Animal Experiments: Botulinum Toxin
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department has made on promoting the use of alternatives to animals as soon as is practicable; whether she plans to stop authorising the use of mice for the potency testing of botulism; and what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on proposals to strengthen regulations on the use of animals in scientific procedures. [87716]
Lynne Featherstone: We continue to promote the development of alternatives through effective implementation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, through continuing support for the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) and through discussions, as necessary, with other Government Departments. In addition, the coalition agreement includes two commitments relating to the use of animals in scientific research:
to work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research and to end the testing of household products on animals.
The first commitment is being delivered through a science-led programme led by the NC3Rs and the second using the licensing powers provided by the 1986 Act.
With regard to potency testing of botulinum toxin, under the 1986 Act, no testing may be authorised which requires the use of protected animals when an alternative test, not requiring their use, can be used. At present, European legislation requires the use of either the mouse bioassay or a product-specific, scientifically-validated alternative for testing both the potency and safety of botulinum toxin. We are aware of a non-animal alternative test which has been approved for testing a specific botulinum toxin product in other geographical regions, but this is not yet approved in the European Union. We
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continue to liaise with all interested parties to ensure that all granted licences for this purpose fulfil the requirements of the 1986 Act, now and in the future, and we will continue to monitor developments.
One of the key aims of European directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes is to promote the use of alternatives and to harmonise standards across Europe. United Kingdom officials actively supported this aim in the negotiation of this directive including support for the inclusion of a requirement for thematic reviews which are intended to help to identify where alternatives can be most effective.
Animal Experiments: Primates
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to European Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, what her policy is on the use of alternative centres that do not restock their breeding animals from the wild and whose non-human primates are all purpose and captive bred. [87117]
Lynne Featherstone: Our policy is that non-human primates used in scientific research must be born and bred in the UK and obtained from designated UK breeders/suppliers.
However, importation of animals may be allowed if sufficient animals are not available in the UK of the appropriate age range or for some long-term programmes of work that require consistency of source of non-human primates for scientific reasons.
We prefer that the imported animals are F2 non-human primates or animals sourced from self-sustaining colonies. However the use of wild-caught breeding animals is only one of the criteria by which centres are assessed. Not using wild-caught breeding animals does not of itself make a centre acceptable.
The breeding centre should have a policy of reducing dependence on wild-caught animals for future breeding stock. The number of wild-caught animals introduced into the colony for breeding should be in accordance with restrictions imposed by the national authority. Where the breeding centre is capturing wild or feral primates it should have a clearly defined and effective process for ensuring that any person trapping primates is adequately trained and supervised in humane methods of capture.
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect on the prospects for successful implementation of her policy to reduce dependence on wild caught animals for breeding and supply of animals for scientific purposes to the UK of (a) the location of supply centres outside the jurisdiction of the UK and (b) the need to identify different generational offspring. [87229]
Lynne Featherstone: Overseas centres that currently use wild-caught animals are making significant progress towards building up numbers of F1+ breeding animals. This takes time as breeding animals are typically used for 10 years and F1 offspring take several years to reach sexual maturity. The most recent round of appraisals suggested that good progress is being made at the Mauritian centres currently being used.
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It is sensible to have acceptable supply centres in more than one country as it is possible that a centre or country could become unusable without notice due to a number of factors completely outside the control of users such as economic, political, health and transport issues.
The captive bred filial status of non-human primates (F1, F2, F2+ etc.), where deducible from knowledge of the centres' practices and/or from individual records, is one of the pieces of information that is supplied to the Home Office in a report following each acquisition.
Arrest Warrants
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been sent to the UK under the European Arrest Warrant, in order to face prosecution, in each year since its inception, by type of offence; and if she will make a statement. [78626]
Damian Green [holding answer 7 November 2011]: Due to the way that the data are recorded, it is not possible for these figures to be broken down by the number returned to face prosecution or to serve an existing sentence in each year without a manual examination of each individual case file. This would incur a disproportionate cost.
Asylum
Keith Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum case files have
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been open for
(a)
one year,
(b)
two years,
(c)
three years,
(d)
four years and
(e)
five years or more. [79715]
Damian Green: The number of open cases in the new asylum model, also known as the asylum work in progress caseload (WiP) was published on the HM Government website in August 2011 reflecting June data. The breakdown is shown in the following table:
| Age of cases (months) | WiP as at end June 11 |
All cases that are over 60 months belong to the Case Assurance and Audit Unit (CAAU). There are 17,000(1) of these in the live case cohort, as well as 93,000(1) cases in the controlled archive.
All figures quoted are management information which has been subject to internal quality checks.
