range electronic projectiles for use by the police.
The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) assesses and reviews a range of new technologies on behalf of the police service. As part of this work, HOSDB is conducting preliminary assessments of the effectiveness, level of risk and utility of a product being developed by Taser International called the extended Range Electronic Projectile (XREP). Any equipment issued to police officers is subject to very rigorous testing, and would also undergo full independent medical assessment.
The Government's approach to developing the use of less lethal weapons is in line with articles 2 and 3 of the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms.
Theft: Motor Vehicles
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of thefts of cars facilitated through the theft of car keys. [315926]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The British Crime Survey 2008-09 shows that vehicle crime has reduced by 57 per cent. since 1997. This success was achieved by Government and police working with partners in the public and private sectors to reduce crime, and to make cars harder to steal. It is now almost impossible to steal a car without using the keys. Some criminals now target the car keys, and the most prevalent method for doing so is by burgling homes to steal car keys, known as car key burglary.
We have invested £15 million this year in preventing and tackling burglary, including physically securing homes with effective locks and providing the right advice to those most at risk of burglary. Our current publicity campaign "Don't Advertise Your Stuff To Thieves" specifically addresses this crime through its television advert. Renewed advice on preventing burglary, including car key burglary, is also available on the Home Office website. We are currently working with the police and the Home Office Design and Technology Alliance to develop further responses to the issue of car key burglary.
We have updated our advice to people on how to protect their homes and cars. The Home Office website provides advice to householders on protecting themselves from burglary, including advice on keeping car keys out of sight of doors and windows, closing and locking doors and windows, and advising on appropriate security standards to take account of when replacing windows or doors. It includes "Steer Clear of Car Crime", an updated publication which provides advice for people on protecting their car and its contents from theft, including specific advice on keeping car keys safe from thieves.
The Home Office also funds the ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (AVCIS). Its aims include reducing thefts of vehicles and increasing recovery of stolen vehicles. It works closely with partners across police forces, the wider public sector and the private sector to tackle vehicle crime in all its forms, including car key burglary. AVCIS has participated in a number of successful joint police operations targeted at reducing vehicle crime, including car key burglary.
UK Border Agency
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints UK Border Agency managers have received from staff intending to become whistleblowers in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [317030]
Mr. Woolas: This information is not collected centrally.
The Home Office policy on whistleblowing encourages members of staff to speak up about genuine concerns regarding wrongdoing and matters of conscience. They may raise their concerns in a number of ways: to their line manager; another manager whom they trust; one of the Department's nominated officers; to the Civil Service Commissioners; or to a relevant regulatory body such as the National Audit Office or the Health and Safety Executive. Matters of conscience may also be reported to the Permanent Secretary.
UK Border Agency: Complaints
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints the UK Border Agency (UKBA) received against its staff (a) for each given reason and (b) from each type of UKBA service user in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [316329]
Mr. Woolas: Data for complaints received by the UK Border Agency from members of the public about UK Border Agency staff can be provided for 2008 and 2009.
Serious misconduct complaints (Serious misconduct is any unprofessional behaviour which, if substantiated, would lead to disciplinary action)
127 complaints (eight of which were substantiated)
155 complaints (18 of which were substantiated)
Minor misconduct complaints (Minor misconduct is usually to do with isolated instances of rudeness and unprofessional conduct which are not serious enough to warrant a formal investigation and if substantiated they would not lead to criminal or disciplinary proceedings)
293 complaints
774 complaints
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints about racism involving UK Border Agency staff were received from asylum seekers in each of the smallest geographical areas for which figures are available in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [316330]
Mr. Woolas: Between January 2009 and January 2010, 28 complaints concerning serious misconduct that involved allegations of racism were received by the UK Border Agency, from members of the public, one of these complaints was substantiated. No geographical breakdown is available nor do records indicate in how many cases the complainants were asylum seekers.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints relating to incidents of violence by UK Border Agency staff were received from asylum seekers in each of the smallest geographical areas for which figures are available in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [316333]
Mr. Woolas: 92 allegations of assault by UKBA staff were received between January 2009 and January 2010. two of these were substantiated. Central data do not show whether or not the complainant was an asylum seeker in each case.
UK Border Agency: Contracts
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2010, Official Report, column 587W, on UK Border Agency: contracts, which contractors were awarded the 13 UK Border Agency contracts valued at over £2 million in 2009. [317244]
Mr. Woolas: The contractors awarded the 13 UK Border Agency contracts valued at over £2 million in 2009 are as follows:
1. Rapiscan Systems Ltd.
2. The GEO Group UK Ltd.
3. Northern Ireland Housing Executive
4. FCO Services
5. FCO Services
6. Atos Origin IT Services UK Limited
7. Dell Corporation
8. Specialist Computer Centres plc
9. Serco
10. G4S
11. G4S
12. Jomast
13. Interserve
UK Border Agency: Crimes of Violence
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of violence by asylum seekers against UK Border Agency staff were recorded in each of the smallest geographical areas for which figures are available in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [316331]
Mr. Woolas: Please see following table which shows the number of physical assaults recorded by location. Please note that UKBA does not record the identity of the individual making the assault and cannot specify whether he or she was an 'asylum seeker'. The figures in the table therefore represent all assaults on staff by members of the public and not just asylum seekers. Verbal assaults are excluded from these data.
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