The total number of days lost to sick absence includes short and long-term absences, certified and uncertified absences.
Prior to financial year 2010-11, FCO recorded sick absences for the FCO, FCO Services, some FCO staff on loan and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), and therefore it is not possible to make a direct comparison between the figures prior to the financial year 2010-11. To provide these figures for prior years now would incur disproportionate costs. The figures are for FCO UK- based staff only. Locally employed staff figures are not held centrally.
The FCO has robust measures in place to monitor sick absence. Our absence rate has reduced and we continue to have a lower than average AWDL compared to the civil service as a whole. All long-term absences are actively managed by our health and welfare team, working alongside staff, their line managers, occupational health and disability support teams. The FCO also offers staff access to an Employee Assistance programme under a DEFRA-sponsored cross Government framework.
We report sick absence to the FCO Board and to the Cabinet Office. The total number of working days lost through short and long-term sick absence, certified and uncertified for the financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12, is published in the FCO annual departmental report (HC59)
Non-departmental public bodies NDPBs
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The British Council has been unable to provide detailed sickness data as the contractor holding the data is undertaking a major data migration programme.
| FCO Services | |||||
| Sick days | 2012-13 | 2011-12 | 2010-11 | 2009-10 | 2008-09 |
| Westminster Foundation for Democracy | |||||
| Sick days | 2012-13 | 2011-12 | 2010-11 | 2009-10 | 2008-09 |
| Great Britain—China Centre | |
| Sick days | 2008-13 |
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| Wilton Park | |||||
| Sick days | 2012-13 | 2011-12 | 2010-11 | 2009-10 | 2008-09 |
The Foreign Compensation Commission and Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission do not employ any staff and therefore have no sick absences to record.
Syria
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to help ensure that there is no use of chemical weapons in Syria. [150418]
Alistair Burt: The British Government have repeatedly made clear, both publically and in private, that the use of chemical weapons would be a horrific crime. We have warned President Assad's regime that the use of these weapons would lead to a serious response from the international community. Those who order the use of chemical weapons, and those who use them, will be held to account. We have also made this point to the opposition. We continue to work closely with our international partners, including the US, to monitor developments related to Syria's chemical weapons and welcome the UN Secretary-General's decision to initiate an investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. To prevent the proliferation of Syria's chemical weapons, we have secured EU sanctions against goods and equipment that could be used as part of a chemical weapon programme and Syria-specific controls within the Australia Group to prevent the transfer of chemical weapons-related goods.
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to protect followers of the Christian faith subject to persecution in the conflict in Syria. [150520]
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Alistair Burt: The situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, inflicting a heavy cost on the country's population, including its minority groups. Like others in the region, Syrians demand that their rights to liberty, dignity and to choose freely their leaders be recognized. We regularly meet representatives and members of minority groups and we continue to encourage the Syrian National Coalition to reassure all Syrians that they are working towards a Syria which is democratic, inclusive, representative, respectful of its ethnic and religious minorities and which adheres to international human rights conventions. We remain resolute in our support of the Syrian people's demands for a peaceful and democratic transition to a more open society, one that respects the rights of all its citizens, Allawite or Sunni, Christian or Kurd.
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2013, Official Report, columns 912-13W, on Syria, what assessment he has made of the dangers of al-Qaeda-related groups in the middle east using captured chemical weapons for terrorist attacks against the UK and the US. [150668]
Alistair Burt: The vulnerability of Syria’s chemical weapons stocks is very difficult to assess as I made clear in my answer on 25 March 2013, Official Report, columns 912-13W. However, we remain extremely concerned. The Syrian regime is legally obliged under UN Security Council resolution 1540 to keep its chemical weapons secure and we have continued to stress the need to fulfil this obligation. As I noted on 25 March, some expertise, as well as access to appropriate delivery systems, is needed to handle and exploit chemical weapons. I cannot speculate on whether al-Qaeda-related groups have such capability, but we continue to monitor the situation very closely.
Tourism: Northern Ireland
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote Northern Ireland as part of the GREAT campaign. [150129]
Mr Swire: The GREAT campaign showcases the best of what the United Kingdom has to offer to encourage the world to visit, study and do business here. It is designed to make the most of the economic opportunities presented by 2012 and focuses on trade, inward investment, tourism and attracting international students to all parts of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland. The campaign is active in 86 countries around the world and draws together the national promotion efforts of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), VisitBritain, the British Council and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
UKTI works closely with Invest Northern Ireland to ensure Northern Ireland is a beneficiary from leads and interest generated by the GREAT campaign, and the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, has visited Northern Ireland on several occasions, most recently last October. VisitBritain's GREAT marketing programme uses images of Northern Ireland, for example of the Giant's Causeway, in its overseas advertising.
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The British Council also promotes UK educational excellence globally through its “Education is GREAT” campaign. All schools and education institutions from across Northern Ireland are an integral component of the UK's educational offer.
Northern Ireland
Aviation
Dr McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make representations to Virgin Airlines requesting that they commence flights from Belfast International airport to London Heathrow. [150259]
Mrs Villiers: While this is a commercial matter for the airline concerned, I shall nevertheless pass on the hon. Gentleman's representations when I next meet Virgin Airlines.
Corporation Tax
Dr McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent steps she has taken to further the case for the devolution of corporation tax to the Northern Ireland Assembly. [150272]
Mrs Villiers: The Prime Minister and I recently met the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to discuss next steps on the potential devolution of corporation tax powers.
I will continue to work closely with my ministerial colleagues on this proposal.
Dr McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she last met the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss the devolution of corporation tax to the Northern Ireland Assembly. [150273]
Mrs Villiers: I met the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), in March to discuss the potential devolution of corporation tax powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly. I will continue to work closely with the Chancellor as we take forward further work on this important issue.
Devolution
Dr McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she last met the First Minister of Northern Ireland; and what issues were discussed. [150271]
Mrs Villiers: I last met the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on 26 March 2013 with the Prime Minister. The meeting discussed next steps on the potential for devolving corporation tax powers and wider measures to boost growth in Northern Ireland and promote a shared society that can maximise its economic potential.
Economic Growth
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on measures to stimulate growth in the private sector in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement. [150004]
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Mrs Villiers: I have regular meetings with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers to discuss these matters. The Prime Minister and I met the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on 26 March when we discussed an economic package for Northern Ireland which would help stimulate growth in the private sector, to be pursued in parallel with continuing work on the possible devolution of corporation tax.
I shall continue these discussions with the Executive in the coming weeks.
Overtime
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate she has made of the total cost of overtime payments in each pay grade in her Department. [150237]
Mrs Villiers: The Northern Ireland Office keeps all staff costs, including overtime, under regular review. Overtime is used only to carry out specific work which cannot be done in normal working hours and must be authorised in advance by managers. No estimate has been made by pay grade for the total cost of overtime payments.
Presbyterian Mutual Society
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the findings of the Northern Ireland Ombudsman's report on the management and administration of the Presbyterian Mutual Society; and if she will make a statement. [150616]
Mrs Villiers: The Government have worked closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to fund a package of assistance to address the needs of investors in the Presbyterian Mutual Society.
The Assembly Ombudsman for Northern Ireland investigates complaints of injustice on behalf of complainants who believe they have suffered maladministration by Northern Ireland Executive Departments and public bodies that are the responsibility of Northern Ireland Ministers.
As the Ombudsman's report in respect of the Presbyterian Mutual Society relates to a transferred matter it would not be appropriate for me to offer any assessment or to comment upon it.
Security
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the level of resources available to the security forces in 2013. [147274]
Mrs Villiers: I meet regularly with both the Minister for Justice and the Chief Constable on a wide range of policing issues, including discussions on resourcing. The provision by this Government of an additional £200 million funding to the PSNI is a clear demonstration of our commitment to supporting the police.
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Security
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment she has made of the security situation in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement. [150829]
Mrs Villiers: While the threat level in Northern Ireland remains at Severe, progress has been made. Excellent co-operation between the PSNI and its partners has put terrorist groups under strain.
This Government remain fully committed to supporting the Northern Ireland Executive in building safer communities free from fear and intimidation.
Unemployment
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she will next discuss the latest unemployment figures for Northern Ireland with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive; and if she will make a statement. [149743]
Mike Penning: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), and I have ongoing meetings with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers and regularly discuss economic matters, including how we can tackle unemployment in Northern Ireland. The Prime Minister discussed with the First and Deputy First Ministers on 26 March the work of the joint ministerial working group on rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy and how best to boost jobs and growth.
The Government’s efforts to reduce the largest structural deficit in UK peacetime history and deliver sustainable economic recovery—all underpinned by the latest measures announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), in the Budget—remain the best way to help people find employment.
Visits Abroad
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many overseas visits have been made by Ministers of her Department to support trade and investment in each year since 2010. [150325]
Mrs Villiers: Though the Northern Ireland Executive carries the principal responsibility on trade and investment promotion visits, we take the opportunity of each overseas visit to promote Northern Ireland as a destination for trade and investment. This has also been the practice of our predecessors.
On my trip to the United States in March, I met the senior HBO executives responsible for bringing production of the series ‘Game of Thrones’ to Northern Ireland and discussed their plans for future series there. I also raised the subject of trade and investment with senior figures in New York's Irish American community, and with senior members of the United States Administration and Congress.
Trade and investment is also a regular item for discussion when I meet Irish Ministers during my visits to Dublin.
My right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), when Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, sought to undertake trade and investment activity during his trips to the United States. My right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) was
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invited by the Northern Ireland Minister for Trade and Investment to accompany her on a trade mission to the Gulf States in February 2012 when he was Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office.
In my regular meetings with Executive Ministers I have made clear my willingness to work closely with them to support trade and investment.
Home Department
Alcoholic Drinks: Prices
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received from (a) individuals and (b) organisations on a minimum unit price on alcohol. [150417]
Damian Green: Home Office Ministers and officials have had meetings with a wide variety of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the public consultation on the Government's alcohol strategy. The consultation closed on 6 February. We are currently analysing the responses we have received to the consultation and will publish a response shortly.
Borders: Personal Records
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on the e-Borders programme to date; and how much she estimates will be spent on the project in the next five years. [150422]
Mr Harper: The total spend from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2013 on the e-Borders programme is £475 million (please note that the spend for the month of March 2013 is estimated).
The Home Office is not currently able to confirm the future spend on the e-Borders programme but will be able to do this once the binding arbitration following the termination of the contract with Raytheon Systems Ltd is complete.
Deportation
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost is of each attempt to remove from the UK an individual who no longer has permission to remain. [150352]
Mr Harper: In financial year 2011-12, the average cost to the UK Border Agency of each removal was £3,281. This has been calculated by dividing the total cost of our removal activity by the volume of removals in that financial year. The cost of unsuccessful attempts at removal is absorbed within this average cost.
Domestic Violence: Martial Arts
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the effect on incidences of violence against women of the practice of mixed martial arts. [150982]
Damian Green: There are no plans to assess the effect on incidences of violence against women of the practice of mixed martial arts.
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Edinburgh Airport: Immigration Controls
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the UK Border Force target for queuing times for (a) EEA and (b) non-EEA passengers at Edinburgh Airport were breached in (i) October 2012, (ii) November 2012, (iii) December 2012 and (iv) January 2013. [146411]
Mr Harper [holding answer 5 March 2013]: During October, November and December 2012 and in January 2013, queues exceeding service standards occurred on the following number of occasions:
| Edinburgh airport | ||||
| Number of queues exceeding service standards | Number of queue measurements taken | |||
| EEA | Non EEA | EEA | Non EEA | |
| Note: Figures quoted are management information only, which have been subject to internal quality checks and may be subject to change. | ||||
I also refer you to the published statistics on the clearance of passengers, at the national level:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/clearance-of-passengers/
Entry Clearances
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time for tier 2 (intra-company transfer) applications was in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and how many such applicants waited more than (i) six and (ii) 12 months for a decision on their application. [148726]
Mr Harper [holding answer 18 March 2013]: The figures requested are provided in the following tables and have been separated into postal applications and premium (in person) applications.
