| Antisocial behaviour incidents recorded by the police (non-National Statistics) (1) | ||
| Number | ||
| 2009-10 (2) | 2010-11 (3) | |
| (1) All police forces currently use the National Standard for Incident Recording (NSIR) to record incidents which are reported to them. While incidents are recorded under NSIR in accordance with the same ‘victim focused’ approach that applies for recorded crime, these figures are not accredited National Statistics and are not subject to the same level of quality assurance as the main recorded crime collection. (2) Management information on ASB incidents were collected by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) in 2009-10. (3) Management information on ASB incidents were collected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) in 2010-11. | ||
Abu Qatada
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department have met (i) officials from the Jordanian Government and (ii) the Jordanian ambassador or her representatives to discuss the case of Abu Qatada since May 2010; [94968]
(2) what meetings (a) she and (b) officials in her Department have had with officials of other countries to discuss the case of Abu Qatada; [94970]
(3) on how many occasions she has met (a) her Jordanian counterpart, (b) officials from the Jordanian Government and (c) the Jordanian ambassador or his representatives to discuss the case of Abu Qatada in the last year; [94979]
(4) how many officials in her Department have met (a) officials from the Jordanian Government and (b) the Jordanian ambassador or his representatives to discuss the case of Abu Qatada since June 2010; [94980]
(5) what meetings she has scheduled with (a) her Jordanian counterpart, (b) officials from the Government of Jordan and (c) the Jordanian ambassador or his representatives to discuss the case of Abu Qatada in the next month; [94981]
(6) on what dates she has had meetings with (a) her Jordanian counterpart, (b) officials from the Government of Jordan and (c) the Jordanian ambassador or his representatives to discuss the case of Abu Qatada since May 2010; and what the location was of each such meeting; [94982]
(7) what the (a) dates, (b) times and (c) locations were of any meetings between officials in her Department and officials from the Jordanian Government to discuss the case of Abu Qatada in the last year; [94983]
(8) whether she has taken steps to investigate the possibility of deporting Abu Qatada to a country other than Jordan; [94984]
(9) what meetings with representatives of other countries she has had to discuss the case of Abu Qatada in the last year; [94985]
(10) which officials of her Department have met officials in the Government of Jordan to discuss the case of Abu Qatada; [94986]
(11) which officials in the Government of Jordan she has met to discuss the case of Abu Qatada. [94987]
Damian Green: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of national and international 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.
Antisocial Behaviour
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested for antisocial behaviour offences in (a) the West Midlands, (b) West Yorkshire, (c) Essex and (d) the East Midlands in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11. [96682]
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James Brokenshire [holding answer 27 February 2012]: The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost to the public purse was of alcohol-related antisocial behaviour in England and Wales in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11; and what estimate she has made of the likely cost in 2011-12. [96454]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not produce an estimate of the cost of alcohol-related antisocial behaviour. The total cost of alcohol-related crime and disorder in England and Wales is currently estimated at between £8 billion and £13 billion per year. This figure is not available on a year-by-year basis.
Asylum
Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants are (a) untraceable and (b) in the controlled archive. [97534]
Damian Green: Rob Whiteman, chief executive of the UK Border Agency reported to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 20 December that the number of cases that are (a) untraceable and (b) in the controlled archive has reduced from an initial figure of 98,000 cases to 93,000 cases. The Case Assurance and Audit Unit will continue to manage the cases in the controlled archive, taking robust action to trace applicants and conclude cases where new information comes to light which allows cases to be progressed.
Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the applicant with UK Border Agency Ref. G1089659 first applied for asylum; when the applicant was refused asylum; when the applicant will be given consideration under the legacy provisions; and whether relevant medical considerations listed in the UK Border Agency guidelines are taken into account in deciding when a review case receives substantive consideration. [97535]
Damian Green: I will reply to the hon. Member separately providing details about this case.
Medical considerations are taken into account when the Case Assurance and Audit Unit determine when cases will be reviewed.
Crime
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of (a) burglary, (b) theft from the person and (c) violence were recorded in each combined community safety partnership area in (i) May 2010, (ii) May 2011 and (iii) the latest period for which figures are available. [90889]
James Brokenshire: The information requested is shown in the tables placed in the House Library.
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Crimes of Violence: Alcohol
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of violent incidents in which the offender was under the influence of alcohol in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11. [96453]
James Brokenshire: Estimates of the number of violent incidents in which the victim believed the offender(s) to be under the influence of alcohol are provided in the following table and based on figures from the British crime survey.
| Violent incidents where the victim believed the offender(s) to be under the influence of alcohol, 2007- 08 to 2010- 11, England and Wales, BCS | ||||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reduction in carbon dioxide emissions her Department has made under the 10:10 initiative. [97936]
Damian Green: The Department has reduced its carbon emissions for the period May 2010 to May 2011 by 17.6% measured against the previous 12 months. This exceeded the 10% reduction challenge under the 10:10 initiative.
