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22 Mar 2010 : Column 58W—continued
Entry Clearances: Palestinians
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the UK Border Agency did not issue a visa in connection with Fairtrade Fortnight to (a) Lina Mahmoud, (b) Belal Eid and (c) Nahed Besharieh; and if he will make a statement. [322326]
Mr. Woolas: The applications were refused as the entry clearance officer was not satisfied they met the requirements of the immigration rules. The reasons for refusal were set out in the refusal notices issued to the applicants. In light of further information received, the decision was made to issue visas. However, it has not been possible to contact the applicants to make arrangements.
Greater London
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to each London borough, the effects on each borough of changes to his Department's policies between 2003-04 and 2008-09. [319656]
Alan Johnson: The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at:
Identity Cards
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he classifies the implementation of biometric passports as part of the identity card scheme. [318714]
Alan Johnson: The issues of identity cards as well as the introduction of fingerprint biometric passports are part of the National Identity Service. The provisions of the Identity Cards Act 2006 will be amended by further primary legislation so that everyone aged 16 and over who applies for a British passport will have the choice of being issued with an identity card or a passport (or both documents) and for their identity details, including facial image and fingerprint biometrics, to be recorded on the same National Identity Register.
Illegal Immigrants
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants were detected at each of the main ports of entry to the United Kingdom in (a) 2008 and (b) 2009. [319576]
Mr. Woolas: It is Government policy to restrict the publication of Border Force management information to a regional level, as port-specific information could provide value to those seeking to circumvent our controls. The table therefore provides details of the number of illegal entrants detected by UK Border Force officers at UK ports, in 2008 and 2009, on a regional basis. The information used to answer this question has been taken from a live database and is suitable for management information purposes. It has not been subject to the detailed checks required to qualify as National Statistics.
In addition, the UK Border Agency, working together with its partners at the Juxtaposed Controls, prevented more than 28,000 individual attempts to cross the Channel illegally in 2008, and 29,000 in 2009.
| 2009 | 2008 | |
Immigrants: Detainees
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children detained at (a) Dungavel and (b) Yarl's Wood have been transferred to other immigration detention centres in each of the last six months. [321958]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 12 March 2010]: Families with children can be detained at Dungavel House, Tinsley House and Yarl's Wood. Tinsley House currently accommodates family groups for 24 hours and Dungavel House for approximately 72 hours. Where detention is likely to extend beyond this timeframe, families are transferred to Yarl's Wood, which has the facilities to support longer periods of detention.
It is not possible to provide the information requested without examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
National Statistics on children detained solely under Immigration Act powers on a snapshot basis are published quarterly. The information is published in Tables 9-14 of the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom bulletins which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) children and (b) families detained at immigration detention centres spent the entire period of their detention at a single location in the latest period for which figures are available. [321959]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 12 March 2010]: For the period October 2009 to December 2009, 330 children left immigration removal centres. From our records, 230 had spent the entire period of their detention at a single location. These figures are based on management information. They have not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, are rounded to the nearest 5, subject to change and should be treated as provisional.
Of the balance, some will have spent the entire period of detention at a single location but will have moved with their families for reasons such as medical appointments outside the centre, or a failed removal. We could only establish the number by examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
The number of families held in immigration removal centres that spent the entire period of their detention at a single location can be determined only by examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the health and emotional well-being of children of transfers between immigration removal centres. [321960]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 12 March 2010]: The UK Border Agency takes health and emotional well-being of those in its care very seriously; this is particularly true of children who are regrettably detained-with their parents-pending their removal after they refuse to leave the UK voluntarily. We introduced a new duty in November 2009 contained in the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, which requires the Agency to protect and promote the welfare of children. The Office of the Children's Champion, which includes professional advisers, is responsible for challenging the Agency to ensure it meets its obligations, and they provide constant advice and support to those responsible for detention and escorting matters.
Prior to detention, the Agency conducts a formal assessment of each child to identify any particular medical, safeguarding or welfare needs in order to make the necessary arrangements to support them while in detention.
Children can only be held in three immigration removal centres. Tinsley House currently holds families for 24 hours and Dungavel House for up to three days. Those families who will be held for longer periods are taken to Yarl's Wood, as are those families in Scotland whose flights are departing from London. We do not normally move families between centres for any other reason.
Prior to the transfer to Yarl's Wood, a number of assessments are made to take specific account of the safeguarding and welfare of the children making the journey. These include:
The size of vehicle required to accommodate the whole family together;
The length of the journey to ensure adequate comfort breaks, suitable child activity packs, dietary requirements and refreshments;
Appropriate clothing for the weather;
Feeding and changing facilities for babies and any requirement for child safety chairs and booster seats.
The discharging centre provides Yarl's Wood with all health records, welfare assessments and care plans, documenting any special needs or support in place for the family to ensure continuity of care.
