Conditions of Employment
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in her Department are employed on zero hours contracts. [156844]
James Brokenshire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 February 2013, Official Report, column 997W.
Crime: Victims
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department collects on satisfaction rates of victims of crime with their treatment by police for each police force in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if she will make a statement. [157086]
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Damian Green: Police forces conduct user satisfaction surveys and submit data quarterly to the Department as part of the Annual Data Requirement (ADR). Forces must ask a number of specified questions covering first contact, response, follow-up, treatment and overall experience. The Home Office holds data up to and including December 2012. Data on overall user experience for the 12-month period to December 2012 are made available on the website of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary as part of its interactive Crime Comparator tool:
http://www.hmic.gov.uk/crime-and-policing-comparator/#chart2
A more detailed breakdown of the data covering the period January 2009 to December 2012 is available for download from:
http://www.hmic.gov.uk/data/crime-and-policing-comparator-data/
A copy of the data has been placed in the House Library.
Departmental Responsibilities
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (a) what the budget is of and (b) how many individuals are employed in the Crime Team in her Department. [156874]
Damian Green: The Home Office undertakes a wide range of activity related to cutting crime, both operational and policy. The Home Office Business Plan will be published shortly. It will present the budgets and number of staff in the Department, including those for the Crime and Policing Group, which has responsibility for crime policy.
Domestic Violence
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many calls citing complaints of (a) domestic violence and (b) antisocial behaviour police forces received in the last 12 months; and how many people who had made such calls subsequently received visits from the police; [156864]
(2) how many (a) arrests were made on charges relating to domestic violence and (b) emergency telephone calls concerning allegations of domestic violence were logged by police forces in the last 12 months. [156865]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The number of calls citing complaints of victimisation of domestic violence or antisocial behaviour is not collected by the Home Office. Figures are collected instead on numbers of reported incidents.
The latest available information collected by the Home Office shows that there were 796,935 reported domestic violence and abuse incidents in England and Wales in 2011-12 (excluding Gloucestershire as their figure was unavailable and also excluding the British Transport Police). These figures are provisional and not verified by police forces. The number of people who made calls of domestic violence and antisocial behaviour who subsequently received visits from the police is not collected by the Home Office.
The total number of antisocial behaviour incidents reported by the police in England and Wales for the year ending September 2012 was 2.4 million. The percentage
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of these incidents which resulted in a visit from the police is estimated to be approximately 77%. This figure reflects the number of incidents and not the number of victims visited. Forces that could not fully record the category breakdown of these incidents were excluded from the calculation and the figures exclude the British Transport Police. These figures have not undergone detailed data quality checks.
The requested arrests data are not collected centrally. The number of emergency telephone calls concerning allegations of domestic violence is not collected by the Home Office.
Entry Clearances
Stella Creasy:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many decisions on (a) entry
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clearance visa applications,
(b)
resolution of entry clearance visas and
(c)
issue of entry clearance visas were made on applications by (i) men and (ii) women in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [157291]
Mr Harper: The Home Office publishes extensive data on entry clearance visas on an annual and quarterly basis. While these data are not disaggregated by gender, a full breakdown of the number of visa applications received and their resolution is published. The data requested have been compiled from published statistics and are shown below:
| Table 1: Entry clearance visa applications and resolution, 2008 to 2012 | ||||||
| Applications | Resolved | Issued | Refused | Withdrawn | Lapsed | |
| Note: Data compiled from Table “be.01q” of the release “Immigration Statistics January to March 2013”, available from the Library of the House and from the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release | ||||||
Entry Clearances: Domestic Service
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas domestic servant visas were issued to applicants resident in Scotland in each of the last three years. [156162]
Mr Harper: Entry clearance visa applications are made from outside the UK. Applications for extensions of stay are made within the UK. The available information relates to the total number of visas and extensions issued for the whole of the UK, and does not provide a breakdown by the location of the visa applicant's sponsor nor a country breakdown of the location of those granted extensions. The numbers issued for the whole of the UK are given in the following tables:
| Entry clearance visas issued—domestic workers in private households | |||
| Applicant type | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| Source: Immigration Statistics, October to December 2012 table be.04 | |||
| Grants of extensions of stay—domestic workers in private households | |||
| Applicant type | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| Source: Immigration Statistics, October to December 2012 table ex.01 | |||
The latest Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas and on extensions of stay are published in the release Immigration Statistics October-December 2012, which is available from the Library of the House and on the Department's website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2012/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2012
Entry Clearances: Israel
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Israelis have been refused visa applications to travel or visit the UK in the last three years. [157589]
Mr Harper: The latest available statistics for applications for visas, their issue and refusal for Israelis for the last three years appear in the table.
