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Overseas Domestic Workers
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what action he has taken to monitor the workings of the new undertaking employers are required to sign when bringing their overseas domestic workers into the United Kingdom; [33991] (2) what action he has taken to monitor the workings of the new undertaking employers are required to sign when bringing their overseas domestic workers into Scotland. [33992]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Employers are required to sign an undertaking to maintain and accommodate their domestic workers satisfactorily, including the provision of a separate bedroom, when applications for entry clearance are made. In the case of domestic workers who come for longer than a visit, when applications for further leave to remain are made, inquiries are made that the conditions of the scheme, including adequate maintenance and accommodation, continue to be met.
Firearms
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 July, Official Report , columns 349 50 if he will give details of each of the incidents involving a reactivated firearm. [34238]
Mr. Maclean: I am now aware of 20 incidents since the beginning of 1993. I understand that two were murders, seven others resulted in a non- fatal injury and four involved shots being fired, apparently without causing injury, in the course of crime. In the remaining
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seven incidents, there was no injury or evidence that they were associated with any other crime. Twelve of the incidents are reported as having taken place in the Greater Manchester police force area, two each in Mersyside, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands and one each in Lancashire and the Metropolitan police district.Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many homicides involving (a) shotguns and (b) other firearms have taken place in each police force area in each of the last five years; and how many of the victims in each case were women; [34157]
(2) how many thefts of (a) shotguns and (b) other firearms took place in each of the last five years, (i) from domestic premises and (ii) from other premises in each police force area. [34158]
Mr. Maclean: The information requested is not immediately available and I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Goodson-Wickes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will lay before Parliament the sixth annual report of the Firearms Consultative Committee. [34716]
Mr. Howard: I have today placed a copy of the annual report of the Firearms Consultative Committee in the Library.
Mrs. Rehana Fiaz
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the United Kingdom post in Islamabad asked the Home Office to arrange for the sponsor of Mrs. Rehana Fiaz (Ref.GV 100/27227) to be interviewed; where and when the interview is to take place; and if he will make a statement. [34300]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The request from the British high commission in Islamabad for an interview of Mrs. Rehana Fiaz's sponsor was received by the Home Office on 15 December 1994. Arrangements have been made to interview the sponsor on 8 August at the immigration office at Leeds/Bradford airport.
Pre-trial Procedures (High Court)
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals the Government have to improve pre-trial procedures in the Crown Court. [34715]
Mr. Howard: The Government share the view of the Royal Commission on criminal justice that further measures are needed to improve the effectiveness of pre-trial hearings in the Crown Court, to enable issues to be clarified and resolved in advance of the trial. To achieve this, we propose providing for a power for judges to make binding rulings before the start of the trial, and for an extension of the existing system of preparatory hearings, currently held in serious fraud cases, to other potentially long or complex cases. These proposals are contained in a consultation paper on improving the effectiveness of pre-trial hearings in the Crown Court--which we are publishing today.
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Stolen Vehicles
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department are undertaking to limit the number of vehicles stolen. [33577]
Mr. Maclean: Vehicle crime decreased by almost 2 per cent. in 1993 and by 10 per cent. in 1994. This downward trend is encouraging and it would appear that the measures taken by the Department are having an effect.
The Department is addressing vehicle crime in a number of ways, and the following are just a few examples of the work being done by the Home Office.
The prevention of car crime was a central feature of our 1992 car crime prevention year campaign which showed what could be done if car owners, the police, motor manufacturers, the insurance industry, motoring organisations and car park operators made a concerted effort to tackle the problem together.
The Home Office public relations branch produces a range of crime prevention advice leaflets covering crimes committed against different types of vehicles.
Home Office Ministers have asked manufacturers to introduce effective immobilisation systems, deadlocking, and visible vehicle identification numbers; and the Home Office police scientific and development branch has provided free technical advice to manufacturers on how to do this.
The Home Office has worked closely with the Department of Transport to ensure that the British standards on vehicle security we wanted were incorporated into the compulsory EC directive 74/61. The Department supports the work of SOLD SECURE, an Association of Chief Police Officers- backed organisation which tests the effectiveness of vehicle security devices for older cars and publicises details of approved products; and also the Vehicle Security Installation Board, which publishes lists of approved installers of security products.
