Previous Section Index Home Page


Gulf War (Illness)

Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of his Department's work in relation to illnesses among service men and women who served in the Gulf war.[865]

Mr. Soames: I will write to the right hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

1 Nov 1996 : Column: 271

War Widows' Pensions

Mr. Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will rescind the regulations reducing war widows' pensions because their husbands died of smoking-related causes; and if he will make a statement. [880]

Mr. Heald: I have been asked to reply.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 30 October, Official Report, column 162.

PRIME MINISTER

Cabinet Office (Cash Limits)

Mr. Key: To ask the Prime Minister what proposals there are to change the 1996-97 cash limit or running cost limit for the Cabinet Office: other services vote. [2433]

The Prime Minister: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit of the Cabinet Office: other services, class XVIII, vote 1, will be increased by £4,354,000 from £37,682,000 to £42,036,000 and the running cost limit will be increased by £2,567,000 from £40,586,000 to £43,153,000.

The increases reflect the transfer of provision of £645,000--running costs--and £1,457,000--capital--from the Office of the Public Service, class XVII, vote 1, to cover the cost of new repayment services; the transfer of certain administrative functions, the OPS's contribution to the cost of early staff departures and new IT systems and the increase of £70,000 in both running costs and receipts to account for staff loaned to Inland Revenue on repayment terms.

The increases also include the transfer of provision of £105,000--running costs--and £400,000--capital--from the reserve to fund new services and essential building works.

The vote is eligible for a cash limit increase of £1,788,000 in respect of end-year flexibility for running costs expenditure. The supplementary estimate will give effect to £1,738,000 of the increase.

All the increases are either offset by interdepartmental transfers or have been charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Immigration (Philippines)

Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons born in the Philippines are estimated to reside in the United Kingdom; how many have the right of settlement; and which immigration laws permit (a) entry and (b) settlement. [1090]

Mr. Kirkhope: The labour force survey carried out in spring 1996 estimates that there are 29,000 persons born in the Philippines who are usually resident in the United Kingdom. Information on the number who may be eligible to apply for settlement is not available. Information on

1 Nov 1996 : Column: 272

the number granted settlement each year between 1985 and 1995 is published in table 6.5 of the "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom 1995" (Cm 3353), a copy of which is in the Library. Entry into and settlement in the United Kingdom is governed by the Immigration Act 1971 and the immigration rules made under it.

Extradition

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the numbers of (a) requests made by United Kingdom authorities for the extradition of persons to the United Kingdom, (b) requests for extradition received from other countries for the extradition of persons out of the United Kingdom, and (c) individuals actually extradited to and from the United Kingdom for each year since 1992. [876]

Mr. Kirkhope: The Home Secretary is responsible for extraditions to and from England and Wales and from Northern Ireland. The information that follows relates to such cases.


A number of extradition cases from 1994 and 1995 have not yet been resolved.

The figures refer to extradition to and from countries other than the Republic of Ireland. Extradition between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland takes place under the Backing of Warrants (Republic of Ireland) Act 1965 and the corresponding legislation of the Republic of Ireland. The Home Secretary is responsible where the case involves seeking the return of a fugitive who has been convicted by a court in England or Wales, while the Attorney-General is responsible where the case involves seeking the return of a person accused of an offence in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. I will write to the hon. Member with the statistics for such cases.

1 Nov 1996 : Column: 273

Departmental Cash Limits

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for changes to the 1996-97 cash limits within his responsibilities. [2374]

Mr. Howard: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the cash limit for class VII, vote 1--Home Office administration, police probation, immigration and other services, England and Wales--will be increased by £2,388,000 from £4,597,305,000 to £4,599,693,000 and for vote 2--prisons, England and Wales--will be increased by £120,646,000 from £1,521,670,000 to £1,642,316,000.

The increase for vote 1 is the net effect of transfers from the Ministry of Defence in respect of charging for meteorological services, from the Security Facilities Agency in respect for charging for its services, to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in respect of drug prevention; to the department for Education and Employment and Welsh Office in respect of sponsorship of probation students; to the Department of Health in respect of drugs challenge funding; from the Department for Education and Employment and Welsh Office in respect of provision of closed circuit television in schools; to the Department for National Heritage in respect of the transfer of responsibility for voluntary services; from the Prison Service in respect of boards of visitors' training and to non-cash limited police special grant within this vote in respect of pilot private finance initiative projects.

For vote 2 the increase is the net effect of additional provision of £120,650,000 from the reserve to meet the costs of the implementation of phase 2 of the recommendations of the Woodcock report and to increase the capacity of the Prison Service to meet the projected increase in the prison population, which includes the take-up of £750,000 end year flexibility towards the costs of Colchester young offenders institution; and the transfer of £4,000 to class VII, vote 1, Home Office, for external training of staff of the boards of visitors secretariat.

The non-voted cash limit--HO/LACAP--is reduced by £490,000 from £98,382,000 to £97,892,000 due to a transfer to non-cash limited police special grant within vote 1 in respect of pilot PFI projects.

In consequence of the changes the Home Office gross running cost limit will be increased by £12,334,000 from £1,801,481,000 to £1,813,815,000.

The increases will be offset by savings, transfers or charges to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people who had applied for asylum were deported from Scottish prisons during 1994, 1995 and from 1 January this year to date; and what were the nationalities of those deported;[1526]

1 Nov 1996 : Column: 274

Mr. Kirkhope [holding answer 31 October 1996]: The specific information requested is not available.

LORD CHANCELLORS'S DEPARTMENT

Law Commission

Mr. Alton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary , Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the draft bills published by the Law Commission in the last five years.[1664]

Mr. Streeter: During the years 1991 to 1996 the Law Commission has published 26 reports with draft Bills attached. They are listed in the table.

List of Law Commission Reports in 1991-96 with Drafts Bills annexed

Report NoReport
1991
199Transfer of Land: Implied Covenants for Title
202Criminal Law: Corroboration of Evidence in Criminal Trials
204Transfer of Land: Land Mortgages
1992
207Family Law: Domestic Violence and Occupation of the Family Home
208Landlord and Tenant: Business Tenancies--a periodic review of the Landlord and Tenant Act
1993
215Sale of Goods Forming Part of a Bulk
216The Hearsay Rule in Civil Proceedings
217Family Law: The Effect of Divorce on Wills
218Legislating the Criminal Code: Offences Against the Person and General Principles
219Contributory Negligence as a Defence in Contract
1994
220The Law of Trusts: Delegation by Individual Trustees
221Landlord and Tenant: Termination of Tenancies Bill
222Binding Over
224Structured Settlements and Interim and Provisional Damages
226Administrative Law: Judicial Review and Statutory Appeals
227Restitution: Mistakes of Law and Ultra Vires Public Authority Receipts and Payments
228Criminal Law: Conspiracy to Defraud
1995
229Legislating the Criminal Code: Intoxication and Criminal Liability
230Legislating the Criminal Code: The Year and a Day Rule in Homicide
231Mental Incapacity
235Transfer of Land: Land Registration
236Fiduciary Duties and Regulatory Rules
1996
237Legislating the Criminal Code: Involuntary Manslaughter
238Landlord and Tenant: Responsibility for State and Condition of Property
242Privity of Contract: Contracts for the Benefit of Third Parties
243Offences of Dishonesty: Money Transfers


1 Nov 1996 : Column: 275

Mr. Alton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the role of the Law Commission. [1663]

Mr. Streeter: The Law Commission has a single, central purpose: promoting the reform of the law, so that the law will be simpler, fairer, more modern and cheaper to use.

Mr. Alton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the estimated outturn figure for the 1995-96 budget for the Law Commission.[1661]

Mr. Streeter: The estimated figure for the financial year 1995-96 is £2,960,537. This does not include charges for accommodation.

Mr. Alton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the number of permanent staff at the Law Commission; and how are they appointed. [1662]

Mr. Streeter: There are currently 39 permanent established staff working at the Law Commission and 19 established staff on short, fixed term appointments. This includes five parliamentary counsel assigned to the Law Commission from the parliamentary counsel's office.

All staff at the Law Commission are civil servants, recruited through open competition in accordance with the civil service commissioner's recruitment code.


Next Section Index Home Page