Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2014 to Question 213850, what estimate she has made of the total number of vehicles entering the UK which were not subject to screening by either body scanning machines or dogs in the last 12 months.
Answered by James Brokenshire
We have made no such estimate as the use of screening is conducted on an intelligence led basis as part of Border Force's multi-layered approach.
The screening of vehicles by Border Force is undertaken through a range of methods. These include Passive Millimetric Wave Imagers, carbon dioxide probes, body detection dogs and heart beat detectors. Border Force has investment in
detection technology over the last 18 months, includes a £2 million scanner upgrade, a further £400,000 committed to infra red camera technology, and a £1.3 million investment in specialist dog search teams, at the juxtaposed
controls.
The selection of vehicles for screening is made on an intelligence led basis. Border Force staff, their contractors and detection technology are deployed to meet the risk.
In 2013/14 Border Force and its contractors detected 18,000 clandestine attempts to enter the UK illegally at our juxtaposed controls. This represents an increase of over 60% from 2012/13.
The UK and French Governments have signed a joint declaration agreeing to work together to improve the quality of border controls.
Border Force deploys 7,500 specialist staff, five cutters at sea and spends £518 million a year protecting our borders.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question
To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to his speech on immigration on 28 November 2014, what the (a) funding and (b) scope will be of the new fund to help meet additional demands on local services in areas that are heavily reliant on migrant labour.
Answered by Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton
As I explained during my speech, details of a fund to help communities and to be taken forward in the next Parliament will be set out before the General Election.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department has supplied to the British embassy in Moscow to enable people involved in the (a) arrest, torture and death of Sergei Magnitsky and (b) fraud he uncovered to be identified when visa applications are assessed.
Answered by David Lidington
The Home Office works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and other government departments to identify individuals whose presence in the UK would not be conducive to the public good, including on the basis of human rights abuses. Details of individuals who are banned from entering the UK are included on the UK watch list which means that Entry Clearance Officers and Border Force officials are able to refuse visas or deny entry. It is Government policy not to discuss specific information held on watch lists as to do so would not be in the interests of border and national security.
The FCO cooperates with the Home Office on the availability of independent, reliable and credible evidence that an individual has committed human rights abuses. Where our Posts abroad have identified individuals that should be refused entry to the UK on the basis of human rights abuses they will refer such cases to the Home Office for consideration.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department takes account of the US travel ban list in determining whether to grant visa applications.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Visa applications are checked against a number of different databases. Any information that is provided from these checks is taken into consideration when considering the visa application. It is long-standing policy not to discuss
specific information used to consider visa applications that is not already in the public domain, as to do so would not be in the interests of border and national security.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many members of staff at HM Revenue and Customs are responsbile for determining whether UK company formation agents are fit and proper persons.
Answered by Priti Patel
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for supervising the activities of some 2,600 businesses in the trust and company service providers sector under the Money Laundering Regulations, some of which undertake company formation activity on behalf of clients. Company formation is also carried out directly by Companies House, as well as by others such as lawyers and accountants that are not supervised by HMRC for the purposes of the Money Laundering Regulations.
The staff employed in supervisory, intelligence and prosecutory functions are contained within a variety of lines of business in HMRC. As such the number of staff and budget dedicated specifically to company formation agents is variable and cannot be identified.
There is a range of scenarios in which HMRC actions might result in a company formation agency stopping such activity, hence the information requested is not readily available.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Ethiopian nationals are on the UK travel ban list.
Answered by James Brokenshire
There are no Ethiopian nationals on the UN and EU travel bans that are implemented by the UK.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Malawi nationals are on the UK travel ban list.
Answered by James Brokenshire
There are no Malawi nationals on the UN and EU travel bans that are implemented by the UK.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many company formation agencies have been shut down by HM Revenue and Customs for involvement in money laundering in the last (a) 12 months, (b) five years and (c) 10 years.
Answered by Priti Patel
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for supervising the activities of some 2,600 businesses in the trust and company service providers sector under the Money Laundering Regulations, some of which undertake company formation activity on behalf of clients. Company formation is also carried out directly by Companies House, as well as by others such as lawyers and accountants that are not supervised by HMRC for the purposes of the Money Laundering Regulations.
The staff employed in supervisory, intelligence and prosecutory functions are contained within a variety of lines of business in HMRC. As such the number of staff and budget dedicated specifically to company formation agents is variable and cannot be identified.
There is a range of scenarios in which HMRC actions might result in a company formation agency stopping such activity, hence the information requested is not readily available.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what budget has been allocated for staff of HM Revenue and Customs dealing with the regulation of company formation agents.
Answered by Priti Patel
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for supervising the activities of some 2,600 businesses in the trust and company service providers sector under the Money Laundering Regulations, some of which undertake company formation activity on behalf of clients. Company formation is also carried out directly by Companies House, as well as by others such as lawyers and accountants that are not supervised by HMRC for the purposes of the Money Laundering Regulations.
The staff employed in supervisory, intelligence and prosecutory functions are contained within a variety of lines of business in HMRC. As such the number of staff and budget dedicated specifically to company formation agents is variable and cannot be identified.
There is a range of scenarios in which HMRC actions might result in a company formation agency stopping such activity, hence the information requested is not readily available.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many members of staff at HM Revenue and Customs are involved in regulating and analysing company formation agencies in the UK.
Answered by Priti Patel
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for supervising the activities of some 2,600 businesses in the trust and company service providers sector under the Money Laundering Regulations, some of which undertake company formation activity on behalf of clients. Company formation is also carried out directly by Companies House, as well as by others such as lawyers and accountants that are not supervised by HMRC for the purposes of the Money Laundering Regulations.
The staff employed in supervisory, intelligence and prosecutory functions are contained within a variety of lines of business in HMRC. As such the number of staff and budget dedicated specifically to company formation agents is variable and cannot be identified.
There is a range of scenarios in which HMRC actions might result in a company formation agency stopping such activity, hence the information requested is not readily available.