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Local Deprivation Indicator
Mr. Rammell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which measures of local deprivation his Department and its agencies use in considering allocation of funds to local projects. [66723]
Mr. Chris Smith: A variety of statistics are used by public bodies sponsored by the Department in order to measure deprivation. For example:
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Index of Local Deprivation; and
Index of Local Conditions for England and Wales; and various statistics used in Social Trends and Regional Trends.
Other statistics may also be taken into account, e.g., The English Sports Council uses the Index of Local Deprivation plus a table showing 85 local authority areas where there are pockets of urban deprivation together with a list of Rural Development Areas, the poorest non-urban places.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Stephen Lawrence
Mr. Efford:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the reasons for the length of time taken between the initial report of the
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Police Complaints Authority into the police investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the decision of the PCA on what disciplinary action to take against officers still serving in the Metropolitan Police. [66477]
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Mr. Straw:
This is a matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and the Police Complaints Authority (PCA). Following is a chronology of events provided by the Chairman of the PCA.
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| Date | Events |
|---|---|
| 22 April 1993 | The murder of Stephen Lawrence |
| 13 February 1997 | Complaint from Mrs. Lawrence received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and referred for investigation to the PCA. |
| 18 March 1997 | Kent County Constabulary agreed as investigating force. (Deputy Chief Constable Robert Ayling--Senior Investigating Officer, Chief Superintendent David Clapperton--Investigation Officer). |
| 29 September 1997 | First contact between the Lawrence family and Kent Constabulary with the Police Complaints Authority. |
| 1 December 1997 | The Authority's report made to the Home Secretary under section 97(2) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act issued to Parliament and the public. |
| 30 December 1997 | Statutory statement of satisfaction with the investigation issued by the PCA. Formal conclusion of the investigation. |
| 2 February 1998 | Memorandum from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) under section 90 of the Act received by PCA. This memorandum contains the recommendations of the force as to disciplinary outcomes of the investigation. |
| 10 March 1998 | PCA responds to MPS recommending charges of Neglect of Duty against DI Bullock and other informal disciplinary recommendations. |
| 12 March 1998 | Lawrence family informed of recommendations DI Bullock made aware of charge. |
| 16 March 1998 | Sir William Macpherson requests further action in disciplinary proceedings be delayed until his inquiry concludes Part 1. |
| May/June 1998 | Correspondence/meetings between MPS and PCA as to whether MPS could respond to the PCA's recommended charges before or after the conclusion of Part 1 of the Macpherson Inquiry. |
| 6 July 1998 | Agreement reached that MPS would now respond to PCA recommendations in view of the completion of Phase 1 of the Macpherson Inquiry. |
| 20 July 1998 | MPS formally accepted charges in principle against DI Bullock. |
| 21 October 1998 | MPS respond with proposed charges against DI Bullock having taken counsel's advice. |
| November/December 1998 | PCA recommended that further charges from MPS were insufficient to cover alleged matters of neglect by DI Bullock. |
| Correspondence/discussion re further suggested charges. PCA decided to prepare detailed charges rather than accept MPS proposals. | |
| 4 January 1999 | Final suggested charges submitted to MPS by PCA. |
| 7 January 1999 | Detailed charges, now 7 in number, accepted by MPS. |
| 12 January 1999 | PCA Press release announcing the number of charges and the direction that they will be heard by tribunal. |
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Ministerial Expenditure
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the investigation which he has announced into claims of excessive expenditure by the right hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) will be completed; [66922]
- (2) if the results of the investigation into claims of excessive expenditure by the right hon. Member for Copeland will be published; [66921]
(3) who will conduct the investigation he announced on 17 January into claims of excessive expenditure by the right hon. Member for Copeland; [66923]
(4) if he will list the terms of reference of the investigation into claims of excessive expenditure by the right hon. Member for Copeland; [66920]
(5) if the investigation into the claims of excessive expenditure by the right hon. Member for Copeland will take evidence from third parties. [66925]
Mr. Straw:
The hon. Member is misinformed. I have not announced any investigation into the matter referred to. I said that there has now been a complaint and of course there will be a response. That response is now contained in the letter from my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the hon. Member dated 20 January, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
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Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reduce the length of time in each day for which remand prisoners in young offender institutions remain locked in their cells. [67045]
Mr. George Howarth:
The Government are investing substantial funds to develop more effective regimes in Prison Service establishments. They are determined to pursue active regimes in establishments holding young people as part of their commitment to focus the youth justice system on the prevention of offending by young people. The Prison Service is currently working on new regime standards and the creation of a distinct estate for boys aged 15 to 17 in consultation with the Youth Justice Board. These measures will better meet the needs of the young people and provide a more purposeful and active day. An assessment is also underway of the needs of girls under 18 years old.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average length of time prisoners on remand in young offender institutions spent in custody awaiting disposal of their case in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [67044]
Mr. George Howarth:
The available information for all untried and convicted unsentenced young persons held in prisons in England and Wales is given in the table.
