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Policing (East Anglia)
25. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next expects to meet chief constables from East Anglia to discuss policing in rural areas. [25063]
Mr. Maclean: My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to do so at present.
Illegal Immigration (Profit)
26. Mrs. Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking to curb the activities of those bringing illegal immigrants into the United Kingdom for profit. [25064]
Miss Widdecombe: The Immigration Service works closely with the police and other agencies in this country and abroad to gather, evaluate and disseminate intelligence about those engaged in facilitating illegal entry to this country; suspected areas of abuse are investigated and the Crown Prosecution Service instigates prosecutions in appropriate cases.
The Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987 requires all air and sea carriers to ensure that they do not carry inadequately documented passengers. In addition, the Asylum and Immigration Bill seeks to create the new offences of facilitating for reward the entry of an asylum seeker and assisting a person to obtain leave to remain to which they have no entitlement.
Police Forces (Revenue Finance)
27. Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by how much he plans to increase the revenue finance for police forces in England and Wales in each of the next three years in order to increase by 5,000 the number of police officers. [25065]
Mr. Maclean: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier to the hon. Member for Bootle, (Mr. Benton).
Persistent Burglars and Drug Dealers
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he proposes to take to deal with persistent burglars and drug dealers; and if he will make a statement. [25057]
Mr. Maclean: I propose that the courts should be required to impose stiff minimum prison sentences on persistent burglars and drug dealers. Full details of my proposals are set out in the White Paper "Protecting the Public: the Government's strategy on crime in England and Wales", a copy of which is in the Library.
Metropolitan Police
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the (a) strength and (b) cost of the Metropolitan police force (i) in 1979 and (ii) currently; and if he will make a statement. [25310]
Mr. Maclean: At the end of March, Metropolitan police strength, excluding officers seconded from the Metropolitan police, for example to regional crime squads and central service, was 27,342. I understand that the latest estimate for net revenue expenditure for 1995-96
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is £1,688.493 million. These figures compare with police strength of 22,168 as at 31 March 1979 and net revenue expenditure of £381.673 million in 1979-80.
Criminal and Terrorist Activity
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the relationship with the Republic of Ireland (a) as a common migration zone and (b) regarding criminal and terrorist activity. [25352]
Mr. Howard: The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, along with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, form the common travel area. The CTA reflects the fact that, with the exception of a short period around the second world war, British and Irish nationals have always been free to reside in either country. Journeys within the CTA are normally exempt from, immigration, control, although journeys which start from, or extend beyond, it are still liable to border controls.
Practical co-operation between the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the Metropolitan police and the Garda continues at all levels. Security co-operation with the Irish Government, and between our respective security forces, remains of vital importance.
Mrs. Audrey Grant
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when Mrs. Audrey Grant of Birmingham is to be deported to Jamaica; and what are the reasons for the deportation; [26844]
- (2) what plans he has to review the case of Mrs. Audrey Grant and the deportation order served against her; and how many representations he has had from people concerned about the deportation. [26846]
Mr. Kirkhope: Mrs. Grant is not the subject of a deportation order. She has been given leave to move by the High Court for a judicial review of the decision to remove her to Jamaica as an illegal entrant. No action will be taken pending a decision by the court.
We have received recent representations about the case from nine members of Parliament and from 11 members of the public or organisations.
Deportees
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportees, over the last 12 months, have parents and children living legally in Britain. [26845]
Mr. Kirkhope: The information requested is not available.
KPMG
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total value of contracts awarded to KPMG in each of the last three years for which information is available. [26283]
Mr. Howard [holding answer 22 April 1996]: Individual contract values cannot be given for reasons of commercial confidentiality. The number of contracts awarded to KPMG in each of the last three years and their total value is as follows:
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| Number of contracts | £ | |
|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 3 | 153,000 |
| 1994-95 | 2 | 60,000 |
| 1995-96 | 3 | 117,000 |
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultancies have been let to KPMG by (a) the Forensic Science Service, (b) the probation training unit and (c) C6 division of the Home Office in the last three years. [25560]
Mr. Howard: Only one such contract has been awarded, by the probation training unit.
Prison Escapes
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the procedures for informing (a) his Department and (b) the public when an escape has taken place from a prison. [26336]
Miss Widdecome [holding answer 24 April 1996]: 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 Richard Tilt to Mr. Doug Hoyle dated 25 April 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what are the procedures for informing (a) his Department and (b) the public when an escape has taken place from a prison.
The procedures for informing Ministers are set in the Prison Service's Framework Document, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. The Framework Document specifies that the Home Secretary will receive reports from the Director General on the escape of a category A prisoner. In addition to the stipulation contained in the Framework Document the Home Secretary receives reports on multiple escapes and escapes of notorious prisoners. Prison Service headquarters is informed immediately of any escape.
There are no national arrangements for the notification of the general public of an escape from prison.
Legal Actions (Costs)
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost to public funds of all the legal actions he has (a) lost and (b) settled since his appointment. [26012]
Mr. Howard: Records are not kept centrally in the form requested.
Prisoners (Drug Use)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what records are available to his Department in respect of prisoners in England and Wales who are registered drug users. [26543]
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.
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Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 25 April 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what records are available to the Department in respect of prisoners in England and Wales who are registered drug users.
The Home Office Addicts Index maintains records of notified drug misusers. Because of the confidential nature of the data, the only prison staff allowed access are Medical Officers, who also have access to the medical records of individual prisoners.
British Steel
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total value of commercial orders placed by his Department with British Steel plc in each year from 1988 to 1995. [25816]
Mr. Howard: Information about the value of commercial orders placed with British Steel plc is not available before April 1993. The value of commercial orders placed since then is approximately £750, in financial year 1995-96.
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