Israelis are included in the group of non-EEA nationals (known as ‘non-visa nationals') who may be admitted to the UK for periods up to six months without requiring a visa. Further details are available at the web page:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/general-info/non-visa-nationals/
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| Entry clearance visas applied for, issued and refused to Israeli nationals, 2010 to 2012 | |||||
| Of which: | |||||
| Applications | Resolved | Issued | Refused | Withdrawn or lapsed | |
| n/a = not available. Notes: 1. Figures include dependants. 2. Some decisions may related to applications received in previous years. Source: Immigration Statistics, January to March 2013, Table be.02.q and be.06.q.o | |||||
The latest Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in the release Immigration Statistics January to March 2013, which is available from the Library of the House and on the Department's website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release
Entry Clearances: Sports Competitors
Sir James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Tier 5 visas have been issued by category of sport in each of the last three years. [155162]
Mr Harper: There were 7,757, 8,018 and 8,772 visas issued under the Creative and Sporting category of Tier 5 of the Points Based System in 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively. Corresponding information relating to different categories of sport is not collated centrally.
The latest Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas issued are published in the release Immigration Statistics October-December 2012, which is available from the Library of the House and on the Department's website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2012
Europol and Eurojust
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the UK has made requests for co-operation with (a) Europol and (b) Eurojust in each of the last 30 years. [156383]
Mr Harper: The number of requests made in the years for which figures are available is as follows:
| Europol | Eurojust | |
| (1) Figures not available | ||
G4S
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government asked G4S to take to ensure that it was equipped to carry out its duty to provide appropriate accommodation for asylum seekers prior to the signing of its contract. [157562]
Mr Harper: In July 2009, the UK Border Agency announced the launch of the Commercial and Operational Managers Procuring Asylum Support Services (COMPASS) project to procure accommodation, transport and related services for asylum applicants.
In 2012, G4S was awarded COMPASS contracts in the North East, Yorkshire and Humber region and the Midlands and East of England region. The COMPASS procurement project was conducted in line with EU procurement regulations. Following extensive market engagement, options analysis and appraisal a range of potential suppliers were identified as being capable of delivering the services against a range of criteria including financial strength, experience in delivering services to Government, quality, cost, risks and benefits. The potential suppliers were invited to submit proposals.
The proposals were extensively evaluated by a team of operational, financial and commercial experts who were aware of the statutory obligations of the Home Office and the complexities of providing these services.
The evaluation and subsequent due diligence testing of the proposals confirmed G4S to be a fit and proper organisation with the capacity and expertise to deliver integrated accommodation, transport and related services to asylum applicants.
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Housing: Asylum
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been put in place to ensure that women housed in properties provided by G4S under its COMPASS contract meet the decent homes standards. [157567]
Mr Harper: Commercial and operational managers procuring asylum support services (COMPASS) contract providers are required to provide safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation to comply with relevant mandatory and statutory requirements in relation to housing and this includes the Housing Act 2004. The contract contains specific requirements in relation to safe accommodation and relates the performance standard to the Housing Act.
There will be instances when a service user has specific needs, for example pregnant women, that impact on the type of accommodation required. Details of any service user's specific needs will be made known to the providers at the time of dispersal to ensure that providers offer suitable properties.
Human Trafficking
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much EU funding has been claimed by UK police authorities for the purpose of combating human trafficking in the last 10 years. [156384]
Mr Harper: This information is not held centrally.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were found to be victims of human trafficking in each local authority area in the UK in each of the last 30 years. [156385]
Mr Harper: Data on the local authority in which victims of human trafficking have been found are not routinely recorded at present.
As set out in the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group's report on human trafficking, published on 18 October 2012, the Government are focusing on improving
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our collection of data on human trafficking victims to strengthen the UK's response to this crime.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures her Department has in place to collect and collate data on human trafficking from (a) within the UK, (b) within Europe and (c) outside Europe. [156386]
Mr Harper: A number of data mechanisms exist including the National Referral Mechanism, the UK Human Trafficking Centre annual baseline assessment, criminal intelligence records and contributions to and from Europol.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children who have been rescued from human trafficking in the UK have been re-trafficked into the UK at a later date. [156387]
Mr Harper: In the period 1 April 2009 to 16 May 2013 there are two confirmed cases where potential victims of child trafficking have been referred to the National Referral Mechanism and subsequently referred again after a further exploitation.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) arrested, (b) prosecuted and (c) imprisoned for crimes of human trafficking in each of the last 30 years. [156390]
Mr Harper: Arrest data are not held centrally.
The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court, found guilty and sentenced at all courts, with sentence breakdown, for human trafficking offences, in England and Wales, from 2004 to 2011 (latest available), can be viewed in the table.
