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Pakistan
Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the inclusion of Pakistan in the white list of countries designated free of persecution under the terms of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1997; and if he will make a statement. [13150]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We are examining the general operation of the designated safe countries provision as part of our continuing review of asylum law and procedures.
Border and Passport Controls
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the terms of reference of the spending review dealing with issues relating to immigration and to border and passport controls. [13399]
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Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The terms of reference of the study of immigration controls at ports which forms part of the Home Office comprehensive spending review are:
To review the cost effectiveness of United Kingdom immigration controls, with particular reference to the deployment of resources at ports of entry, taking into account:
The study will have regard to other work, including the foreign and commonwealth office review of entry clearance, the study of asylum process, the appeals review, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) reviews of detention and enforcement strategy and the implications for the IND Casework Programme.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British citizens have in the past 12 months left the United Kingdom with their spouses as a result of a deportation order being served on the spouse; in how many cases the travel cost of the British citizen was paid out of public funds; and what was the total sum involved. [13305]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
It is our normal policy to offer a public expense departure to any dependants (spouse and minor children) who wish to accompany a deportee on removal from the United Kingdom.
Details about British citizens who elect to leave the United Kingdom in this way are not recorded centrally and the costs of their travel are not distinguishable.
Mr. Malins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportation orders have been made in each of the last four years against persons aged over 60 years; and how many such persons have been deported. [13346]
Mr. Mike O'Brien
[holding answer 30 October 1997]: The numbers of deportation orders made, and the numbers of removals effected, against persons aged over 60 years when the relevant action was taken, are given in the table. The numbers deported do not include persons removed as illegal entrants or under port refusal procedures.
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legal constraints following the Amsterdam summit;
projected increases in the number of passengers arriving in the United Kingdom;
projected changes in the numbers and nature of inadmissible and inadequately documented passengers arriving in the United Kingdom;
new technology and consequent organisational changes in immigration clearance processes;
the potential for close co-operation with other agencies, including carriers and port authorities;
the scope and application of the Carriers' Liability Act;
the scope for joint working with Customs and the police;
the scope for charging for services and the attendant financial regime;
the balance between pre, post and on-entry control, including the costs and benefits of more preventative activity.
| 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997(11) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deportation orders made | 32 | 65 | 65 | 17 |
| Persons removed from the United Kingdom under the deportation process (12)(13) | 40 | 62 | 55 | 28 |
(9) Covers persons aged over 60 years when the relevant action took place.
(10) Excludes persons removed as illegal entrants.
(11) Provisional figures for January for September 1997.
(12) Includes voluntary departures after deportation action had been initiated.
(13) Some removals relate to deportation orders made in previous years.
Prison Boards of Visitors
Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on the requirement for all chairs of prison boards of visitors to be appointed directly by the Home Secretary. [13317]
Ms Quin: The procedure whereby the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Boards of Visitors are appointed by the Secretary of State, after consultation with the Board, follows a recommendation to that effect made in the 1995 report of the Ministerial Review of the Role of Boards of Visitors. The change in procedure was made to acknowledge the importance of these roles.
Fire Safety
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking in respect of fire safety levels in hotels within the EU. [12982]
Mr. George Howarth: My officials have written to their counterparts in other interested Departments and will shortly meet representatives of the tourist industry to discuss further the concerns they and others have raised with us about fire safety in hotel accommodation in some member states. In the light of those and other ongoing discussions, I intend to consult Ministerial colleagues to determine whether there is a need for us to press for an improvement in compliance with European Community recommendation 86/666/EEC--on fire safety in existing hotels--by other member states.
Within the United Kingdom, we consider fire safety levels in hotels to be high, and our domestic legislation in this area already meets the principles of European Community recommendation 86/666/EEC on fire safety in existing hotels. We must therefore carefully weigh any perceived shortcomings in hotel fire safety in other member states against not only public safety but the possibility of unnecessarily imposing further legislation burdens on our own domestic tourist industry which would probably have no tangible safety benefit for hotel guests in the United Kingdom.
Daylight Saving
Dr. Tony Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce Central European Time. [13759]
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Mr. George Howarth:
None, but we shall continue to listen to all sides of the argument.
Mr. Winnick:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much expenditure has so far been incurred in making inquiries over Mr. Shayler leaving M15. [13354]
Mr. Straw
[holding answer 30 October 1997]: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to change the visitors' visa regime. [13930]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Our manifesto commits us to providing a streamlined right of appeal for visitors denied a visa. We are examining the options for doing this.
Mr. Mullin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of Manchester as to the cost of (a) damages and (b) legal fees paid in settlement of the case brought against him by Mr. Kevin Taylor; and if he will make a statement. [13966]
Mr. Michael:
A settlement was concluded between the Greater Manchester Police and Mr. Kevin Taylor in June 1995. I understand that the terms of the settlement are a matter of confidentiality between the two parties involved.
Mr. Colvin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to publish his consultative document on firearms legislation; and what will be the latest date for submissions. [13910]
Mr. Michael:
The Government have made it clear that our first priority is to see the legislation to ban .22 handguns reach the statute book. Once the complete ban on handguns has been achieved, we will consider wether further steps are required to secure public safety. If we consider that further steps are necessary, we will consult widely with all interested parties, but no timescale has been set, either for our consideration or for consultation.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy of his Department in respect of hon. Members seeing their constituents who are in detention awaiting removal to another country. [13981]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Hon. Members will normally be given access to Immigration Service Detention Centres between the hours of 0800 and 2100, and outside these hours by prior arrangement. In Her Majesty's Prisons, hon. Members may visit detainees on production of a valid special visiting order issued by the governor, during the visiting hours specified. I understand that the hon. Member has also raised a question about his visit to Charles Street Police Station, Leicester, which is being replied to separately.
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