(1) Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum claims were concluded within (a) six, (b) 12, (c) 18 and (d) 24 months in each of the last five years. [81481]
Damian Green: The number of asylum claims concluded in (a) 6, (b) 12, (c) 18 and (d) 24 months in each of the last five years is listed in the following table:
| Number | |||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 (1) | |
| (1) The 2011 figures are from January-September 2011. (2) We are unable to supply these figures as we have not yet reached the 12-month, 18-month, 24-month conclusion periods for asylum cases received in 2011. Notes: 1. Figures are cumulative; therefore cases concluded within 24-months include all cases concluded within six, 12, and 18-months. 2. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality checks. | |||||
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid in compensation to asylum seekers in each of the last five years; and what the 20 largest sums of compensation paid out in individual cases were in each of the last five years. [86693]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency prepares its accounts in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards adapted for the public sector in accordance with guidance issued by HM Treasury.
The UK Border Agency has previously reported the total amount of compensation payments made in its annual resource accounts. However, it is not possible to disaggregate these totals without incurring disproportionate costs. It is also not possible to identify separately only those payments made to asylum seekers without incurring disproportionate costs.
The 20 largest sums of compensation per year since 2009 are shown in the following table. Data prior to this point are not held centrally.
| Total (£) | |
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British Nationality
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the detention data tables Immigration Statistics April to June 2011, how many detainees granted temporary admission or release were subsequently (a) removed from the UK, (b) allowed to remain in the UK and (c) granted a different status. [82114]
Damian Green: With reference to the detention data tables immigration Statistics April June 2011 of the 7,345 individuals who were granted temporary admission or release on leaving detention in 2010, 1,544 individuals have subsequently been removed from the UK, and 2,316 individuals have subsequently been granted leave to remain in the UK.
The remaining individuals are either in the process of being removed or awaiting a final decision on their cases. Some may have appealed against earlier decisions or submitted new applications.
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Of those awaiting removal, some will have been returned to immigration detention. Where detention is not possible— for example if there are barriers to removal such as difficulties in obtaining travel documents—individuals must report regularly to the UK Border Agency.
Furthermore, some may have left the country voluntarily without informing the UK Border Agency.
All figures quoted are management information which has been subject to internal quality checks.
Brodie Clark
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when in 2011 (a) she and (b) the Minister of State for Immigration had meetings with Brodie Clark. [80505]
Damian Green [holding answer 14 November 2011]: Home Office Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Burglary
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the number of shed burglaries in Nottinghamshire which were categorised as (a) burglaries and (b) other forms of crime in 2011. [87328]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 19 December 2011]: Information is not available on how shed burglaries have been categorised in Nottinghamshire from the police recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.
Civil Disorder
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the funds provided by her Department in respect of compensation following the public disorder of August 2011 are allocated from existing budgets; and if she will make a statement. [71788]
Nick Herbert: Funding allocated by the Home Office following the public disorder of August 2011 is not being taken from the police funding settlement. It has been allocated from savings in other areas and from the Department's contingency provision.
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale of 24 November 2011, Official Report, column 481W, on civil disorder, how the Riot (Damages) Act 1886 will be reviewed; which external organisations will be consulted as part of the review; and when she expects the review to be completed. [84255]
Nick Herbert:
We want to ensure that we consider all learning derived from last August’s disorder, including consultation with people affected by the disorder and
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organisations involved in the recovery. The review is expected to be completed by the end of this financial year.
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter she sent to Chairs of Police Authorities with guidance on her Department's response to the public disorder of August 2011, including proposed amendments to the regulations under the Riot (Damages) Act 1886 and details of the bureau established to receive and assess claims from those without insurance. [88711]
Nick Herbert: A copy of the letter dated 12 August 2011 from the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), to chairs of police authorities will be placed in the Library. In August, the Home Secretary made regulations under the Riot (Damages) Act 1886 to increase the time in which people could submit compensation claims to police authorities from 14 days to 42. A review of the Riot (Damages) Act 1886 is under way and will consider all options for reform. There are therefore not yet any specific proposed amendments to the regulations. The bureau set up in August by the Home Office to help prepare claims from the uninsured to be sent to police authorities with a recommendation for payment is still operational and processing claims.
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response she plans to make to the claim by the Metropolitan Police for special grant funding to reimburse the estimated additional costs of Operations Kirkin and Withern and the provisions of the Riot (Damages) Act 1886. [88713]
Nick Herbert: Applications received under special grant have been processed; the decision and response to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) will be conveyed imminently.
Civil Disorder: Greater London
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings she has had with (a) the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and (b) the Mayor of London on changes to the Service Mobilisation Plan of the Metropolitan Police Service following the public disorder in London in August 2011. [77982]
Nick Herbert: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Crime
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect of high levels of crime on the commercial viability of high streets. [88100]
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James Brokenshire: My Department has not made any assessment of the effect of crime on the commercial viability of high streets.
Crime: Economic Situation
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of personal and household crime to the economy in 2010. [87333]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 19 December 2011]: In 2005, the Home Office published estimates of the costs of crime in England and Wales for the year 2003-04. The total burden of crime against individuals and households was estimated to be £36.2 billion. Updated cost estimates of specific crime types were published in 2011, but the Home Office has not published any more recent estimates of the total cost of crime to the economy.
Crime: Scotland
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last met the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in the Scottish Government to discuss serious and organised crime. [88159]
Nick Herbert: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has not met the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in the Scottish Government to discuss serious and organised crime.
Crimes of Violence
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to ensure that crimes relating to honour-based violence are recorded in a separate category from other offences by police authorities. [87790]
Lynne Featherstone: Crimes relating to honour-based violence can range from emotional abuse and harassment at one end of the spectrum through to serious violence and murder at the other end. Although these crimes are recorded as the relevant substantive criminal offence they are also identified by police forces as honour-based violence. There are no current plans for crimes relating to honour-based violence to be recorded in a separate category.
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to develop and implement a national strategy to tackle honour-based violence. [87791]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government's ‘Call to End Violence against Women and Girls’ strategy and the supporting action plan includes commitments to tackle honour-based violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
In the ‘Action Plan to End Violence Against Women and Girls’, published in March 2011, the Government committed to reviewing the findings from a honour-based violence local mapping exercise co-ordinated by the Home Office and identify models of effective practice to share with local areas, particularly those where awareness
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and activity to tackle forms of honour-based violence is low. The Government are also committed to continuing the delivery of training for specialist and dedicated prosecutors in issues relating to violence against women and girls, including prosecution of perpetrators of honour- based violence.
Debt Recovery
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times her Department has used the services of debt recovery companies since May 2010; which companies were used; and if she will make a statement. [88357]
Damian Green: The number of cases referred to debt recovery companies between May 2010 and November 2011 were:
| Company | Number of cases referred |
Apprentices
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many apprentices were employed by each public body for which her Department is responsible between (a) April 2010 and March 2011 and (b) April and December 2011; and how many apprenticeships she expects each public body to sponsor between (i) January and March 2012 and (ii) April 2012 and March 2013. [88737]
Damian Green: Of the Home Office-sponsored executive non-departmental public bodies, only the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) employed apprentices during the periods in question, employing three apprentices between April 2010 and March 2011. None of the Home Office-sponsored executive NDPBs plan to sponsor any apprenticeships between January and March 2012 and April and March 2013.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to sponsor apprenticeships in each of the public bodies for which her Department is responsible between (a) April 2010 and March 2011, (b) April 2011 and March 2012 and (c) April 2012 and March 2013. [88738]
Damian Green: Of the Home Office sponsored Executive non-departmental public bodies, only the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has allocated funding to sponsor apprenticeships during the periods in question. The funding from the public purse to sponsor apprenticeships in the EHRC is as follows:
| £ | |
| (1) This excludes the costs for employers' pension and national insurance contributions, as the actual cost information is not held by the Commission. The estimated additional cost for this is £13,249. | |
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Equality
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what equality impact assessments her Department has carried out since May 2010; and for what purpose in each case. [88585]
Damian Green: The Home Office considers equality issues in exercising its functions, to comply with equality legislation and to ensure that it understands how its activities will affect different people. It provides information about this consideration in various ways. In the specified period, this information was sometimes published in the form of an equality impact assessment, although there has never been a legal requirement to produce such a document. Information about the number of such documents published by the Home Office is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Manpower
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency staff were based at (a) London Heathrow, (b) London Gatwick, (c) London Stansted, (d) Birmingham, (e) Manchester, (f) Leeds, (g) Bristol, (h) Edinburgh, (i) Glasgow, (j) Aberdeen, (k) Inverness, (l) Prestwick, (m) Belfast and (n) Cardiff airports in each of the last five years. [80544]
Damian Green: The UK Border Force only publishes resource data at a regional level.
In the last five years there have been a number of re-organisations leading to the merger with HMRC's Detection Service creating the UK Border Agency. The data produced in the following table reflect these re-organisations as much as is possible, but there is not always a match. The resources transferred from HMRC are only included in the November 2011 figures. All figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
| Current Region | Total staff | |
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Brodie Clark
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish a list of all meetings held between Home Office Ministers and Brodie Clark between 1 January and 5 November 2011. [79886]
Damian Green [holding answer 10 November 2011]: Home Office Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Recruitment
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on recruitment agencies in each month since September 2011. [87990]
Damian Green: Expenditure on recruitment agencies by the Home Office, including its Executive agencies, in each month from September through to November 2011 is detailed in the following table. The amounts include staff costs as well as recruiting agencies’ fees.
| 2011 | £ |
Departmental Responsibilities
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings she has had with hon. Members of each political party since May 2010. [67163]
Damian Green: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Departmental Temporary Staff
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many temporary staff were recruited to her Department between September and November 2011. [87989]
Damian Green:
The Home Office, including executive agencies, recruited a total of 32 temporary staff during the period September to November 2011. Recruitment
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of all temporary staff is subject to scrutiny through internal approvals processes. Appointments are made only when operationally necessary and when posts cannot be filled by existing staff.