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| Estimated average number of days in custody (6) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Untried (7) | Convicted unsentenced (8) | |||
| Year | Males | Females | Males | Females |
| 1994 | 46 | 31 | 30 | 26 |
| 1995 | 42 | 32 | 34 | 29 |
| 1996 | 42 | 32 | 31 | 29 |
| 1997 | 41 | 37 | 28 | 25 |
| 1998(9) | 36 | 24 | 37 | 25 |
(6) Estimated from number of receptions and average population
(7) Time spent in Prison Service establishments before conviction
(8) Time spent in Prison Service establishments after conviction
(9) Provisional figures
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce a requirement that all asylum interviews are tape-recorded. [67094]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: My officials are considering the practical implications of piloting the tape-recording of asylum interviews. I will advise the House of my conclusions shortly.
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he expects to have disposed of the outstanding applications for asylum made between 1 July 1993 and 31 December 1995; [67110]
- (2) when he expects to have disposed of the outstanding asylum applications made before 1 July 1993. [67096]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 18 January 1999, Official Report, column 332.
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish guidelines to staff on implementing the new policy of considering compassionate circumstances at all stages of an asylum case. [67095]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: As we made clear in our White Paper "Fairer, Faster and Firmer--A Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum" published in July, we are developing criteria which would allow due weight to be given to compassionate factors in cases involving children, including cases of asylum claims, where refusal of leave to remain would otherwise be the appropriate course. Once the criteria are decided, instructions given to staff will be published.
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average length of time from asylum application to initial decision in each year since 1980. [67117]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Information from 1984 onwards is given in the table. Regretfully, information for earlier years is not available.
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| Year of decision | All applications (11) | Applications lodged pre-July 1993 | Applications lodged post-July 1993 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 3 | 3 | n/a |
| 1985 | 9 | 9 | n/a |
| 1986 | 13 | 13 | n/a |
| 1987 | 14 | 14 | n/a |
| 1988 | 18 | 18 | n/a |
| 1989 | 13 | 13 | n/a |
| 1990 | 13 | 13 | n/a |
| 1991 | 16 | 16 | n/a |
| 1992 | 20 | 20 | n/a |
| 1993 | 20 | 20 | 2 |
| 1994 | 17 | 28 | 6 |
| 1995 | 18 | 42 | 9 |
| 1996 | 17 | 53 | 12 |
| 1997 | 22 | 65 | 15 |
| 1998 | 17 | 79 | 12 |
(10) The average length of time (in months) relates to the year in which the decisions were made.
(11) Excluding dependants
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the lowest Civil Service grade at which a decision to refuse asylum may be made. [67113]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Asylum decisions are taken by trained officers at the appropriate grade depending on the complexity of the issues raised. For the majority of decisions, a decision to refuse would not be taken below the level of executive officer, but in some less complex cases a decision to refuse would be taken by an administrative officer.
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if an individual who has been granted exceptional leave to remain will be entitled to apply for reunion with family members abroad within four years. [67093]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Under the family reunion concession, those who have been granted exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom may be joined by their pre-existing spouse and minor dependant children after they have spent four years in the United Kingdom provided that they can meet the maintenance and accommodation requirements of the Immigration Rules. Consideration is also given to allowing other family members to join a sponsor in the United Kingdom if there are compelling compassionate reasons for doing so.
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications made between 1 July 1993 and 31 December 1995 have been disposed of to date; and with what result. [67111]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information is given in the table.
(12) Percentages are estimates, rounded to the nearest whole number, based on cases for which information is recorded.
(13) Paragraph 340 of Immigration Rules. For failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period, including failure to respond to invitation to interview.
(14) Rounded to the nearest 100, excluding dependants.
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