| Table 1: Tier 2 intra-company transfer application average waiting times, January 2010 to December 2012 | ||
| Average processing time (calendar days) | ||
| Dispatch year | Postal applications | Premium applications |
| Notes: 1. All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to postal applications and to premium applications submitted at UKBA public enquiry offices (PEOs). 4. All figures relate to tier 2 intra-company transfer applications decided and dispatched between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012. 5. Processing time is based on the average number of calendar days from application raised (i.e. received) date to decision dispatch date. Figures relate to completed applications only. 6. Data generated on 14 March 2013. 7. Premium Service is a service at our public enquiry offices for applicants in the UK who want to submit their application in person and receive a decision on the same day. | ||
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| Table 2: Tier 2 intra-company transfer ‘postal’ applications decided based on length of time taken to reach decision, January 2010 to December 2012 | ||||
| Dispatch year | 0 to 6 months | 6 to 12 months | 12-plus months | Total |
| Notes: 1. All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to postal applications in table 2, and to premium applications submitted at UKBA Public Enquiry Offices (PEO) in table 3. 4. All figures relate to tier 2 intra-company transfer applications decided and dispatched between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012. 5. Time taken to reach decision based on the number of calendar days from application raised (i.e. received) date to decision dispatch date—0 to 6 months based on 0 to 182 days; 6 to 12 months based on 183 to 365 days; and 12-plus months based on more than 365 days. Figures relate to completed applications only. 6. Figures rounded to the nearest 5 (‘—’ = 0, ‘*’ = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. 7. Data generated on 14 March 2013. | ||||
| Table 3: Tier 2 intra-company transfer ‘premium’ applications decided based on length of time taken to reach decision, January 2010 to December 2012 | ||||
| Dispatch year | 0 to 6 months | 6 to 12 months | 12-plus months | Total |
| Notes: 1. All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to postal applications in table 2, and to premium applications submitted at UKBA Public Enquiry Offices (PEO) in table 3. 4. All figures relate to tier 2 intra-company transfer applications decided and dispatched between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012. 5. Time taken to reach decision based on the number of calendar days from application raised (i.e. received) date to decision dispatch date—0 to 6 months based on 0 to 182 days; 6 to 12 months based on 183 to 365 days; and 12-plus months based on more than 365 days. Figures relate to completed applications only. 6. Figures rounded to the nearest 5 (‘—’ = 0, ‘*’ = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. 7. Data generated on 14 March 2013. | ||||
| Table 4: Tier 2 intra-company transfer postal applications decided within published customer service standard targets, January 2010 to December 2012 | ||
| Dispatch year | Published service standard (Percentage of applications within four weeks) | Applications decided within service standard (Percentage) |
| Notes: 1. All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to postal applications only. 4. All figures relate to tier 2 intra-company transfer applications decided and dispatched between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012. 5. Time taken to reach decision based on the number of calendar days from application raised (i.e. received) date to decision dispatch date. 6. Data generated on 14 March 2013. | ||
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Entry Clearances: Business
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the clarity and intelligibility of the questions asked on the UK Border Agency business visitor visa application form published in December 2012. [150548]
Mr Harper: The Government support economic growth by delivering an effective visa service which processed over 360,000 applications for business visit visas in 2012.
The application form for a business visit visa application was reviewed and updated in December 2012. The majority of the questions on the application form are there to gather background information (personal details, including where the applicant lives and with whom, what their income is, what they do for a living, details of previous travel and so forth). These are the same questions that are asked of all visit visa applicants. The questions towards the end of the form are tailored to the specific application category, and so these forms ask who the applicant is coming to the UK to see/do business with, who is funding the trip, where the applicant will stay and so forth.
Since the form was updated, the UK Border Agency has processed over 50,000 business visa applications worldwide, and has issued over 90% of them.
Currently, around 95% of applicants apply through the Agency's online application system. We are working to improve the online application process for all visa application categories (including business visit visa applications) to make it a more intuitive and customer friendly web application, including better signposting to the right visa application category and improved help text (which will be available in a number of key languages).
