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185W
Written Answers
26 OCTOBER 2009
Written Answers
186W
Mr. Woolas: Border force officers have no power to
detain a British citizen, solely on the basis of age.
British citizens are not subject to immigration control
and so, do not require permission to enter or remain in
the United Kingdom.
In cases involving minors and young people, the UK
Border Agency is committed to ensuring their safety
and welfare. Border force officers examine all such
arriving passengers and will only allow them entry to
the UK once they are satisfied that suitable arrangements
are in place for their care.
Independent Safeguarding Authority: Finance
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the
Home Department how much his Department has
allocated to the Independent Safeguarding Authority
(ISA) to cover the operational costs of the ISA’s first
year; and if he will make a statement. [294074]
Meg Hillier: The ISA commenced operations in March
2008. The ISA budget for 2008-09 was £8.201 million.
Due to the phased implementation of the Vetting and
Barring Scheme, the full registration requirements of
the scheme will not come into force until July 2010, at
which point the ISA will be fully operational.
National Identity Register
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the
Home Department how many applications his
Department has received for membership of the
National Identity Service Expert Groups. [294422]
Alan Johnson: The Identity and Passport Service is
setting up an experts group to provide independent
views that will help to shape policy and the delivery of
the National Identity Service through challenge and
review, and to support the public panel. Individual
applications were invited and learned and professional
bodies have been asked to suggest candidates. The
appointment process has not yet concluded.
National Identity Service Public Panels
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the
Home Department (1) what estimate he has made of
the cost of (a) establishing and (b) running the
National Identity Service Public Panels; [294421]
(2) how much was spent on (a) job advertisements
and (b) publicity for the recruitment campaign to the
national identity service public panels; [294480]
(3) how many applications for membership of the
national identity service public panels have been
received; [294481]
(4) what procedures will be used to select members of
the national identity service public panels. [294482]
Alan Johnson [holding answer 20 October 2009]: We
are introducing a public panel, made up of people from
different regions, to ensure that the views of the public
are properly reflected in the way the National Identity
Service (NIS) is introduced, and to help us develop an
identity rights charter.
Members are unpaid volunteers, who may be reimbursed
for reasonable out of pocket expenses.
The public panel will meet in six groups across the
UK. The first two groups for the north and south of
England have just been set up, following a campaign
seeking people to join the panel.
For these two groups we received 113 applications.
Applicants were asked their background: 12 categories
were used such as employed, unemployed, in training,
education, carer, and applicants were also asked about
their knowledge or views of the NIS (making clear no
view or knowledge was necessary for the role). The
background categories were then used to randomly
select members to proceed to an informal discussion
with Identity and Passport Service (IPS) officials. Candidates
for Chair had a short interview with an IPS official and
an independent assessor.
Information for applicants was approved by Plain
English and is available in Braille, large print format,
Easyread format, and audio. This information will be
used for all six groups and cost £6,600. Advertisement
costs in local and regional newspapers for the north and
south groups cost £8,800.
The estimated cost of information and publicity to
set up all six regional groups is £60,000. Administrative
support for the panel will be provided by IPS; the
estimated cost of running the public panel in the current
financial year is £16,000, which allows for reimbursement
of expenses to panel members.
Official Residences
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State
for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to
the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of
3 June 2009, Official Report, column 561W, on official
residences, what the present proposed sale price of the
former Ministerial residence in South Eaton Place is;
and whether there have been any changes to the
proposed sale price since the property was first placed
on the market. [294774]
Mr. Woolas: The guide price for this property is
currently £4 million and has not changed.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State
for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to
the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of
3 June 2009, Official Report, column 561W, on official
residences, whether the advice of the selling agent on
the preparation of a home condition report for the
property in South Eaton Place was obtained in writing.
[294775]
Mr. Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I
gave on 23 February 2009, Official Report, column 160W.
A copy of the disposal report for the property has
previously been placed in the Library.
Opium
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the
Home Department how many sites are authorised to
grow poppies for the production of opium in (a)
England and (b) the non-metropolitan county of
Hampshire; and what the total area of such sites is in
each case. [287766]