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Personal Social Services
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list (a) by social services authority and (b) in total (i) the standard spending assessment for personal social services in 1998-99, (ii) the standard spending assessment for personal social services in 1999-2000, (iii) the difference between the standard spending assessment for personal social services in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, (iv) that difference expressed as a percentage of the 1998-99 figure, (v) the special transitional grant for 1998-99, (vi) the difference between the standard spending assessment for personal social services in 1999-2000 and the standard spending assessment for personal social services for 1998-99 combined with the special transitional grant for 1998-99, (vii) the difference between the standard spending assessment for personal social services in 1999-2000 and the standard spending assessment for personal social services for 1998-99 added to the special transitional grant for 1998-99 and expressed as a percentage of the 1998-99 figure and (viii) the indicative level of specific and special grants for 1999-2000. [71318]
Mr. Galbraith: The Social Work Services Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) allocations for authorities relating to items (i) and (iv) are set out in the table. There has been no direct equivalent to the Special Transitional Grant in Scotland. Specific Grants for training and mental illness totalling £22.2 million in 1999-2000 are included n the GAE figures shown.
From 1 July this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
(9) In addition £0.5 million (0.3 per cent.) is being transferred from local to central training
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Salmon
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the procedures adopted in Norway to deal with infectious salmon anaemic outbreaks. [71439]
Mr. Macdonald: ISA has been present in Norway since the mid-1980s, and new outbreaks of the disease have persisted in recent years. The Norwegian authorities require fish to be withdrawn from sea cages when a specified level of mortality has been reached. In other respects their controls are similar to those applied in the UK, notably the requirement for infected farms to be fallowed for up to 6 months. The Secretary of State continues to believe that the eradication of the current outbreak of ISA in Scottish waters is a realistic and desirable objective, and current measures are directed to that end, in line with EU legislation. The Norwegian authorities have been very helpful in offering information and advice, and regular contact is being maintained.
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Closed Circuit Television (Witnesses)
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many cases at (a) the Sheriff Court and (b) the High Court closed circuit television equipment has been employed in the examination of vulnerable witnesses in each of the past seven years; and if he will make a statement. [70250]
Mr. McLeish: Figures shown in the table are for the use of closed circuit television equipment in the relatively small number of cases which proceeded following successful application. From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
| High Court | Sheriff Court | |
|---|---|---|
| 1991(10)(11) | 0 | 0 |
| 1992(10) | 8 | 1 |
| 1993(10)(12) | 5 | 2 |
| 1994 | 3 | 6 |
| 1995 | 1 | 4 |
| 1996 | 2 | 0 |
| 1997 | 5 | 0 |
| 1998 | 3 | 7 |
(10) Edinburgh and Glasgow only
(11) October to December
(12) January to May
16 Feb 1999 : Column: 649
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the sheriff courts which are equipped with closed circuit television; and if he will make a statement. [70249]
Mr. McLeish: The sheriff courts which are equipped with closed circuit television are:
- Aberdeen
- Airdrie
- Edinburgh
- Falkirk
- Glasgow
- Greenock.
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Scottish Enterprise
Mr. Swinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) of 9 February 1999, Official Report, column 170, on Scottish Enterprise, if he will ensure that a copy of the letter from the Chairman of Scottish Enterprise is placed in the Library. [71325]
Mr. Dewar: A copy of the letter from the Scottish Enterprise Chairman will be placed in the Library in due course. From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Swinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the amount spent by Scottish Enterprise on graduate placement schemes in the most recent year for which figures are available. [71385]
Mr. Dewar: Expenditure on the delivery of graduate placement schemes is an operational matter for the Scottish Enterprise network. I have asked the Scottish Enterprise Chairman to write to the hon. Member. From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Metropolitan Police
Mr. McNulty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the total cost to Public funds of the Metropolitan police in 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [72144]
Mr. Straw: The Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District has estimated that net revenue expenditure for the Metropolitan police for 1999-2000 will be £1,880,068,000 and he intends to issue precepts which would result in a council tax for police purposes of £77.44 for a property in valuation Band D.
I have discussed this with representatives of local authorities in the Metropolitan police district.
I have informed the Receiver that I am content with the estimates and the proposed precept.
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In Inner London, the Receiver's precepts cover also the Inner London Magistrates Courts Service and the Inner London Probation Service. His proposals would result in council taxes for these services of £6.40 and £8.78 respectively for a property in valuation Band D.
