Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken to encourage awareness of cyber-crime in small and medium-sized enterprises.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The Government is committed to helping businesses protect themselves against cyber-crime.
Cyber Streetwise is the Government’s national campaign to increase online security by encouraging SMEs and members of the public to take simple actions to protect themselves and their information online as they would do in ‘real life’. Cyber Streetwise first launched in January 2014 and is funded by the Government’s National Cyber Security Programme. Following its initial success, Phase 2 of the campaign launched last month with a newly designed website, and further content for SMEs.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has delivered a range of products, including publishing a range of good practice cyber security guidance aimed at businesses of all sizes, and launched the industry approved "Cyber Essentials" scheme which enables businesses to implement a good basic level of cyber security.
In addition, the Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership (CISP) is part of CERT-UK (Computer Emergency Response Team), the UK's national Computer Emergency Response Team, and provides a secure platform for businesses to share information and intelligence on cyber security threats.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what effect project Disputed has had on the (a) Shylock malware variant and (b) theft of online banking credentials.
Answered by Karen Bradley
NCA Project DISPUTED is led by its National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU). As a direct result of the NCA’s coordinated international day of action, involving law enforcement and industry partners, the infrastructure for the Shylock malware variant has been almost totally dismantled. The theft of online banking credentials as a result of Shylock has significantly reduced. Based on industry figures, it is estimated that funds in excess of £100 million were safeguarded against theft as a result of Project DISPUTED.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, where National Crime Agency international liaison officers have been deployed.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The National Crime Agency (NCA ) has a network of around 140 International Liaison Officers (ILOs) which covers over 100 countries. For operational security reasons, the NCA does not disclose those countries in which NCALiaison Officers are based, or indeed those where they are not.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she was made aware of concerns relating to ETS tests broadcast by the BBC Panorama programme in February 2014.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The BBC wrote to the Home Secretary regarding abuse uncovered during their investigation into the student visa system before the broadcast of Panorama on 10 February 2014.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria were applied in the decision to grant a renewal of highly trusted status immigration licence to Glyndwr University in March 2014.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Glyndwr University’s four year sponsor licence was renewed in February 2013 and their annual Highly Trusted Sponsor (HTS) status was renewed in November 2013.
All sponsors applying for HTS status have to meet a number of mandatory, objective requirements. At the point Glyndwr University applied to renew their status this included: having a refusal rate of less than 20 %; an enrolment rate of at least 90 % and a course completion rate of at least 85%.
The full criteria for renewing Highly Trusted Sponsor (HTS) status are set out in published guidance at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/340240/Document1_Applying_or_renewing_T4_Licence_and_HTS_01-08-14__final_.pdf
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional information she received between March 2014 and 24 June 2014 which led to her suspending the highly trusted status immigration licence owned by the Glyndwr University on the latter date.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Between March and June 2014 the Home Office identified a number of issues which led to the suspension of Glyndwr University’s sponsor licence on 24 June.
Information was provided from ETS that a significant number of students sponsored by the University had English language test certificates that were invalid due to cheating. A subsequent audit of the University identified a number of further concerns. The University was suspended as a temporary measure to allow the Home Office to conduct further investigations into its ability to fulfil its sponsorship duties .
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations about ETS tests her Department made to Glyndwr University from February to March 2014.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Home Office did not make any representations about ETS tests to Glyndwr University between February and March 2014 but we expect all educational establishments and providers to comply with their responsibilities and commitments as licensed sponsors and take action where we believe they are not doing so.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria are used to decide in which countries to have UK consular and visa offices.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Decisions regarding the location of our visa application centres, and the
places in which the applications are decided, are based on a number of
different factors, including geography, security issues, distribution of
demand, political and economic impacts, as well as the financial cost. The
Home Office uses commercial partners to help run its network of visa
application centres, which are the customer-facing end of the service. Under
new contracts which came into effect on 1 April, we will have 340 visa
application points in 142 countries around the world. Applications submitted at visa
application centres are then sent to one of our 32 decision-making hubs for
consideration.
On the Consular side, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) supports
British nationals through the Diplomatic network of 220 Posts around the world, in 170
countries. They also have a network of 230 Honorary Consuls who provide
support in places where the UK is not otherwise represented. Having consular
partners present in countries where the UK is not represented ensures British
nationals have immediate access to assistance. There are only three countries
in the world where there is no in country consular representation by the UK or
any of our main consular partners (EU, Australia, Canada, US or New Zealand).
These are Palau, Sao Tome & Principe and Tuvalu. In these cases, UK Travel
Advice instructs British nationals to seek assistance when needed through the
nearest country with British diplomatic representation: Philippines, Angola and
Fiji respectively. The FCO currently advise against all travel to Syria and
warn British nationals who travel there that the FCO will not be able to
provide them with any assistance. The FCO also advise against all but
essential travel to Iran and advise British nationals to seek assistance from
any EU Member State present in the country.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from Lesotho applied for UK visas in each of the last 12 years.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The available information is given in the table below:
| Entry clearance visa applications: Lesotho nationals | |||||||
| 2005 | 144 | ||||||
| 2006 | 178 | ||||||
| 2007 | 90 | ||||||
| 2008 | 79 | ||||||
| 2009 | 268 | ||||||
| 2010 | 360 | ||||||
| 2011 | 331 | ||||||
| 2012 | 246 | ||||||
| 2013 | 279 | ||||||
| Source: table be_03, Before Entry Volume 2 tables, Immigration Statistics October-December 2013 | |||||||
The latest Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visa
applications (by nationality) are published in the quarterly Immigration
Statistics release, which is available from the Library of the House and on the
Department's website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-relea
se