The information is not available in the format requested.
There are currently 427 (2.4 per cent.) posts in the Immigration and Nationality Department that are vacant, according to the figures reported on the computerised resource reporting system called Adelphi.
An internal disciplinary investigation has taken place, as a result of which a member of IND staff has been dismissed. A criminal investigation continues.
I am advised that an action plan was initiated immediately upon the publication of Mr. Gbedemah's report. The action plan is an internal working document and as such it would not be appropriate to place it in the public domain.
I am advised that 13 separate disciplinary investigations were commissioned following Mr. Gbedemah’s report. Disciplinary action has been completed in respect of seven members of staff and is ongoing in respect of the remaining six.
This information could be obtained only by individually searching IND databases for the outcome of each referral received, which would have significant resource implications.
The fees for leave to remain are set to recover the full costs of the leave to remain service. These include not only the recovery of past deficits but also the direct and indirect costs associated with processing the application, including overheads and appeal costs. Our fees are set at a level appropriate for the costs of managing the service in an area of fluctuating volumes and we will continue to review this in the future.
Deficits identified by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate are being recovered through the fee for leave to remain in 2005-06. The accounts for the financial year 2005-06 are still being finalised and are yet to be audited by the National Audit Office. Until these accounts have been finalised I am unable to state whether the deficits referred to have been recovered.
The published resource accounts for the fiscal year 2003-04 show that full costs of service provision for leave to remain applications totalled £44.985 million.
The published resource accounts for the fiscal year 2004-05 show that full costs of service provision for leave to remain applications totalled £74.588 million.
The resource accounts for the financial year 2005-06 are still being finalised and are yet to be audited by the National Audit Office.
The resource accounts for the fiscal year 2003-04 show that £44.157 million were received as income from leave to remain charges.
The resource accounts for the fiscal year 2004-05 show income of £60.927 million in respect of fee income from leave to remain charges.
The resource accounts for the financial year 2005-06 are still being finalised and are yet to be audited by the National Audit Office.
Detailed information in the format requested is not available centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In 2005-06 a total of £20.1 million (subject to audit) was spent by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate on all external professional services, including consultancy support for projects.
I am advised that IND's expenditure on all external professional services comprising payments made to management, IT and accommodation consultants in the last three years was as follows:
Payments to external consultants 2005-061 20.1 2004-05 17.7 2003-04 32.7 1 Provisional figures, subject to audit.
Figures for earlier years are not available on a comparable basis.
One of the recommendations in Tim Gbedemah's report on the investigation into the Public Enquiry Office (PEO) in Croydon was that the IND should consider giving its Security and Anti- Corruption Unit (SACU) sole responsibility for investigating allegations of corruption across the whole of IND and tasking the unit with developing a more proactive strategy for combating fraud and corruption. Ministers accepted all of the recommendations in the report.
IND's Security and Anti-Corruption Unit was given sole responsibility for investigating allegations of corruption made against all IND staff on 1 April 2006.
I am advised that IND records show the number of people employed by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in senior, middle and junior management grades are shown in the following table:
FTE Headcount Junior Manager Immigration Officer 3,439 3,562 Executive Officer 2,683 2,831 Higher Executive Officer 1,542 1,606 Chief Immigration Officer 813 847 Total 8,477 8,846 Middle Manager Senior Executive Officer 616 641 Grade 7 374 387 Grade 6 98 99 Immigration Inspector 212 Total 1,300 1,347 Senior Manager Senior Civil Servant 45 45 Total 45 45
The information requested is presented in the following table. The collection of diversity data is intended to enable IND to monitor the effectiveness of its HR policies and processes. The provision of such data by employees is voluntary and information is held currently for just under 60 per cent. of our staff. Specific activities are under way to increase this figure to help ensure robust monitoring.
Number Percentage SCS 0 0 G6/G7 27 8.08 SEO 69 15.40 HEO 234 22.12 EO 624 33.58 HMI 16 10.74 CIO 68 12.78 IO 453 23.72 AO 717 36.60 AIO 147 41.18 AA 278 39.15 Other 96 33.90
Total ethnic minority staff employed in IND—number and percentage Total number of ethnic minority staff 2,729 Total as percentage of IND staff 28.25 Notes: 1. The figures are based on a 59.79 per cent. data set. We are taking active steps to improve these data; one Directorate specific manual exercise has been undertaken recently, these data returns will be reflected in the June 2006 figures and a small self-service electronic pilot exercise will be completed by September 2006 for inclusion in that quarter's figures. 2. The category “other” includes research officers and librarians.
The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.