| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Freedom of Information
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is the Government's policy to apply the test of substantial harm set out in the White Paper on freedom of information in its forthcoming Bill on freedom of information. [78258]
Mr. Straw: The Government hope to publish a draft Bill on freedom of information in May. It is our intention to make sure the legislation is clear and easy to use. We are still considering the precise drafting of the Bill to ensure that the principles set out in the White Paper "Your Right to Know" form the basis of the legislation.
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Advisory Group on openness in the public sector will be able to consider the progress since 1 May 1997 of proposals for freedom of information legislation. [78343]
Mr. Straw: The purpose of the Group is to advise me on the steps needed to be taken ahead of freedom of information legislation to increase openness in the public sector. I expect the group to submit a report to me before the end of the year making recommendations on how I might facilitate an increase in openness in the public sector as a whole.
The Home Office took over responsibility for freedom of information legislation from the Cabinet Office in the summer of 1998, to enable the policy to be developed alongside other constitutional measures, such as human rights and data protection. Since then, we have devoted a great deal of effort towards translating the White Paper's proposals into a draft Bill. I now hope to publish the draft in May.
Prostitutes (Calling Cards)
Mr. Caplin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) civil and (b) criminal prosecutions were made in relation to prostitutes calling cards in telephone boxes in 1997 and 1998. [78047]
Mr. Boateng: This information is not readily available. There are several pieces of legislation under which a person may be charged for offences relating to placing prostitutes cards in telephone boxes. Home Office statistics do not indicate which prosecutions relate to prostitutes cards. Civil injunctions are not recorded centrally.
Mr. Caplin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consult on the possibility of making the placing of prostitutes calling cards in telephone boxes a specific criminal offence. [78046]
Mr. Boateng:
Yes. My reply to the right hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (Mr. Maclean) on 2 March 1999, Official Report, column 631, said that the Home Office will shortly be issuing a consultation paper on new measures to tackle the problem of prostitutes cards in telephone boxes which will look at options for changing the law to enable those who put cards in telephone boxes to be dealt with more effectively.
24 Mar 1999 : Column: 230
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason no external assessment has been made of the plans of his Department for millennium compliance. [78462]
Mr. Straw:
An external assessment of my Department's Year 2000 programme began earlier this month, to complement an internal assessment recently completed. DBI Associates were awarded a contract to carry out this independent assessment, following a competitive tender exercise. This comprehensive assessment will examine the Year 2000 work carried out within the main Home Office, its executive agencies and the Police Information Technology Organisation, concentrating on business critical processes and business continuity planning. A final report is expected in June.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason no (a) internal and (b) external assessment has been made of the United Kingdom Passport Agency's plans for millennium compliance; and if he will make a statement. [78468]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Passport Agency's plans for millennium compliance are being assessed by independent technical consultants appointed by the Home Office.
The agency's audit needs are assessed every three years and are currently under review. Audit plans will include millennium compliance but will take into account the work of the independent consultants (DBI Associates Ltd.).
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people had access to the Macpherson report prior to some of its contents appearing in The Sunday Telegraph; and if he will make a statement. [78480]
Mr. Straw:
I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) on 15 March 1999, Official Report, column 492.
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what standard of proof will be required in the leak inquiry into the provision of unauthorised information concerning the Macpherson report to The Sunday Telegraph; and if he will make a statement. [78419]
Mr. Straw:
No proof test has been set. My permanent secretary will advise on what course of action might be appropriate, taking account of any weight attached to particular findings by the independent investigator.
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the leak inquiry into the provision of unauthorised information concerning the Macpherson report to The Sunday Telegraph; and if he will make a statement. [78418]
Mr. Straw:
My permanent secretary expects to receive the independent investigator's conclusions shortly.
24 Mar 1999 : Column: 231
Mr. Grieve:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) discussions he has had and (b) proposals his Department has put forward at Council of Ministers' meetings in respect of EU fraud; and if he will make a statement. [77783]
Kate Hoey
[holding answer 19 March 1999]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury gave on 19 March 1999, Official Report, columns 858-59.
Mr. McDonnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part- time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round. [78149]
Mr. Straw:
The available information has been placed in the Library and is set out as follows:
Table 1: performance appraisal markings for the Home Office including the United Kingdom Passport Agency and the Forensic Science Service (but excluding the Prison Service and the Fire Service College which have different appraisal systems) for the reporting year 1996-97 broken down by grade, ethnicity and gender. Information on part-time/full-time working could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Table 2: performance appraisal markings for the Fire Service College in 1998 broken down by gender and part-time/full-time working. There were no ethnic minority or disabled staff working at the College in this period. The total number of staff working at the College is small and to provide figures broken down by grade would risk identifying individuals.
Table 3: performance appraisal markings for the Prison Service in 1998 broken down by gender and ethnicity. Information on part-time/full-time working is not held centrally in the Prison Service and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Table 4: performance appraisal markings for the Prison Service in 1998 broken down by the core grades. (There are many non-standard specialist grades with small numbers of staff in the Prison Service and to provide information broken down by these grades would risk identifying individuals).
Table 5: performance appraisal markings for the Home Office including the United Kingdom Passport Agency and the Forensic Science Service (but excluding the Prison Service and the Fire Service College) for the reporting year 1996-97 showing the spread of box markings among disabled and non-disabled staff.
The four-fifths rule--which is only a guideline, not a statistical test--was not applied to these appraisal markings.
24 Mar 1999 : Column: 232
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what public statements he made in his official capacity prior to 17 October 1998 on the former Government of General Pinochet in Chile; and if he will make a statement. [78420]
Mr. Straw:
I have made no such public statements.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of researching, publishing and distributing the Police Research Series paper, "Face Value? Evaluating the Accuracy of Eyewitness Information". [78478]
Mr. Boateng:
The cost of producing the Police Research Series paper "Face Value? Evaluating the Accuracy of Eyewitness Information" was £12,040. This was broken down as follows:
The University of Liverpool was paid £6,916 over a three month period to conduct the work on which the report is based and to produce a draft report; and
3,500 copies of the report were produced along with 2,600 copies of an associated briefing note. Printing costs were £5,124.
3,700 reports or briefing notes were distributed at the time of publication using existing administrative support staff at marginal cost. Postal costs are not calculated for individual reports.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |