---

Millennium Celebrations

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to issue guidance on the operation of the licensing laws and late night extensions for millennium celebrations on 31 December 1999 and 1 January 2000; and if he will make a statement. [79550]

Mr. George Howarth: We will announce shortly the outcome of the consultation on proposals for extending permitted hours on the Millennium Eve and subsequent New Year's Eves.

Election Candidates

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the decision by some returning officers not to allow candidates to describe themselves as Labour and Co-operative Party on the ballot paper. [79336]

Mr. George Howarth: My Department has issued advice to returning officers suggesting that a candidate who wishes to use a description on the ballot paper which might lead voters to associate him or her with more than one political party should be able to do so as long as the description is authorised by certificates issued by, or on behalf, of the nominating officers of both parties.

Departmental Capital Investment

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's strategy for managing capital investment and assets by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [79517]

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 704

Mr. Straw: In line with the requirements outlined in the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report, the Home Office now has a comprehensive strategy for capital investment and asset management.

The strategy covers both the Home Office's approach to future capital investment and the efficient use of existing assets. The strategy provides a framework for longer term plans to be built upon. It is the first such investment strategy for the Home Office. The Department intends to publish an updated strategy each year.

A copy of the strategy has been placed in the Library and on the Home Office website. Additional copies are available from the Home Office Press Office. The published document include the Capital Investment Strategy of the Charity Commission, which has also been placed in the Library.

Passports

Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what security checks on passport applications were waived at the (a) Liverpool and (b) Newport offices; and for what period. [79372]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Security checks have never been waived in the Liverpool and Newport passport offices. The question appears to be directed at recent media reports of a suspension of security checks by the Passport Agency. Managers have allowed staff to exercise wider discretion on issuing passports if they had no significant doubt about the identity of the applicant.

These instructions were withdrawn but they did not imply any suspension or relaxation in the Agency's proper security checks on passport applications.

A range of automatic and discretionary checks are undertaken at different stages of the passport issuing process to prevent and detect fraud. Additional automatic security checks are undertaken under the new issuing system operating in our Liverpool and Newport offices which also require examiners to adopt a more systematic approach to confirming an applicant's eligibility for passport facilities.

The Agency is now doing more security checking than it has ever done.

Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the roll-out of the new IT systems for the passport offices is currently expected to take place. [79370]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The new high technology driven passport issuing arrangements have already been introduced into the Liverpool and Newport passport offices. The Passport Agency's present plans are for the roll-out of these new arrangements to commence in the Belfast passport office on 30 July, in the Peterborough office on 10 September, in the Glasgow office on 17 September and in the London office in early January 2000.

Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average turnaround for passport applications at (a) Liverpool, (b) Newport and (c) all other offices. [79369]

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 705

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Passport Agency does not measure its turnround time by averages, but by the maximum turnround time. The current position in working days on maximum turnrounds for non-urgent passport applications is shown:

Office	Number
Belfast	16
Glasgow	16
Liverpool	27
London	6
Newport	34
Peterborough	13

Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed at (a) Liverpool and (b) Newport passport offices (i) at the latest available date and (ii) one year previously. [79373]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The number of staff employed in the Liverpool and Newport Passport Offices at the end of February 1999 and February 1998 broken down into permanent and seasonal staff is shown in the table:

	Liverpool		Newport
	February 1998	February 1999	February 1998	February 1999
Permanent Full time	189.5	192.5	192	167
Permanent Part Year	86	77.5	30	65
Fixed Term Contracts	3	--	62	58
Casuals	174	25	161	17
Total	452.5	295	445	307

During this 12 month period, around 100 Liverpool staff and 94 Newport staff transferred to Siemens Business Services as part of the outsourcing project.

Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports were being processed at the (a) Liverpool and (b) Newport offices in the latest month for which figures are available; what is the target for the rate of processing; and when that target was originally expected to be reached. [79371]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: In February 1999, the Liverpool and Newport passport offices processed 72,702 and 74,547 passports respectively. The monthly target for each office is 120,000 issues. That target was originally expected to be achieved by the end of 1998.

Senator Pinochet

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of court proceedings to date in connection with the extradition of Senator Pinochet; and if he will make a statement. [79092]

The Attorney-General: I have been asked to reply.

There have been proceedings in Bow Street Magistrates Court, the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court and the House of Lords. These hearings have involved work by lawyers and officials in the Crown Prosecution

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 706

Service, the Home Office and the Treasury Solicitor's Department as well as counsel instructed for the Spanish Authorities, the Home Office, Senator Pinochet, Amnesty International and the Amicus Curiae.

It is not possible at this stage to provide a detailed estimate of all the cost of court proceedings. However, for costs incurred by the Home Office I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) on 9 February 1999, Official Report, column 143. Additionally, costs incurred by the Treasury Solicitor's Department in respect of counsel instructed as amicus curiae total approximately £14,000.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Task Forces

Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Attorney-General if he will list for all task forces and policy reviews with external members established by his Department since May 1997 (a) their dates of establishment, (b) those which have issued final reports and their dates of publication, (c) those which have been terminated and their dates of termination and (d) for those bodies still in existence, expected reporting and termination dates. [79271]

The Attorney-General: On 12 June 1997 I established the review of the Crown Prosecution Service under the chairmanship of the right hon. Sir Iain Glidewell, a retired Lord Justice of Appeal. He was assisted by Sir Geoffrey Dear (a retired HM Inspector of Constabulary) and Mr. Robert McFarland (a retired Chief Executive of a multinational company). Their Report was published on 1 June 1998.

In February 1998 I established a Working Party to review the system of appointing Counsel to act for the Crown in civil cases and to monitor the use of advocates appointed to act. The Working Party was chaired by the then Solicitor-General (Lord Falconer QC) and included representatives from the Bar Council (Laura Cox and Lincoln Crawford) and the two First Treasury Counsel.

I announced I had accepted their recommendations in a written answer on 30 July 1998, Official Report, column 407. A copy of the Working Party's report has been placed in the Library of each House.

Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Attorney-General if he will list all those task forces and policy reviews with external members established by his Department since May 1997 which have set up (a) sub-groups, (b) working parties and (c) other subsidiary committees. [79249]

The Attorney-General: On 12 June 1997 I established the review of the Crown Prosecution Service under the chairmanship of the right hon. Sir Iain Glidewell, a retired Lord Justice of Appeal. In February 1998 I established a Working Party to review the system of appointing Counsel to act for the Crown in civil cases and to monitor the use of advocates appointed to act. Neither of these set up sub groups, working parties or subsidiary committees.

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 707

---