Internet: Law Enforcement
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2012, Official Report, column 353W, on the internet, whether any non-governmental organisations are involved in the Department’s work to consider how existing capabilities within law enforcement can be enhanced. [96472]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office is working with law enforcement agencies and the social media industry to strengthen co-operation and to consider how existing capabilities within law enforcement can be enhanced.
Deportation
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any G4S staff have been dismissed following complaints from detainees in respect of tasks undertaken by G4S under its contract with the UK Border Agency. [92920]
Damian Green: Private sector escorting companies who engage in enforced removals operate within a clear framework set out in legislation and in a set of operating standards and instructions, which are published on the UK Border Agency's website. The provider of escorting services for the agency changed in May 2011 from G4S to Reliance Secure Task Management following a contract re-tender.
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Detainee Custody and Escort Officers are individually certified by the UK Border Agency in order to fulfil their functions. Where a complaint is made about an officer, the matter is investigated by the UK Border Agency's Professional Standards Unit. If a complaint is substantiated, performance measures can be levied under the terms of the contract, and the UK Border Agency can take action against individuals, which could involve re-training or in extreme cases revoking their accreditation completely.
Officers are employed by the escorting contractor and it is a matter for Reliance, and G4S before them, as to the outcome of any disciplinary action arising from the investigation of a detainee complaint. The UK Border Agency does not record dismissals by contractors of their employees.
Domestic Violence: Housing
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many supporting letters for housing applications made by victims of domestic violence in the London borough of Bexley have been issued by the Metropolitan Police Sapphire Unit in the last year. [96935]
Lynne Featherstone [holding answer 27 February 2012]:This information is not held centrally by the Home Office.
Drugs: EU Action
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the success of the measures set out in EU Council Joint Action 96/750/JHA in combating illegal drug trafficking across the EU. [97220]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 28 February 2012]:The EU Council Joint Action 96/750/JHA concerns the approximation of the laws and practices of the member states of the European Union to combat drug addiction and to prevent and combat illegal drug trafficking. It sets out a number of broad measures that the UK undertakes as a matter of course when combating the threats we face from drug trafficking. This Government have made clear the value we place on working at a practical level with our EU partners to tackle these increasingly complex threats. We continue to review the effectiveness of our interventions to combat illegal drug trafficking.
Drugs: International Co-operation
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many drug profile results have been transmitted by UK forensic science laboratories to the Europol Drugs Unit under the terms of EU Council Joint Action 96/699/JHA in each of the last five years; and what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of that transfer system; [96751]
(2) how many drug profile results were transmitted by UK forensic science laboratories to other EU member states on a bilateral basis in each of the last five years. [97221]
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James Brokenshire [holding answers 27 and 28 February 2012]: The information requested on transmission of drug profiles and drug profile results by UK forensic science laboratories is not collected centrally in the UK.
The EU Council Joint Action 96/699/JHA concerns the exchange of information on the chemical profiling of drugs to facilitate improved co-operation between member states in combating illicit drug trafficking. It promotes the exchange of information relating to chemical profiling of drugs; facilitating interaction between Europol and member states through Europol National Units and liaison bureaux. The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) transmits this data on behalf of the UK forensic science laboratories. It forms part of the wider UK response to tackling drug trafficking, enabling evidential material relating to drug seizures to be maximised and strengthening our understanding of the UK drugs market through the more effective exchange of intelligence.
EU Justice and Home Affairs Council
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the UK's application and implementation of EU and other international acts and instruments in criminal matters has been assessed by the evaluation teams established by EU Joint Action 97/827/JHA; and what assessment her Department has made of the usefulness of that evaluation process. [97653]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 1 March 2012]: This joint action establishes a peer evaluation mechanism enabling member states to evaluate the application and implementation, by each other, of instruments designed to combat international organised crime.
To date, five evaluation rounds have been conducted and a sixth is currently planned. These are:
1. Mutual legal assistance in criminal matters—conducted from 1999 to 2001.
2. Law enforcement and its role in the fight against drug trafficking. This was initiated in 1999 and ended in 2003.
3. Exchange of information and intelligence between Europol and the member states and among the member states respectively. This was initiated in 2002 and the evaluation ended in 2007.
4. The European Arrest Warrant. This evaluation started in 2006, and ended in May 2009.
5. Financial crime and financial investigations. This was initiated in 2008. The first evaluation mission was conducted in Romania in July 2009. The final evaluation mission took place in the Czech Republic in December 2011.
The sixth round of evaluation is planned to be on the practical implementation and operation of the Decisions on Eurojust and the European Judicial Network in criminal matters. This round of evaluation is expected to be completed in 2014.
Typically, the process involves agreement on a questionnaire, which is then completed by the member state under evaluation. This is then followed by a short visit by a small team of representatives from selected other member states to, for example, conduct interviews with national experts. The process enables member states to share best practice and can also be an opportunity to detect any relevant weaknesses in implementation.
In general, the Government support the concept of peer evaluations to promote more effective working between member states in the fight against cross-border crime.