The figures in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
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| (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (4) Includes offences under SS.57-59 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which came into force on 1 May 2004. (5) Includes offences under S.4 Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004, which came into force on 1 December 2004. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice | ||||||||
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the quality and quantity of reporting of data from non-governmental organisations to the police for the purpose of combating human trafficking. [156452]
Mr Harper: Non-governmental organisations have an important role to play in tackling human trafficking. At a police force level, their information is assessed using nationally adopted intelligence assessment criteria. At a national level, a number of organisations provide information to the UK Human Trafficking Centre, where it is used to identify and assess trafficking trends in the UK.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the key achievements of the inter-ministerial team on human trafficking have been to date. [156453]
Mr Harper: The inter-departmental ministerial group on human trafficking and modern slavery oversees, co-ordinates and drives anti-trafficking efforts in the UK. Its first report, published on 18 October 2012, set out the UK's key anti-trafficking achievements to date. The report can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/human-trafficking-inter-departmental-ministerial-group-report-2012
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many human trafficking units there are in the UK. [156455]
Mr Harper: The UK Human Trafficking Centre, based in the Serious Organised Crime Agency, is a central repository for human trafficking intelligence and provides tactical advice to police forces undertaking human trafficking operations across the UK. It works closely with the human trafficking policy team in the Home Office. The Metropolitan Police's specialist trafficking unit (SC&09) is the operational lead for human trafficking offences in London and provides operational advice to other forces in England and Wales.
Responsibility for justice matters in Northern Ireland is devolved to the Northern Ireland Department of Justice, which has established a policy unit to respond to matters relating to human trafficking. The Police Service of Northern Ireland's Organised Crime Branch provides the police operational lead on matters relating to human trafficking.
In Scotland justice matters are devolved to the Scottish Government, who have established a National Human Trafficking Unit to co-ordinate Police Scotland's response to human trafficking. The Unit oversees and drives forward operational activities.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of operation (a) Pentameter 1 and (b) Pentameter 2 in combating human trafficking; and what replacements she has put in place since their termination. [156456]
Mr Harper: The Pentameter operations were police-led enforcement campaigns aimed at combating human trafficking for sexual exploitation. They resulted in a significant number of victims being recovered and traffickers prosecuted. An assessment of the operations produced by the House Library can be found at:
www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn04324.pdf
The lessons learnt from the Pentameter operations have enabled trafficking to be addressed as part of core police business.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers work on human trafficking matters in each police force in the UK. [156457]
Mr Harper: Human trafficking offences are dealt with as part of core police business.
Each police force in England and Wales has an identified single point of contact to better co-ordinate anti-trafficking activity, intelligence and investigations.
Responsibility for justice matters in Northern Ireland is devolved to the Northern Ireland Department of Justice. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has also established a single point of contact on anti-trafficking issues.
Responsibility for justice matters in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Government. Within Police Scotland, local policing divisions have an identified point of contact and deputy to liaise with the National Human Trafficking Unit which co-ordinates and provides consistency in tackling human trafficking.
Chris Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which non-governmental organisations and other organisations have met the inter-ministerial
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agency on human trafficking in each year since the agency's existence. [156460]
Mr Harper: The Government works with national and international partners in the fight against human trafficking. Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are published on the Cabinet Office website on a quarterly basis.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of co-operation between the UK and Ireland on the issue of human trafficking; and if she will make a statement. [156461]
Mr Harper:
The UK and the Republic of Ireland are undertaking a joint programme of work to strengthen the external Common Travel Area (CTA) border by increasing data sharing and looking at closer alignment of visa regimes and electronic border systems. This work, alongside joint UK and Republic of Ireland
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intelligence-led operations, is helping to mitigate the threat from organised immigration crime, including trafficking.
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lichfield of 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 10W, on human trafficking: Lichfield, how many people subjected to human trafficking were found in each county in England and Wales in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013 to date; and if she will make a statement. [R] [156496]
Mr Harper: Data on where potential human trafficking victims are found, or state in which they have been exploited, are not collected routinely by county. The following table provides data on the number of potential victims identified by the region in which they were located and referred into the National Referral Mechanism, between 1 January 2011 and 31 March 2013.
The National Referral Mechanism records live case information. The following data provide a ‘snapshot' in time and are subject to change.
| ACPO region/country of presentation | 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011 | 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012 | 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2013 |
Officials continue to work with the UK Human Trafficking Centre to establish how data can be routinely collected, recorded and broken down by region/county/local authority to better inform anti-trafficking activities.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the co-operation of (a) budget airlines and (b) other airlines in helping to combat human trafficking across (i) the European Union and (ii) the rest of Europe. [156524]
Mr Harper: The Home Office Risk and Liaison Overseas Network (RALON) works closely with all airlines and their handling agents to reduce the threat of passengers boarding UK-bound flights with false documentation. Their co-operation supports compliance with section 40 of the Immigration Act 1999 which relates to carriers' liability. RALON officers provide training to carriers on routes that are commonly used by traffickers to enable them to identify potential traffickers and their victims; no differentiation is made between low-cost airlines or otherwise.
