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24 Mar 2010 : Column 341W—continued
Departmental Surveys
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the benchmark results of the Civil Service People Survey for his Department and its agencies. [322566]
Mr. Woolas: The 2009 Home Office People Survey results are now available in the Library. These results are also available on the websites for Home Office and its agencies.
Detention Centres
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the longest period is for which (a) a child and (b) an adult has been detained by the UK Border Agency at an immigration removal centre in the last five years; and at which location in each case. [322669]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 16 March 2010]: The longest period for which a child has been detained by the UK Border Agency at an immigration removal centre in the last five years is 190 days. The child was detained at Yarl's Wood.
I should stress this particular case relates to a family held in 2005 and was in part due to several failed removal attempts following the family's disruptive behaviour at the point of removal. Since then the UK Border Agency has radicalised the way in which case working of families with children is managed. We now only ever detain families where they have refused to leave the UK voluntarily and their departure has to be enforced, all legal barriers have been concluded, they have a valid travel document and a flight has been booked in a few days. It is therefore our intention that children are only ever in detention for no more than a few days.
The longest period for which an adult has been detained by the UK Border Agency at an immigration removal centre in the last five years is not available. Information on children has been made available through the examination of individual cases, which would only be possible for adult detainees at disproportionate cost.
National Statistics on persons (including children) held in detention solely under Immigration Act powers on a snapshot basis are published quarterly. This information is published in tables 9-13 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:
DNA: Databases
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people with profiles on the National DNA Database who had no further action taken in their case have been found guilty of a separate offence (a) since their profile was added to the database and (b) primarily as a result of their profile being added to the database; [315673]
(2) how many people with a profile on the National DNA Database who were found not guilty in court have since been convicted in respect of a separate offence primarily as a result of their profile being on the database. [315674]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 4 February 2010]: The National DNA Database (NDNAD) holds information to allow DNA found at crime scenes to be matched with profiles taken from known individuals, and to pass reports of matches to the police for further investigation. The NDNAD does not hold information on the arrest history of profiled individuals, subsequent charges or details of convictions. The specific information sought is therefore not available centrally.
Drugs: Colombia
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to monitor the level of drug trafficking in Colombia. [323349]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 22 March 2010]: We work very closely with the Colombian authorities in tackling the cocaine trade. Our work involves intelligence sharing and promoting best practice amongst law enforcement partners. With our support, our Colombian partners continue to have significant success in arresting high profile traffickers, dismantling organised crime networks, and in seizing cocaine destined for the UK.
Electronic Warfare
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the likely level of resilience of critical infrastructure to the effects of an electromagnetic pulse. [324043]
Mr. Hanson: The Government's Cyber Security Strategy of the United Kingdom, published alongside and reflected in the National Security Strategy update of June 2009, considers a number of methods of cyber attack, including those that generate high levels of radio frequency power that can damage or disrupt unprotected electronics. It also outlines the new governance structures and workstreams which are now building on existing work to take forward the Government's plan for reducing the impact on and vulnerability of the UK's interests from cyber attacks.
The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) provides advice on electronic or cyber protective security measures to the businesses and organisations that comprise the UK's critical national infrastructure, including public utilities, companies and banks. CPNI also runs a CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) service which responds to reported attacks on private sector networks. In addition, CESG provides Government Departments with advice and guidance on how to protect against, detect and mitigate various types of cyber attack.
Businesses and organisations in the critical national infrastructure are encouraged to implement appropriate protective measures and develop contingency plans to help ensure business continuity.
It would not be in the interests of national security to publish information about specific vulnerabilities, assessments or protective measures relating to electromagnetic pulse attack.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the likelihood of a (a) natural and (b) deliberately initiated electromagnetic pulse affecting critical infrastructure; and what systems are in place to mitigate the effects of such an event. [324045]
Mr. Hanson:
The Government's Cyber Security Strategy of the United Kingdom, published alongside and reflected in the National Security Strategy update of June 2009, considers a number of methods of cyber attack, including those that generate high levels of radio frequency power that can damage or disrupt unprotected electronics. It
also outlines the new governance structures and workstreams which are now building on existing work to take forward the Government's plan for reducing the impact on and vulnerability of the UK's interests from cyber attacks.
The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) provides advice on electronic or cyber protective security measures to the businesses and organisations that comprise the UK's critical national infrastructure, including public utilities, companies and banks. CPNI also runs a CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) service which responds to reported attacks on private sector networks. In addition, CESG provides Government Departments with advice and guidance on how to protect against, detect and mitigate various types of cyber attack.
It would not be in the interests of national security to publish information about specific vulnerabilities, assessments or protective measures relating to electromagnetic pulse attack.
Entry Clearances: Biometrics
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many biometric enrolment centres are in operation; where they are located; how many applications they are expected to process in the next 12 months; and how many people they could each process and provide with identity cards each year if working at maximum capacity. [318707]
Alan Johnson: The Home Office has opened a total of 34 biometric enrolment offices across the UK. These are operational in the following places:
Aberdeen
Battersea
Beckenham
Beeston
Belfast
Blackburn
Bracknell
Brighton
Cambridge
Camden
Cardiff
Central Manchester
Croydon
Derby
Durham
Earls Court
Elephant and Castle
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