FOI release

16196 Home Office reviews

We received a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 2000, for the following:  how many reviews has the department announced since…

From:
Home Office
Published
9 November 2010

Details

We received a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 2000, for the following: 

  1. how many reviews has the department announced since May 11, 2010? On which date were they announced?
  2. when the reviews set up since 11 May 2010, were originally intended to report and the current anticipated date of report
  3. what estimate has been made of the costs of each review?
  4. who is leading each review? Are they being paid or working for free? Are they entitled to expenses?
  5. how many civil servants are working on each review?
  6. how many people working on each review have been seconded from outside Whitehall?
  7. which organisations are seconded staff from?
  8. how much are seconded staff being paid and what is their tax status?

We released the following information on 9 November 2010:

Review of counter-terrorism powers

  1. 13 July 2010. 
  2. The review is due to report to Parliament later this Autumn. The exact date of the review’s announcement has not yet been agreed.
  3. The review is being undertaken by civil servants as part of their normal duties. The independent reviewer of the review, Lord MacDonald of River Glaven, receives a daily rate of £380 and is also entitled to expenses.
  4. The review is being led by civil servants in the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism in the Home Office. They are not being paid in addition to their normal salaries, nor are they entitled to expenses in addition to those normally available. Costs will arise from Lord MacDonald’s expenses and the daily rate of £380. We estimate that he will work for approximately 20 days on the review. 
    As set out in the terms of reference for the review, which are on the Home Office website, the review is being undertaken by civil servants in the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism in the Home Office with the full involvement of the police, the security and intelligence agencies, the Crown Prosecution Service and other government departments including those in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
    Lord Macdonald of River Glaven QC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, has been appointed to provide independent oversight of the review. This temporary position is a distinct role to that of the statutory reviewer of terrorism legislation currently undertaken by Lord Carlile.
  5. There are between 6 and 7 full time equivalents working on the review; the majority of whose time is spent on working on the review. There are other civil servants, who are involved in the review but it is not taking up a majority of their time.
  6. Questions 6-8:  we have interpreted these questions to refer to non-government secondees. I can confirm there are no individuals seconded to the review from outside Whitehall.

Consultation on limiting immigration

  1. Consultation launched on the mechanism for placing a limit on non-EU economic migrants.
  2. The consultation closed on 28 June. The government intends to announce its policy towards the turn of the year.
  3. The consultation has been undertaken by officials within immigration policy in line with the terms of their objectives. The consultation document itself was published online, incurring no printing costs.
  4. The review is being undertaken by officials in the immigration policy unit. Officials are entitled to expenses for costs incurred according to standard civil service terms and conditions.
  5. A team of four officials have led the consultation with support from others within UKBA.
  6. Questions 6-8: we have interpreted these questions to refer to non-government secondees. I can confirm there are no individuals seconded to the review from outside Whitehall.

Licensing Act review

  1. The Home Secretary announced the review at the Police Federation conference on 19 May. 
  2. The Government’s actions will be taken forward in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, which will be introduced to Parliament in November 2010.
  3. We have made no assessment of the cost of the review.
  4. Led by the Head of the Alcohol Strategy Unit (ASU), Ziggy MacDonald. Mr MacDonald is a paid civil servant who is entitled to expenses but has not claimed any in relation to this review.
  5. Six civil servants working directly on the review alongside other policy and legislative tasks. They are supported by other members of ASU and officials from other government departments such as the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
  6. Questions 6-8: we have interpreted these questions to refer to non-government secondees. I can confirm there are no individuals seconded to the review from outside Whitehall.

Police pay and conditions review

  1. The review was included in the coalition programme published on 18 May. It was then announced by the Home Secretary at the Police Federation conference on 18 May 2010 and the details of the review’s terms of reference were announced on 1 October.
  2. The draft Home Office structural reform plan, which was published in July, said that the review would report in January 2011. However, the final terms of reference ask the review to report back in two stages: the first in February 2011 and the second in June 2011.
  3. The budget is the subject of ongoing consideration.
  4. Tom Winsor is leading the review on a part-time basis. He will be remunerated for £300 per day. He will be reimbursed for reasonable expenses necessarily incurred in the course of business; expenses will be limited to standard class rail and air fares.
  5. 3.4 full-time equivalents.
  6. Questions 6-8: we have interpreted these questions to refer to non-government secondees. I can confirm there are no individuals seconded to the review from outside Whitehall.

Extradition review

  1. 8 September 2010.
  2. The extradition review is expected to report by late summer 2011.
  3. The extradition review will cost in the region of £150,000 - £200,000.
  4. Sir Scott Baker will lead the extradition review. He will be paid in accordance with the normal rates of the Royal Courts of Justice and will be entitled to claim reasonable expenses.
  5. The review will form part of the workload of three Home Office policy officials and one Home Office lawyer. David Perry QC and Anand Doobay, two independent lawyers are working on the review with expertise in extradition matters. Mr Perry and Mr Doobay will be paid in accordance with normal Treasury solicitor rates.
  6. Questions 6-8: we have interpreted these questions to refer to non-government secondees. I can confirm there are no individuals seconded to the review from outside Whitehall.

Anti-social behaviour tools and powers review

  1. The review of antisocial behaviour tools and powers available to the police and other agencies was announced by the Home Secretary on 28 July 2010.
  2. The review was originally intended to report in September 2010 but will now conclude by the end of the year, with consultation starting in January 2011.
  3. Questions 3-5: the review is part of core business and we anticipate minimal additional costs. The review is being undertaken by seven civil servants as part of their normal duties with normal remuneration and expenses
  4. Questions 6-8: we have interpreted these questions to refer to non-government secondees. I can confirm that there are no individuals seconded to the review from outside Whitehall
Published 9 November 2010