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Immigration Rules
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend the immigration rules in respect of spouses where the sponsor is disabled and unable to work. [13877]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: There are no such plans. The rules relating to maintenance and accommodation allow a person who is present and settled here to sponsor their spouse to come to the United Kingdom, providing there will be no additional recourse to public funds. This means that a sponsor may continue to receive benefits to which he is entitled in his own right.
Police Service Targets
Ms Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the key objectives and key performance indicators for the police service in 1998-99.[14373]
Mr. Straw: I am arranging for copies of the Key Objectives and Key Performance Indicators for the police service in 1998-99 to be placed in the Library at 11.00 am tomorrow.
Individual Cases (Ministerial Meetings)
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests since 1 May he and his Ministers have received from hon. Members to discuss individual cases; and how many of these have been granted. [13879]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I could not say without consulting each individual file how many meeting requests I have received, but I will always be happy to meet hon. Members to discuss cases unless there are strong reasons for not doing so. Often a meeting proves to be unnecessary because the case is resolved to the Member's satisfaction, and if an individual is detained pending removal I will often prefer to handle representations in writing or by telephone in order to prevent delay.
I have already held 25 such meetings at the Home Office, and have another 10 scheduled for the next month. I aim to respond promptly to such requests.
Immigration Policy
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests he and his Ministers have received from hon. Members since 1 May 1997 to discuss general issues of immigration policy; and how many of these were responded to within (a) one week, (b) two weeks, (c) one month, (d) three months and (e) over three months. [13881]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I do not have the specific information my hon. Friend requests. Nevertheless, I am always happy to meet hon. Members to discuss issues of immigration policy and have held such discussions with at least 15 hon. Members since May.
If my hon. Friend wishes to have such a meeting with me, perhaps he could contact my Private Office.
3 Nov 1997 : Column: 30
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the occupancy level and age profile of prisoners within Lewes prison. [13784]
Ms Quin:
Lewes prison has a Certified Normal Accommodation of 485 and an Operational Capacity of 496. On 31 October 1997 the prison held 487 inmates. An age breakdown for all prisoners held in the prison on 30 September is given in the table.
| Age | Number |
|---|---|
| 15--17 | (15)5 |
| 18-20 | (16)82 |
| 21-24 | 98 |
| 25-29 | 93 |
| 30-39 | 120 |
| 40-49 | 63 |
| 50-59 | 25 |
| 60 and over | 3 |
| Total | 489 |
(14) Provisional figures.
(15) All on remand.
(16) 43 on remand.
Irish Republic (British Subjects)
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for British passports have been received from persons born in the Irish Republic who are the children of British subjects, in the last six months. [14057]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The UK Passport Agency is unable to provide this information as the records that are kept do not differentiate between British subject passports issued to those born in or connected with the Irish Republic and those born in India who have that status by connection with former British India. The Agency can only confirm that 3,894 British subject passports were issued in the six month period May to October 1997. The status of British subject cannot be transmitted to a child born in the Irish Republic after 31 December 1948.
War Memorials
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take action to ensure the proper preservation of war memorials in circumstances where the church or other building in which they are located is destroyed or converted to other use. [13692]
Mr. George Howarth: Provision for the preservation or recording of memorials to the dead is contained in existing legislation concerning the development of burial grounds.
Under the Pastoral Measure 1983, if a disused Church of England church and churchyard is made the subject of a redundancy scheme, there is a requirement to give notice of the manner in which memorials are proposed to be disposed of and to offer relatives or the Commonwealth War Graves Commission the opportunity to make separate arrangements.
3 Nov 1997 : Column: 31
Where the memorials are removed, details, including a copy of the inscription and the date and manner of disposal, are to be lodged with the local council and copied to the Registrar General.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to take to ensure that those who deposit syringes and other medical-related items of a potential health hazard in public places, or in domestic refuse containers, can be prosecuted. [13307]
Angela Eagle:
I have been asked to reply.
Under section 87 of the Environment Protection Act 1990, any person who drops and leaves litter in a public open space is committing a criminal offence and is liable to prosecution. Prosecutions may be brought by the Police or local authorities and upon conviction the litterer may face a maximum fine of £2,500. Local authorities may also issue fixed penalty notices to anyone who drops litter and refuses to dispose of it properly.
The term litter has a wide interpretation and we have no reason to believe that it would not include syringes and medical items. The offence relates to what is done with the material rather than what it is.
In addition, Section 46 of the Environment Protection Act 1990 enables local authorities to serve notice on householders requiring specified substances to be put in separate receptacles. Failure to comply with the provisions of this notice may lead to a summary conviction under section 46(6) of the Act.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to increase investment in scientific research and development. [13027]
Dr. Howells:
As part of our commitment to maintaining and enhancing research excellence in higher education, the funding package for higher education for 1998-99 announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 23 September will include an extra £125 million to maintain and improve quality and standards, and to make a start on the backlog of maintenance and equipment replacement for both teaching and research facilities.
In the longer term, decisions on funding for research in higher education, having regard to the recommendations of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, will be taken in the light of the comprehensive spending review.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many demountable classrooms or other temporary buildings are used for teaching at schools in the Colchester area; what is the age of the oldest such classroom; and what plans he has to replace them with permanent classrooms; [13697]
3 Nov 1997 : Column: 32
Mr. Byers:
The information sought is not collected centrally.
The Government is concerned about the condition of many school premises. We have already begun to address the repairs and maintenance backlog. The Prime Minister announced on 30 September that £115 million would be spent by the end of this financial year. Over 2,000 schools will benefit. By the end of this Parliament, we expect an additional £2 billion to be spent as a result of the New Deal for Schools.
Miss Widdecombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many schools were notified of new deal for school opportunities after the deadline for submitting bids was passed; [13742]
(3) if he will make special arrangements for those schools who received notification of New Deal for Schools money after the deadline for submitting bids had passed. [14096]
Mr. Byers:
I understand that most schools received the Department's letter of 18 July about the New Deal for Schools (NDS) before the deadline. Schools were not being invited to bid, but were being informed that Local Education Authorities and the Funding Agency for Schools (FAS) would be bidding on their behalf.
The £83 million already distributed is only the first instalment of a larger programme announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget. We expect a further £2 billion will be available over the lifetime of this Parliament for schools in England. We will be issuing bidding guidance shortly on the arrangements for the second tranche of NDS funding. All schools, including those that did not receive funding in the first round, will be able to submit bids to their LEAs, or the FAS in the case of Grant Maintained schools.
Mr. Salter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has for the private sector to lead partnerships for the organisation and delivery of the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds. [14449]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
I am pleased to announce the outcome of the competition to identify private sector organisation to lead partnerships for the organisations and delivery of the New Deal in both of the pathfinder districts of Hackney and City and South Humber. The successful organisation in Hackney and City is Reed Personnel Services and in South Humber, Action for Employment Ltd.
3 Nov 1997 : Column: 33
Because of the high quality responses within this competition, it has been decided that private sector organisations should be invited to lead the organisation and delivery of the New Deal in a total of ten locations--the two pathfinder districts and in eight new localities:
(2) how many schools in England and Wales are comprised solely of demountable classrooms; and if he will make a statement. [13698]
(2) what remedies he proposes to offer schools which were notified of new deal for schools opportunities after the deadline had passed; and if he will make a statement;[13743]
Colchester
Solihull
Leicestershire
Tyneside, North
Exeter and East Devon
Bridgend and the Glamorgan Valleys
West Lancashire
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