The e-Borders programme is further enabling us to collect and analyse information from carriers about passengers intending to travel to or from the UK. This record of passenger movements informs us in advance who plans to cross our border so that we can check travellers against lists of people known to pose a threat such as traffickers.
Also the Home Office collaborates with SOCA and EU law enforcement partnerships overseas in identifying and combating organised crime groups that attempt to traffic individuals into the UK via EU and EEA borders.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has allocated to support for (a) men and (b) women subject to human trafficking in each of the last 10 years. [156950]
Mr Harper: Funding to support victims of human trafficking is provided jointly by the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. Funding is not disaggregated based on gender.
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The following table provides details of funding broken down by year from the point at which it is possible to do so:
| Support for victims of trafficking(1) (£ million) | |
| (1) Joint funding from Ministry of Justice and Home Office | |
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people trafficked into the UK were identified as such by (a) police forces, (b) social services, (c) immigration officials and (d) other means in each of the last five years. [156952]
Mr Harper: The National Referral Mechanism (NRM), established in 2009 and managed by the UK Human Trafficking Centre, collects data on potential victims of trafficking.
The latest NRM statistics are published on a quarterly basis on the Serious Organised Crime Agency website:
http://www.soca.gov.uk/about-soca/about-the-ukhtc/national-referral-mechanism/statistics
I will place a copy of this report in the Library of the House.
Since July 2011 this has included a breakdown of the organisations making the referral. A breakdown of referring organisations is not available prior to July 2011.
Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the recommendations of the report It Happens Here, published by the Centre for Social Justice in March 2013, if she will take steps to (a) establish an anti-slavery commissioner and (b) bring forward a modern slavery bill. [157267]
Mr Harper: The Government are considering the recommendations in the Centre for Social Justice report and will respond through the next Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group report.
ICT
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen from her Department in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if she will make a statement. [156429]
James Brokenshire: The Secretary of State for the Home Department can confirm that information relating to lost and stolen laptops, mobiles and removable media can be found on the following link to the Home Office webpage on the gov.uk website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lost-stolen-and-recovered-mobiles-laptops-and-removable-media
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We have provided the information in the following table.
Information is recorded and published under calendar year and not financial year. Information on items lost and stolen for 2013 will be published in early 2014.
| Device/Incident table taken from the gov.uk website | |||
| Number | |||
| Device/incident | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
Illegal Immigrants: Employment
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal workers were identified as a result of the Right to Work check education sessions for human resources and recruitment staff in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. [156873]
Mr Harper: Education presentations were conducted throughout the construction of the Olympic Park and Athletes' Village, and later to support companies and organisations with a Games Time role. These organisations included private companies, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and public sector organisations. The presentations were designed to provide an enhanced awareness of employers' responsibilities to prevent illegal working, and of forgery detection. The presentations were attended by HR and recruitment personnel and those engaged in other relevant roles such as accreditation or law enforcement.
These sessions were designed to highlight awareness and increase knowledge of the above areas. However, no central records were kept of the number of illegal workers subsequently identified by the almost 3,000 people who attended these presentations.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of the Right to Work check education sessions for human resources and recruitment staff in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. [156875]
Mr Harper: This information is not kept centrally and to obtain this information would mean looking at individual records, which would incur disproportionate cost.
Immigration
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many slots are available each day at the public enquiry office at Lunar House for indefinite leave to remain applications through UK visas and immigration. [156332]
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Mr Harper [holding answer 20 May 2013]:Appointments at Lunar House public enquiry office are released for booking on a first come, first served basis irrespective of application type. As the booking system makes no distinction between application routes for reporting purposes, this information is not available.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department has had on the likely number of Romanian and Bulgarian nationals who might migrate to the UK over the next three years; and what assessment she has made of the potential effects on her Department. [156768]
Mr Harper: The Home Office regularly monitors and analyses overall migration data to help inform policy decisions. However, we have not prepared forecasts of likely inflows from Romania and Bulgaria once restrictions are lifted. The Government accept the view of the independent Migration Advisory Committee that to produce such estimates “would not be sensible, or helpful to policymakers”.