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Immigrants: Detainees
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants have been held in immigration removal centres in each of the last 20 quarters; and how many have been (a) released in the UK and (b) removed from the UK. [89997]
Damian Green: The requested information is not available in full.
Since publication began of all the requested information in January 2010 until September 2011, 46,115 people
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have entered immigration detention. Of those leaving detention in the same period, which may include those detained before January 2010, 28,833 have been removed from the UK; 275 have been granted leave to enter/remain; 13,242 have been granted temporary admission or release; 2,912 have been bailed; and 502 have left detention for other reasons.
The following table shows the number of people entering and leaving immigration removal centres for which published information is available.
| People entering and leaving detention, solely under Immigration Act powers | |||||||
| Total entering | Total leaving | Removed from the UK | Granted leave to enter/remain | Granted temporary admission/release | Bailed | Other reason | |
| (1 )Not available. Notes: 1. Data from Q1 2010 onwards are provisional. 2. All people held are detained in the United Kingdom solely under Immigration Act powers and exclude those in police cells, Prison Service establishments, short term holding rooms at ports and airports (for less than 24 hours), and those recorded as detained under both criminal and immigration powers and their dependants. 3. Figures include dependants. 4. Some people entering detention may be recorded more than once if, for example, the person has been detained on more than one separate occasion in the time period shown, such as a person who has left detention, but has subsequently been re-detained. 5. Figures exclude people recorded as entering Harwich Short Term Holding Facility. 6. Relates to most recent period of sole detention for people leaving detention. The period of detention starts when a person first enters the UK Border Agency estate. If the person is then moved from a removal centre to a police cell or Prison Service establishment, this period of stay will be included if the detention is solely under Immigration Act powers. 7. Other reason for leaving detention may include some people released in the UK. | |||||||
The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of people entering and leaving detention, held solely under Immigration Act powers, within Immigration Statistics. Q4 2011 detention figures will be published on 23 February 2012 and will be available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office science, research and statistics webpages at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/migration/migration-statistics1/
Immigration: Ports
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passengers entered the UK through each port of entry between July and September 2010 inclusive. [90569]
Mrs May [holding answer 19 January 2012]: Statistics relating to the total number of passengers entering the UK are published quarterly in table ‘ad.01’ of the Home Office statistical release ‘Immigration Statistics’. The latest publication covering data up to and including the fourth quarter (October to December) 2011 is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science web site at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q4-2011/
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Statistics for 2010 for ports as identified in the Chief Inspector's report, ‘An investigation into border security checks’, and the total for all ports, are given in the following table. The data relate to numbers of journeys made.
| Passenger arrivals by port of entry—2010 | |
| Number of journeys | |
| Notes: 1. Provisional figures. 2. Figures are numbers of journeys and include passengers in transit who do not pass through immigration controls. 3. Data for some smaller ports are included within returns from larger ports and cannot be separated. 4. Data are rounded to nearest thousand and exclude arrivals from the Common Travel Area. Sources: Data for ports as published in Figure 2, ‘An investigation into border security checks’, Independent Chief Inspector, Februrary2012 Total for all ports as published in table ad01, ‘Immigration Statistics’ July to September 2011, Migration Statistics. Home Office, November 2011 | |
Khat: Drug Seizures
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much of the drug khat was seized during attempted exportation to other European countries where it is banned in the latest period for which figures are available; [97598]
(2) what steps she is taking to prevent the exportation of the drug khat to other European countries. [97599]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 1 March 2012]:Khat is not subject to drug control legislation in the UK.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs expect to complete their review of khat commissioned by the Government by the end of the year (2012). The review will include considerations of the nature of the khat trade, including international trafficking, in a view to inform the Government’s khat policy.
Legal Opinion
Mr Raab:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to EU Council Joint Action 98/427/JHA, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the steps taken by the Government on
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statements of good practice in mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. [97886]
James Brokenshire: The EU Joint Action 98/427/JHA of 29 June 1998 on good practice in mutual legal assistance in criminal matters sets out a number of recommendations for the operation of mutual legal assistance (MLA). Many of the recommendations are standard in relation to the operation of MLA and the UK undertakes them as a matter of course. Since the joint action was published in 1998 there have been numerous developments in the field of EU MLA with a view to improving the effectiveness of MLA and this is kept generally under review.
Metropolitan Police: Cybercrime
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Metropolitan Police's Central e-Crime Units; and if she will make a statement. [97628]
James Brokenshire: The police central e-crime unit’s remit is to tackle those responsible for the most serious cyber crime incidents of computer intrusion, distribution of malicious code, denial of service attacks and internet-enabled fraud. In October it released figures showing that in the first six months of its increased funding under the National Cyber Security Programme, it saved the UK from losing £140 million to cyber crime.
National Crime Agency
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the National Crime Agency to be fully operational. [97577]
James Brokenshire: The National Crime Agency is intended to be fully operational during 2013 subject to the passage of the necessary legislation.
