---

Bingo

Mr. McWilliam: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for deregulating the bingo industry. [1353]

Mr. Kirkhope: We are reviewing the present controls on bingo clubs as part of the Government's deregulation initiative.

Asylum and Immigration

Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on asylum and immigration; how many were (a) in favour and (b) opposed to further changes to existing legislation; and if he will make a statement. [1366]

Miss Widdecombe: In the period 1 June to 23 November 1995, we received 634 representations from hon. Members on matters which relate broadly to asylum and immigration policy, including our proposals for further legislative and other measures. It is not possible to break down this figure in the form requested.

Migration (Former Yugoslavia)

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 23 November, Official Report, column 291-92, if he will specify the immigration rules relating to private medical treatment; if he will list the applications received by his Department from the International Organisation for Migration the Child Advocacy International for children to be brought from former Yugoslavia, indicating a date and the number of children; and if he will make a statement. [3386]

Mr. Kirkhope: In order to qualify under the immigration rules for private medical treatment in the United Kingdom, an applicant must demonstrate that satisfactory arrangements for the treatment have been made, that there are sufficient private funds available to meet the costs of the treatment, and that he intends to leave the United Kingdom at the end of the treatment.

The arrangements between International Organisation for Migration and Child Advocacy International concern the evacuation of nationals of Bosnia-Herzegovina, who require visas in order to travel to the United Kingdom. Visa applications must be made at a British diplomatic post abroad, which is a matter for my right hon. Friend and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

Immigration, Asylum and Nationality (Legislation)

Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the date of the first reading of each Bill introduced by Her Majesty's Government since 1979 relating to immigration, asylum, nationality or a related topic; and if he will indicate in respect of each the date of publication, and where relevant, command numbers of any Green Papers, White Papers or consultative documents relating thereto. [3343]

Mr. Kirkhope: The information requested is as follows:

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 889

British Nationality Act 1981
Date for First Reading: 13 January 1981
White Paper: July 1980, Cmnd 7987 ¹
British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983 (introduced as a private Member's Bill)
Date of First Reading: 4 November 1992
British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1985
Date of First Reading: 10 January 1985
Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987
Date of First Reading: 4 March 1987
Immigration Act 1988
Date of First Reading: 5 November 1987
British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990
Date of First Reading: 4 April 1990
Asylum Bill (1992)
Date of First Reading: 1 November 1991
Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993
Date of First Reading: 22 October 1992
¹ This followed a Green Paper in April 1977, Cmnd 6795.

Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries

Mr. Merchant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Boundary Commission intends to conduct an interim review of parliamentary constituencies in England. [3943]

Mr. Howard: The commission has informed me that it intends to consider making a report on parliamentary constituencies in Hereford and Worcester and the west midlands, and also in Essex and the London borough of Redbridge and of Waltham Forest. The commission intends to commence forthwith an interim review of parliamentary constituencies in each of those areas.

Police Grant

Mr. Congdon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to announce the allocations of police grant for individual police authorities in 1996-97 and the allocations of the funding for 5,000 extra officers announced by the Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement on the impact of these allocations on the overall funding of police authorities in that year. [3944]

Mr. Howard: I have today put a copy of my proposals for the allocation of police grant for 1996-97 in the Library. I intend to implement these proposals subject to consideration of any representations I receive about them.

The police service has indicated its support in principle for the continued distribution of police grant in accordance with a needs-based formula, and I am therefore proposing to continue to allocate the greater part of police grant according to the police funding formula.

I am, however, proposing a number of detailed changes to the formula in response to the representations which have been made to me about the working of the formula. The principal changes which I am proposing are:

an increase in the share of available funding allocated by the formula's pensions indicator from 9 per cent. to 12.3 per cent.;
a reduction in the share of available funding allocated by the formula's establishment indicator from 50 to 40 per cent.; and,
the introduction into the formula of a sparsity indicator to allocate 0.5 per cent. of available funding.

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 890

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has announced funding for 5,000 extra police officers over the public expenditure survey period and an additional £20 million of police grant has been made available in 1996-97. I am proposing to allocate the £20 million according to the daytime and resident populations of each police force area.

I am also aware of, and share, public concern that policing levels generally should be maintained. I therefore propose to apply an additional rule to police grant allocations which would ensure that each police authority other than the Metropolitan police can receive 3 per cent. more funding in 1996-97 than it could have received in 1995-96. For the Metropolitan police, the cap on its reserves will be lifted allowing it to carry forward the substantial extra reserves it has accumulated during 1995-96.

The 3 per cent. additional rule, and the extra freedom to carry forward reserves for the Metropolitan police, are both in addition to the £20 million which has been made available in relation to the Prime Minister's announcement concerning additional officers.

Other police funding proposals within the local government finance system are being announced today by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales.

The table shows by police force area the total effect of all these proposals for 1996-97. It also shows the allocations approved by Parliament for 1995-96.

£ Million

Police Force area	1995-96 funding(14)	1996-97 funding(14)
English Shire Forces
Avon and Somerset	147.8	154.5
Bedfordshire	55.4	57.3
Cambridgeshire	62.7	66.4
Cheshire	93.1	98.4
Cleveland	70.7	73.3
Cumbria	54.3	57.1
Derbyshire	88.3	92.4
Devon and Cornwall	146.5	153.1
Dorset	62.6	64.7
Durham	68.0	71.4
Essex	146.7	151.8
Gloucestershire	56.4	58.5
Hampshire	169.1	175.1
Hertfordshire	87.0	89.9
Humberside	98.1	103.1
Kent	158.1	163.8
Lancashire	155.5	163.2
Leicestershire	89.9	94.8
Lincolnshire	57.1	59.0
Norfolk	71.2	75.9
Northamptonshire	55.8	58.3
North Yorkshire	66.7	69.7
Nottinghamshire	110.2	115.2
Staffordshire	101.2	108.8
Suffolk	58.5	61.7
Surrey	85.1	88.0
Sussex	145.8	150.9
Thames Valley	192.8	202.2
Warwickshire	47.7	49.3
West Mercia	97.8	103.4
Wiltshire	58.7	60.7
English Metropolitan Forces
Greater Manchester	327.1	342.2
Merseyside	215.0	221.8
Northumbria	179.6	188.2
South Yorkshire	147.2	154.6
West Midlands	329.3	343.7
West Yorkshire	249.8	260.6
London Forces
Metropolitan Police(15)	1,628.7	1,648.4
City of London(16)	57.3	59.1
English Total	6,092.6	6,310.5
Welsh Forces
Dyfed-Powys	46.3	48.5
Gwent(17)	60.1	62.7
North Wales	66.0	69.3
South Wales(17)	143.4	150.9
Welsh total	315.8	331.4
Total	6,408.4	6,641.9

(14) Rounded to the nearest £10,000.

(15) Figure for the Metropolitan police does not include funding allocated to receiver under the other services block SSA for school crossing patrols, magistrates courts and the probation service.

(16) Figure for the City does not include capital and other services

block SSAs which are allocated to the Common Council of the City of London as a whole in respect of all its functions.(17) Figures for South Wales and Gwent police authorities have been adjusted to show what they would have received in 1995-96 had the transfer of the Rhymney valley from south Wales to Gwent, due to take effect on 1 April 1996, been effective for 1995-96. These adjustments enable valid comparisons to be made between these forces' allocations for 1995-96 and 1996-97.

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 891

---