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Students (Fees)
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to provide financial support for the tuition fee contributions of part-time students in higher education. [14804]
Dr. Howells:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 6 November 1997, Official Report, column 309.
12 Nov 1997 : Column: 557
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will instruct jobcentres to require organisations seeking charity collectors to provide references from reputable source; and if he will make a statement. [15055]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Adrian Sanders, dated 12 November 1997:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning your request that he instructs Jobcentres to require organisations seeking charity collectors to provide references from a reputable source. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many person hours have been logged in the police investigation into the alleged perjury by Mr. Jonathan Aitken. [15194]
Mr. Michael:
The Commissioner tells me that 35 man days have been expended so far in the inquiry. The Commissioner informs me that the investigation is continuing and is being pursued as expeditiously as possible.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent to date by the Metropolitan police on their investigation into the alleged perjury by Mr. Jonathan Aitken. [15193]
Mr. Michael:
The Commissioner informs me that approximately 35 man days have been expended so far. The nature of the inquiry has meant that it has not been possible to cost the police time accurately. The Commissioner also tells me that the investigation is continuing and is being pursued as expeditiously as possible.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 5 November, Official Report, column 211, how many police officers, and of which rank, have been assigned to the investigation into the alleged perjury of Mr. Jonathan Aitken. [15195]
12 Nov 1997 : Column: 558
Mr. Michael:
The Commissioner informs me that the number of officers deployed on the investigation into Mr. Aitken has varied according to the needs of the inquiry. The officers on the inquiry are selected on the basis of the skills they bring to the task, and not according to their rank.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if proposals have been put forward through European Union or intergovernmental channels to provide legal immunity for police officers who are working or have worked for Europol; and if he will make a statement.[15190]
Mr. Michael:
The privileges and immunities of Europol staff are set out in a Protocol to the Europol Convention, which was signed on 19 June 1997. The Protocol needs to be ratified in each member state before Europol can take up its activities. For the United Kingdom to ratify the Protocol, an Order in Council under the International Organisations Act 1968 will need to be made. We hope to present a draft Order to the House shortly.
The terms of the legal immunity for Europol staff are outlined in Article 8 of the Protocol, which states that members of the organs of Europol and staff members of Europol shall enjoy "immunity form the legal process of any kind in respect of words spoken or written, or of acts performed by them, in the exercise of their official functions". Article 12 of the Protocol states that the Director of Europol shall be required to waive the immunity "in cases where the immunity would impede the course of justice".
It is important to bear in mind that Europol will not have executive powers. Its role is confined to supporting national investigations through facilitating the exchange of information and offering analytical expertise. Responsibility for subsequent executive action rests with the relevant national bodies which do not enjoy such privileges and immunities.
The Protocol will be evaluated by the Management Board of Europol two years after the Protocol enters into force. It will be reviewed following any amendment to the tasks of Europol as set out in the Europol Convention.
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will issue a practice direction to owners of premises to encourage the reference checking of organisations seeking permission to make charitable collections; [15056]
Mr. Michael:
The Charity Commission meets licensing authorities regularly and seeks to co-operate with any requests for information about charities or fundraising organisations. There are no plans to issue a practice note to owners of premises. The Commission already encourages owners of premises, such as supermarkets, to check with the Commission if they have
12 Nov 1997 : Column: 559
any doubts about an organisation seeking permission to carry out a charitable collection. With effect from 29 October this year, basic details of all registered charities can also be checked on the Commission's website at htpp://www.charity-commission.gov.uk.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted for causing death due to poorly maintained gas appliances in each year since 1990. [15159]
Mr. Michael:
The following table gives the information requested. The figures relate to instances where the offence concerned had been recorded by the police as homicide. Figures for similar offences where poor installation rather than poor maintenance was involved are also shown.
Jobcentres do, in fact, already have instructions not to accept fund-raising vacancies from or on behalf of charities that are not registered with the Charity Commission or, in Scotland, recognised by the Financial Intermediary Claims Office. In addition the Employment Service accepts vacancies which involve street or house to house collections or sales only where the relevant licence or exemptions have been obtained from the appropriate authority. Our current instructions to Jobcentres require these points to be checked whenever there is doubt about an employer seeking to recruit through the Jobcentre.
I hope this is helpful. I would be happy to look into any particular instance which has given cause for concern.
(2) if he will arrange for local authority licensing departments to be given information on the relevant activities of registered charities; and if he will make a statement. [15054]
| Poor maintenance | Poor installation | |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | -- | -- |
| 1991 | -- | -- |
| 1992 | -- | 1 |
| 1993 | -- | 2 |
| 1994 | -- | -- |
| 1995 | 1 | -- |
| 1996 | -- | 3 |
| 1997 (to 1 August) | 3 | -- |
Perjury
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time between the commission of a perjury and charges being brought by the CPS. [15192]
Mr. Michael: The relevant information is not available. The decision whether to lay a charge of perjury, as of any other offence, is taken by the police in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, if they are satisfied that they have enough evidence to do so. The time taken will depend on a variety of factors, including the complexity of any case and the extent to which the necessary evidence is obtainable. In reaching that decision, the police may seek the advice of the Crown Prosecution Service as to whether a prosecution should be brought against a suspect.
Chief Constables (Efficiency)
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what means the efficiency of chief constables is measured. [15008]
Mr. Michael: The efficiency of a chief constable, and the means by which it is measured, is a matter for the local police authority.
Police authorities have an obligation under the Police Act 1996 to issue a local policing plan before the start of a financial year, setting out the proposed arrangements for the policing of the authority's area. This plan is produced in conjunction with the chief constable and takes into
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account objectives determined by the Home Secretary and any objectives and performance targets determined by the police authority.
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