Entry Clearances: Middle East
Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will list visit visa requirements for nationals of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. [151037]
Mr Harper: The requirements for those applying for a visa as a visitor are set out in paragraphs 40-56Z and 75A-75M of the Immigration Rules. These requirements vary depending on the specific type of visitor visa being sought and apply equally to nationals of all countries applying in this capacity.
Human Trafficking: Children
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how her Department monitors and evaluates the functioning of the National Referral Mechanism for child victims of trafficking; and what plans she has to report on its findings. [150484]
Mr Harper: The Inter-departmental Ministerial Group (IDMG) oversees UK human trafficking activity including the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and in its role as a National Rapporteur equivalent mechanism in accordance with the EU directive on trafficking the IDMG considers emerging trends in NRM data at regular IDMG meetings.
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The day-to-day functioning of the NRM is monitored by a multi-agency official oversight group chaired by the Home Office, which includes representatives from local authorities, the devolved Administrations, the Association of Chief Police Officers and non-governmental organisations with a direct involvement in the NRM. This includes those involved in protecting child victims of trafficking, namely the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Barnardos.
Illegal Immigrants: Yorkshire and the Humber
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many raids on (a) home addresses and (b) workplaces the UK Border Agency has conducted in (i) Brigg and Goole constituency and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber in the last 12 months. [149950]
Mr Harper [holding answer 25 March 2013]: The UK Border Agency does not collate information centrally on the number of home and workplace enforcement visits specifically by constituency or at county level. Information is available relating to activity at a regional level for the North East. This information can be split between visits made to residential venues and visits made to non-residential venues.
Records indicate that within the North East(1) area between January and December 2012, the UK Border Agency carried out 1,020 enforcement visits to residential venues. In the same period the UK Border Agency also carried out 755 visits to non-residential venues.
All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
(1) The “North East” for this purpose is defined by the local immigration teams which operate from within it, consisting of Durham, Northumbria, Teesside, Tyne Tees, Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.
Immigration
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are made to determine that the UK is a country of residence for non-EU nationals. [150652]
Mr Harper: Immigration or residence status determines a non-EEA migrant's eligibility to apply for work, benefits and certain public services in the UK. Employers, Government Departments and local authorities conduct entitlement and right to work checks under a range of legislation regulating access. The Government are introducing biometric residence permits to non-EEA nationals granted permission to stay in the UK for more than six months to make these checks more effective.
Immigration: EU Nationals
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are in place to determine whether an EU national has met the criteria for permanent residence in the UK and that such people remain legally a permanent resident. [150711]
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Mr Harper: Strict checks are in place to ensure that those EU nationals who apply for a document confirming a right of permanent residence meet the requirements set out in the Regulations, including checks on whether the EU national has continuously exercised free movement rights. A document confirming a right of permanent residence may also be revoked where there is evidence that an EU national has ceased to have such a right or the Secretary of State considers that their removal is justified on grounds of public policy, public security or public health.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EU nationals have acquired the right to permanent residence in the UK in each of the last five years. [150712]
Mr Harper: Statistics on the total number of EU nationals who have acquired the right to permanent residence are not available. The available information is of those that have applied for documents certifying their permanent residence in the UK. Some may have chosen not to apply for such documentation.
| Documents issued | |
| Number | |
The latest Home Office immigration statistics on grants and refusals of applications for residence documentation from both EEA nationals and non-EEA family members are published in the release “Immigration Statistics”, which is available at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q4-2012/
A copy of the latest release, 'Immigration Statistics October - December' has been placed in the House Library.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EU nationals have lost the right to permanent residence in the UK after living outside the UK for over two consecutive years in each of the last five years. [150713]
Mr Harper: Data on the revocation of permanent residence cards are not broken down by reason for revocation.
Immigration: ICT
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the cost of a modernised IT system for the immigration system. [150930]
Mr Harper:
As the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), announced in her statement to the House on 26 March 2013, Official Report, columns 1500-1510, the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office
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and the Home Office Board have been asked to produce a new plan for a modernised IT system to support immigration caseworking.
