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Firearms Act 1968
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what register of organisations authorised to hold devices under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 is compiled; if this register is available for inspection by members of the public; and where this register is held. [74251]
Mr. Boateng:
Records of companies and individuals with the authority of the Secretary of State under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended) to purchase, acquire, possess, manufacture, sell or dispose of prohibited weapons are maintained by the Home Office for those in England and Wales and by the Scottish Office for those in Scotland. These records are not available for public inspection for reasons of security and commercial confidentiality.
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Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on KLA fundraising activity in the United Kingdom, indicating what representations he has received on the issue. [74434]
Mr. Straw:
I am not aware of any representations about fund raising by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA or UCK).
The Government attach great importance to countering terrorist fund raising. Under our Presidency of the G8, we hosted a conference on terrorist fund raising in London last December. In the same month, my Department published a consultation paper, "Legislation Against Terrorism" (CM 4178), which invited views on proposals for strengthening the law in this area.
The police and Security Service attach a high priority to countering all forms of terrorist activity in the United Kingdom. Any credible information or intelligence is fully investigated.
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to publish the report from Mr. J. J. Rowe, QC on the operation in 1998 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989. [75334]
Mr. Straw:
I have today arranged for copies of Mr. Rowe's report to be placed in the Library. Mr. Rowe recommends that the legislation should be renewed for a further twelve months. A draft Order is being laid before the House today which continues in force most provisions of the Act for a further twelve months. This order is subject to affirmative Resolution in both Houses.
Mr. Cunliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of the Tote. [74662]
Mr. George Howarth:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames) on 25 February 1999, Official Report, column 395.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the role of professional lobbyists in formulating policy in his Department. [74357]
Mr. Straw:
Any contacts with lobbyists by Ministers and civil servants in his Department are conducted in accordance with the "Ministerial Code" and "Guidance for Civil Servants: Contact with Lobbyists".
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he held with (a) the Prime Minister, (b) officials at No. 10 Downing Street and (c) other Ministers prior to seeking an injunction against The Sunday Telegraph; and if he will make a statement. [74663]
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Mr. Straw:
As has already been made clear by the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman, the Prime Minister's office was informed about the action I was taking. The Minister of State, Home Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Brent, South (Mr. Boateng), was also informed. As I said to the House in my statement on 22 February 1999, Official Report, column 27,
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the independent investigator appointed to inquire into the unauthorised publication of extracts from the Macpherson report will have the power to interview persons who have had access to the report outside direct Government employment; and if he will make a statement. [74664]
Mr. Straw:
The conduct of the inquiry, including the question of who should be interviewed, is a matter for the investigator to determine.
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if Ministers who had access to the Macpherson report prior to 21 February will be interviewed in the leak investigation, instituted by his Permanent Secretary; and if he will make a statement; [74666]
Mr. Straw:
It would not be in the interests of the leak investigation now under way to give these details.
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the terms of reference of the leaks investigation instituted by his Permanent Secretary into the unauthorised publication of extracts from the Macpherson report; and if he will make a statement. [74667]
Mr. Straw:
The independent investigator has been asked by my Permanent Secretary to establish who was responsible for the leak and what lessons might be learned for the future.
Mr. Burnett:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the loss to the Legal Aid Funding Council from fraud in (a) 1994-95, (b) 1995-96, (c) 1996-97, (d) 1997-98 and (e) 1998-99. [74121]
Mr. Hoon:
The Legal Aid Board is responsible for the administration of legal aid.
An estimate of the amounts lost through fraud over the past five years cannot be provided as it is not possible to quantify accurately the amounts that have been fraudulently claimed. The claims will usually contain some element of bone fide work and the percentage
4 Mar 1999 : Column: 856
relating to false claiming cannot be accurately determined. However, the Legal Aid Board will seek to recover from solicitors any costs which were considered to be either wrongly or fraudulently claimed.
Act 1989
"This was a decision that I made, and for which I am personally responsible".
(2) if (a) officials and (b) ministerial advisers who had access to the Macpherson report prior to 21 February will be interviewed by the leak investigation instituted by his Permanent Secretary; and if he will make a statement. [74668]
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 524,276 |
| 1995-96 | 1,180,770 |
| 1996-97 | 807,706 |
| 1997-98 | 1,081,000 |
| 1 April 1998 to 31 December 1998 | 317,308 |
The Legal Aid Board has an active approach to the prevention and detection of fraud or abuse of the legal aid scheme. Designated officers have been appointed in area offices to detect and investigate suspicious claims and take appropriate action at an early stage. It also has a Central Investigation section whose role is to undertake detailed investigations of suspected abuse or fraud referred to it. The Board's policy is to seek prosecution of individuals in all cases where there is substantial prima facie evidence of dishonesty.
Jerome Charles
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will name the judge who took the decision at Aylesbury Crown Court in June 1998 to give bail to defendant, Jerome Charles. [74132]
Mr. Hoon: His Honour Judge Catlin granted bail on 26 June 1998.
Censuses
Mr. John M. Taylor: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the current annual storage and maintenance costs for the original enumerators' books for the 1841/51-1911 decennial population censuses for England and Wales; and how many visitors to the Public Record Office in the last five years were granted access to (a) the original 1841-1891 census enumerators' books and (b) micro-film or other copies of those books. [74018]
Mr. Hoon: The current storage and maintenance costs for the original enumerators' books for the 1841/51 to 1911 decennial censuses for England and Wales are estimated at £225,000 per annum.
In the last five years, 150 visitors to the Public Record Office have been granted access to original returns from the 1841 to 1891 censuses. No precise record has been kept of the number of visitors who have been granted access to micro-film or other copies of those books; our best estimate based on the number of visitors to the Census Room at Chancery Lane and, from 1997, to the Family Records Centre in Islington is 77,000 in 1993-94; 79,000 in 1994-95; 74,000 in 1995-96; 82,000 in 1996-97; 138,000 in 1997-98.
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Mr. John M. Taylor:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list all instruments which have prescribed periods of extended retention of decennial census returns, under the provisions of the Public Records Act 1958. [74020]
Mr. Hoon:
The following Lord Chancellor's Instruments under the provisions of the Public Records Act 1958 have prescribed periods of extended retention of decennial census returns by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys and its successor the Office for National Statistics:
Mr. Hoon:
The census returns for 1921, 1951 and 1961 are closed to public inspection for 100 years.
Lord Chancellor's Instrument (Retention of Public Records) No. 5, 1985: allowed retention of the 1921 and 1951 returns for 10 years; now expired
Lord Chancellor's Instrument (Retention of Public Records) No. 23, 1992: allowed retention of the 1961 returns for 10 years
Lord Chancellor's Instrument (Retention of Public Records) No. 38, 1996: allowed retention of the 1921 and 1951 returns for an additional 10 years.
Mr. John M. Taylor:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if the 1921, 1951 and 1961 census returns are closed to public inspection for 100 years. [74019]
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