Departmental Written Questions
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of questions for ordinary written answer received a substantive response within (a) 10, (b) 20, (c) 30 and (d) more than 30 sitting days in the 2010-12 session to date. [85935]
Damian Green: The information requested, to 30 November 2011, is provided in the following table:
| Home Office ordinary written questions for answer, May 2010 to November 2011 | ||||
| Month due for answer | Answered in 0-10 days | Answered in 11-20 days | Answered in 21-30 days | Answered in over 30 days |
The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Departments’ performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary Session were previously provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website.
Deportation: Offenders
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals were deported after having served a custodial sentence in England and Wales in each year between 1997 and 2010. [87334]
Damian Green [holding answer 19 December 2011]: The following table sets out the number of foreign national offenders removed or deported from the UK each year. Please note that data prior to 2007 are not considered sufficiently reliable.
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| Number of foreign national offenders removed or deported | |
Disability Living Allowance
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many decisions were revised in the claimant's favour at reconsideration stage in respect of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) disability living allowance in each month since May 2010. [87926]
Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
Information on employment and support allowance (ESA) reconsideration decisions is in the following table:
| Total reconsideration decisions | Reconsiderations in claimant's favour | |
| Source: Department for Work and Pensions—Decision Making and Appeals Case Recorder—ESA Management Information Statistics | ||
Information on disability living allowance (DLA) reconsideration decisions is in the following table:
| Total reconsideration decisions | Reconsiderations in claimant's favour | |
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| Source: Department for Work and Pensions—DLA Management Information Statistics | ||
Domestic Violence: Charitable Trusts
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's policy is on encouraging local police forces to engage with charitable organisations in order to co-ordinate action to tackle domestic violence. [88121]
Lynne Featherstone: It is for individual police forces to decide on their policy for engagement with charitable organisations. We are aware that the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has established a national domestic abuse (DA) Voluntary Sector Group with representation from national third sector domestic abuse organisations.
Domestic Violence: Crime Prevention
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances restraining orders under section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 have been made in instances where the defendant has been acquitted. [87434]
Lynne Featherstone [holding answer 20 December 2011]: Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not include all the details of the circumstances associated with each case, beyond the description provided in the statute under which proceedings are brought. It is therefore not possible to identify under what circumstances restraining orders under section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 have been made in instances where the defendant has been acquitted.
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what range of conducts have been prohibited following the imposition of restraining orders under section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 since its enactment. [87435]
Lynne Featherstone [holding answer 20 December 2011]: Information on the range of conducts that have been prohibited following the imposition of restraining orders under section 12 of the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004 is not collected centrally.
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Drugs
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to section 30 of the Coalition Agreement, what recent progress she has made in authorising the use of drug analyser technologies. [87497]
James Brokenshire: Devices must be of a type approved by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), in order to be authorised for use. Manufacturers have submitted six devices for approval. Practical operational tests of these devices were completed in the summer and reports have been presented to the manufacturers so that they can make such adjustments as they consider necessary. The type approval process also requires extensive laboratory tests. We are currently finalising arrangements for these.
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to publish the report of its review of khat. [88102]
James Brokenshire: The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) was requested by the Home Department to review the available evidence on khat, updating its assessment of 2005, and provide advice in relation to control under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and a wider response.
The ACMD anticipates that the review will be completed by December 2012.
Drugs: Arrests
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) arrested for possession of and (b) charged with possession of (i) ecstasy or MDMA, (ii) ketamine, (iii) LSD, (iv) cocaine, (v) crack cocaine, (vi) heroin, (vii) amphetamines and (viii) methadone in each of the last five years. [88427]
James Brokenshire: The information requested on arrests and charges is not collected centrally.
The arrests collection held by the Home Office relates to notifiable offences only, which form the basis of recorded crime statistics. Latest available data are published in chapter 1 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales, 2009-10’, which is available in the Library of the House and online at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/hosb0711/
The data are provided to the Home Office at offence group level, for example violence against the person and drug offences. As such, it is not possible to separately identify arrests for the possession of specific drugs. It is also not possible to match the aggregate data to any subsequent outcomes.
Drugs: UK Border Agency
Diana Johnson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many seizures of (a) class A
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and
(b)
class B drugs the UK Border Agency made in the first six months of 2011. [88421]
Damian Green: The latest drug seizure statistics that have been produced in accordance with the Home Office's Statement of Compliance are contained within the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, ‘Seizures of drugs in England and Wales, 2010/11’, published on 10 November 2011, accessed via the following link:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/hosb1711/hosb1711?view=Binary
The UK Border Agency made 1,287 seizures of class A and 1,637 seizures of class B drugs in the period from 1 April 2010 until 31 March 2011.