Mobile Phones
Mr Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which company holds the largest contract to provide mobile telephony services to the Criminal Records Bureau; how much is paid each year under that contract; how many individual devices are covered by the contract; when the contract was awarded; and when and how the contract will next be reviewed. [148225]
James Brokenshire: Vodafone was awarded the contract to provide mobile telephony services to the Home Office on 30 June 2011. The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) was provided with mobile telephony services under that contract. Quarterly meetings are held with Vodafone to review its performance. The contract is due to expire on 29 June 2015.
From 1 December 2012, the functions previously undertaken by the CRB and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) have been carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Since December 2012, the contract has covered the DBS.
There were 83 individual devices held on the CRB account. From January 2012 to December 2012, £8,499.74 was paid on the contract. This covers 11 months under the CRB account and one month under the DBS account.
National Crime Agency: Northern Ireland
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she plans to have on the National Crime Agency with (a) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, (b) the Justice Minister in Northern Ireland and (c) political parties in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement. [150828]
Damian Green: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), Home Office Ministers and officials have regular exchanges to support discussions on the National Crime Agency in Northern Ireland. We remain committed to delivering a UK-wide crime fighting agency focused on tackling serious, organised and complex crime.
Plants
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on indoor and outdoor plants and trees since her appointment. [139945]
James Brokenshire: A limited amount of planting is provided through the 2002 PFI contract in some of the internal and external shared areas of our headquarters building, the costs of which are not charged separately. Elsewhere on the Department’s estate, figures on plants and trees costs are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Police and Crime Commissioners
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the names, job titles and salaries of all deputies, assistants and advisers appointed by police and crime commissioners in each policy authority area. [150560]
Damian Green: The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 requires that police and crime commissioners (PCCs) appoint a chief executive and chief financial officer. It is for PCCs to determine what further staff they require to support them in their duties. The Act also requires each PCC to publish the number of staff that they employ, along with an organisational chart showing the structure of the staff and the job title, responsibilities and salary of those earning above £58,200.
Police Patrolling
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 709W, on Police Patrolling: Birmingham, if she will take steps to collect data on the amount of time that police officers spend on street patrols in the most recent period for which figures are available. [150637]
Damian Green: The Home Office has no plans to collect data on the average amount of time spent by officers on street patrols.
Sexual Offences: North Yorkshire
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to open a sexual assault and rape centre in North Yorkshire; and if she will make a statement. [150460]
Damian Green: Commissioning of sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) is a locally determined issue. However, North Yorkshire police have advised that the local SARC facility will open on 1 May 2013.
Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps need to be taken before individuals currently subject to terrorism prevention and investigation measures can be prosecuted in a criminal trial. [150656]
James Brokenshire: Section 10 of the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (“TPIM”) Act 2011 includes a specific requirement for the prospect of prosecution to be reviewed both before the TPIM notice is imposed and during its lifetime, so that TPIM notices are used only for those individuals that we cannot prosecute for terrorism offences or, in the case of foreign nationals, deport at present.
The process for bringing charges against an individual subject to a TPIM notice is, whether for terrorism-related activity, for alleged breaches of the measures in the notice terrorism or for other criminal activity, managed by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service and is the same as for any other individual.
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Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what categories of criminal evidence the Government hold on individuals currently subject to terrorism prevention and investigation measures. [150657]
James Brokenshire: For operational reasons, I cannot comment on individual cases.
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the prosecution of individuals currently subject to terrorism prevention and investigation measures. [150658]
James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues and others 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.
Theft: Dogs
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of dog theft have been recorded in (a) Dartford constituency, (b) Kent and (c) the UK in each of the last three years. [150870]
Damian Green: It is not possible to identify offences of dog theft from the police recorded crime statistics, and this information is not held centrally by the Home Office.
UK Border Agency
Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 156W, on premium service appointments: Liverpool, how many premium service appointments were missed at each office in 2012; and what steps are being taken to stop the abuse of this system. [146478]
Mr Harper: The figures requested are not available through published statistics; however, some local data are available. There are no figures available in Croydon, Sheffield and Solihull for the whole of 2012.
