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Police Force (Civilianisation)

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his targets for civilianisation of the police force. [6279]

Mr. Maclean: The allocation of staff within a police force is a matter for the chief constable. Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary encourages forces to civilianise posts in appropriate cases, and monitors progress as part of its inspection process.

Fire Safety Regulations

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to introduce new fire safety regulations to comply with the European framework directive and the workplace directive. [6575]

Mr. Sackville: We intend to publish new draft regulations as early as possible next year.

Illegal Immigrants (Employment)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost to employers of implementing the proposed sanctions against the employment of illegal immigrants. [6287]

Miss Widdecombe: I refer the hon. Member to the explanatory and financial memorandum to the Asylum and Immigration Bill, published on 29 November.

Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he plans to introduce to ensure European Community nationals seeking employment in the United Kingdom are not illegally discriminated against as a result of the proposed sanctions in respect of the employment of illegal immigrants. [6289]

Miss Widdecombe: Under the proposals set out in the consultation document which we issued on 20 November, a European economic area passport or identity document would be one of the documents regarded as demonstrating entitlement to live and work in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of illegal immigrants working currently in the United Kingdom. [6288]

Miss Widdecombe: As my right hon. and learned Friend made clear in the House on 11 December, the precise scale of illegal working is unknown. However, the immigration service detected more than 10,000 people working here illegally in 1994.

Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he plans to give to employers concerning the proposed sanctions against the employment of illegal immigrants; and what the cost of providing that information will be. [6290]

Miss Widdecombe: As explained in the consultation document issued on 20 November, the Home Office will provide full advice to employers about the new offence and its implications for employers, including leaflets and a helpline number to contact if they have any doubts about

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documentation presented to them. It is not possible at this stage to provide estimates of the cost involved, but it is unlikely to be substantial.

National DNA Database

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects a national DNA database to be established; which police forces throughout the United Kingdom he would expect to have access to this facility; and when this will include Scottish forces. [5785]

Mr. Maclean [holding answer 14 December 1995]: The DNA database currently operated by the Forensic Science Service became operational in April 1995, after enabling amendments to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 had come into force. All police forces in England and Wales have access to it.

Separate legislation has been enacted to allow the establishment of databases in Scotland and Northern Ireland and will come into force in the first half of next year. We intend that police forces throughout the United Kingdom will in due course have access to all the data.

Public Opinion Surveys

Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all qualitative and quantitative research projects and surveys carried out for his Department into aspects of public attitudes and opinions (a) in general and (b) in relation to specific policy proposals in each of the past three years to December 1995, indicating for each project or survey (i) the date on which the research was commissioned, (ii) the amount which his Department spent, (iii) who carried out the research, (iv) the number of people surveyed or taking part, (v) the location and time scale and (vi) which individuals and organisations have been given access to the findings. [5984]

Mr. Howard [holding answer 14 December 1995]: The qualitative and quantitative research projects and surveys into aspects of public attitudes and opinions are in the list, together with the relevant policy area. Most research conducted for the Home Office is published and widely disseminated, and therefore, all interested individuals and organisations have access to the results. The exception to this is research commissioned for internal management purposes. The fee paid to successful contractors is not shown as this is regarded by the Central Statistical Office as a matter of commercial confidentiality.


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    Specials creative development
    Date commissioned/notified: February 1994
    Agency: Reflexions Market Research Ltd.
    Sample size: 64
    Location: England
    Timetable: February 1994
    Policy area: Special Constables
    Purpose: A survey of a number of adults in England asking their opinions of new advertising executions for the specials; including perceived target audience, communication, motivation potential (to joining the specials) style and tone of voice of advertising.
    Specials advertising evaluation
    Date commissioned/notified: March 1994
    Agency: BMRB
    Sample size: 1320
    Location: Granada TV Region
    Timetable: March-June 1994
    Policy area: Special Constables
    Purpose: Research measuring awareness of advertising, knowledge and awareness of specials.
    International commercial crime survey
    Date commissioned/notified: January 1994
    Agency: BMRB
    Sample size: 4000
    Location: England and Wales
    Timetable: January 1994-December 1995
    Policy area: Retail Crime
    Purpose: Information gathered will help development of national and local government strategies for crime prevention.

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    Fifteen discussion groups amongst residents of five areas currently served by 'Parish Special Constables'
    Date commissioned/notified: April 1994
    Agency: Tim Grosvenor Associates
    Sample Size: 150
    Location: Five Villages in Kent, Dorset, Derbys, and North Yorks having "Parish Special Constables".
    Timetable: May-June 1994
    Policy area: Parish Special Constables
    Purpose: To assess public reactions to the Parish Special Constables initiative.
    Immigration and nationality user survey
    Date commissioned/notified: September 1994
    Agency: Public Attitude Surveys Ltd.
    Sample size: 60
    Location: Glasgow, West Midlands, London and the South East Timetable: October-December 1994
    Policy area: Immigration
    Purpose: A qualitative survey of Immigration Department applicants and representatives to establish the most important quality of service aspects from a users prospective. Concentrates on issues such as provision of information, speed of response, clarity of correspondence, etc. if not concerned with users'.
    Survey of 500 persons living in the London area and currently eligible to apply for UK citizenship
    Date commissioned/notified: August 1994
    Agency: SCPR
    Sample size: 500
    Location: Greater London
    Timetable: February 1995-April 1995
    Policy area: UK Citizenship
    Purpose: Applicants and non-applicants were questioned about their reasons for applying/not applying. To assist workload planning by B4 Division of Immigration and Nationality Department.
    Smoke alarms post advertising research
    Date commissioned: December 1994
    Agency: BMRB
    Sample size: 600
    Location: England and Wales
    Timetable: January 1995-February 1995
    Policy area: Fire prevention
    Purpose: Survey of adults in England and Wales regarding smoke alarm ownership, maintenance, and awareness and recall of the advertising.

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