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Deportations
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) EC and (b) Irish nationals have been deported in the last five years. [1751]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The available information on European Community and Irish nationals is given in the table. Reliable statistics are not available for 1992. The number deported does not include those who are removed as illegal entrants or under port refusal procedures.
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| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | (15)1966 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irish nationals | 4 | 10 | 1 | 4 |
| EC nationals | 73 | 47 | 41 | 61 |
(13) Including voluntary departures after deportation action had been initiated.
(14) Excluding illegal entrants removed.
(15) Provisional data.
Irish Prisoners (Repatriation)
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in how many cases, to date, the papers of Irish prisoners who have applied for repatriation have been passed to the Irish Government; in how many cases prisoners have awaited a response for (a) more than three months, (b) more than four months, (c) more than five months and (d) a longer period; what consultation has taken place between both Governments to expedite the processing of such applications; and if he will make a statement; [1767]
- (2) how many Irish prisoners have been repatriated to the Irish Republic since the Irish Government ratified the relevant convention; how many prisoners are currently awaiting repatriation; what proposals Her Majesty's Government have to accelerate such repatriation; and if he will make a statement. [1768]
Ms Joyce Quin: Seventy-five requests for repatriation to the Irish Republic have been referred to the Irish Government. Of these, from the date of first application for repatriation to the date of notification of the final outcome of the request, one prisoner was notified of the decision in his case in less than three months; the remaining 74 prisoners have awaited notification of a final decision for six months or more. Of these, 19 prisoners have been notified of the outcome of their applications and 55 applications remain to be determined.
To date, 10 prisoners have been repatriated to the Republic. Six prisoners whose applications for repatriation to the Republic have been agreed by all parties concerned are currently awaiting repatriation.
Officials in the two jurisdictions are in regular contact regarding the processing of repatriation applications and ways of ensuring that such requests are dealt with as quickly as possible.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to take a decision on immigration case refs. IMP M672147/2(s), TH/41841/93, IMM 136180, about which the Adjudicator made recommendations on 22 November 1996. [1803]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The adjudicator's determination was not issued to the Home Office until 21 February 1997. Although this made a recommendation that entry clearance be granted, it did not state whether the appeal had been allowed or dismissed. On 27 March, the Immigration Appeals Authority informed the Home Office that the appeal had in fact been allowed.
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The entry clearance officer in Islamabad was subsequently instructed to issue entry clearance and this instruction was reiterated on 23 May 1997. The appellant's representatives in the United Kingdom have been informed of this.
Mr. Denzil Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the names of the political and special advisers who have been appointed to his Department since the General Election. [1744]
Mr. Straw:
Mr. Norman Warner and Mr. Ed Owen have been appointed as special advisers in this Department.
Mr. Stephen Twigg:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support his Department will be giving to Volunteers Week. [1908]
Mr. Michael:
Volunteers Week, which I was pleased to help launch this morning and which will run until 7 June, is a great opportunity to celebrate the enormous commitment made by volunteers to the life of our communities, and to encourage the involvement of others. The National Centre for Volunteering co-ordinates this annual event and receives financial support from the Home Office to do so.
I am delighted to be able to participate in the week by taking up the challenge issued by the Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) to hon. Members to give up an hour of their time to volunteer on a WRVS project. I hope that all hon. Members will join me in participating in Volunteers Week to acknowledge the achievements of volunteers, who give freely of their time and talents throughout the year and whose involvement makes such a difference to so many people.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce his policy on the change of name of the Humberside police to the Humber police. [1030]
Mr. Michael
[holding answer 22 May 1997]: I am issuing a consultation paper today to seek the views of the local police, police authority and local authorities on the Government's preferred option of not proceeding with the name change unless there is clear evidence of local support for the change. I am also writing today to all hon. Members for constituencies in the Humberside police area to seek their views in response to the consultation paper.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make available for public inspection all documents held in the Public Record Office regarding the Nazi Holocaust. [1451]
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Mr. Hoon:
Questions of release of closed records in the Public Record Office are in the first instance the responsibility of individual Departments. Departments keep closed records regularly under review for release, if the sensitivity has lapsed. However no closed war time records relating to the Nazi holocaust have currently been identified in the Public Record Office.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library of all documents deposited in the Public Record Office by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority concerning the disposal of plutonium contaminated radioactive waste of United Kingdom origin at the Hurd Deep. [1437]
Mr. Hoon:
Forty two files have been identified among records transferred by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority to the Public Record Office which relate to the disposal of radioactive waste at the Hurd Deep. All are open to public inspection, except one which is not yet thirty years old. Arrangements are in hand to make this one item available. The making of copies of this quantity of material for the Library could only be done at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 May, Official Report, column 25, when he will discuss the future of the Chilmark Section of RAF Chilmark with the local planning authority, Salisbury district council. [1286]
Mr. Spellar:
My officials are due to discuss the potential uses of the Chilmark site with Salisbury District Council shortly. My reply on the 20 May, Official Report, column 258, should have included both Salisbury district council and Fovant parish council which were omitted in error.
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to ensure that vessels chartered by the MOD are British-flagged and crewed; and if he will make a statement. [1071]
Dr. John Reid:
The Ministry of Defence is always eager to charter British flagged and crewed ships where they offer best value for money in meeting our requirements. Experience has shown however, that, in general, British ships, particularly for certain categories such as dry cargo vessels, are fully committed to regular trading activities and are seldom offered for charter.
In today's security environment, a substantial part of any logistic shipping requirement can be met on the worldwide market where vessels need not necessarily be British flagged or crewed as demonstrated during the Gulf
2 Jun 1997 : Column: 12
war, in subsequent operations and in day to day activities. The hon. Member will, of course, be aware of the important contribution made by the specialist ships and civilian crews of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service who provide such sterling assistance to our armed forces around the globe.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what plans he has to commission research into current planning guidance and practice on the disposal of his Department's sites and to investigate the wider social consequences of disposal; [1212]
(3) if he will commission a research project to establish the total public costs and benefits of major disposals of his Department's property as an alternative to the present policy; and if he will make a statement. [1217]
Mr. Spellar:
Our policy is to dispose of surplus property in a timely manner which takes into account the Government's wider employment and environmental objectives, local planning and social considerations, and the need to protect the taxpayers interest. We are currently in discussions with the DoE on the broader planning and development policy context within which such disposal take place.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's houses are empty in each district council area in Hampshire. [1214]
Mr. Spellar:
My Department has 1,225 empty houses in Hampshire. Of these, 133 are surplus agreed for disposal; 257 are allocated for deployments or individual moves; 340 are awaiting works/modernisation and 14 await furnishings.
(2) what plans he has to review the current policy for the disposal of surplus departmental land and sites; and if he will make a statement; [1218]
| Number | |
|---|---|
| East Hampshire District Council | 55 |
| Eastleigh Borough Council | 2 |
| Fareham District Council | 26 |
| Gosport District Council | 347 |
| Hart District Council | 103 |
| Havant District Council | 6 |
| New Forest District Council | 57 |
| Portsmouth Unitary Authority | 111 |
| Rushmoor Borough Council | 395 |
| Test Valley Borough Council | 73 |
| Winchester District Council | 50 |
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