On arrival at the receiving centre the family and children are individually re-assessed by a nurse within two hours and an appointment made for them to see a GP the following day. In line with the centre's safeguarding arrangements, the children continue to have their welfare monitored and assessed on a regular basis by the multi-disciplinary team of healthcare, educational, operational and other staff, together with the resident senior social worker.
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether members of any families being detained at immigration removal centres have been detained at different locations in each of the last 12 months. [322377]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 15 March 2010]: Local management information indicates that, at 11 March 2010, 18 family members (from six families) presently detained at an immigration removal centre had been detained under Immigration Act powers at a different location within the past 12 months.
The figures provided do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on management information.
This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional.
National Statistics on children detained solely under Immigration Act powers on a snapshot basis are published quarterly. The information is published in the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom bulletins which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the maximum number of children is which may be detained at each immigration removal centre; and how many children were detained at each centre in the last six months. [322378]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 15 March 2010]: There are 66 rooms providing a total of 152 beds where families with children may be accommodated in the immigration detention estate. They are not all occupied at any one time since their use is dependent on the make-up and size of the family.
Children may be detained as part of a family group in three immigration removal centres. Tinsley House has four family rooms of six and seven beds. Dungavel House has two three-bedded family rooms and Yarl's Wood has 60 two-bedded family rooms. The rooms are inter-linked to allow larger family groups to be accommodated together.
The number of children who entered detention solely under Immigration Act powers for the last six months of 2009 is published in table 9 of the Control of Immigration Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom Third Quarter and Table 9.1 of the Control of Immigration Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom Fourth Quarter which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
Immigration
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department takes to monitor the destination of those refused leave to remain in the UK who have not yet been removed from the UK. [315901]
Mr. Woolas: The introduction of better contact management through the use of physical reporting at reporting centres and police stations together with the use of electronic monitoring (tagging and voice recognition) has allowed the UK Border Agency to maintain contact with asylum applicants at all stages of the process and with those who have breached immigration law.
The UK Border Agency's Country of Origin Information Service continually monitors the situation in the countries of origin of those who seek international protection in the UK, taking into account information from a wide range of recognised and respected sources. We enforce the return of an individual only where we and the courts are satisfied that the person concerned will not be at risk.
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on payments made in relation to immigration casework consequent on complaints to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in each of the last five years. [322332]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency does not break down data on compensation payments into specific business areas. As a result of this, the information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department paid in compensation in respect of immigration casework in each of the last five years. [322333]
Mr. Woolas: The Home Office prepares its accounts in accordance with UK GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) adapted for the public sector in accordance with guidance issued by HM Treasury.
The information is not collated in the way requested but compensation payments/special payments are monitored routinely as part of the broader financial management arrangements in place within the UK Border Agency.
The Agency is exploring arrangements to collate this type of information in future years.
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) mean and (b) median time taken to process an application for further leave to remain was in December 2009. [322351]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 15 March 2010]: It is not possible for the UK Border Agency to differentiate between applications for leave to remain and applications for further leave to remain. I therefore refer the hon. Member to the answer provided on 9 March 2010, Official Report, column 222W.
Independent Police Complaints Commission
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of complaints received by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigated by the IPCC. [323277]
Mr. Hanson: The IPCC is an independent body responsible for ensuring that the police complaints system in England and Wales works effectively and fairly. The IPCC is directly involved in investigating the most serious cases, which make up a small proportion of cases overall. The remainder of cases are subject to investigation by the local police force involved or to an informal procedure called local resolution carried out by the police.
However, in order to ensure that independent oversight extends to all parts of the police complaints system, complainants whose cases are dealt with by the police have a right of appeal to the IPCC.
The IPCC also has a statutory responsible for the guardianship of the police complaints system. As part of that guardianship role, the IPCC analyses and publishes complaints statistics detailing the number and type of
complaints made by members of the public and their outcomes. These reports are published on the IPCC's website.
Lockerbie: Bombings
David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department were consulted on the departure of Abdelbasset Al-Megrahi from the UK; [320560]
(2) whether the UK Border Agency had the power to prevent Mr. Abdelbasset Al-Megrahi from leaving the UK following his release from custody by the Scottish Executive; [320561]
(3) whether, following his release from custody by the Scottish Executive, the UK Border Agency was required to give its consent to the departure from the UK of Mr. Abdelbasset Al-Megrahi. [320562]
Mr. Woolas: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary was kept fully informed by officials of the possible outcomes in the event that Mr. Al-Megrahi were to be released. However, the UK Border Agency is not required to give its consent to the departure of a foreign national. A foreign national can leave the UK at any time provided there are no outstanding criminal proceedings against them. We would inform the police or other agencies to determine an appropriate operational response should we become aware that an individual of interest is seeking to depart from the UK.
In the case of Mr. Al-Megrahi he was released from prison and expressed his wish to return to Libya. The UK Border Agency was aware of this but was not required to give its consent to this action.
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