Rather than produce speculative forecasts, the Government's priority is to cut out abuse of free movement and address pull factors such as access to benefits and public services. The Home Office is working closely with other Government Departments on these issues.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the longest recorded delay in providing an applicant with their travel documents once a decision has been taken on granting their right to indefinite leave to remain has been to date. [156899]
Mr Harper: Persons granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR) are not automatically issued with travel documents when ILR is granted. All travel documents have to be applied for separately using application form TD112 (BRP). Where the applicant is a refugee or stateless person the application will be considered in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 and 1954 UN conventions—respectively refugees and stateless persons. Where the person has humanitarian protection or discretionary leave to remain following refusal of asylum or ILR and has been formally and unreasonably refused a passport by their national authorities, we may issue certificates of travel (COT) in line with the guidance published on our website.
There are 26 cases that have been identified as being outstanding from before 2011. These are broken down by reason:
Security reasons: one
Applicant on remand: one
Applicant wanted by the police: one
Status under review following criminal conviction: eight
Ongoing investigations into possible criminal activity: five
Applicant suspected of being an impostor/ status obtained by deception: seven
Ongoing deportation case: three.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce the time taken to provide applicants with their travel documents once a decision has been taken to grant them indefinite leave to remain. [156901]
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Mr Harper: Persons granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR) are not automatically issued with travel documents when ILR is granted. All travel documents have to be applied for separately using application form TD112 (BRP). It is possible that a person granted ILR may decide to wait years before applying for a travel document.
Where the applicant is a refugee or stateless person the application will be considered in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 and 1954 UN Conventions respectively—refugees and stateless persons. Where the person has humanitarian protection or discretionary leave to remain following refusal of asylum or ILR and has been formally and unreasonably refused a passport by their national authorities, we may issue certificates of travel (COT) in line with the guidance published on our website.
We are aware that there are delays in the processing of travel document applications and are exploring ways of improving the process. We are looking at introducing aspects of I-Apply to screen out non-compliant applications, and outsource document production by sharing IT processes with HM Passport Office. In the interim we are looking to increase staff levels.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons it is not possible to make a simultaneous application to the UK Border Force for indefinite leave to remain and travel documents. [156902]
Mr Harper: Travel documents are issued by the Home Office to facilitate travel by those wishing to travel who are unable to obtain a national passport.
Applications for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) and travel documents are completely separate. A person applying for ILR must show that they qualify under the appropriate immigration rules under which the application is being made, and pay the fee agreed by Parliament and published in the Fees Regulations. Depending on what type of travel document is being sought a travel document applicant will need to show that they qualify under the 1951 UN Convention on the status of Refugees, the 1954 UN Convention on Stateless Persons, or under the published guidance on certificates of travel (COT). Certificates of Travel are issued at the discretion of the Secretary of State.
The fee for documents issued under the 1951 or 1954 Conventions is tied by the Conventions to that for a national passport. The fee for a COT is agreed by Parliament in the Fees Regulations.
Since February 2012 all travel document applicants have been required to have or to simultaneously apply for a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) which confirms their current immigration status. Where the applicant has previously been granted ILR and they do not have a valid BRP they have been able, and in fact are required, to make a simultaneous application for a BRP to confirm that there is no time limit on their stay.
Immigration Controls
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visits UK Border Agency staff made to sponsors in each of the last 24 months. [156558]
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Mr Harper [holding answer 21 May 2013]: The number of visits the former UK Border Agency staff made to sponsors in each of the 24 months between April 2011 and March 2013 is as follows:
| Visits | |
| Notes: 1. All figures quoted 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 relate to visits conducted, so multiple visits may have been made to the same sponsor. | |
Immigration: Children
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have arrived unaccompanied on flights, without family or accommodation in the UK, in 2010, 2011 and 2012, by country of origin. [156375]
Mr Harper: We do not hold data on the number of unaccompanied children arriving on flights in the United Kingdom in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which countries outside the EU the UK has bilateral agreements on returning unaccompanied children. [156376]
Mr Harper: The United Kingdom does not currently have any bilateral agreements specifically relating to returning unaccompanied children to countries outside of the European Union. Unaccompanied children are returned under general returns arrangements, but only where safe and adequate reception arrangements are in place in the country to which the child is to be returned.