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much (a) cocaine, (b) crack cocaine, (c) heroin, (d) methadone, (e) herbal cannabis, (f) cannabis resin and (g) amphetamines was seized by the UK Border Agency in the first six months of 2011. [88423]
Damian Green: The latest drug seizure statistics that have been produced in accordance with the Home Office's Statement of Compliance are contained within the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, ‘Seizures of drugs in England and Wales, 2010/11' (accessed via the following link), published on 10 November 2011:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/hosb1711/hosb1711?view=Binary
The following table shows the amount of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, herbal cannabis, cannabis resin and amphetamines seized by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) in the period from 1 April 2010 until 31 March 2011. Methadone seizures are not included as they could not be separately identified from the UKBA's recording system.
| Drugs seized in the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 | |
| Type | Quantity (kg) |
| Please note the following caveats: 1. Drugs can be seized in a variety of forms or preparation types. In this table quantities of drugs have been converted to kg. To present all seized quantities within a given drug type in terms of one comparable unit, conversion factors are applied to estimate the overall quantity of the drug. 2. Quantities data for all drugs are not applicable as conversion factors are not applied to all drugs. 3. Where the quantity of a seizure is recorded as ‘trace' it is not included in these figures. 4. Includes data from HM Revenue and Customs. Seizures from joint operations involving the UKBA and the police are recorded against the lead agency that takes possession of the seized drugs. 5. Weighted items are presented to one decimal place. | |
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many ecstasy tablets the UK Border Agency seized in the first six months of 2011. [88424]
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Damian Green: The latest drug seizure statistics that have been produced in accordance with the Home Office's Statement of Compliance are contained within the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, ‘Seizures of drugs in England and Wales, 2010/11’, published on 10 November 2011, accessed via the following link:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/hosb1711/hosb1711?view=Binary
The UK Border Agency seized 300 ecstasy tablets in the period from 1 April 2010 until 31 March 2011.
Drugs: Young People
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Education on the role of personal, social and health education in preventing young people abusing drugs and alcohol. [88415]
James Brokenshire: My officials are in continuous dialogue with their colleagues in the Department for Education about drugs education and the important part that it plays in contributing to the drugs strategy and in particular the reducing demand strand. Drug education is also a subject covered by the Drug Strategy Inter-Ministerial Group upon which Minsters from both the Home Office, Department for Education and other Departments sit.
The continuing discussions at official level also cover the imminent cross-Government Alcohol Strategy, which will address the full range of harms from alcohol (both health and social impacts) and which is due to be published in 2012 by the Department of Health.
Extradition: Russia
Mr David: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the Russian Federation is listed as a Category 2 territory with respect to extradition procedures. [87720]
Damian Green: The UK and Russia are both party to the 1957 Council of Europe Convention on Extradition (‘ECE'). As with other parties to the ECE, Russia has been designated as an extradition partner under Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003.
Extradition: USA
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2011, Official Report, column 864W, on extradition: USA, for what reason it would prejudice proceedings were the UK to confirm or deny whether the UK authorities have provided evidence or other formal assistance in support of foreign criminal proceedings. [88184]
Damian Green:
It is established international practice that formal requests for mutual legal assistance in criminal proceedings are confidential. This is in order to protect the confidentiality of the foreign proceedings, for example by protecting the confidentiality of any witnesses who may be asked to provide or who have already provided evidence in those proceedings and to avoid tipping off
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suspects that they are under investigation. It is our usual policy to neither confirm nor deny whether we have received a request for mutual legal assistance because if we only refused to confirm or deny the existence of a request on occasions where the foreign criminal proceeding would be prejudiced then it would be obvious, on those occasions, that we had in fact received such a request. Therefore the application of a blanket policy preserves the confidentiality of all formal requests for mutual legal assistance.
Forced Marriage
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the most common countries of origin are of victims of forced marriages. [87811]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
In 2010, the highest proportion of cases reported to the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) involved victims with a family connection to Pakistan (52%), Bangladesh (10.3%) or India (8.6%).
Foreign Nationals: Offenders
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish her Department's report on foreign national offenders awaiting deportation. [88771]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency's report on foreign national offenders is a restricted internal document to Ministers and in line with long standing practice is not intended for publication.
The UK Border Agency chief executive's update to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 20 December 2011 provided information on this cohort of foreign national offenders. A copy of the letter can be found in the House Library.
Forensic Science Service
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether forensic science exhibits related to criminal cases are to be transferred to the National Forensics Archive after the closure of the Forensic Science Service; and if she will make a statement. [88422]
James Brokenshire: Case files and retained materials will continue to be held in the Forensic Science Service (FSS) Archive, which will operate after March 2012 from the two existing FSS archive sites in the west midlands.
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the place of forensic science within her research strategy. [88432]
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James Brokenshire: To date, I have had no such discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Havant (Mr Willetts).