Where the Home Office identifies abuse of the appointment booking system, the facility is withdrawn from those involved. A non-refundable appointment booking fee and payment at the time of booking was introduced on 8 April 2013 to prevent abuse of the system.
| Premium service appointments at public enquiry offices (PEOs) available and unattended in 2012 | |||
| Public enquiry office | Total appointments (number) | Missed appointments (number) | Percentage of total appointments (%) |
| (1) Not available. Notes: 1. The figures quoted (where available) have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Data generated on 12 and 13 March 2013. | |||
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Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 156W, on UK Border Agency, how many people failed to attend the UK Border Agency offices for premium service appointments in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and what estimate her Department has made of the cost of such lost appointments. [147012]
Mr Harper: The figures requested are not available through published statistics; however, some local data are available. There are no figures available in Solihull. Croydon, Sheffield and Belfast have limited data.
| Premium service appointments at all public enquiry offices (PEOs) available and unattended in 2010, 2011 and 2012 | |||||||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |||||||
| Public enquiry office | Total | Missed | % of total | Total | Missed | % of total | Total | Missed | % of total |
| n/a = information not available. Notes: 1. The figures quoted (where available) have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under the National Statistics protocols. 2. Data generated on 12 and 13 March 2013. | |||||||||
Information relating to the cost of missed appointments is not specifically recorded. It is not possible to estimate the cost of missed appointments over this period with any degree of accuracy.
Notes:
1. Appointments data are not available for all offices.
2. An application to extend leave to remain is a mandatory requirement and, as such, an application must be made either by post or in person. As a result, although income may not be realised on a specific day, the application would generally be submitted at a later date and the income subsequently earned.
3. It has long been the practice in public enquiry offices to overbook appointments beyond actual capacity to compensate for customers who fail to attend. As a result, although appointments may be missed, this does not necessarily equate to actual income lost.
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether the UK Border Agency has transferred staff from other areas of the agency for the purposes of tackling the backlog of migration cases; and what the effect has been on the level of performance in affected areas; [150293]
(2) whether the visa processing times for each area of temporary migration were within service standard in the most recent period for which figures are available. [150294]
Mr Harper:
The UK Border Agency transferred staff from other areas of the agency to work on the temporary migration cases backlog. This measure, in addition to the recruitment of additional staff, resulted in an increased level of performance across all backlog areas. Staff were not transferred from other frontline delivery roles but from back office roles, allowing for a short-term staffing dip in these areas without significant performance drops. The UK Border Agency published figures on its performance against migration service standards on a quarterly basis as part of its commitment to transparency.
15 Apr 2013 : Column 48W
These data are disaggregated by quarter and work stream and cover the period from April 2010 to December 2012. The latest figures are available from the Library of the House and from the UK Border Agency website at:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/percentage-of-migration/
The next quarterly statistics covering the period January to March 2013 will be published on 23 May 2013.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her statement of 26 March 2013, Official Report, columns 1500-10, on UK Border Agency, what the procedure will be for responding to hon. Members on constituency immigration cases. [150931]
Mr Harper: Hon. Members should continue to contact their regional MP account manager or the dedicated MPs' enquiry line. These teams can deal with enquiries by telephone or email and will often offer a faster service than a formal reply.
Alternatively, hon. Members may write (via Government Mail Service) to MPs' Liaison Unit, Lunar House, 40 Wellesley Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 2BY or (by Royal Mail) to MPs' Liaison Unit, PO Box 1586, Lunar House, 40 Wellesley Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 2BY.
