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171W<br />
Written Answers<br />
26 OCTOBER 2009<br />
Written Answers<br />
172W<br />
National Prison Intelligence Unit<br />
14. Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for<br />
the Home Department what recent assessment he has<br />
made of the contribution of police forces to the work<br />
of the National Prison Intelligence Unit; and if he will<br />
make a statement. [295139]<br />
Mr. Hanson: The National Prison Intelligence Unit<br />
(NPIU) was established in July 2007 to work with<br />
prison establishments to assess and counter the spread<br />
of violent extremism in prisons.<br />
The effectiveness of measures to manage the risks of<br />
violent extremism in prisons are assessed on a regular<br />
basis.<br />
Asylum Applications<br />
16. Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State<br />
for the Home Department what recent estimate he has<br />
made of the average time taken to process an<br />
application for asylum. [295141]<br />
Mr. Woolas: In December we met our targets to<br />
conclude 60 per cent. of new cases within six months.<br />
That means not only that decisions were taken early but<br />
that in a significant proportion of refusals, removal<br />
from the UK was affected within six months of application.<br />
In 1997 it took on average 22 months merely to reach<br />
an initial decision. We can only speculate how much<br />
longer than that it was taking to remove those who were<br />
refused at that time.<br />
23. Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for<br />
the Home Department what his most recent estimate is<br />
of the average time taken to process an application for<br />
asylum. [295148]<br />
Mr. Woolas: In December we met our targets to<br />
conclude 60 per cent. of new cases within six months.<br />
That means not only that decisions were taken early but<br />
that in a significant proportion of refusals, removal<br />
from the UK was affected within six months of application.<br />
In 1997 it took on average 22 months merely to reach<br />
an initial decision. We can only speculate how much<br />
longer than that it was taking to remove those who were<br />
refused at that time.<br />
Immigration Policy<br />
17. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for<br />
the Home Department what account he takes of<br />
potential demographic changes in the UK in<br />
formulating his policy on immigration. [295142]<br />
Mr. Woolas: The Government have mechanisms in<br />
place which are controlling the number of people coming<br />
to the UK to work and study through the points based<br />
system.<br />
We are also consulting on a new points test for<br />
citizenship which will break the link between coming to<br />
the UK to work or study on a temporary basis and<br />
permanent settlement.<br />
The figures published by the Office of National Statistics<br />
last week are projections and as they themselves say<br />
they do not take into account the reforms the Government<br />
have made to the immigration system. As the ONS<br />
points out, they are projections, based on previous<br />
years’ trends, not forecasts.<br />
Sharia Councils<br />
21. Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for<br />
the Home Department if he will discuss with the<br />
Secretary of State for Communities and Local<br />
Government the effect of the operation of Sharia<br />
councils on the policing of community relations.<br />
[295146]<br />
Mr. Hanson: Sharia law is not part of the law of the<br />
<strong>United</strong> <strong>Kingdom</strong> and the Government have no intention<br />
of making any change to that position. The police<br />
service engages with all members of the community,<br />
inclusive of all backgrounds, and works in partnership<br />
with other community safety agencies to address the<br />
policing priorities for local areas.<br />
Migrants<br />
22. Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for<br />
the Home Department how many migrants were given<br />
permission to remain in the UK in (a) 1996 and (b)<br />
the last year for which figures are available. [295147]<br />
Mr. Woolas: The number of persons granted indefinite<br />
leave to remain in the <strong>United</strong> <strong>Kingdom</strong> was:<br />
(a) 61,730 in 1996; and<br />
(b) 148,740 in 2008.<br />
Human Trafficking<br />
24. Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State<br />
for the Home Department what steps his Department<br />
is taking to tackle human trafficking. [295149]<br />
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Government have a detailed<br />
Action Plan to tackle human trafficking, based on:<br />
prevention, enforcement prosecution and investigation,<br />
protection and support of adult victims and child<br />
trafficking.<br />
We published the most recent update to the plan on<br />
19 October.<br />
Analgesics: Licensing<br />
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the<br />
Home Department how many licences have been issued<br />
for the manufacture of analgesics from poppies in the<br />
UK in the last three years. [287383]<br />
Mr. Alan Campbell: One company in the UK is<br />
licensed, on an annual basis, to manufacture drugs,<br />
used in the production of analgesics, from poppies.<br />
Animal Experiments<br />
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home<br />
Department how many licensed procedures were<br />
carried out on live animals for the purposes of testing<br />
household products in each year since 2002-03. [295462]<br />
Meg Hillier: The number of scientific procedures<br />
started on living animals in Great Britain in 2002, 2003,
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