Officials from the Home Office are in contact with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), Research Councils UK (RCUK) and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) all of which are executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Forensic Science Service: Drugs
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect on (a) the future of drug profiling and (b) Dart-MS technology of the closure of the Forensic Science Service. [88412]
James Brokenshire: Other forensic service providers have the capability to meet the drug profiling and toxicology requirements of the National Forensic Framework Agreement and will continue to deliver these services to police forces.
In addition, for drug profiling, provisions are being put in place to ensure that the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) has access to the equipment required to deliver the Endorse project. This will be delivered by UK forensics providers as well as European partners.
In respect of Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS), as set out in the answer from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Equalities and Criminal Information, the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), of 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 237W, this is not stipulated in any of the work packages of the National Forensic Framework Agreement, and information on this is therefore not held centrally.
Human Trafficking
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons she has decided to discontinue the production and publication of a human trafficking strategy jointly with the Scottish Government. [86931]
Damian Green: The UK Government's Human Trafficking strategy was published on 19 July 2011 and sets out the UK's response to fighting human trafficking.
The strategy reflects the UK's intention to work with international partners and to work smarter at the border to prevent traffickers from entering the UK. The strategy also sets out the new victim care arrangements introduced in England and Wales from 1 July 2011. Similar victim care arrangements are already in place in Scotland.
Human Trafficking: Moldova
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the extent of human trafficking between Moldova and the UK. [88352]
Damian Green:
Data from the UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) for the period 1 April 2009 to 30 June
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2011 show there have been five referrals where the potential trafficking victim has been identified as Moldovan. A breakdown of referrals to the UKHTC can be found at:
http://www.soca.gov.uk/about-soca/about-the-ukhtc/national-referral-mechanism/statistics
Human Trafficking: Prosecutions
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people charged with offences related to human trafficking in the last 12 months have subsequently been prosecuted. [88394]
Damian Green: 30 persons were proceeded against at magistrates courts in 2010 (latest available) for human trafficking offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004. These figures relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Charging data are not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice. Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring of 2012.
Human Trafficking: Sexual Offences
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the level of trafficking in the UK for the purposes of (a) sexual exploitation, (b) forced labour and (c) domestic servitude. [88634]
Damian Green: The UK Human Trafficking Centre is responsible for collating data on potential human trafficking victims. A breakdown of referrals by exploitation type can be found at:
http://www.soca.gov.uk/about-soca/about-the-ukhtc/national-referral-mechanism/statistics
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been charged with (a) trafficking of women prostitute offences and (b) controlling sex workers in the London area since 1 January 2010. [88792]
Damian Green: Charging data are not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice.
Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring of 2012.
Human Trafficking: Victims
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people (a) in each age group and (b) of each nationality and country of origin had been identified as victims of trafficking in the latest period for which figures are available. [88395]
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Damian Green: The UK Human Trafficking Centre is responsible for collating data on potential human trafficking victims. A breakdown of referrals by age and nationality can be found at:
http://www.soca.gov.uk/about-soca/about-the-ukhtc/national-referral-mechanism/statistics
Illegal Immigrants
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2011, Official Report, column 458W, on illegal immigrants, how many overstayers have been identified by e-Borders checks in each of the first nine months of 2011; and how many of those overstayers have now been removed. [87740]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency (UKBA) conducts regular data-matching exercises between e-Borders and other UKBA databases to effectively identify outbound offenders who have left the country. These figures are denoted in our internal reports as voluntary departures (data matching) removals.
The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Voluntary departures (data matching) identified and removed, January to September 2011 | |
| Month | Individuals removed |
| Notes: 1. All figures quoted are management information which has been subject to internal quality checks. 2. Figures include dependants. 3. Figures relate to people who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities, who were later identified using data matching. (4 )In line with UK Border Agency methodology the number of outbound cases identified via e-Borders checks as overstayers/immigration offenders, will be the same as those removed. | |
While the majority of individuals identified in the table above will have been overstayers, a small number will have committed other immigration and criminal offences. We are unable to disaggregate these data within the cost threshold.
Illegal Immigrants: Northern Ireland
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the number of people who were detained while trying to enter the UK illegally through (a) Northern Ireland ports and airports and (b) the border with the Irish Republic in each of the last five years. [87909]
Damian Green:
The Department holds the following information on how many people were detained while trying to enter the UK illegally through (a) Northern
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Ireland ports and
(b)
the border with the Irish Republic in each of the last five years.
(a) 2007—51; 2008—83; 2009—39; 2010—33; and 2011—30.
(b) In 2009, we detained 37 people close to the land border in support of a Police Service of Northern Ireland operation. As the Irish/UK land border is a part of the common travel area (CTA), it is not subject to formal immigration controls.
Immigrants: Detainees
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2011, Official Report, columns 776-77W, on immigrants: detainees, how many of the detainees have subsequently been released from immigration removal centres into the UK; and for what reasons; [87731]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2011, Official Report, columns 776-77W, on immigrants: detainees, how many detainees held in immigration removal centres have been convicted of criminal offences in the UK; and for what offences. [87732]
Damian Green [holding answer 20 December 2011]: Of the 74 individuals detained for more than 24-months referred to in the Immigration Statistics April-June 2011, as of 16 December 2011, six individuals have been removed from the UK and 36 have been released from detention. Management information systems are unable to provide the reasons for release from detention. To obtain this information would involve looking through individual files and would incur disproportionate cost.
Of the 74 individuals detained for more than 24-months referred to in the Immigration Statistics April-June 2011, all 74 had been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK. The following table sets out the offences for which they were convicted.
| Offence type | Number of individuals convicted |
Immigration
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average processing time for indefinite leave to remain was on (a) 1 October 2011 and (b) in each of the last five years. [81482]
Damian Green: The average processing time for postal claims made for indefinite leave to remain is as follows:
| Days | |
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All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality checks.
The UK Border Agency also operate a premium service through their Public Enquiry Offices but this is not reflected in these figures.
Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will list the (a) ports, (b) airports and (c) other immigration facilities visited by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship between May 2010 and the end of October 2011; and on what date each such visit took place. [81836]
Damian Green: Home Office Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is her policy to prioritise consideration of valid in-time applications for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) over other applications for ILR. [87216]
Damian Green: There is no prioritisation of valid in time applications over any other valid applications for indefinite leave to remain. Cases are allocated and decided in order of application date unless an applicant provides suitably compelling or compassionate reasons for a case to be expedited.
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outstanding immigration cases there are currently in the UK Border Agency-controlled archive which are not being reviewed and on which a decision has not been reached. [87763]
Damian Green [holding answer 20 December 2011]: As reported to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 15 December 2011 we have conducted a detailed analysis of all the cases that could potentially fall into the remit of the CAAU and this will result in a total of 93,000 cases in the controlled archive.
The controlled archive is actively managed by CAAU; all cases are regularly checked against a number of databases and where an applicant is traced the case is removed from the controlled archive and progressed to conclusion.
CAAU will reassess files every six months. This will include bulk checking cases against reporting data and other UK Border Agency databases to see whether applicants have re-established contact and bulk checking cases against e-borders data.
Jeremy Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the effects of the changes in immigration rules in 2007 and 2011 on the number of (a) overseas
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senior care workers in the UK,
(b)
senior care workers who have left the UK and
(c)
senior care workers granted indefinite leave to remain. [88796]
Damian Green: An impact assessment on the effects of the changes made to tiers 1 and 2 of the points-based system in connection with implementation of limits on migration was published by the UK Border Agency on 16 March 2011 and included an assessment of the impact of those changes on the employment of non-EEA workers in the social care sector.
Immigration Controls
Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) senior officials in her Department have had with (i) airport operators and (ii) airline companies at which border checks were discussed in the last 12 months. [81163]
Damian Green [holding answer 15 November 2011]: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Immobilisation of Vehicles
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to section 30 of the coalition agreement, what recent progress she has made in tackling rogue private sector wheel clampers. [87496]
Lynne Featherstone: Clause 54 of the Protection of Freedoms Bill will make it an offence to immobilise, move or restrict the movement of a vehicle without lawful authority. In effect, this will ban most clamping and towing by anyone other than the police, local authorities, bailiffs and other Government agencies. Subject to parliamentary approval, this legislation is expected to be enacted by May 2012. Our aim is to bring the ban on wheel clamping into force as soon as possible following Royal Assent.
Legal Advice and Assistance
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on obtaining external legal advice in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. [88428]
Damian Green: The amounts spent on external legal advice by the Home Office, including its executive agencies for each of the last 12 months is provided in the following table. This expenditure relates to legal advice provided by third party suppliers external to Government.
| £ | |||
| Spend HO and UKBA | CRB | IPS | |
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Legal Services
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of the Government Legal Service are based in her Department. [88429]
Damian Green: There are 59 members of the Government Legal Service based in the Department. This includes 54 lawyers in the Legal Adviser's Branch (four of whom are on maternity leave) and five lawyers in the UK Border Agency's Cash Forfeiture team. The Government Equalities Office, which has been part of the Department since 1 April 2011, receives legal advice from eight members of the Government Legal Service which is part of the Treasury Solicitor's Department.
Members: Correspondence
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when she plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Weaver Vale of (a) 8 April 2011 and (b) 30 June 2011 on behalf of Mr Paul Blakeman; [69419]
(2) when the Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Weaver Vale of 8 April 2011 and 30 June 2011 on behalf of a constituent, Mr Paul Blakeman. [87311]
Nick Herbert: I refer my hon. Friend to my response of 20 December, a copy of which I will place in the Library.
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will arrange for the hon. Member for Walsall North to receive a reply to her letter of 15 November 2011 to the UK Border Agency concerning a constituent, reference B29310/11. [87923]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency replied to the hon. Member on 13 December 2011.