Sir Michael Scholar
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what communication (a) she and (b) the head of the UK Border Agency has had with Sir Michael Scholar in the last 12 months. [97403]
Damian Green: In the last year, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), received a letter from Sir Michael Scholar on the subject of Transport for London statistics on 16 March 2011 to which she replied on 31 March 2011.
The Home Secretary and the head of the UK Border Agency have occasionally been copied in to letters from Sir Michael Scholar on statistical matters. All of these are routinely published on the UK Statistical Authority’s website available at:
http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/reports---correspondence/correspondence/index.html
The Home Secretary has also copied some of her letters to the national statistician to Sir Michael Scholar on the matter of the national statistician’s review of crime statistics.
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The Home Office’s chief statistician and his staff communicate with the UK Statistics Authority and the National Statistician’s Office on a continual basis on professional statistical matters.
Stalking
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many responses were received to her Department's consultation on stalking which closed on 5 February 2012. [97542]
Lynne Featherstone: We received a total of 156 responses to the consultation, including from victims and their families, stalking charities, the police, criminal justice professionals and members of the public.
We will publish a full response to the consultation on 8 March (International Women's Day).
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has received a copy of the report of the independent parliamentary inquiry into stalking law reform; and whether her Department will consider the findings and recommendations of that report as part of its consultation on stalking which closed on 5 February 2012. [97543]
Lynne Featherstone: I have been forwarded a copy of the report of the independent parliamentary inquiry by officials.
As the Minister of State for Crime Prevention and Antisocial Behaviour Reduction, my noble Friend Lord Henley, explained in the House of Lords on 6 February 2012 during the Report stage on the Protection of Freedoms Bill, the Government will consider the responses to the consultation on stalking and the independent parliamentary inquiry report before the Third Reading of the Bill. This will give the Government an opportunity to reach a view on the best way forward on the issue of stalking.
Metal Theft: Exports
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted for exporting stolen scrap metal in each of the last 10 years. [97197]
James Brokenshire: Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not include information about the circumstances behind each case, beyond the description provided in the statute under which proceedings are brought. It is therefore not possible to separately identify offences involving exporting stolen scrap metal from other offences relating to scrap metal.
UK Border Agency
Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the UK Border Agency announced that the Case Resolution Directorate had completed its review of all known legacy cases; when the Case Assurance and Audit Unit succeeded the Case Resolution Directorate; and how many legacy asylum cases have not been concluded. [97533]
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Damian Green: On 5 July 2011 Jonathan Sedgwick, the then acting chief executive of the UK Border Agency, advised the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) that the Case Resolution Directorate had completed its review of all known legacy cases.
In his statement he further advised that the Case Assurance and Audit Unit (CAAU) had succeeded the Case Resolution Directorate from 1 April 2011.
Rob Whiteman reported to the HASC on 20 December that there were 17 000 live legacy cases to conclude and 93,000 cases in the Controlled Archive which CAAU will continue to manage, taking robust action to trace applicants and conclude cases where new information comes to light which allows cases to be progressed.
UK Border Agency: Pay
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has any plans to review the salary of the head of the UK Border Agency following the creation of an independent UK Border Force. [97424]
Damian Green: The new arrangements for Border Force announced by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), on 20 February 2012, Official Report, columns 621-23, took effect from 1 March 2012. Completing the modernisation of the UK Border Agency remains a challenging job and requires the leadership of the highest calibre chief executive. The salary received by the current chief executive continues to be appropriate to the role.
Visas: Tripoli
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time is for an application for a British visa from the British embassy in Tripoli. [97965]
Damian Green: Due to the current security situation in Libya, the UK visa service in Tripoli is suspended. However, the UK Border Agency offers exceptional visa services to Libyan officials visiting the UK at the invitation of the British Government. All such visas are processed to external customer standards, but the limited volumes mean that average processing time data is not collated.
Justice
Chief Coroner
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of the draft job description for the post of Chief Coroner. [97338]
Mr Djanogly: Discussions on the role of chief coroner are still ongoing so it would be inappropriate to place a copy of the job description in the Library at this stage. A copy of the job description will be laid in the Library of both Houses once finalised.
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Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) meetings and (b) other discussions he has had with members of the judiciary on the role of Chief Coroner in the last three months. [97339]
Mr Djanogly: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), has not held any meetings with members of the judiciary about the role of the Chief Coroner in the last three months. Officials from the Ministry of Justice participated in a workshop with senior members of the judiciary to discuss the office of the Chief Coroner in February.
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements he is considering on the reporting to Parliament of the work of Chief Coroner. [97340]
Mr Djanogly: Section 36 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 imposes a duty on the chief coroner to give an annual report to the Lord Chancellor, and requires the Lord Chancellor to publish each report and lay copies in Parliament. The Government intend to implement this provision once the chief coroner has formally taken up post.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority: Public Expenditure
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's most recent estimate is of the savings to the public purse which will accrue from the proposed reform of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority; and in which year of the comprehensive spending review period these savings are expected to arise. [97830]
Mr Blunt: In our consultation document 'Getting it Right for Victims and Witnesses' we made proposals for reforming the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme rather than the authority.
