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Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on justice and home affairs matters currently under discussion within the European Union.[11922]
Ms Quin: In securing its major policy objectives in the Amsterdam treaty, the Government ensured that the United Kingdom would continue to play a leading role in European Union co-operation to fight crime, drugs and terrorism.
During its current presidency of the European Union, Luxembourg proposes to give priority to the implementation of the Dublin convention on asylum; to undertake further work on a draft Eurodac convention; and to work towards further measures to tackle illegal immigration. Attention will also be given to issues relating to the implementation of the Europol convention; work to counter a range of organised criminal activities; and aspects of the illegal production and trafficking of drugs.
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In general, Luxembourg's work programme has a strong practical emphasis, which the Government welcome, and on which we intend to build during the United Kingdom presidency in 1998.
A full explanatory note on Luxembourg's proposed work programmes was made available for parliamentary scrutiny earlier this month under explanatory note reference 9378/97.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has, pursuant to article K.2 of the Amsterdam treaty for (a) operational co-operation of law enforcement bodies, (b) training and secondment of staff, (c) shared use of equipment and forensics and (d) common evaluation of investigative techniques. [11402]
Mr. Michael
[holding answer 30 July 1997]: Support for operational co-operation, training and secondments, equipment and forensic science, and relevant investigative techniques are all matters which are already discussed under title VI of the present treaty on European Union. It is for future consideration exactly how they will be taken forward when the Amsterdam treaty is in force, but this will not require radical changes.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what operational guidelines will be issued on the protection of personal data while law enforcement bodies operate under article K.2 of the Amsterdam treaty. [11403]
Mr. Michael
[holding answer 30 July 1997]: We have no current plans to issue guidelines of this sort. The law enforcement agencies of member states will continue to operate in accordance with national law. The Europol convention already contains data protection provisions relating to Europol, and data protection issues will be considered fully in the development of any new initiatives at European Union level.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on (a) the independent operational capacity of Europol following the Amsterdam treaty and (b) Europol's proposed research, documentation and statistical network on cross-border crime. [11404]
Mr. Michael
[holding answer 30 July 1997]: Article K.2 of the Amsterdam treaty sets out the future role of Europol in supporting operational activity by law enforcement agencies of member states. Europol will have no independent operational capacity. The reference to a research documentation and statistical network is consistent with the tasks already set out in the Europol convention. It will be for consideration, once the Amsterdam treaty and the Europol convention have been ratified, whether Europol's role in this area should be developed further.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the asylum protocol of the Amsterdam treaty on the formulation of (a) a common asylum policy and (b) a common asylum system for the European Union. [11411]
Mr. Mike O'Brien
[holding answer 30 July 1997]: The asylum protocol of the draft Amsterdam treaty concerns the handling of claims for asylum from nationals
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of European Union member states in other member states. As such, it will apply to a relatively small number of cases.
The position of the United Kingdom in relation to other measures which might be adopted under the new title in the treaty of the European Communities concerning free movement of persons, asylum and immigration, is guaranteed by protocol Y of the draft Amsterdam treaty. This provides that such measures shall not be binding on or applicable in the United Kingdom and Ireland unless either or both states wish to take part.
Ms Beverely Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisons and young offender institutions reduced their number of probation staff in the financial year 1996-97. [11635]
Ms Quin:
Thirty-eight per cent. of the total number of establishments in use during 1996-97 reduced their numbers of seconded probation staff. In some, the reduction was in terms of the number of hours worked by probation staff, rather than full-time posts. Some establishments have increased their numbers of probation staff since the beginning of the current financial year.
Ms Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many seconded probation officers there were in (i) June 1995, (ii) January 1996, (iii) June 1996, (iv) January 1997 and (v) June 1997; and what is the estimated national number in 1999; and nationally in (a) Manchester, (b) Leeds, (c) Birmingham and (d) each of the six London prisons. [11636]
Ms Quin:
The numbers of probation officers working in prisons on 30 June and 31 December each year from 1995 to 31 December 1996, the latest date for which figures are as yet available, are as follows:
Number | |
---|---|
30 June 1995 | 645 |
31 December 1995 | 639 |
30 June 1996 | 586 |
31 December 1996 | 543 |
Information on probation officers seconded to individual prisons is not held centrally, but I will write as soon as possible to my hon. Friend with the details she requests.
The number of probation officers seconded to the Prison Service in future years will depend on the outcome of the comprehensive spending review and of discussions between governors and chief probation officers about what staff in what grades can most efficiently meet the services' joint responsibilities to provide good through care under the national through care framework published in 1993, a copy of which is in the Library.
Mrs. May:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his Department's policy towards
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restorative justice; and what guidance is given to (a) police forces and (b) magistrates on the operation of restorative justice; [11834]
Mr. Michael:
I have recently met representatives of the National Council for Social Concern to discuss their proposals to promote restorative justice in England and Wales. Our long-standing commitment to introduce a reparation order demonstrates the Government's wish to restore a proper balance of rights and responsibilities which will be taken forward in the Crime and Disorder Bill later this year. The concept of "restorative justice", like the concept of "relational justice" developed by the Jubilee centre in Cambridge, provide useful tools for understanding crime and disorder when combined with a careful analysis of local problems and an objective assessment of "what works".
Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what conditions a foreign national who has married a resident of the United Kingdom, in the United Kingdom, may have the unlimited right to remain in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [11905]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
A person who enters the United Kingdom with an entry clearance for the purpose of marriage, or who is in the United Kingdom for a purpose other than marriage and subsequently marries a British citizen or a person settled here, may be granted an initial probationary period of 12 months leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom provided that person meets the requirements of the immigration rules. On completion of the 12-month probationary period, they may be granted indefinite leave to remain provided the marriage still subsists and the other requirements of the immigration rules are met.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison staff members have accepted offers of early retirement or severance under the voluntary early retirement and severance scheme. [11837]
Ms Quin:
One thousand, one hundred and thirty-four members of staff accepted offers of early retirement or severance under the Prison Service voluntary early retirement and severance scheme.
(2) what plans he has to review the operation of restorative justice in United Kingdom police forces. [11833]
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