Compared with the current year, the proposed precepts would result in an increase in the Receiver's council tax of 5.2 per cent. in Inner London and 9.5 per cent. in the rest of the Metropolitan police district.
Ms Ryan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give further details about the operation of the asylum seeker support arrangements for which provision is made in Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Bill. [72145]
Mr. Straw:
On 17 February, I will place in the Library a draft Process Manual which describes the way the Home Office proposes to discharge its responsibilities for supporting asylum seekers, and what they may expect. The draft Manual will be revised and may be expanded as more detailed elements of the scheme are designed and settled. Once its policy is in final form, it will be sub-edited into clearer English.
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the towns and cities where accommodation will be provided for asylum seekers under the terms of the Immigration and Asylum Bill; what estimate he has made of the cost of such accommodation; how many places will be made available; what kind of accommodation will be provided; what standards will be required; and if he will make a statement. [71670]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
No towns or cities have been identified at this stage. Asylum seekers will be dispersed to cluster areas. No cluster areas have yet been designated, but the intention is that such areas would have available accommodation (without resorting to sink estates) and placements would take account of the value of linking to existing communities and the support of voluntary and community groups.
No estimate has been made of the cost of the accommodation alone. As a result of the comprehensive spending review provision of £350 million in 1999-2000, £300 million in 2000-01 and £250 million in 2001-02 was added to the Home Office baseline to cover the overall asylum support costs. The project team which has been set up to take forward the asylum support provisions in the Immigration and Asylum Bill are currently considering the development of cluster areas, the amount and type of accommodation which will be needed, and associated standards.
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress in considering the cases of those applicants for political asylum who entered the country prior to July 1993 indicating how many cases had been (a) considered, (b) granted indefinite leave to remain and (c) personally interviewed; what checks are made on whether an applicant is a genuine refugee; and if he will make a statement. [71671]
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Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The available information on the outcome of asylum applications made before 1 July 1993 was given in a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hammersmith and Fulham (Mr. Coleman) on 1 February 1999, Official Report, column 422.
Where these cases are dealt with under the measures announced in July 1998 the substantive asylum claim is not considered. However, the cases of applicants who do not qualify to be considered under the backlog clearance measures, or who claim that they have been disadvantaged by the grant of indefinite leave rather than asylum, will be considered in the normal way against the criteria in the 1951 United Nations Convention.
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress his Department has made in considering the cases of those applicants for political asylum who made applications between 1 July 1993 and 31 December 1995. [71669]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
About 88,000 1 applications for asylum were made between 1 July 1993 and 31 December 1995. The status of those cases which had been decided at 31 December 1998 is set out in the table.
| Percentage of total decisions (13) | |
|---|---|
| Granted Asylum | 6 |
| Granted Exceptional Leave | 13 |
| Refused after full consideration | 69 |
| Refused on 3rd country grounds | 4 |
| Paragraph 340 refusal(14) | 8 |
(13) Percentages are estimates rounded to the nearest whole number.
(14) Paragraph 340 of the Immigration Rules. For failure to provide evidence to support an asylum claim within a reasonable period, including failure to respond to invitation to interview.
Sir Norman Fowler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assumptions he has made as to when his proposed new system for supporting asylum seekers as set out in the Immigration and Asylum Bill will come into operation; how many staff will be recruited to operate the system and from where they will be drawn; what will the likely cost of the new system; what will be its budget; and if he will make a statement. [71726]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Our current plans are that the new asylum support system will come into effect on 1 April 2000. But much depends on the progress of the Immigration and Asylum Bill through Parliament, the necessary planning arrangements, and the provision of support services.
The Home Office is currently considering the number of staff required in the Asylum Support Directorate, which will be the new body set up to administer the new asylum support arrangements.
Information on the source of those staff, likely costs and the budget is not known at this stage because it is to some extent dependent on Parliamentary progress.
16 Feb 1999 : Column: 652
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will conduct checks at (a) Heathrow and (b) Dover, to determine how many political asylum seekers are now arriving in Britain without documents; and if he will make a statement. [71727]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Comprehensive immigration checks are already in place at Heathrow and Dover. All arriving passengers are examined by an Immigration Officer and are required to hold valid travel documents including visas where necessary. In addition to normal immigration controls there are regular surveillance operations at Heathrow and Dover.
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