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"Jailbirds: Through the Gates"
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if each of the prisoners appearing in the BBC1 documentary, Jailbirds: Through the Gates, on 15 March, had individually given permission to be filmed; and if he will make a statement. [77463]
Mr. George Howarth: Yes. Prisoners individually featured in the programme gave their written consent. Prisoners were warned, where possible, prior to filming taking place and all prisoners were given the opportunity not to appear.
Asylum and Immigration Appeals
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will pay compensation to those whose applications to the Immigration and Nationality Department have been delayed by the failure to operate the full casework information technology application and changeover to the new system. [76442]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We very much regret the current delays to applications being considered in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. It has always been our practice to consider making ex gratia payments in individual cases where applicants are able to demonstrate, with full supporting evidence, that they have actually and necessarily incurred additional costs.
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 February 1999, Official Report, column 651, what has been the extent of the temporary reduction in service standards and numbers of casework decisions in the Immigration and Nationality Department; and when he expects the full casework information technology application to be operational and the previous throughput of casework to be achieved. [76441]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The temporary reduction in service standards does not apply to all areas in the new Directorate. The Public Caller Unit, for example, has been able to maintain productivity throughout the
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reorganisation, and indeed it is now exceeding previous productivity rates. However, in other areas there has been a fairly significant reduction in service and productivity during the months of January and February, when we were moving offices. Now that much of the move has been made, the position is improving: productivity has been rising and we are mounting special exercises to target priority cases such as work permits. Our aim is to reach the levels of throughput previously achieved within a few weeks.
In recent discussions with my officials, Siemens Business Services have maintained that the revised schedule for introduction of the full Information Technology solution will be achieved. This would mean pilot implementation beginning in the summer with roll-out being completed early next year.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the extra time applicants are having to wait for the Immigration and Nationality Department to resolve their cases as a result of the failure to operate the full casework information technology application. [76443]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The disruption caused by the reorganisation of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) has meant some temporary delay in the processing of cases, particularly during the months of January and February. The position is improving: productivity has been rising and we are mounting special exercises to target priority cases. In the majority of straight forward cases, the delay is now a matter of weeks only. The expectation is that the situation will continue to improve.
We do, however, recognise that there is a large backlog of IND cases, the great majority preceding the reorganisation. There are, for example, currently 104,356 cases in IND's central Work in Progress Store, many of which are over five years old. Our plans for dealing with this backlog are set out in the Government's White Paper "Fairer, Faster and Firmer--A Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum".
Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he is proposing to tackle the devices used by companies to avoid making contributions under the packaging waste regulations; and if he will make a statement. [76382]
Mr. Meacher:
The Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency have a duty to monitor compliance with the packaging Regulations. In the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Elmet (Mr. Burgon) on 28 January 1999, Official Report, columns 335-37, I welcomed the efforts being made by the Agencies to strengthen their enforcement programmes and I understand that the Environment Agency has started the process for taking proceedings against a number of companies which failed to register in 1998.
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I also said that I would be asking the Agencies to publish their monitoring programmes and report half-yearly as to the number, size and sector of businesses checked for registration, data provision and for compliance with the recovery and recycling obligations.
Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received over his proposed changes to the share out of the percentage activity obligations within the packaging industry; and what plans he has to review the percentages. [76383]
Mr. Meacher:
As I stated in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Elmet (Mr. Burgon) on 28 January 1999, Official Report, columns 335-37, my Department will very shortly be issuing a consultation document on the proposed changes to the percentage activity obligations. All responses to the document will then be taken into consideration.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many urban parish councils he has approved within the boundaries of unitary councils; if he will list the council areas concerned; and if he will make a statement on the statutory powers given to the urban parish councils. [76619]
Ms Armstrong:
Under the Local Government and Rating Act 1997, the Secretary of State has approved 8 new parishes within unitary authority areas: Allerton Bywater, and Horsforth in Leeds; Southsea in Portsmouth; Beverley, and Cottingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire; Headland in Hartlepool; East Cowes on the Isle of Wight; and Mossley in Tameside. Using the Department's standard statistical definition of urban areas and population from the 1991 census, with the exception of Allerton Bywater, all the new parishes can be defined as urban. These parishes have the same statutory powers as any other parish council.
Mr. Jenkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance his Department has issued to planning authorities about their consideration of new telecommunications developments and the controls which they have over their siting. [76628]
Mr. Raynsford:
Planning policy guidance on telecommunications development is set out in Planning Policy Guidance note 8 (revised December 1992), supplemented by Appendix E to DoE Circular 9/95 and by the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Regions, Regeneration and Planning on 4 November 1997, Official Report, columns 152-53. Copies of that answer were circulated to local planning authorities at that time. In addition, my Department has published in March 1996 a Code of Best Practice for local planning authorities and telecommunications code system operators on telecommunications prior approval procedures as applied to mast/tower development. We intend to consult shortly on draft guidance to accompany the changes to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted
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Development) Order 1995 announced by my right hon. Friend in a written answer on 16 November 1998, Official Report, columns 343-44.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to announce proposals to extend access to the countryside for horse riders, cyclists and recreational vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [76613]
Mr. Meacher:
The Government's "Framework for Action" for improving access to the countryside, which I announced to the House on 8 March 1999, Official Report, columns 21-33, comprises a package of measures intended to benefit all those who enjoy informal recreation in the countryside. Horse riders, cyclists and users of recreational vehicles gain access mainly through the rights of way network and the improvements proposed to the network will therefore be of particular interest to them. We are keeping their interests in mind in developing detailed proposals.
Mr. Tyrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many civil servants in his Department have been invited to waive the Working Time Directive requirement to work less than 48 hours a week on 17 consecutive weeks; how many civil servants in his Department have refused to waive the requirement; and what is the total cost of compliance with the Directive. [76809]
Mr. Meale:
As the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, for Trade and Industry, and for Education and Employment share responsibility for the Government Offices in England, this answer also covers the Government Offices.
| Number of staff | |
|---|---|
| DETR(C) | 37 |
| Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency | 28 |
| Driving Standards Agency | 0 |
| Highways Agency | (2)0 |
| Maritime and Coastguard Agency | 1 |
| Planning Inspectorate | 1 |
| Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre | 49 |
| Vehicle Certification Agency | 0 |
| Vehicle Inspectorate | 0 |
| Government Office for the East of England | 0 |
| Government Office for the East Midlands | 3 |
| Government Office for London | 1 |
| Government Office for the North East | 0 |
| Government Office for the North West | 4 |
| Government Office for the South East | 3 |
| Government Office for the South West | 0 |
| Government Office for the West Midlands | 3 |
| Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber | 7 |
(2) Currently ten staff are discussing whether there are sound operational reasons to sign a waiver
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