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the UK Border Agency to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 21 November 2011 concerning a constituent, reference B30111/11. [87924]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency replied to the hon. Member on 20 December 2011.
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Metropolitan Police
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the images held by the Association of Chief Police Officers and transferred to the Metropolitan police were subsequently erased as a result of non-compliance with the ruling in Wood v. MPC for the policing of the metropolis. [88790]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information. The National Domestic Extremism Unit regularly reviews its database to ensure compliance with the ruling in Wood v. MPC.
National Policing Improvement Agency
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the National Policing Improvement Agency on the UK’s compliance with EU Council Framework Decision 2009/905/JHA; and if she will make a statement. [88413]
James Brokenshire: A Forensic Quality Standards Project has been set up within the National Policing Improvement Agency’s (NPIA) Forensics 21 portfolio to assist police forces with the accreditation process mandated by the EU Council Framework Decision 2009/905/JHA.
Police forces are progressing towards the implementation deadlines, with eight forces having already submitted their applications to the accreditation body, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), in order to commence their accreditation processes.
Police forces have been surveyed as part of this process and the information gained will be used to assist the roll-out process in achieving accreditation to the ISO 17025 standard in DNA facilities and fingerprint enhancement laboratories by the implementation deadlines of November 2013 and November 2015. This approach has received the endorsement and backing of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the forensic science regulator.
Non-molestation Orders
Mrs Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many arrests for offences of contempt of court where the offence related to a breach of a non-molestation injunction order there were in each year since 2004; [88136]
(2) how many arrests for offences related to breaches of non-molestation injunction orders there were in each year since 2004. [88137]
Lynne Featherstone: The information requested is not collected centrally.
The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery. From these centrally reported categories it is not possible to separately identify offences relating to breaches of non-molestation orders. Offences of contempt of court are summary offences and do not form a part of the arrests collection.
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Offenders: EU Nationals
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-UK EU citizens from each member state were (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted under each type of offence committed inside the UK in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [81157]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 15 November 2011]: The information requested is not available centrally.
Arrests data for England and Wales collected by the Home Office do not include the nationality of arrested persons. Data on charges are not collected centrally.
The Ministry of Justice's court proceedings database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. It is not possible to identify a defendant's nationality from this centrally held information.
The collection of police and court proceedings data for Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved Administrations.
Offensive Behaviour: Football
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in the Scottish Government on cross-border issues arising from implementation of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act. [88160]
James Brokenshire: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has had no discussions with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in the Scottish Government on cross border issues arising from implementation of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act.
Police
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions she has had discussions with chief police officers since 6 August 2011; and whether she has received correspondence from chief police officers regarding the police budget since that date. [70502]
Nick Herbert [ h olding answer 7 September 2011]:Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which police forces (a) she and (b) each Minister in her Department has visited since January 2011; [77802]
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(2) when (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department met the (i) Constables' Central Committee, (ii) Sergeants' Central Committee, (iii) Inspectors' Central Committee and (iv) Chairman and General Secretary of the Police Federation of England and Wales between May 2010 and 31 October 2011; [78998]
(3) when (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department formally met representatives of the Police Superintendents Association of England and Wales between 10 May 2010 and 31 October 2011. [79537]
Nick Herbert: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Police and Crime Commissioners
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources she plans to provide for (a) publicity and (b) measures to encourage a diverse range of candidates in respect of the positions of Police and Crime Commissioners; and what estimate she has made of the total cost to the public purse of such resources. [86802]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 15 December 2011]: On 21 November I issued a call for candidates from all backgrounds and launched a website containing information about this new role. Funding for this engagement will come from existing budgets.
Police Federation
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on what dates she met officials from the Police Federation in the last 12 months; [79716]
(2) on how many occasions she has met representatives of the Police Federation in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [74510]
Nick Herbert: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Police Stations: Medway
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the use of virtual police stations in the Medway towns. [87505]
Nick Herbert: The use of video technology by Kent police is making justice quicker and more effective, freeing up valuable police time and resources to enable them to carry out their frontline duties.
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Police: Bureaucracy
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to reduce the burden of administration for the police. [87882]
Nick Herbert: We have announced a package of policies that will cut police bureaucracy, saving up to 3.3 million police hours per year—the equivalent of over 1,500 police officers. This work is being taken forward by the joint Home Office and Association of Chief Police Officers Reducing Bureaucracy Programme Board, chaired by Chief Constable Chris Sims.
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of time on average (a) all officers and (b) patrol officers spent (i) on (A) incident and (B) non-incident-related paperwork and (ii) on patrol in each year since 2003-04. [53379]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office has not collected data on the time spent by police officers on paperwork since 2007-08. It is therefore not possible to provide the data requested.
Police: Manpower
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sex offender management staff were employed by police authorities in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011. [82914]
Nick Herbert: This information is not published.