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HOME DEPARTMENT
Asylum Seekers
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve the inspection
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procedure for accommodation for asylum seekers (a) before the introduction of and (b) under the asylum seekers support scheme. [66714]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Home Office currently has no responsibility for the accommodation of asylum seekers (other than those held in detention). Asylum seekers who are currently in need of accommodation support receive such support from local authorities.
The new asylum seekers support scheme described in the White Paper, "Fairer, Faster and Firmer--a modern approach to immigration and asylum" (Cm 4018) is in the planning stage. It is too soon to indicate what plans we have for inspection of asylum seeker accommodation.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of section 11 funding in each of the participating local education authorities is currently used to support adult education; [66611]
(3) what proportion of section 11 funding is currently used to support adult education; [66612]
(4) what is the total amount of section 11 grant for the financial year 1998-99. [66614]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Section 11 grant funds projects in education and in other service areas including social services and housing. Total provision in the current financial year is £82.68 million. Projects with 118 local education authorities, as well as grant-maintained schools and colleges in the further education sector, cover a range of educational activity. Some local education authority projects principally concerned with other activities (eg English language support for school pupils whose first language is not English) include elements of adult education (eg family literacy work delivered through schools). Precise disaggregation of costs in such cases is difficult. The table lists local education authorities which have specific adult education projects; and shows, in relation to the 1998-99 financial year, the potential grant cost of these projects as a percentage of the total potential grant cost of the local education authority's section 11 projects. The potential grant cost of specific adult education projects in relation to the 1998-99 financial year represents 1.03 per cent. of the total potential grant cost of local education authorities' projects, and 0.95 per cent. of the total potential grant cost across the section 11 programme as a whole.
(2) if he will list each local education authority currently using section 11 funding to support adult education; [66613]
(3) Most section 11-funded provision in Peterborough is covered by a project managed by Cambridgeshire, which pre-dated local government reorganisation. The table reflects the estimated potential grant cost of posts in Peterborough under that project.
Note:
In addition, some funding for adult education is currently paid under projects with further education colleges. In Birmingham, such funding would amount to 4.49 per cent. of the local education authority's funding if paid direct.
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Common Market Referendum
Sir Richard Body: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the material held by the Security Services relating to the 1975 referendum on United Kingdom membership of the Common Market. [66396]
Mr. Straw: It is for the Director General to decide which Security Service files should be released for public scrutiny, and to determine when they should be released. In reaching these decisions, he is bound by the relevant provisions of the Public Records Acts of 1958 and 1967, including the 30-year rule. In common with records belonging to other public bodies, Security Service records are released to the Public Record Office.
Life Sentences
Sir Richard Body: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are currently serving life sentences (a) in total and (b) by category of offence for which sentenced. [66334]
Mr. George Howarth: The latest available information is for 30 November 1998. On that date, there were 4,011 life sentence prisoners (3,872 males and 139 females) in prisons in England and Wales. A breakdown by offence is given in the table.
| Offence | Number |
|---|---|
| Murder | 3,241 |
| Manslaughter | 135 |
| Other homicide and attempted homicide | 87 |
| Other violence against the person | 82 |
| Rape | 250 |
| Other sexual offences | 28 |
| Robbery | 45 |
| Arson | 92 |
| Other offences | 51 |
| Total | 4,011 |
(4) Provisional figures
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Feltham Young Offenders Unit
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) juveniles and (b) young offenders had been on remand at Feltham Young Offenders Unit for (i) two to four weeks, (ii) four to six weeks, and (iii) eight weeks or more, (1) currently and (2) between October 1997 and October 1998. [66397]
Mr. George Howarth: The information requested is given in the table. The latest available data are for November 1998.
| Length of time since first remand into prison | Juveniles(5) | Young offenders(6) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 November 1998 (7) | ||
| Up to 2 weeks | 28 | 52 |
| 2 weeks up to 4 weeks | 20 | 40 |
| 4 weeks up to 6 weeks | 24 | 23 |
| 6 weeks up to 8 weeks | 14 | 36 |
| 8 weeks or more | 65 | 138 |
| 31 October 1998 (7) | ||
| Up to 2 weeks | 37 | 45 |
| 2 weeks up to 4 weeks | 23 | 58 |
| 4 weeks up to 6 weeks | 18 | 25 |
| 6 weeks up to 8 weeks | 10 | 22 |
| 8 weeks or more | 60 | 150 |
| 31 October 1997 | ||
| Up to 2 weeks | 23 | 40 |
| 2 weeks up to 4 weeks | 24 | 42 |
| 4 weeks up to 6 weeks | 9 | 26 |
| 6 weeks up to 8 weeks | 4 | 23 |
| 8 weeks or more | 55 | 155 |
(5) Persons aged 15-17 years
(6) Persons aged 18-20 years
(7) Provisional figures
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current staffing level at Feltham Young Offenders Unit; and if it is at full strength to cover all regimes. [66444]
Mr. George Howarth: The prison officer staffing complement at Feltham Young Offender Institution is 243. There were 242 prison officers in post as at 15 January 1999. Of these, 230 are operational, nine are undergoing prison officer initial training and three are suspended. There are six members of staff on long-term sick leave.
The health care department at Feltham is currently running seven health care officers/nurses short of complement; the gymnasium is two officers short of complement; and the industries and works departments are three instructors short of complement. In each case the regime has been affected. Steps are being taken to improve this situation; two officers are receiving training to become physical education officers and one additional instructor has been identified for works and industries.
The governor is conducting a recruitment exercise for officers and is implementing measures to reduce the number of staff on long-term sick leave.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reduce the length of time (a) young offenders and (b) juveniles spend on remand at Feltham Young Offenders Unit. [66391]
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Mr. George Howarth:
One of the Government's top priorities is faster and more efficient youth justice proceedings. One of our key manifesto commitments is to halve the time it takes to deal with persistent young offenders from arrest to sentence. In 1996, the average time taken was 142 days--the objective is to reduce this to 71 days. In the Public Service Agreements for the Home Office and the Criminal Justice System, the Government are committed to achieving a national average of 71 days by March 2002.
A range of measures have been introduced aimed at reducing delay in the youth justice system. The Home Office has prepared comprehensive best practice guidance on a range of issues--particularly the establishment of fast-tracking schemes in local areas. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 includes a whole range of measures to tackle delays--strengthening the ability of the courts to manage cases, and making procedural changes to ensure that unnecessary delays are avoided--we have just implemented some of these measures; others are being piloted.
More specifically, the Government's plans for ensuring that appropriate arrangements are in place for remanded juveniles are being taken forward in the context of the wider programme of work arising from its review of all forms of secure accommodation for young offenders and young people held on remand or under sentence. The Government's aim is to implement provisions in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 as soon as practicable, and by June 1999 at the latest, to allow the courts to remand directly to local authority secure accommodation 12-14 year olds, 15 and 16 year old girls and, where a place has been identified in advance, vulnerable 15 and 16 year old boys. The existing arrangements for remanding other 15 and 16 year old boys to Prison Service accommodation will continue for the time being, though the Government wish to move to a position where the practice of prison remands is no longer necessary.
In the meantime, work is being taken forward, with the Youth Justice Board, to improve the standard of care and quality of regimes for remanded and sentenced juveniles held in Prison Service accommodation to ensure that these are appropriate to the needs of young people. The Government are also making available funds, which will be administered by the Youth Justice Board, to develop local bail support provision to help ensure that custodial remands are used appropriately for the most serious and persistent cases.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the percentage of uniformed officers from ethnic minority communities at Feltham Young Offenders Unit. [66401]
Mr. George Howarth:
There are currently 15 uniformed officers, 6 per cent. of the total, from ethnic minority communities employed at Feltham Young Offender Institution.
A local recruitment exercise is under-way and advertisements have been worded specifically to encourage applications from individuals from ethnic minority communities. Selection is always on merit.
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