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John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied children have arrived on UK flights and been returned to their country of origin in 2010, 2011 and 2012. [156377]
Mr Harper: We do not hold data on the number of unaccompanied children arriving on flights in the United Kingdom in 2010, 2011 and 2012. We do know the number of non-British citizen children who were subject to further examination at airports, however determining how many were unescorted and were subsequently returned to their country of origin could be done only at a disproportionate cost.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied children have applied for temporary leave to remain in the UK in 2010, 2011 and 2012, broken down by country of origin. [156378]
Mr Harper: Information on how many unaccompanied children have applied for temporary leave to remain in the UK is only held at the level of coordinated paper case files or within the notes section of the Home Office Case Information Database (CiD). Such data are not aggregated in national reporting systems, which would mean this question could only be answered through a disproportionately expensive manual case search to collate the data.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 25 March 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Rachel Broady. [157252]
Mr Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 22 May 2013.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration dated 15 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M Rashid. [157253]
Mr Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 22 May 2013.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 15 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M Zaheer. [157254]
Mr Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 22 May 2013.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration dated 15 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms B Kavr. [157255]
Mr Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 23 May 2013.
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Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration dated 15 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M Rizwan. [157256]
Mr Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 23 May 2013.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 15 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr N Akbar. [157257]
Mr Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 29 May 2013 about this case.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 16 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss S. Akter. [157258]
Mr Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 23 May 2013.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 16 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs Pearl Woolley. [157259]
Mr Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 22 May 2013.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration dated 16 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Shahzad Nadeem. [157260]
Mr Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 23 May 2013.
Passports
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the population (a) in total and (b) who are (i) English, (ii) Welsh, (iii) Scottish and (iv) Northern Irish own a passport; and what assessment she has made of the reasons for differences in the ownership of passports between the constituent parts of the UK. [154795]
Mr Harper:
The issuing of passports is a matter for Her Majesty's Passport Office on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Home Department. The location of a person's birth within the United Kingdom is not relevant to the passport application. The issuing of a British passport relies on the person's ability to show their entitlement to British citizenship and to confirm their identity. Her Majesty's Passport Office does not routinely hold data on the address of the applicant at the time of their application as an address does not reflect the country of birth or nationality. However, data acquired for 2011-12 show that the proportion of the UK population
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who own a UK passport is estimated at 80%. The proportion of the population who made an application from an address in (i) England was 84.93%; (ii) Wales was 4.56%; (iii) Scotland was 8.44%; and Northern Ireland was 2.06%. This analysis is caveated as being a very high-level assessment.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will place in the Library a copy of the outcome and recommendations of the review undertaken by the Identity and Passport Service into the use of gender markings in the British passport; [157340]
(2) which external stakeholders have been consulted by the Identity and Passport Service into the use of gender markings in the British passport. [157342]
Mr Harper: The then Identity and Passport Service (now Her Majesty’s Passport Office) undertook an internal review into the use of gender markings in the British passport. The review primarily consisted of consideration of existing available material, together with liaison with a number of domestic and international stakeholders. As the nature of the contact with those stakeholders did not indicate any intention to publish their views, I will seek agreement from those stakeholders for their views to be published and, upon receipt of this consent, will place a copy of the full review in the Library of the House.
I have, however, today placed a copy of the letter sent to the right hon. Member on 9 April 2013 that sets out the findings of the review and the agreed course of action to retain the existing use of ‘M’ and ‘F’ markings only in the passport. This letter has been redacted to remove personal information.
Passports: Fees and Charges
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the statement issued by the Minister for Immigration on 13 May 2013, on the Identity and Passport Service, what plans she has to reduce the price of passports to UK citizens in light of the removal of any function relating to a viable identity register; and if she will make a statement. [156704]
Mr Harper: The passport fee did not fund the national identity scheme, so the scrapping of this scheme and the previous Administration's plans for compulsory ID cards had no impact on the cost of issuing a passport.
Indeed, the cost of a standard passport was reduced by £5 in September 2012 following a restructuring programme within the Identity and Passport Service (now Her Majesty's Passport Office), which delivered savings to the taxpayer of £40 million in the previous financial year. This is in stark contrast to the record of the last Government, under whom the cost of a standard passport rose nearly fourfold (from £21 in March 1998 to £77.50 in September 2009).
Passports: Hong Kong
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many Hong Kong Chinese servicemen have been refused UK passports since 1997; [157049]
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(2) how many Hong Kong Chinese servicemen have applied for UK passports since 1997; [157052]
(3) what guidance her Department has given on the (a) issuing and (b) reasons for refusal of UK passports to Hong Kong Chinese (i) naval and (ii) army personnel since the handover of the former Hong Kong Territory in 1997; [157078]
(4) for what reasons only 500 soldiers of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps have been issued with a UK passport to date; and if she will issue every serving and retired soldier of that Corps with a UK passport. [157079]
Mr Harper: Her Majesty's Passport Office does not hold records in the format requested. The issuing of a British passport requires the applicant to satisfy HM Passport Office of their identity and their entitlement to British nationality.