The Home Office also supports schemes designed to prevent young people turning to crime, and a great deal is being done in this area through motor projects and other diversionary schemes.
The Home Office has already taken action to deal with offenders. The Aggravated Vehicle-Taking Act 1992 demonstrates our determination to deal with the menace posed by those who take cars and cause damage, injury or death.
Work to reduce vehicle crime is informed by regular Home Office research; and is taken forward by the vehicle crime prevention group whose members are drawn from the police, motor manufacturers, dealers, the insurance industry, motoring organisations and Government Departments.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles were stolen in the United Kingdom for each of the last 10 years. [33576]
Mr. Maclean: The available information relates to offences of theft of a motor vehicle recorded by the police in England and Wales. This information is published in table 2.19 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1993" (Cm 2680) and in table 6 of Home Office statistical
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bulletin 5/95; copies of both these publications are in the Library. Information on Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the Secretary of State for each Department.Asylum Seekers
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum seekers have committed suicide in prisons or detention centres in each of the last three calendar years and in the current year to date; [33347]
(2) how many asylum seekers are recorded as having committed suicide when not in detention, but after rejection of their asylum applications, in each of the last three calendar years and in the current year to date. [33348]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: No person who had sought asylum has committed suicide in a prison or detention centre in the last three calendar years or in the current year to date. Information is not available about people who have committed suicide after an application for asylum has been refused and who are not detained.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what method was used to monitor the results of the "No
Self-Completion Questionnaire" exercise undertaken by the asylum division of his Department in recent months; what were the results of the exercise as regards time taken to process decisions and the quality of those decisions compared to cases dealt with under normal procedures; how many of the cases decided have been finally determined after appeals brought to the Immigration Appeals Authority; and if he will deposit a record on the exercise in the Library. [33346]
Mr. Baker: I am placing in the Library a brief report on this exercise; which includes details of the monitoring arrangements used. It produced a direct saving in the screening process for applications of between four and six weeks. All six appeals against refusal heard during the period of the exercise were dismissed: a further analysis will be carried out when more appeals have been heard.
Consultants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33461]
Mr. Howard: Expenditure incurred on employing consultants was £2, 160,000, excluding value added tax, in respect of the privatisation of National Transcommunications Ltd. and £784,000, excluding value added tax, in respect of the privatisation of DTELS-- formerly the Home Office Directorate of Telecommunications.
Police Driver Training
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total amount spent on driver training by each police force area in England and Wales for each year since 1990. [33487]
Mr. Maclean: Information collected centrally is related to the number of days spent on all aspects of driver and
