HC Deb 20 April 1999 vol 329 cc485-6W
Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the scanning of existing files in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate onto computer is scheduled(a) to commence and (b) to be completed. [80771]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

There has never been any intention of scanning onto computer all 4.5 million of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's existing registered paper files.

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will return to the level of casework it was achieving prior to the implementation of new work arrangements and its relocation to new offices. [80769]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

There are positive signs of improvement in many of the business areas of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. But before accurate projections can be made of output of casework in a team-based environment, the recovery team I have established needs to review and collect further data on productivity. Projections of output improvement will be available in June.

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff employed in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate have(a) resigned and (b) requested a transfer to another department in (i) the last six months and (ii) each of the last five years. [80767]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

A total of 112 staff resigned from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in the six months October 1998 to March 1999. Resignations for the previous five annual years is as follows:

Year Number
1998 363
1997 250
1996 149
1995 106
1994 110

The significantly higher 1998 figure can be attributed to a higher than usual number of resignations in the junior grade of Administrative Assistant. This is largely due to a significant increase in the number of casual staff employed during this period, a number of whom resigned during the period of their appointment.

Information on the number of staff requesting transfers to other departments for the periods specified is not available.