Under the British Nationality Selection Scheme introduced in 1990, Hong Kong Military Service Corps (HKMSC) personnel settled in Hong Kong could apply to register as a British citizen. The scheme ended on 31 December 1996. The decision to make an application under the scheme was a matter for the individual and therefore the number of successful applications under the scheme was based on the applications received. There are no plans to introduce new or additional measures to allow former HKMSC personnel to acquire citizenship.
It is open to persons to register as a British citizen under nationality legislation. Detailed information and advice can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-british-citizen
Passports: Lost Property
Mr Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints there have been to her Department that passports and official documents have been lost while in the care of a Government Department in each of the last five years. [154261]
Mr Harper: There is no centrally-held data about the number of complaints received about passports and official documents lost while in the care of a Government Department. However, I am able to provide information obtained from Her Majesty's Passport Office and the former UKBA respectively.
The information in the table is taken from the Passport Application Complaints System (PACS) and relates to the number of complaints received by Her Majesty's Passport Office about the UK Passport services we provide.
Specifically, the table shows the number of complaints received from customers who claim their supporting documents have been lost by Her Majesty's Passport Office during the years 2008-09 to 2012-13.
The term ‘supporting documents' may relate to Birth and Marriage Certificates, UK and Foreign Passports or any other documentation submitted in support of an application, for nationality or identity purposes.
The organisation formerly known as UKBA has recorded 1,218 complaints relating to lost passports and official documents on its complaints management system (CMS)
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since 1 January 2011. 564 in 2011, 468 in 2012 and 186 in 2013 to date. We do not hold data prior to this. These data exclude complaints made by detainees in immigration detention and those made overseas where data are not readily available
| Total complaints received | |
| Number | |
Pay
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the salary bands of any staff who (a) are employed in and (b) otherwise contribute to the work of the Relationships and Communications Team of the Communications Capabilities Development Programme; what the total salary cost of all staff employed in this team is; and how many people the team employs. [154876]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 14 May 2013]: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, column 1349W.
Police and Crime Commissioners
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on youth police and crime commissioners; and what steps her Department is taking to encourage police and crime commissioners to engage more effectively with young people. [156860]
Damian Green: It is for the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to make decisions about appointing staff, including youth police and crime commissioners, and ensure that any appointees carry out their duties effectively. PCCs are responsible for deciding their local policing priorities, including the engagement of young people. They also have a duty under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 to consult their local community. It is ultimately for their local electorate to hold them to account at the ballot box.
Police ICT Company
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to make the Police ICT company subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [157422]
Damian Green: The Police ICT company as it is currently constructed is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
The Act applies to “public authorities”, which includes “publicly-owned companies” as defined in section 6. The Police ICT company does not fall within the relevant definition because it is not wholly owned either by the Crown, or any other body which is subject to the Act.
Public Appointments
Keith Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who the members of the (a) Advisory
3 Jun 2013 : Column 915W
Council on the Misuse of Drugs,
(b)
Animal Procedures Committee,
(c)
Independent Police Complaints Commission,
(d)
Independent Safeguarding Authority,
(e)
Investigatory Powers Tribunal,
(f)
National DNA Database Ethics Group,
(g)
National Policing Improvement Agency and
(h)
Office of Surveillance Commissioners were on 1 January 2013; and what the (i) ethnicity, (ii) term of office and (iii) remuneration is of each such member. [156252]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 20 May 2013]: Members of these bodies, along with information about their remuneration and term of office, are set out in a table placed in the House Library. The Commissioner for Public Appointments collates and publishes information on the number of appointments of candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds; however this information is not broken down by public body or ethnicity. The Commissioner's annual reports are at:
http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk
copies of which are also available in the Library of the House.
Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships
Mrs Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the policy of the General Register Office is on the copying of certificates of birth, marriage, civil partnership or death; [156833]
(2) what contact the Identity and Passport Office has had with Post Office Ltd concerning the Document Certification Service; and if she will publish any such correspondence. [156837]
Mr Harper: The policy of the General Register Office is that when evidence is required of a birth, marriage, civil partnership or death, an official certified copy—issued either by the General Register Office or by the local register office for the district where the event took place—should be used.
Her Majesty’s Passport Office, formerly the Identity and Passport Service, has only received representations from the Notaries Society concerning Post Office Ltd’s Document Certification Service in the last three years.
There have been a number of business liaison meetings between Her Majesty’s Passport Office and Post Office Ltd, where the Document Certification Service has been one of the topics discussed. There has been no specific written correspondence relating to this topic.
Regulation
Priti Patel:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the title was of each set of regulations introduced by her Department in each
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month since May 2010; and which of those regulations have been
(a)
subject to the (i) one-in, one-out and (ii) one-in, two-out procedure and
(b)
(i) revoked and (ii) amended. [155820]
James Brokenshire: The one-in, one-out rule was introduced on 1 September 2010 and applied to regulations introduced from 1 January 2011. The one-in, two-out rule replaced the one-in, one-out rule and has applied to regulations introduced since 1 January 2013. This answer therefore covers the period from 1 January 2011 to date.
