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Asylum Seekers
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria he will use for determining whether an upheaval has taken place in a country for the purposes of determining whether asylum seekers claiming after entry into the United Kingdom should qualify for income support; and which countries he assesses to be currently undergoing such an upheaval. [7400]
Miss Widdecombe: My right hon. and learned Friend will notify the Benefits Agency if a country undergoes a fundamental change in circumstances such that people are not normally being required to return to it for the time being. Each upheaval will be separately assessed and a judgment made as to whether people should be required to return. This assessment will be based on the latest available relevant information from a wide range of sources.
Internet
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what web site his Department maintains on the Internet; what information is provided there; how often it is updated; what is the address; and if he or his Department answers questions and supplies additional information through the Internet. [7570]
Mr. Howard: My Department does not maintain its own World Wide Web site on the Internet, but uses (a) the electronic news distribution service of the Central Office of Information for the publication of press releases on the web, and (b) the web site known as the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency Government information service, maintained by CCTA--the Government centre for information systems--for other information. My Department does not yet have its wwn home page, but has four separate presences on the web as follows:
(a) Press release
(address-http://www.coi.gov.uk/coi/depts/GHO/GHO.html)
(b) Research & Statistics Department, for publication of statistics which are also published in conventional form
address-http://www.open.gov.uk/home--off/rsdhome.htm)
(c) United Kingdom Passport Agency, for general information about passports and passport offices
(address-http://www.open.gov.uk/ukpass/ukpass.htm)
(d) Immigration & Nationality Department, for general information about immigration and nationality
(address-http://www.open.gov.uk/coi/ind.htm).
11 Jan 1996 : Column: 283
Prison Service Staff
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison service staff were employed, by category and in total in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [7369]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 11 January 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question requesting information about the number and category of staff employed by the Prison Service in each of the last five years.
Mrs. Bridget Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be able to answer the hon. Member for Lewisham, East's letters of
11 Jan 1996 : Column: 284
19 July, 2 October and 1 November on behalf of Mr. Clive Bromfield. [6921]
Miss Widdecombe:
Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mr. Richard Tilt to Ms Bridget Prentice, dated 11 January 1996:
Mr. Luff:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the awards made to charities in Worcestershire from national lottery funds; and what is the size of the grant and total project cost in each case. [6132]
Mr. Sackville:
I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for National Heritage on 9 January 1996, Official Report, column 61. This includes details of the grants given by the National Lottery Charities Board to charities and voluntary groups based in Worcestershire.
11 Jan 1996 : Column: 285
Dr. Spink:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what delegations have been made in 1995 under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992; to whom those delegations were made; and what were the main conditions that were attached to them. [8645]
Mr. Freeman:
The table lists delegations made under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992 since the last report to Parliament, Official Report, 11 January 1995, col. 140. In some cases, for staff appointed by statutory office holders, Ministers were statutorily required to give consent to terms and conditions of service. For such staff, delegation has been effected by waiving that requirement, subject to the conditions attached to the delegation.
The attached tables, copies of which will be placed in the Library of the House, are based on information held in the personnel information computer system. They show the total Prison Service staff, broken down by grade and gender, at the beginning of each financial year since 1990, except for 1991 where the 1 April figure is unavailable and so the figure for 1 October has bee used instead.
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about when you will receive full replies to your earlier letters on behalf of Mr. Clive Bromfield.
Your letters were passed to me for answer as I have operational responsibility for the Prison Service. I hope to be able to send a full reply shortly.
| Delegation | Nature of delegation | Recipients | Main conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Delegation of pay and certain conditions of service. | Authority to determine pay and certain pay-related conditions of service of civil servants below the new Senior Civil Service. The pay and certain pay-related conditions of service of Agency Chief Executives are also excluded from the scope of the delegations. | Ministers in charge of departments for the following organisations: Child Support Agency Government Communications Headquarters, Highways Agency, Historic Scotland, Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce Meat Hygiene Service Paymaster Service Children's Schools (North West Europe) War Pensions Agency | (i) The recipient must continue to comply with certain sections of the Civil Service Management Code. (ii) Changes made to terms and conditions must provide value for money and be made in a way which does not jeopardise essential public expenditure safeguards. |
| Delegation | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 1. Travel; Overseas Accountable Entertainment Allowance; relocation expenses; rent for key staff who occupy government owned residential properties; boarding school allowance. | Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service Health and Safety Executive Health and Safety Commission (in respect of staff appointed by Health and Safety Executive) |
| 2. Rent for key staff who occupy government owned residential properties; boarding school allowance. | Central Statistical Office |
| 3. Minimum recruitment criteria; travel; overseas accountable entertainment allowance; relocation expenses; rent for key staff who occupy government owned residential properties; boarding school allowance; recruitment and retention allowance; and recruitment and retention allowances for staff overseas. | Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and Health Service Commissioner |
11 Jan 1996 : Column: 286
HOUSE OF COMMONS
House Library Department
Mr. Bennett: To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what consideration the House of Commons Commission has given to the proposal of the Information Committee regarding the name of the House Library Department; and if he will make a statement. [7985]
Mr. Beith: At its last meeting, the Commission considered a proposal to change the name of the Department of the House of Commons Library to that of the House of Commons Library and Research Department. After careful consideration, and taking account of the advice of the Information Committee and of the high reputation of the House of Commons Library, the Commission decided against the change in name.
Upper Waiting Hall Exhibitions
Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to "Schizophrenia-Fear, Fact or Fiction" to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall. [8555]
Mr. Michael J. Martin: I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 25 March to Friday 29 March 1996.
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