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Sex Trafficking
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information his Department (i) collects and (ii) publishes on the trafficking in women for sexual purposes in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the rest of the EU and (c) wider Europe. [61533]
Mr. Boateng: The Government do not collect statistical information specific to women who are trafficked for sexual purposes.
The Home Office Policing and Reducing Crime Unit of the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate is currently considering commissioning a small research study on trafficking in women. This will draw together any information which exists on the extent and forms of trafficking in women in England and Wales.
Mr. Rendel:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what involvement his Department has in the efforts to combat the trafficking in women for sexual purposes in (a) the EU and (b) wider Europe. [61531]
Mr. Boateng:
The United Kingdom is fully committed to opposing trafficking in women and its associated activities. We are taking steps to implement the European Union Joint Action of December 1996 to combat trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation of children, and we support and participate in the European Union STOP programme, which provides for incentives and exchanges for persons responsible for combating trafficking in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children. In addition, we recently adopted The Hague Ministerial declaration on a European Code of Conduct to prevent and combat trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Among other initiatives, this year the United Kingdom took part in an European Union/United States information campaign to address the problem of trafficking in women from Poland and the Ukraine. We are also working on the problem, together with other European Union member states and countries of Central and Eastern Europe, within the European Conference. At the meeting of the European Conference on 6 October 1998, the conference tasked its expert group on drugs and organised crime to examine how the measures in the Joint Action to combat trafficking in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children could be extended to all States participating in the group's work.
The Government also support action to combat illegal immigration, including that of women for sexual purposes, in both European Union and international fora, and have
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supported information campaigns aimed at alerting women to the risks involved in such illegal immigration.
Mr. Corbett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contribution his Department makes to the work of the European Network of Policewomen; what is the composition and role of the network; and what is the estimated annual cost to public funds of United Kingdom participation in it. [61532]
Mr. Boateng:
The organisation is based in the Netherlands and the majority of its funds are provided by the Dutch Ministries of the Interior and Justice. This Department does not make any contribution to the work of the European Network of Policewomen centrally. However, a small number of police forces and National Police Training at Bramshill, who are supporting members, have made small annual contributions.
I understand that the main objective of this organisation is
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the percentage of the (a) female and (b) male prison population who are dyslexic in each of the past 10 years. [60946]
Mr. George Howarth:
The Prison Service does not currently undertake separate screening tests for dyslexia so the information requested is not available. However, dyslexia screening on induction for prisoners in the dispersal estate is to be introduced from 1 January 1999. In addition, the Prison Service is looking at a number of options to identify dyslexia needs among prisoners and will issue guidance on screening tests to providers of prison education when the research which it has commissioned is complete, at the end of February 1999.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's estimate of the number of current young offenders who are dyslexic; and what estimate he has made of the number in each of the last five years. [60947]
Mr. Boateng:
No information is available about the number of young offenders who are dyslexic. However, results from Prison Service skills screening tests for literacy and numeracy amongst prisoners in general suggest that 60 per cent. have poor literacy and communication skills and 75 per cent. have poor numeracy skills.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specialist help is available to dyslexic prisoners by the Prisons Education Department; and if he will make a statement. [60948]
Mr. George Howarth:
All education departments in prisons try to identify the individual learning needs of prisoners. Where there is an indication that there are
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dyslexia needs, specialist advice and guidance is sought and appropriate learning can be made available. Specialist advice is sought from the British Dyslexia Association which provides a full diagnostic assessment, or, within some education departments, from teachers who have undertaken specialist training leading to nationally recognised accreditation.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a statement on Scotland Yard's continuing investigation into the case of WPC Fletcher. [61088]
Mr. Straw:
As I said to my hon. Friend in my answer of 26 October 1998, Official Report, column 47, I understand from the Metropolitan Police that their review of the evidence surrounding the murder of Woman Police Constable Fletcher is nearing completion. I expect to receive a report as soon as is practicable after the police inquiries are completed.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost of all the options of (a) the high calibre handgun compensation scheme and (b) the low calibre handgun compensation scheme; and what were the associated staff costs in each case. [61633]
Mr. Boateng:
The information is as follows:
Mr. Gareth Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to bring forward measures to regulate immigration advisers. [61092]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
We hope to bring forward legislation to regulate unscrupulous immigration advisers in the next few months.
Mr. Sayeed:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the FSA has taken to investigate the possibility of general mis-selling of (a) free-standing additional voluntary contributions and (b) other pension top-up policies since their introduction. [61186]
Ms Hewitt:
This is a matter for the Financial Services Authority. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the FSA's statement of 19 October.
Mr. Sayeed:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the uncertainties involved in estimating the ultimate cost to firms of the mis-selling pensions review;
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and what steps he will take to produce an estimate of the split of the likely cost of the pension review between with profits and unit linked policies. [61182]
Ms Hewitt:
This is a matter for the Financial Services Authority.
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the revenue from VAT on sweetened dried fruit sold as confectionery in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000 as a result of HM Customs updating of VAT Notice 701/14 Food; [60878]
Dawn Primarolo:
There are no actual figures on VAT receipts from dried fruits available. Using information on sales of dried fruit, HM Customs and Excise estimate the VAT on sweetened dried fruit sold as confectionery to be no more than £5 million for each year.
"to optimise the position of policewomen in the European police service".
It promotes the exchange of information, research and training between organisations and individuals who endorse the ideal that the police organisation should be a place where women and men can work together as equals.
Cost of payments under the large-calibre handgun compensation scheme: £57,160,079
Cost of payments under the ex gratia payment scheme for small-calibre pistols: £4,671,200
Cost of payments under the statutory compensation scheme for small-calibre pistols: £1,452,958
Firearms Compensation Section staff costs (including Agency staff) at end October 1998: £1,704,339.
(2) how much revenue was raised from VAT charged on sweetened dried fruit sold as confectionery in (a) 1996-97 and (b) 1997-98. [60877]
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