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Law and Order
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many responses were received and from whom, to the consultation documents, "Joining Forces to Protect the Public", and "The Future Organisation of Family Courts". [63927]
Mr. Boateng:
The number of responses we have received by 14 December to the two consultation documents, "Joining Forces to Protect the Public" and
15 Dec 1998 : Column: 604
"The Future Organisation of Court Welfare Services", and the category within which the respondents fall, are as detailed:
| Category | Number of replies received |
|---|---|
| Members of Parliament | 14 |
| Probation committees and services | 59 |
| Probation representative groups | 15 |
| Sentencers, courts and associated representative organisations | 48 |
| Police forces and representative groups | 18 |
| Crown Prosecution Service | 1 |
| Other partnership agencies | 16 |
| Individual members of probation staff | 9 |
| Local Authority sources | 31 |
| Health Authorities | 4 |
| Others and the public | 51 |
| Total | 266 |
| Category | Number of replies received |
|---|---|
| Members of Parliament | 0 |
| Probation committees and services | 61 |
| Probation representative groups | 6 |
| Probation personnel | 20 |
| Guardian ad litem and reporting officer (GALRO) panels/GALRO panel committees | 68 |
| Local Authority sources | 40 |
| Guardian ad litem and reporting officer (GALRO) personnel | 2 |
| The judiciary--judges/designated judges/family court business committees | 18 |
| The legal profession (including associations) | 21 |
| Clerks to the justices/justices clerks' society/magistrates courts | 26 |
| The court service | 6 |
| Government departments/non-departmental public bodies | 2 |
| Voluntary organisations/partnership agencies | 30 |
| The public | 10 |
| Others/academics | 8 |
| Total | 318 |
Some responses were submitted by one agency on behalf of interagency groups. The table illustrates the range of responses received.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total expenditure and the breakdown of expenditure in his Department since May 1997 on (a) public opinion research, (b) television, radio and newspaper advertising and (c) direct mail. [63920]
Mr. Straw: The total expenditure since May 1997 is £3,446,000, broken down as follows:
- (a) public opinion research £179,000
- (b) television, newspaper and radio advertising £3,267,000
- (c) direct mail £ nil.
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Ethnic Monitoring
Mr. McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to include Irish as a category in his Department's ethnic monitoring of staff recruitment. [63874]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: It is an overriding principle of Civil Service recruitment procedures that they should be fair and that selection should be on merit.
Monitoring in this area is based on ethnic origin and not nationality. The nine ethnic minority origin categories monitored by my Department are based on those used in the 1991 census which did not include Irish as a category. They will be reviewed in the light of any suggested changes for the 2001 Population Census.
Shotgun Licences
Mr. Opik: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances a shotgun licence can be revoked; what guidelines have been issued to the police concerning the revocation of shotgun licences; and if he will make a statement. [63983]
Mr. Boateng: Under section 30(c) of the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended), a shotgun certificate may be revoked by the chief officer of police for the area in which the holder resides if he is satisfied that the holder is prohibited by this Act from possessing a shotgun or cannot be permitted to possess a shotgun without danger to public safety or to the peace. The Home Office issued general guidance on this subject in the publication 'Firearms Law: Guidance to the Police' in 1989. A person aggrieved by a decision to revoke a certificate may appeal to the Crown Court against the police decision.
The Government will keep all controls on firearms under close scrutiny.
National Assembly for Wales
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of his Department's expenditure responsibilities will be transferred to the National Assembly for Wales once that body has been established. [63658]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government of Wales Act 1998 provided for a Transfer of Functions Order to be made to transfer Ministerial functions to the National Assembly for Wales. This Order was published in draft for consultation on 12 November. Until the content of the order has been finalised, it is not possible to state with certainty what functions and associated expenditure will transfer.
Illegal Immigrants
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what has been the cost to Essex County Council of maintaining illegal immigrants who arrived at Harwich Ferry Port in each of the last three years; [64219]
- (2) what has been the cost to Kent County Council of maintaining illegal immigrants who arrived at Dover Ferry Port in each of the last three years; [64218]
15 Dec 1998 : Column: 606
(3) what has been the cost to (a) Dorset County Council and (b) Poole Borough Council of maintaining illegal immigrants who arrived at Poole Ferry Port in each of the last three years. [64220]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: This information is not available to the Home Office. The hon. Member should approach the local authority.
Illegal immigrants who do not claim asylum and who have no special needs are not eligible for support from public funds. Asylum seekers and other illegal immigrants (who are given temporary leave to enter) who are not otherwise detained and who are able to support themselves are free to live within the United Kingdom in a place of their own choosing. Asylum seekers who register their application for asylum at their port of entry may be eligible for Income Support and Housing Benefit and can then find their own accommodation. Asylum seekers who do not qualify for benefits but who may be supported under the terms of the National Assistance Act 1948 or the Children Act 1989 are supported by local authorities under the terms of that legislation. The Home Office currently has no role in providing support and is consequently not aware of the information sought. The Government plan a fundamental reform of the asylum and immigration laws to remove cash benefits and more strictly control where asylum seekers live.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants who arrived at (a) Dover, (b) Harwich, (c) Portsmouth and (d) Newhaven are currently being detained; and what the equivalent figures were for each of the last six months. [64238]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The available information relating to the numbers of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers, as at 14 December 1998, who have been served with a notice of illegal entry is that: 140 of those persons had been issued with illegal entry papers by the South East Ports Surveillance Team based at Dover; 5 by immigration officers at Harwich; 5 at Portsmouth; and none at Newhaven. Information relating to the previous six months could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens of (a) Albania, (b) Bulgaria, (c) Hungary, (d) Macedonia and (e) Romania are currently being detained in the United Kingdom as illegal immigrants; and what the equivalent figures were for each of the last three years. [64241]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants at (a) Portsmouth, (b) Newhaven, (c) Harwich and (d) Plymouth ferry ports have been refused entry and removed from the United Kingdom within seven days of arrival in each of the last 12 months. [64239]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The available information relating to the numbers of persons removed or departing voluntarily within seven days of being issued with a notice of illegal entry by the requested ports which issued the notices, between 1 July 1997 and 30 June 1998, is given in the table.
15 Dec 1998 : Column: 607
| Date | Portsmouth | Newhaven | Harwich | Plymouth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1997 | 7 | -- | 5 | -- |
| Aug 1997 | 3 | -- | (32)-- | -- |
| Sep 1997 | 3 | -- | 18 | -- |
| Oct 1997 | 11 | -- | (32)-- | 4 |
| Nov 1997 | 5 | -- | -- | -- |
| Dec 1997 | (32)-- | -- | -- | -- |
| Jan 1998 | 14 | (32)-- | (32)-- | -- |
| Feb 1998 | (32)-- | -- | (32)-- | (32)-- |
| Mar 1998 | 5 | -- | -- | -- |
| Apr 1998 | 10 | -- | -- | -- |
| May 1998 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Jun 1998 | 9 | -- | 4 | -- |
(31) Persons who departed 'voluntarily' following the initiation of illegal entry action against them.
(32) Represents 1 or 2.
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