In the past, the Home Affairs Committee has assessed the Home Office's performance on a quarterly basis against a number of indicators covering aspects of its work. This report covers three quarters: Q4 2014, Q1 2015 and Q2 2015. The data for the first two quarters were published during or just after the 2015 General Election period. Q2 2015 data was published on 27 August 2015. The report is divided into two sections, reflecting how the work is divided in the Home Office.

UKVI altered its service standards timetable so that a higher proportion of new straightforward claims for asylum are given an initial decision within six months. This is at the same time as the number of applications is rising. The total number of main applications in the year ending September 2015 was 19% higher than in the year ending September 2014. In Q3 2015 the number of main applicants and dependants reached 12,028 compared to 7,567 in Q2 2015. The number of asylum applications surpassed the number of decisions made in Q3 2015. We are concerned that the department may not be able to maintain the service levels it has set itself on initial decisions for new asylum claims within 6 months. To do so may require further funding and resources. We recommend that the Home Office reconsider its country guidance on Eritrea, taking into account the findings of the Independent Advisory Group on Country of Origin Information. We will continue to monitor closely the proportion of successful and unsuccessful asylum applications from Eritreans

The Committee says during the pause in the Home Office's review of the police funding formula, an independent panel of accounting firms, financial experts and the College of Policing should be appointed to assist the Home Office in formulating revised proposals. The review process was paused after Home Office officials made serious errors in calculating the funding allocations for police force areas. These errors resulted in forces who had been advised they would be "winners" under the new funding allocation finding they are in fact facing cuts, and vice versa.

This book provides an insightful analysis of recent developments in immigration, asylum and citizenship law in the broader social and political context. Written accessibly by an experienced practitioner, it critically examines the development of UK immigration control since the second world war, identifying and focusing on the grievous collateral damage being caused to the rule of law and to society. It examines the decline in standards of public administration, the secular failure to follow the rule of law, and the related issues of social corrosion and lack of democratic accountability. Speaking to academics, practitioners, policy makers and all those concerned about the impact of the hostile environment, it makes proposals for legal changes which prioritise social cohesion: a shared burden of proof, a simple regularisation scheme and clear path to citizenship, and details how these would operate in practice.

Detecting Concealed Information and Deception: Recent Developments assembles contributions from the world's leading experts on all aspects of concealed information detection. This reference examines an array of different methods—behavioral, verbal interview and physiological—of detecting concealed information. Chapters from leading legal authorities address how to make use of detected information for present and future legal purposes. With a theoretical and empirical foundation, the book also covers new human interviewing techniques, including the highly influential Implicit Association Test among others. - Presents research from Concealed Information Test (CIT) studies - Explores the legal implications and admissibility of the CIT - Covers EEG, event-related brain potentials (ERP) and autonomic detection measures - Reviews multiple verbal lie detection tools - Discusses ocular movements during deception and evasion - Identifies how to perceive malicious intentions - Explores personality dimensions associated with deception, including religion, age and gender

'Global Economic Prospects 2008: Technology Diffusion in the Developing World' examines the state of technology in developing countries and the pace with which it has advanced since the early 1990s. It reveals both encouraging and cautionary trends. On the one hand, the pace of technological progress in developing countries has been much faster than in high-income countries-reflecting increased exposure to foreign technology as a result of linkages with high-skilled diasporas and the opening of these countries to international trade and foreign direct investment.On the other hand, the technology gap remains large, and the domestic factors that determine how quickly technologies spread within developing countries often stymie progress, especially among low-income countries. This year's 'Global Economic Prospects' comes on the heels of an extended period of strong growth and a 15 year period of strong performance in much of the developing world, which has contributed to substantial declines in global poverty. While high oil prices and heightened market volatility may signal a coming pause in this process, over the longer term continued technological progress should continue to push back poverty. 'Rapid technological progress in developing countries has been central to the reduction of poverty in recent decades. While the integration of global markets has played and will continue to play a key role in this, future success will increasingly depend on strengthening technical competencies and the business environment for innovative firms in developing countries.' - Graeme Wheeler, Managing Director, The World Bank

Innovative Methods in Logistics and Supply Chain Management