UK Border Agency: Northern Ireland
Dr McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how the UK Border Agency performed against its published service standards in Northern Ireland in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; [150952]
(2) how the UK Border Agency in Northern Ireland performed compared with the rest of the United Kingdom in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [150953]
Mr Harper: The UK Border Agency publishes figures on its performance against migration service standards on a quarterly basis as part of its commitment to transparency. Although these figures are not disaggregated by constituent countries within the United Kingdom, they are divided by quarter and by work stream, and cover the period from April 2010 to December 2012. The latest figures are available from the Agency's website link and the following tables:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/percentage-of-migration/
| Table 1: In-Country Applications—Postal Service Standards | ||
| 2010-12 | 2012-13 | |
| (1) Premium Service Standard is 95% on same day. | ||
| Table 2: Overseas Service Standards | |
| %/weeks | |
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| Table 3: Percentage of migration applications decided within published standards, April to September 2010 | ||||||
| Quarter 1 2010-11 | Quarter 2 2010-11 | |||||
| % of Applications decided within Service Standard | No. of applications decided within Service Standard | Total number of applications decided | % of Applications decided within Service Standard | No. of applications decided within Service Standard | Total number of applications decided | |
| Notes: 1. In-country figures include postal and premium applications. 2. All data extracted on 5 November 2012, representing Casework Database as at 4 November 2012. 3. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality assurance checks. However, the numbers may differ from figures published as National Statistics in the Home Office Control of Immigration statistical publications as they are drawn from different snapshots of the UK Border Agency database. | ||||||
| Table 4: Percentage of migration applications decided within published standards, October 2010 to March 2011 | ||||||
| Quarter 3 2010-11 | Quarter 4 2010-11 | |||||
| % of Applications decided within Service Standard | No. of applications decided within Service Standard | Total number of applications decided | % of Applications decided within Service Standard | No. of applications decided within Service Standard | Total number of applications decided | |
| Notes: 1. In-country figures include postal and premium applications. 2. All data extracted on 5 November 2012, representing Casework Database as at 4 November 2012. 3. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality assurance checks. However, the numbers may differ from figures published as National Statistics in the Home Office Control of Immigration statistical publications as they are drawn from different snapshots of the UK Border Agency database. | ||||||
| Table 5: Percentage of migration applications decided within published standards, April to September 2011 | ||||||
| Quarter 1 2011-12 | Quarter 2 2011-12 | |||||
| % of Applications decided within Service Standard | No. of applications decided within Service Standard | Total number of applications decided | % of Applications decided within Service Standard | No. of applications decided within Service Standard | Total number of applications decided | |
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| Notes: 1. In-country figures include postal and premium applications. 2. All data extracted on 5 November 2012, representing Casework Database as at 4 November 2012. 3. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality assurance checks. However, the numbers may differ from figures published as National Statistics in the Home Office Control of Immigration statistical publications as they are drawn from different snapshots of the UK Border Agency database. | ||||||
| Table 6: Percentage of migration applications decided within published standards, October 2011 to March 2012 | ||||||
| Quarter 3 2011-12 | Quarter 4 2011-12 | |||||
| % of Applications decided within Service Standard | No. of applications decided within Service Standard | Total number of applications decided | % of Applications decided within Service Standard | No. of applications decided within Service Standard | Total number of applications decided | |
| Notes: 1. In-country figures include postal and premium applications. 2. All data extracted on 5 November 2012, representing Casework Database as at 4 November 2012. 3. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality assurance checks. However, the numbers may differ from figures published as National Statistics in the Home Office Control of Immigration statistical publications as they are drawn from different snapshots of the UK Border Agency database. | ||||||
| Table 7: percentage of migration applications decided within published standards, April to September 2012 | ||||||
| Quarter 1 2012-13 | Quarter 2 2012-13 | |||||
| % of Applications decided within Service Standard | No. of applications decided within Service Standard | Total number of applications decided | % of Applications decided within Service Standard | No. of applications decided within Service Standard | Total number of applications decided | |
| Notes: 1. In-country figures include postal and premium applications. 2. All data extracted on 5 November 2012, representing Casework Database as at 4 November 2012. 3. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality assurance checks. However, the numbers may differ from figures published as National Statistics in the Home Office Control of Immigration statistical publications as they are drawn from different snapshots of the UK Border Agency database. | ||||||
| Table 8: Percentage of migration applications decided within published standards, October to December 2012 | |||
| Quarter 3 2012-13 | |||
| % of Applications decided within Service Standard | No. of applications decided within Service Standard | Total number of applications decided | |
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| Notes: 1. In-country figures include postal and premium applications. 2. All data extracted on 5 November 2012, representing Casework Database as at 4 November 2012. 3. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality assurance checks. However, the numbers may differ from figures published as National Statistics in the Home Office Control of Immigration statistical publications as they are drawn from different snapshots of the UK Border Agency database. | |||