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traffic training, which includes training in matters such as traffic law, road safety, speed enforcement and accident investigation as well as driving courses. Details are set out in the table. Information about training costs is also given but is incomplete.Total training days-driver and traffic training Force |1990-91|1991-92|1992-93 --------------------------------------------------- Avon and Somerset |6,710 |6,736 |6,829 Bedfordshire |2,562 |2,414 |2,555 Cambridgeshire |587 |1,074 |2,053 Cheshire |3,547 |1,843 |1,429 City of London |952 |697 |706 Cleveland |2,259 |743 |618 Cumbria |1,496 |1,383 |1,416 Derbyshire |4,511 |2,287 |2,795 Devon and Cornwall |3,652 |4,254 |3,648 Dorset |1,524 |1,804 |1,603 Durham |2,135 |2,643 |2,136 Dyfed Powys |1,614 |1,397 |1,746 Essex |6,535 |7,813 |7,840 Gloucestershire |1,762 |1,465 |1,282 Greater Manchester |12,431 |10,345 |9,062 Gwent |1,513 |1,291 |n/a Hampshire |3,944 |3,407 |n/a Hertfordshire |3,698 |2,160 |3,260 Humberside |2,490 |3,158 |- Kent |4,620 |2,643 |3,008 Lancashire |2,675 |3,321 |3,003 Leicestershire |2,270 |3,011 |2,521 Lincolnshire |1,617 |1,675 |1,562 Merseyside |5,504 |6,608 |3,601 Norfolk |2,652 |2,406 |1,887 Northamptonshire |2,466 |2,389 |2,130 Northumbria |5,178 |4,410 |4,535 North Wales |1,351 |1,325 |1,101 North Yorkshire |2,345 |2,944 |2,754 Nottinghamshire |4,030 |3,151 |2,477 South Wales |2,490 |4,341 |4,982 South Yorkshire |3,756 |3,570 |4,396 Staffordshire |4,677 |4,982 |3,936 Suffolk |1,715 |2,115 |1,916 Surrey |2,889 |3,674 |- Sussex |4,465 |6,843 |- Thames Valley |7,948 |7,427 |5,585 Warwickshire |1,153 |1,678 |969 West Mercia |2,236 |3,375 |4,014 West Midlands |13,016 |9,980 |10,777 West Yorkshire |4,532 |4,304 |4,920 Wiltshire |2,771 |3,332 |2,638 Metropolitan |28,149 |31,783 |33,886
Training costs-driver and traffic training £ Force |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 ----------------------------------------------------------- Avon and Somerset |1,494,009|1,321,638|1,453,522 Bedfordshire |- |590,523 |677,496 Cambridgeshire |- |361.942 |524,857 Cheshire |509,266 |376,253 |330,990 City of London |- |- |- Cleveland |467,000 |273,000 |- Cumbria |305,436 |135,649 |259,091 Derbyshire |929,463 |- |577,794 Devon and Cornwall |655,897 |855,765 |877,513 Dorset |- |419,892 |- Durham |- |- |- Dyfed Powys |263,400 |231,600 |- Essex |1,964,589|1,300,000|2,007,391 Gloucestershire |350,784 |293,538 |276,670 Greater Manchester |- |1,251,773|1,207,188 Gwent |287,498 |209,866 |- Hampshire |- |858,621 |1,114,196 Hertfordshire |- |- |- Humberside |520,000 |258,000 |- Kent |1,048,039|875,336 |1,185,687 Lancashire |- |914,666 |- Leicestershire |253,713 |- |405,623 Lincolnshire |- |474,400 |- Merseyside |1,594,039|1,827,821|1,413,639 Norfolk |571,500 |519,700 |453,800 Northamptonshire |- |441,661 |431,128 Northumbria |- |- |968,752 North Wales |- |- |121,569 North Yorkshire |433,570 |533,890 |550,200 Nottinghamshire |- |710,292 |- South Wales |644,808 |840,145 |961.465 South Yorkshire |- |- |- Staffordshire |441,759 |1,137,897|535,668 Suffolk |553,462 |448 |456,012 Surrey |864,700 |969,000 |1,002,000 Sussex |503,000 |805,912 |- Thames Valley |- |1,761,828|1,380,992 Warwickshire |166,314 |788,718 |249,693 West Mercia |596,616 |725,905 |897,038 West Midlands |3,020,332|3,226,004|2,989,280 West Yorkshire |1,674,900|1,493,900|1,561,300 Wiltshire |47,620 |303,448 |392,890 Metropolitan |- |4,546,817|- Figures for 1993-94 and 1994-95 are not yet available.
Trucks (Policing)
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are employed with the police (a) full time and (b) as part of their other duties to train traffic policemen in truck enforcement work. [33588]
Mr. Maclean: The information requested is not available. Training for traffic officers concerned with the enforcement of legislation on goods vehicle safety is generally provided by police officers acting as instructors. We are not aware that any officers are employed solely for the purpose of providing this particular training.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces have traffic officers or special units dedicated to enforcing truck safety; and what are the numbers of police staff who are dedicated in this way (a) in total and (b) in each of the past 10 years. [33583]
Mr. Maclean: The information requested is not available. Police officers assigned to traffic work are involved in many aspects of traffic law enforcement not solely the enforcement of goods vehicle safety legislation.
Deaths in Custody
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will define a "properly interested person" in cases involving deaths in custody. [33341]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: No. Under the present law, the determination of a "properly interested person" under the Coroners Rules 1984 for the purposes of any inquest is a matter for the coroner. The circumstances in which
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persons may be interested in a particular case vary so considerably that I do not think that further definition is practicable.Immigration Service
Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to compare the performance of the Immigration Service at the different ports of entry to the United Kingdom. [33840]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The National Audit Office report. "Entry into the United Kingdom"--HC204--made a number of recommendations about the development of an indicator system to compare the performance of the Immigration Service at individual ports of entry. All the recommendations are being carefully considered and as a first step the Immigration Service has made significant revisions to its management information system to facilitate better use and easier comparisons of performance indicators. Further work is continuing.
Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to improve passenger clearance times at ports of entry. [33839]
Mr. Baker: The Immigration Service has published service standards for passenger queuing times at all ports and airports, and monitoring exercises have shown that these standards have generally been achieved. Consistent with the need to apply effectively the immigration rules as set down by Parliament, the service seeks to introduce measures aimed at further improving this aspect of its work--often in co-operation with port operators and carrying companies. Recent initiatives include:
the introduction of new shift arrangements at certain ports to help match staff deployment more closely to predicted weight of arriving traffic, particularly during the early morning;
the development of fast track facilities at Heathrow terminals 3 and 4;
increased on-board coach clearance at Dover; and
special arrangements for tour groups at Heathrow terminal 4.
Foundation for Business Responsibilities
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many staff were allocated to the charity commissioners' second inquiry into the Foundation for Business Responsibilities; how long they spent making their inquiries; and what was the total number of man hours put into the
investigation; [32057]
(2) pursuant to his answer of 18 May, Official Report , column 369 , how much money the charity commissioners found had been improperly paid to Marketforce Communications by the Foundation for Business Responsibilities; who was the individual responsible for these payments; and how much money this individual repaid to the charity; [32067]
(3) pursuant to his answer of 18 May, Official Report , column 369 , on what grounds the charity commissioners decided that some payments to Marketforce Communications by the Foundation for Business Responsibilities had been improper; [32066]
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(4) which donors to the Foundation for Business Responsibilities were interviewed or corresponded with during the charity commissioners' second inquiry into the charity; and if he will place copies of this correspondence in the Library; [32056](5) how many witnesses were interviewed by the charity commission during its second investigation into the Foundation for Business Responsibilities; and if he will list them. [32058]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Details of persons written to or interviewed by the Charity Commission during an investigation are a matter for the Charity Commission. The commission's correspondence files are confidential, particularly those relating to investigations cases where disclosure may discourage third parties from providing information to the commission. Correspondence will not usually be disclosed without the authority of an order of the court or the consent of the correspondent.
The commission's second inquiry was conducted by one member of staff who, over a period of four and a half months, spent a total of 22 hours on it. The investigator was supported at times by senior staff. The duration of this support was not recorded.
During the course of the commission's investigation, the trustees of the Foundation for Business Responsibilities themselves acknowledged that some of the payments made by the foundation to Marketforce Communications were not justified having regard to the services provided by marketforce to the foundation. The commission was not party to any consideration of the factors leading to the trustees' decision.
During the course of the commission's first inquiry, £98,987.96 was identified as being improperly paid to Marketforce Communications. The former director of the foundation, Michael Ivens, authorised the payments. He repaid the money to the charity.
Prison Governors (Bonus Scheme)
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement outlining how the bonds scheme for prison governors works. [32251]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. George Howarth, dated 13 July 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how the bonus scheme for prison governors works.
The Special Bonus Scheme applies to all staff in the Prison Service and Home Office, including governor grades. Special bonuses are used as an exceptional measure to give prompt and tangible recognition for outstanding performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations which may arise during periods of exceptional pressure. In the financial year 1994/95 fourteen such awards were given to prison governors.
More usually, governor grades earn performance related pay based on movement up an agreed scale on the basis of the annual performance assessment by their line manager.
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Prisoners (Home Leave Refusals)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of home leaves of prison inmates that have been refused due to the fact that victims object to such home leave; and if he will make a statement. [31373]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 13 July 1993: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of home leaves of prison inmates that have been refused due to the fact that the victims object to such home leave. Last November the Home Secretary announced new arrangements to replace the existing home leave and temporary release schemes for prisoners. The new system of release on temporary licence came into effect on 25 April following changes made to the Prison Rules. A new system of data collection is being established to monitor the operation of the new system but information about victim concerns will not be recorded centrally because, in most cases any decision to refuse an application would be based on a variety of factors and not solely because of victim representations. Under the new arrangements, governors are required, within the risk assessment process for considering applications for release on temporary licence, to take full account of any concern expressed by victims. However, victims do not generally have any power to veto the release of prisoners on temporary licence, except where the victim is in the home and their wishes must be respected.
The Victims Helpline which opened last December had received 186 calls by 29 June, of which 73 were enquiries and 113 were representations. These were passed to the appropriate prison for consideration. Information about the nature of the individual representations and whether they led to a refusal of release on temporary licence is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many disability living allowance appeals were received by his Department concerning (a) a review requested within three months of the original decision and (b) a review requested at any time; and in each case, how many appeals were successful, in each of the years 1992 93, 1993 94 and 1994 95; [33031]
(2) how many claims for disability living allowance were received by his Department in each of the years 1992 93, 1993 94 and 1994 95; [33027]
(3) how many requests for a review within three months of a refusal to award disability living allowance were received by his Department in each of the years 1992 93, 1993 94 and 1994 95; how many of these requests were refused; and how many of the reviews resulted in the original decision being revised; [33029]
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(4) how many requests for a review made at any time concerning refusal of an award of disability living allowance were received by his Department in each of theyears 1992 93, 1993 94 and 1994 95; how many of these requests were refused; and how many of the reviews resulted in the original decision being revised; [33030](5) how many awards of disability living allowance were made in each of the years 1992 93, 1993 94 and 1994 95. [33028]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The information is not available in the format requested for all the questions. Available information is in the tables.
Disability living allowance claims and awards Thousands Number |1992-93|1993-94|1994-95 ------------------------------------------------ Claims received |744 |435 |504 Awards made |432 |223 |233 Note: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest thousand. 2. Claims received in one year may not be decided in the same year. Source: Analytical Service Division: 100 per cent. data.
Disability living allowance review of claims
Thousands
Number |1992-93|1993-94|1994-95
--------------------------------------------------------------
Review within three months
Received |79 |133 |154
Decided |40 |158 |146
Successful |17 |64 |61
Review requested at any time
Received |97 |271 |330
Decided |46 |293 |317
Successful |20 |135 |154
Notes
1. Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.
2. Claims decided in one year may not be reviewed in the same
year.
3. Request for review may be about the rate or length of
award as well as whether or not an award was made.
4. A decision may be revised because the claimant has
provided additional evidence on review or because the
claimant'scondition has deteriorated.
5. A review at any time includes reviews requested within
three months of the original decision.
Source:
Analytical Service Division: 100 per cent. data.
Disability living allowance appeals Thousands Numbers |1992-93|1993-94|1994-95 ------------------------------------------- Received |7 |30 |29 Successful |0 |10 |16 Notes: 1. Reviews decided in one year may not be heard on appeal in the same year. 2. An appeal may be about the rate or length of award as well as whether or not an award was made. 3. A decision may be revised on appeal because the claimant has provided additional evidence or because the claimant's condition has deteriorated.
Sickness, Disability and Disablement Benefits
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest monthly count of claimants drawing any one of the sickness, disability or disablement benefits. [33141]
Mr. Burt: The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the table:
|Numbers in
Benefit |receipt |Latest data
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attendance Allowance<1> |996,000 |March 1994
Disability Living Allowance<2> |1,541.000 |May 1995
Disability Working Allowance<3> |5,202 |January 1995
Industrial Injuries Benefit<4> |209,000 |April 1993
Invalidity Benefit<5 12> |1,580,000 |April 1993
Pneumoconiosis, Byssinosis, and
Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit
Scheme<6> |331 |June 1995
Reduced Earnings
Allowance/Retirement
Allowance<7> |155,000 |April 1993
Sickness Benefit<8 12> |147,000 |April 1993
Severe Disablement Allowance<9> |316,000 |April 1993
War Disablement Benefit<10> |260,297 |March 1995
Workmens Compensation
Supplementation Scheme<11> |870 |June 1995
Figures rounded to the nearest thousand other than those based on a 100
per cent. count of cases.
<1.> Based on 100 per cent. count of cases, adjusted by an annual
sampling exercise.
<2.> Based on five per cent. sample.
<3.> Based on 100 per cent. count.
<4.> Rated up from ten per cent. sample with an allowance for late
returns. The figure quoted related to the number of assessment in
payment and not recipients. A person may be in receipt of more than one
pension.
<5.> Based on one per cent. sample.
<6.> Based on 100 per cent. count of cases.
<7.> Rated up from a ten per cent. sample with an allowance for late
returns. The figure quoted relates to the number of allowances in
payment and not recipients. A person may be in receipt of more than one
allowance.
<8.> Based on a one per cent. sample.
<9.> Based on one per cent. sample.
<10.> Based on 100 per cent. count of cases.
<11.> Based on 100 per cent. count of cases.
<12.> Replaced by Incapacity benefit from 13 April 1995.
Social Fund
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) loans and (b) grants had been made in each region by the social fund in the last year for which figures are available. [32829]
Mr. Roger Evans: The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Ian Magee, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Mr. Ian Magee to Mr. Jim Cunningham dated 12 July 1995 :
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of Social Fund loans and grants made in each region in the last year for which figures are available.
With the creation of the Benefits Agency in April 1991, offices were grouped into Districts. These were then grouped into Area Directorates within three Territorial Directorates.
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I have therefore provides, at Annex A, the information requested by Area Directorate for the financial year 1994 95.I hope you find this information helpful.
Annex A: Number of community care grants and loans awarded in
the Benefits Agency area directorates during the financial year
1994-95
Territory and area |Grant awards |Loan awards
directorate
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scotland and Northern
Tyne Tees |18,734 |101,582
South Yorkshire and Humberside |17,542 |93,609
North and West Yorkshire |11,783 |82,189
Glasgow and Paisley |16,238 |101,581
North, Central and West Scotland |17,974 |76,117
East Scotland |10,047 |66,912
Territory total |92,318 |521,990
Southern
Anglia |12,802 |66,188
Chilterns |11,014 |70,841
South London and West Sussex |9,678 |66,770
West Country |16,792 |93,515
Essex and East London |13,192 |73,637
South East |11,551 |81,904
Wessex |10,543 |73,138
Territory total |85,572 |525,993
Wales and Central
East Midlands |13,078 |74,587
Midlands South West |12,563 |61,408
West Mercia |15,814 |77,079
Wales |20,860 |88,708
Merseyside |17,456 |100,879
Greater Manchester |14,693 |91,676
Lancashire and Cumbria |12,263 |76,961
Territory total |106,727 |571,298
National total |284,617 |1,619,281
Information Technology Services Agency
Data Centres
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the value of each of the bids received for the four ITSA data centres. [33164]
Mr. Burt: It is not normal practice for commercially sensitive information to be made available in this manner.
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the EDS bids for lots E and F were the lowest; and if he will make a statement. [33167]
Mr. Burt: All suppliers' bid for lots E and F were evaluated in accordance with an approved process covering financial and non-financial aspects. The EDS bids for the lots were the lowest bids received.
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made as to whether the purchase by EDS of all four DSS computer centres threatens security of supply and on-going competition; and if he will make a statement. [33168]
Mr. Burt: The decision to award all data centre services work to EDS was made after a rigorous technical, financial and business evaluation in full accord with EC services directive 92/50/EEC. The contractual agreement allows the Department of Social Security to market test any segment of the awarded business if, in its judgment,
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competitive prices are not being maintained. In those circumstances, the Department may award business to another supplier.Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the contracts his Department has with the computer company EDS. [33176]
Mr. Burt: The following contracts are currently held with EDS: area computer centre facilities management--
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