If our proposals were to be implemented in full we estimate they would reduce the annual cost of the scheme by between £40 million and £60 million. These savings will start to accrue to the public purse once the reformed scheme is in place.
Subject to parliamentary approval we anticipate the revised scheme being in place this summer or early autumn.
Employment Tribunals Service
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many hearings (a) were cancelled by each employment tribunal, (b) were listed as floaters, (c) were listed within 26 weeks of receipt in single jurisdiction claims and (d) needed to be adjourned as a result of being part-heard; in how many cases the written judgment was sent to the parties within four weeks of the conclusion of the hearing; and what the average period of time taken to list pre-hearing reviews was in each of the last five years. [98213]
Mr Djanogly:
Employment tribunals list various types of hearings, including case management discussions,
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pre-hearing reviews, full/final hearings (which include assessment of remedies, where relevant) and review hearings.
Listing of hearings in cases (including the cancellation, postponement or adjournment of cases) is a judicial matter. Once listed, “cancellations” can occur, for example, where the claim is resolved, settled or withdrawn before the hearing is scheduled to take place; where a postponement request is made by one or both of the parties and accepted by the tribunal; or where the employment tribunal itself postpones the hearing on its own volition for any number of reasons.
In relation to part (a) of the question, Tables 1(a) to 1(e) show all hearings recorded as “postponed by Tribunal” for each Employment Tribunal Office across Great Britain, respectively for each of the five financial years for which data was sought. It is not possible to discern the cause of the postponement (for example, whether it was at the instigation of parties, or the tribunal's own volition).
| Table 1 a: Hearings postponed by the tribunal in the financial year 2006-07 | ||
| Office | Full hearings postponed | Total hearings postponed |
| Table 1 b: Hearings postponed by the tribunal in the financial year 2007-08 | ||
| Office | Full hearings postponed | Total hearings postponed |
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| Table 1c: Hearings postponed by the tribunal in the financial year 2008-09 | ||
| Office | Full hearings postponed | Total hearings postponed |
| Table 1d: Hearings postponed by the tribunal in the financial year 2009-10 | ||
| Office | Full hearings postponed | Total hearings postponed |
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| Table 1e: Hearings postponed by the tribunal in the financial year 2010-11 | ||
| Office | Full hearings postponed | Total hearings postponed |
| Notes: 1. Hearings are marked as “postponed by Tribunal” on the tribunal management information system. These are hearings where, for a variety of reasons including cancellation, the hearing has been postponed by the tribunal. It is not possible to separate out the reasons for the postponement. Therefore the table gives indicative figures for the total number of postponements by tribunals, of which cancellations will be a subset. 2. There were no postponements by tribunal recorded in Scotland in 2010-11; in 2009-10 there were 2. 3. Figures in the tables are rounded independently and thus may not add to totals. The following conventions have been used: values less than 100 remain as unit values; values from 100 to 999 are rounded to nearest ten; and values of 1,000 and over are rounded to the nearest hundred. Source: ET Central Database March 2012. | ||
In relation to part (b), Employment Tribunal Offices are not required to collate and record this information and those that do, do not report the data so that it can be collated and held centrally. Accordingly, it is not possible to provide the information requested.
In relation to part (c), Table 2 shows the number of “single”' cases that were listed for hearing within 26 weeks of receipt of the original claim.
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| Table 2: Single claims listed for hearing within 26 weeks of receipt for the last five financial years | |
| Financial year | Single cases listed for hearing within 26 weeks of receipt |
| Note s : 1. Data on the percentage of single accepted cases where the first hearing began within 26 weeks of receipt (rather than being listed within that period), and the employment tribunals' performance against the 75% target, is published regularly. The latest available information is available on the MOJ website. Source: ET Monthly Management Information report. | |
In relation to Part (d), table 3 shows hearings that were adjourned as a result of being part-heard.
| Table 3: All part-heard hearings for the last five financial years | ||
| Financial year | Total hearings “part-heard” | Full/final hearings “part-heard” |
| Source: ET Central Database March 2012. | ||
In relation to the timeliness of judgments, Table 4 shows the number of written judgments issued to parties within four weeks of the hearing date.
| Table 4: Judgments issued within four weeks of the hearing date | |
| Financial year | Number |
| Source: ET Monthly Management Information report. | |
In relation to the final part of the question, in those cases where a pre-hearing review was listed, the average time from receipt of the claim to the pre-hearing review is outlined in table 5.
| Table 5: Average time from receipt of claim to pre-hearing review | |
| Financial year | Number of days |
Employment Tribunals: Fees and Charges
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what assessment he has made of the likely ongoing costs of collection of fees in the employment tribunal system (a) in total and (b) as a proportion of estimated fee income; [98068]
(2) what estimate he has made of the (a) IT and (b) other start-up costs of implementing a system to collect his proposed fees in the employment tribunal system; [98070]
(3) what steps he plans to take to ensure access to justice for vulnerable people if fees for employment tribunals are introduced. [98176]
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Mr Djanogly: The information requested is as follows:
Depending on which proposal is implemented, the initial impact assessment accompanying the fee-charging consultation estimated the ongoing cost of fee collection at £1-2 million per annum. The annual revenue after remissions has been estimated at £10-14 million respectively. All figures are quoted in 2011-12 prices,
Therefore, as a proportion, initial estimates suggest that ongoing costs represent in the region of some 10-15% of the initial annual fee income.
The initial impact assessment accompanying the fee-charging consultation estimated the total cost of implementation at £2 million at 2011-12 prices. A detailed breakdown of the various cost sub-categories is not available at this stage of policy development.
The Government will ensure that their obligations to protect access to justice under article 6 of the European convention on human rights are fully adhered to when presenting their final proposals to Parliament.
The consultation paper proposes to adopt the civil courts remission system of England and Wales so as to protect access to justice for those individuals who cannot afford to pay the proposed tribunal user fees, and the Government have invited comment on whether respondents believe that remission system fulfils those aims. A final decision on how the remission system will work will be made following consultation.
An initial equality impact assessment was published alongside the consultation and can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations
G4S
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether South Yorkshire Probation Trust in partnership with G4S will be allowed to tender for the management of HM Prison Lindholme, HM Prison Moorland and HM Prison Hatfield. [98088]
Mr Blunt: We are expecting G4S to submit a bid for provision of Custodial Services and Works at HMP Lindholme, HMP Moorland and HMP Hatfield. It is open to bidders to work with other organisations in constructing their bids and in delivering their commitments if successful in this competition.
Harassment
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many allegations of harassment under the terms of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 were recorded by the police as crimes in financial year 2010-11. [97541]
Lynne Featherstone: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.
The Home Office do not collect data from police forces on the number of allegations that are subsequently recorded by the police as a crime. However, the National Crime Recording Standard states that all incidents reported by a victim to the police should be recorded, if the events described amount to a crime in law and unless there is credible evidence to the contrary.
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In the financial year 2010-11, there were 51,200 offences of harassment recorded by the police in England and Wales.
Prisons
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether there will be a public-sector bid to operate HMP Lindholme, HMP Moorland and HMP Hatfield. [97815]
Mr Blunt: Her Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS) responded to a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) and were shortlisted to bid to operate HMP Lindholme, HMP Moorland and HMP Hatfield.
Iran
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many individuals were convicted of breaching sanctions on Iran in each of the last five years. [97983]
Mr Blunt: Data are not collated centrally on persons proceeded against under current legislation specifically related to sanctions on Iran. Other than where specified in a statute, centrally held information does not include all the circumstances of each case and from information on proceedings for offences of, for example, the illegal export of goods, it is not possible to identify the country of destination.
Legal Aid Scheme
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's most recent estimate is of the savings which will accrue from the proposals in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill in respect of legal aid as a result of (a) increased use of telephone advice, (b) changes to the scope of family law help, (c) changes to the scope of family law representations, (d) changes to the scope of social welfare help, (e) changes to the scope of social welfare representation and (f) a 10% reduction in expert fees in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period. [97832]
Mr Djanogly: The impact assessments published alongside the consultation response contain the most recent estimates of the potential impacts of the proposals based on the Bill as introduced to Parliament. We will publish a revised assessment following the conclusion of the parliamentary process.
Departmental Expenditure
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has allocated to expenditure on (a) its headquarters, (b) the Legal Services Commission, (c) the National Offender Management Service and (d) the HM Courts and Tribunals Service in each year of the comprehensive spending review period. [97829]
Mr Djanogly: The Department's budget allocations for 2011-12 given in the following table are outlined in the Supplementary Estimate published on 8 February 2012.
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| Amount (£ million) | |
| (1) This category includes allocations for Prison Estates Function, Ministry of Justice wide ICT expenditure and Shared Service Functions. | |
The Department has not set budgets for the remaining years of the comprehensive spending review period. Budgets for 2012-13 onwards will be set as part of the Department's regular annual budget allocation process. Allocations will be made on the basis of need and according to departmental priorities.
Magistrates Courts: Closures
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's most recent estimate is of the savings which will accrue from the closure of 93 magistrates' courts and 49 county courts announced on 14 December 2010; and in which year of the comprehensive spending review period these savings are expected to be realised. [97831]
Mr Djanogly: Cumulative savings from the closure of the courts announced on 14 December 2010 are estimated at £60.6 million over the spending review period. It is anticipated that £4.1 million will be realised this year with £16.1 million next year and £19.6 million and £20.8 million in the following two years.
In addition to the financial savings made there will also be capital proceeds from the sale of the court buildings. These are estimated at £36.3 million over the SR period.
Magistrates and Judiciary: Translation Services
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with (i) magistrates and (ii) members of the judiciary in England and Wales concerning Applied Language Solutions and the delivery of the contract for translation services; [98197]
(2) what representations he has received from (a) magistrates and (b) members of the judiciary in England and Wales concerning (i) Applied Language Solutions and (ii) the provision of interpreters in the Crown and magistrates' courts; [98198]
(3) what information (a) his Department and (b) HM Courts and Tribunals Service collects on the provision of interpretation services in courts; for what purposes; if he will place copies of such information in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [98201]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice sought the views of a variety of key interested parties including the judiciary in developing the new arrangements for sourcing interpreters. Courts and Tribunals staff are in daily contact with members of the judiciary regarding the level of service provided since the contract commenced.
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As part of their contractual obligations under the framework the contractor is required to provide a range of information about the performance of the contract. The Ministry will consider what information it can usefully publish in due course.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) whether his Department has prepared contingency plans in the event that Applied Language Solutions is unable to deliver the contract for the provision of translation services in courts; [98199]
(2) what steps (a) he and (b) his Department is taking in respect of the delivery of the contract for translation services by Applied Language Solutions. [98200]
Mr Blunt: Once fully embedded the new arrangements for interpreters will provide better value for money for the public and will meet the needs of the justice system. Close monitoring of the national roll-out has ensured that an action plan to address the problems was in place within two weeks of the new interpreter service commencing on a national basis. Contingency arrangements to minimise the chance of disruption to court business are already in place.
The contractor, Applied Language Solutions, is taking urgent action including providing additional staff to deal with bookings, further targeted recruitment of interpreters in key languages, some increases to payments for interpreters and improvements to the call handling and complaints process. Officials are meeting regularly with ALS to monitor the situation, and Ministers are receiving regular reports.
Chief Coroner
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the proposed budget will be of the Office of Chief Coroner. [97341]
Mr Djanogly: The budget for the chief coroner's office will be dependent on the role and remit of the chief coroner and the constitution of his or her supporting office. These matters are the subject of ongoing discussions with the Judicial Office and so it is not possible to provide details of the proposed budget at this stage.
Prisoners: Careers Advice
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the (a) scope and (b) quality of the careers advice provided to prisoners on the conclusion of custodial sentences. [97581]
Mr Blunt: “Making Prisons Work: skills for rehabilitation. A Review of Offender Learning”, published in May 2011, examined the efficiency and effectiveness of offender learning and skills services.
Careers Information and Advice, including an assessment of learning needs, is undertaken at the beginning of a sentence to ensure that the learning and skills offer for prisoners can be linked to employment needs and aspirations. Access to the service is on-going throughout the sentence.
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The Careers Information and Advice Service (CIAS) delivered in prisons under the Offenders Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) contracts is confidential and impartial and supports offenders in making realistic and informed choices about their current and future learning and employment options. Advice given includes employment opportunities in the area in which the offender will resettle after release. Advisers take account of the frequent and unpredictable movement of offenders between prisons, before the completion of their agreed learning programme and liaise closely with other agencies, including the OLASS learning provider within the prison and resettlement teams, providers working 'through the gate', including Next Step, Jobcentre Plus and providers supporting offenders into employment through the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) European Social Fund projects.
The advisers maintain a current understanding of the wider specialised areas of advice in the context of offenders, so that referrals are made that are appropriate to the circumstances of the individual and wherever possible, the offer is comparable with that in the mainstream. CIAS is available for all referred individuals.
The providers of CIAS in prisons in England are required to meet the minimum quality requirements of holding and retaining the Matrix Standard. The Matrix Standard is the quality standard for organisations to assess and measure their advice and support services, which ultimately supports individuals in their choice of career.
CIAS Providers are required by the Skills Funding Agency to use fully qualified advisors and a recent audit of adviser qualifications relating to delivering information, advice and guidance service to adults in custody is as follows:
Prisons: South Yorkshire
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether funding from the public purse will be used by the South Yorkshire Probation Trust in conjunction with G4S in drawing up their joint bid to manage the three prisons in South Yorkshire. [97851]
Mr Blunt: South Yorkshire Probation Trust is funded to deliver, and is delivering, the probation services specified in its contract with the National Offender Management Service. It has not received additional funding to engage in business development work; however, it will have some capacity to work with others to develop innovative ways of working that improve efficiency and meet local need.
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Reoffenders
Mrs Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people who were sentenced to a custodial sentence reoffended within 12 months of conviction in England and Wales between 2008 and 2011; and how many and what proportion of that figure were aged between 18 and 24 years; [97335]
(2) how many people who were sentenced to a community sentence reoffended within 12 months of conviction in England and Wales between 2008 and 2011; and how many and what proportion of that figure were aged between 18 and 24. [97336]
Mr Blunt: The hon. Member’s question has been answered using the Ministry of Justice's published proven reoffending statistics, broken down further by the age of the offender. Proven reoffending is measured over a one year period from the point an offender receives their first court order or, in the case of custody, when they are released from prison.
Table 1 shows the number of adult offenders (aged 18 or over), who were released from custody in 2008 and 2009 and the proportion of those aged between 18 and 24 years that reoffended within a 12 month period.
| Offenders released from custody | Reoffended | 18 to 24-year-olds that reoffended | Proportion of reoffenders that were 18 to 24-year-olds | |
Table 2 shows the same information for offenders who commenced a court order in 2008 and 2009.
| Offenders starting a community sentence | Reoffended | 18 to 24-year-olds that reoffended | Proportion of reoffenders that were 18 to 24-year-olds | |
Figures for 2010 and 2011 are not yet available.
Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010
Mr Doran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to bring into force the provisions of the Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010. [98039]
Mr Djanogly: No date has been set to bring the Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010 into force. The Ministry of Justice is examining whether the Act should be amended to include (a) all forms of administration and (b) debt relief orders in Northern Ireland before it is commenced. I will make a further statement about commencement before the summer recess.
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Translation Services
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) whether his Department has requested the courts to compile lists of interpreters who will or will not work outside the Applied Language Solutions framework agreement; and for what purpose any such lists have been compiled; [97305]
(2) pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 5 July 2011, Official Report, columns 86-7WS, on interpretation and translation services, how the estimate of £18 million savings from his Department's adoption of the framework agreement on translation services was reached. [97306]
Mr Blunt: The information is as follows:
(1) Courts have not been asked to compile lists of interpreters who will or will not work outside the Ministry's Framework Agreement with Applied Language Solutions.
(2) I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to this question on 28 February 2012, Official Report, column 190W.
Trespass: Crime
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to make trespassing a criminal offence. [98047]
Mr Blunt: There is already an offence of aggravated trespass under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill includes provision to criminalise squatting in residential buildings. We have no plans to criminalise other forms of trespass.
Education
Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the operation of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 in respect of the support provided to people after they have reached the age of 18. [97512]
Tim Loughton: The Government are committed to improving outcomes for this vulnerable group of young people. In 2010 we put in place revised regulations and new statutory guidance on support for care leavers. These are intended to improve the quality of support, and bring consistency so that all young people leaving care have the same opportunities to succeed as their peers. I meet care leaver groups on a regular basis to hear their views on the support they receive. The Department also consults the Children's Rights Director whose reports on children in care and care leavers are another valuable source of feedback on the support these young people receive.
Key entitlements for care leavers include:
the £2,000 higher education bursary for all eligible care leavers;
a new 16 to 19 bursary scheme which will begin from the start of the 2011/12 academic year. Looked after young people and care leavers are guaranteed a £1,200 bursary if they continue in full-time education;
consistent personal support from a suitably qualified personal adviser up to age 21 or beyond if in education; and
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care leavers up to age 25 who return to education or training also benefit from the support of a personal adviser while they are on their agreed course.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what reduction in carbon dioxide emissions his Department has made under the 10:10 initiative. [97933]
Tim Loughton: The Department for Education achieved a 21.5% reduction in carbon emissions as part of the Prime Minister's 10% carbon reduction commitment.
This equates to a reduction of 2,124 tonnes of CO2.
Online Services
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what public services his Department delivers online only. [96892]
Tim Loughton: The Department for Education publishes key school performance data online only to support parental choice when selecting a school for their child at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/
as well as a database of educational establishments across England and Wales at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase
Departmental Pay
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible are paid (i) £100,000 and (ii) £142,500 or more per annum. [97036]
Tim Loughton: Information for the Department and its arm's length bodies can be found on the transparency pages on the Department's website:
http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmental information/transparency/b0065313/disclosure-of-scs-posts-and-salary-inforrnation
Departmental Regulation
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress his Department has made on the Red Tape Challenge; and which regulations have been (a) abolished and (b) revised as part of the Challenge. [97239]
Tim Loughton:
To date, of over 1,200 regulations considered so far under Red Tape Challenge, we have agreed to scrap or substantially overhaul well over half. The 123 Red Tape Challenge reforms made, or about to
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be made, so far are set out in the Government's latest Statement of New Regulation. We are considering which DfE regulations can be removed or improved through the RTC process and will publish the outcome in due course.
Senior Civil Servants
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many senior civil servants left his Department and its public bodies in each month since May 2010; what their names are; what the rate of turnover of senior civil servants in his Department was during this period; and if he will make a statement. [96256]
Tim Loughton: Information that can be made available for the Department is set out in the following table (as at 31 January 2012):
| Number of senior staff leavers | |
The turnover rate for the Department over the period is 13.44%.
Information for the Department's arm's length bodies is a matter for them and is not held centrally. Workforce information is published for the Department and its arm's length bodies from March 2011 and can be found on the transparency pages of the Department's website:
http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmentalinformation/transparency/a00199711/monthly-workforce-management-information
Any changes in the workforce numbers may not solely reflect senior staff leaving their organisations.