The following table sets out the regulations introduced by the Department, with the date of introduction. All of these regulations are subject to the one-in, one-out procedure. None has been revoked or amended. No regulations have been made that are subject to the one-in, two-out procedure.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will provide the estimated cost of each regulation introduced by her Department since May 2010; and what the estimated benefits of each regulation (a) amended and (b) revoked were. [155964]
James Brokenshire: Full impact assessments of all new regulations impacting business can be found on the Home Office website. The following table summarises the regulations introduced since January 2011.
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Security Industry Authority
Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has any plans to review the functionality and effectiveness of the Security Industry Authority. [156282]
James Brokenshire: The Security Industry Authority (SIA) was included within the scope of the Public Bodies Review in 2010 which concluded that the SIA should be replaced by a successor body outside of the public sector as part of wider reforms to the regulatory regime for the private security industry. The Home Office launched a public consultation on the detail of these reforms in November 2012, and we are currently analysing the responses received.
Sign Language
Sir Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment she has made of the equality of access available for deaf people whose first language is British Sign Language in communicating with (a) the police, (b) passport officials and (c) the agencies and public bodies which support her Department; and if she will make a statement; [157385]
(2) what measures her Department has in place to ensure that deaf people have the opportunity to communicate in British Sign Language with (a) the police, (b) passport offices and (c) the agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible. [157582]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office, police and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) under the Equality Act 2010. For the Home Office and Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) we have achieved the “Louder than Words” accreditation which required the training of staff to communicate with customers and to provide communication support whenever requested which would include British Sign Language interpreters.
UK Border Agency
Dr Huppert:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 25
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April 2013,
Official Report,
columns 1365-6W, on UK Border Agency, on which dates the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration was formally
(a)
consulted about and
(b)
given final confirmation of the abolition of the UK Border Agency and the return of its functions to her Department. [154877]
Mr Harper [holding answer 14 May 2013]: I refer the hon. Member to my response of 25 April 2013, Official Report, column 1365W. It is not the practice of this Government to provide any further detail, as was the case with previous Administrations.
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency staff in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) the UK were (i) on zero hour contracts and (ii) temporary staff in each of the last three years. [156164]
Mr Harper: The UK Border Agency has not employed any staff on zero hour contracts in each of the last three years.
The number of temporary staff employed by the UK Border Agency changes throughout the year to flexibly respond to demand. The number of temporary staff employed for each year is shown as an average in the following table:
| Temporary staff(1) | |||
| Area | Average 10-11(2) | Average 11-12 | Average 12-13 |
| ‘*’ = 3 or less. We do not release workforce numbers of between 1 and 3 to avoid identifying individuals. Totals for this range are shown as 3. (1) Temporary staff is defined as Agency workers and Contractors. Fixed term appointments on permanent terms and conditions are counted as permanent staff. (2) For each of the three years the figures exclude Border Force. This is consistent with the structure of the UK Border Agency at 31 March 2013. | |||
UK Human Trafficking Centre
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has given to the UK Human Trafficking Centre in each year since its inception; and what funding is proposed for the centre in each of the next three years. [156954]
Mr Harper: The UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) began operations in 2006, based in South Yorkshire police. South Yorkshire police received specific funding to support its operation as a specialist national unit as set out in the following table:
| Period | £ |
| (1) The budget in 2008-09 included a contribution to allow for a one-off purchase of a necessary IT system. | |
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In April 2010 the UKHTC transferred into the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). Since this date it has been funded from SOCA's general budget.
From October 2013 the UKHTC will form part of, and be funded through, the National Crime Agency general budget.
Vetting
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether police information notices are included in disclosure and barring checks; and if she will make a statement. [156238]
Damian Green: Police information notices (PINs), issued where there have been allegations of harassment, are not automatically disclosed as part of an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) certificate. However, chief officers are required to disclose additional information which they reasonably believe to be relevant, and PINs can be included in this additional information.
Violence against Women and Girls Ministerial Group
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 154W, on the Violence Against Women and Girls Ministerial Group, what the (a) Department and (b) ministerial level or Civil Service grade was of each attendee at the last five meetings of the Violence against Women and Girls Inter-Ministerial Group. [156978]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Since 2010 the Violence against Women and Girls Inter-Ministerial Group consists of the following Departments. For each Department the ministerial level and civil service grade (where deputy director or above) of those attending is given in the following table.
| Table: 156978 | ||
| Department | Minister | Civil service grade |
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