3 Jun 1997 : Column: 117
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 3 June 1997
HOME DEPARTMENT
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the backlog of cases for each of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's divisions on 5 May. [795]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The latest available information relates to the end of April 1997 and is given in the table.
| After Entry and Appeals Directorate(3) | 20,400 |
| Asylum Directorate(4) | 52,400 |
| European Directorate | 3,300 |
| Nationality Directorate | 61,500 |
| Immigration Service Enforcement Directorate(5) | 19,200 |
| Finance and Services Directorate(6) | 6,700 |
(1) Includes unactioned cases and work in progress.
(2) To the nearest hundred.
(3) Including referred entry clearance applications and appeals awaiting preparation of statements.
(4) Cases awaiting an initial decision and asylum appeals awaiting validation and preparation.
(5) Excluding just over 20,000 cases where illegal entry papers have been served but there is an outstanding asylum appeal/application; these cases are included in the Asylum Directorate figure.
(6) Items of correspondence (mainly passports, letters and new applications being sorted and allocated to caseworkers).
Wheel Clamping
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations his Department has received during the last 12 months on wheel clamping; what action he proposes to take to regulate wheel clamping; and if he will make a statement. [1080]
Mr. Michael: Over the last 12 months, the Home Office has received proposals on wheel clamping from the Automobile Association the British Parking Association, and Legislation on Car Clamping. There have been four Parliamentary Questions, letters and suggestions for specific action to deal with the problem from 37 Members of Parliament, two letters from local authorities and 60 letters from members of the public. The Government consider the present situation on wheel clamping on private land to be unsatisfactory, and we will take a fresh look at the options for dealing with the problem.
Police Authorities
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to abolish the present structure of police authorities; and if he will
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introduce measures to make police authorities (a) more representative of and (b) more accountable to local communities. [1552]
Mr. Michael:
No. There are no national plans at present to change the structure of police authorities. However, in London we are considering arrangements for establishing a new police authority for the Metropolitan Police.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources his Department has given to Interpol's drug squad in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [1549]
Mr. Michael:
Although a significant proportion of its work is in facilitating international drugs inquiries, Interpol does not have a drugs squad.
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 68 |
| 1994-95 | 479 |
| 1995-96 | 924 |
| 1996-97 | 803 |
Some additional costs were incurred by the Home Office as a result of staff time spent on representational, liaison and other duties associated with the work of the Unit.
Closed Circuit Television
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for facilitating the implementation of CCTV crime prevention schemes by local councils. [457]
Mr. Michael: I am considering the future of the closed circuit television Challenge competition as part of our review of existing expenditure programmes. I want to ensure that the resources available for measures to promote community safety are used to best effect. A decision on whether there will be another round of the competition in 1998-99 will be made later in the summer.
Youth Offender Teams
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources will be available to youth offender teams; what percentage of their funding will be met from local authority budgets; and if he will make a statement. [1577]
Mr. Michael:
The Government are committed to a wide ranging reform of the youth justice system. Our proposals include establishing a National Youth Justice Board and local multi-agency youth offender teams to help ensure high standards and consistency in the delivery
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of youth justice services. We are currently developing the details of these proposals and will announce these over the coming months.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of prisons (a) currently under construction and (b) being planned indicating when they will be completed, how much each will cost, and how many inmates they will take; and if he will make a statement. [1579]
Ms Joyce Quin:
Three new prisons are currently being built under the Private Finance Initiative.
Her Majesty's Prison Altcourse will be a 600 place prison. It is planned that its first prisoner will be received on 1 December 1997. Its Net Present Value (NPV) is £247 million. The NPV covers the costs of construction, finance and operation in terms of fees over the lifetime of the contract.
Her Majesty's Prison Parc will be an 800 place prison. It is planned that its first prisoner will be received on 17 November 1997. Its NPV is £266 million.
Her Majesty's Prison Lowdham Grange will be a 500 place prison. It is planned that its first prisoner will be received on 16 February 1998. Its NPV is £130 million.
The Prison Service plans to provide a further 2,400 places at new prisons over the next three years. Planning approval has been given to re-build Her Majesty's Prison Pucklechurch, near Bristol, as a 400 place prison for males under 21 years old. Plans to build an 800 place prison at Agecroft in Salford are subject to the outcome of a planning inquiry, expected shortly. The remaining 1,200 places will be provided by two more prisons once suitable sites have been agreed.
Mr. Steinberg:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contribution he intends his Department to make to the presentation and delivery of the Government's agenda. [2076]
Dr. David Clark:
I intend to publish a White Paper in the autumn on our programme for the regeneration of government. This will set out our unified approach to providing accountable government which is attuned to people's interests and concerns. I have already announced my intention to publish a White Paper on Freedom of Information before the Summer Recess. I will bring forward proposals on the accountability, efficiency and transparency of Departments, Executive Agencies, and other public bodies. I will develop our commitment to more efficient and effective public services. My Department will consult widely with the general public on our plans to transform the existing programme of charters to deliver what people want from public services; to remove unnecessary bureaucracy from the daily lives of citizens and small business; and to use Information Technology in the delivery of enhanced and accessible services to the public.
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My Department will be taking a coherent and energetic approach, looking across departmental boundaries, to realise our aim of accountable, accessible, responsive and efficient government.
Mr. Etherington:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many broiler chickens slaughtered in the United Kingdom have been rejected as unfit for human consumption since 24 April 1996. [1120]
| Total throughput | Unfit for human consumption | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | 695,243,052 | 8,394,463 (to 27 April 1997) | 1.2 |
| Northern Ireland | 58,091,168 | 611,814 (to 24 March 1997) | 1.0 |
Departmental Publications
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what means his Department makes available its publications in (a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print; and how this is publicised. [1677]
Mr. Morley: The following material is available in special formats for those with impaired vision or hearing:
The new microwave labels:
Braille booklet
Large print booklet
Audio cassette.
Healthy eating for older people:
Audio cassette
Large print booklet.
Food safety in the kitchen: Video in British Sign Language.
Healthy eating: Video in British Sign Language.
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