| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Political Asylum Applications
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for political asylum have been received from people previously resident in (a) Nigeria, (b) Turkey, (c) Iraq, (d) Iran and (e) China in each of the last five years; and how many of those applications, in each case, have been accepted. [1926]
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 289
Mr. Kirkhope: Information on asylum applications and grants of asylum from nationals of Nigeria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran and China are given in tables 2.1 and 3.1 respectively of the Home Office statistical bulletin, "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1994, issue 15/95. A copy of this publication is available in the Library. It should be noted that grants of asylum in a particular year do not necessarily relate to applications made in that year.
Carl Bridgewater
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make an announcement about a referral of the case of the men convicted of the murder of Carl Bridgewater back to the Court of Appeal. [2011]
Mr. Kirkhope: We are very close to completing our consideration of this case.
Migration (Former Yugoslavia)
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many visas he has earmarked for sick or injured children from the former Yugoslavia to be treated in the United Kingdom (a) in total and (b) by special arrangement with the International Organisation for Migration and the Child Advocacy International charity; [1726]
(2) what arrangements he has made for the provision of special visas earmarked for sick and injured children from the former Yugoslavia to be admitted by arrangement with Child Advocacy International and the International Organisation for Migration for medical treatment in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [1727]
Mr. Kirkhope: The United Kingdom has already admitted, under arrangements made by the International Organisation for Migration, 86 people from the former Yugoslavia under the Government's official medical evacuation programme, 28 of whom were under the age of 18. Of the 20 additional medical places announced in September, 14 remain to be filled.
The arrangements between IOM and Child Advocacy International are for the evacuation of Bosnian children for private medical treatment outside the official programme. These children will therefore need to meet the requirements of the immigration rules relating to private medical treatment.
Deportation Procedures
Dame Jill Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to alter the present rule under which persons served with notice of deportation are free to take up paid employment in Britain. [1172]
Miss Widdecombe: We intend to take appropriate measures in the forthcoming Asylum and Immigration Bill.
Next Steps Agencies
Mr. Devlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about executive
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 290
agency status for the police scientific development branch. [2713]
Mr. Maclean: We have decided that the police scientific development branch should be considered as a candidate for executive agency status under the next steps initiative. A prior options study will be undertaken to establish whether agency status or some other option is the most appropriate. I would welcome comments from interested parties. Comments should be sent by 2 February 1996 to:
The Assistant Under Secretary of State Home Office (Room 527) Horseferry House Dean Ryle Street London SW1P 2AW
Police Complaints Authority
Mr. Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made to appoint a successor to Sir Leonard Peach as chairman of the Police Complaints Authority. [2712]
Mr. Howard: Mr. Peter Moorhouse has agreed to be acting chairman of the Police Complaints Authority from Sir Leonard Peach's departure to take up the post of Commissioner for Public Appointments on 18 December. Mr. Moorhouse is currently senior deputy chairman of the authority. A substantive appointment will be made through open competition.
Performance-enhancing Drugs
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government has to outlaw the use of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. [1473]
Mr. Maclean: The Government announced in November 1994, in line with a recommendation from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, its intention to bring anabolic steroids and other similar drugs under the controls of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Since then, the Government have been taking careful and detailed technical advice from the advisory council on precisely which substances should be controlled. It is planned to lay the necessary draft modification order before Parliament soon.
Ticket Touts (Football Matches)
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many criminal proceedings involving ticket tout offences at football matches contained in section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 have been pursued to date; how many convictions were secured; and what plans his Department has for tightening the current legislation; [1471]
(2) how many criminal proceedings involving alleged offences contained in sections II, III and IV of the Football (Offences) Act 1991 were pursued in 1994; and how many convictions were secured. [1472]
Mr. Maclean: Information under the Football (Offences) Act 1991 is given in the table.
| Offence code | Description | Act and section | Prosecutions | Convictions | Cautions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125/27 | Throwing a missile at or towards the playing area or any area in which spectators or other persons may be present | Football Offences Act 1991, Section 2 | 20 | 11 | 8 |
| 125/28 | Taking part in indecent or racialist chanting | Football Offences Act 1991, Section 3 | 18 | 9 | 4 |
| 125/29 | Going onto the playing or adjacent area without lawful authority or lawful excuse | Football Offences Act 1991, Section 4 | 259 | 233 | 70 |
Source: S1 Division, Home Office.
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 291
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 291
Prison Service (Study)
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who is conducting the study of the relationship between the Prison Service and the Home Office; if he will list their qualifications for carrying out the study; what is the cost of the study; and when he expects to report the findings of the study. [384]
Miss Widdecombe: My right hon. and learned Friend told the House on 16 October that work was under way in response to General Sir John Learmont's recommendation that this should be an in-depth study of the relationship between the Prison Service and the Home Office. The initial work has been assisted by Miss Kate Jenkins, who was one of the three authors of the 1988 efficiency unit report to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, "Improving Management in Government: The Next Steps", which recommended the establishment of executive agencies. My right hon. and learned Friend has given an undertaking to report to the House when the work is complete. Information on the costs of individual contracts with consultants is commercial in confidence and it is not our practice to disclose these details.
Miss Elaine Connolly
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what considerations led to the transfer of Miss Elaine Connolly from Styal prison to Holloway prison; [140]
- (2) what considerations led to the refusal to transfer Miss Elaine Connolly from Holloway prison to Styal prison. [141]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |