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SFOR
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current strength of SFOR in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and what is the total United Kingdom contribution. [83487]
Mr. George Robertson: The current strength of SFOR, deployed in Bosnia and Croatia, is some 32,000, of which the British contribution is some 4,500.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Brussels Council
Mr. Hood: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 19 and 20 April; and if he will make a statement. [81883]
Mr. Nick Brown: The Agriculture Council scheduled for 19-20 April was cancelled. The next Agriculture Council will be on 17-18 May.
Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and
Processes
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish all the advice which he has received from the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes since 1 May 1997. [72234]
7 May 1999 : Column: 481
Mr. Nick Brown
[holding answer 22 February 1999]: All advice received between May and December 1997 is contained in the Committee's Annual Report for 1997, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Advice received since then will be included in the Committee's 1998 Annual Report which is currently being written. I have now deposited a copy of this advice in the Library of the House.
Combined Heat and Power Generation
Mr. Caplin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will announce his decision on Scottish and Southern Energy plc's notification to build a combined heat and power generation station at the Kimberly-Clark paper mill, Barrow-in-Furness. [83809]
Mr. Battle: I have today granted clearance under Section 14 of the Energy Act 1976 in response to Scottish and Southern Energy plc's notification to build a 13 MW gas-fired combined heat and power station at the Kimberly-Clark paper mill in Barrow-in-Furness. The decision has been taken in accordance with the policy set out in the White Paper entitled "Conclusions of the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation and Government response to fourth and fifth Reports of the Trade and Industry Committee" (Cm 4071)
Copies of the Press Notice and section 14 clearance are being placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Geraint Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will announce his decision on Kronospan Ltd.'s notification to build a combined heat and power generation station at their fibreboard factory at Chirk, Wrexham. [83811]
Mr. Battle:
I have today granted clearance under Section 14 of the Energy Act 1976 to Kronospan Ltd.'s notification to double the size of its existing gas-fired combined heat and power station at Chirk, Wrexham to 12.4 MW. The decision has been taken in accordance with the policy set out in the White Paper entitled "Conclusions of the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation and Government response to fourth and fifth Reports of the Trade and Industry Committee" (Cm 4071).
Decisions on other applications under consideration will be announced in due course. Copies of the Press Notice and the clearance letter are being placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the percentage and value of lingerie sold in the United Kingdom which was manufactured in the United Kingdom in each year since 1990. [83235]
Mr. Battle:
Details of UK retail sales of lingerie are not available from official statistics. However, UK manufacturers' sales of and trade in women's and girls' underwear are detailed in The Office for National Statistics publication "Product Sales and Trade--PRQ11", copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
7 May 1999 : Column: 482
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average fee paid, at present, by those making use of the services of immigration advisers. [82540]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The immigration advice market is unregulated and so we have little information about the average fee paid by those making use of the services of immigration advisers. Members of Parliament sometimes complain that constituents have paid hundreds or thousands of pounds for advice.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration advisers are currently operating in England and Wales. [82534]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Immigration advice is largely unregulated and so it is difficult to estimate the number of immigration advisers operating in England and Wales. The Immigration Law Practitioners Association has 830 members and there may be a further 200 individuals and companies offering immigration advice for reward. We know that significant numbers of people in the voluntary sector are also providing immigration advice.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of immigration advisers in England and Wales operating (a) illegally and (b) unscrupulously. [82541]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
As immigration advice is currently unregulated it is not possible to estimate how many immigration advisers in England and Wales are at any one time behaving illegally. Unscrupulous behaviour normally becomes apparent only after a complaint is made by a client. Clients are often vulnerable people reluctant to complain. Members of Parliament regularly write to me complaining that their constituents have been incompetently or unscrupulously advised.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration advisers have (a) had proceedings instituted against them for, and (b) been convicted of, illegal activity in each of the last five years. [82535]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
This is an unregulated market where incompetence and unscrupulous behaviour is largely unmonitored. The information that is available in relation to proceedings for offences under immigration law is shown in the table:
| Number of immigration advisers who have had proceedings instituted against them | Number of immigration advisers who have been convicted | |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | (1)-- | 2 |
| 1996 | (1)-- | 1 |
| 1997 | (1)-- | 1 |
| 1998 | (1)-- | 3 |
| 1999 (to date) | 1 | 1 |
(1) No information available
7 May 1999 : Column: 483
Schengen Agreement
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he plans to request United Kingdom participation in aspects of the Schengen Agreement under Article 4 of the Protocol upon entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty. [83483]
Kate Hoey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to the right hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (Mr. Maclean), on 12 March 1999, Official Report, columns 380-82. Following that statement, it is intended to submit a written application shortly, under the terms of Article 4 of the Protocol integrating the Schengen acquis into the framework of the European Union. Parliament will be informed of our application.
Proxy Voting
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received in the last 12 months in favour of a review of proxy voting. [83466]
Mr. George Howarth: Six letters about proxy voting procedures have been received in the last 12 months though none of them asked specifically for a review. The Home Office Working Party on Electoral Procedures which I chair is examining absent voting generally, along with other electoral issues, and is looking at proxy voting as part of this process.
Criminal Records Bureau
Mr. White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost of the Criminal Records Bureau providing free criminal records checks for all voluntary organisations whose primary work is with children. [83546]
Mr. Boateng: It is intended that all applicants will be required to pay for certificates from the Criminal Records Bureau. It is difficult to estimate what the cost of free certificates would be to the Bureau, as it is not known how many volunteers would be required to apply for certificates, but the cost is potentially enormous. If checks were provided only to new volunteers seeking the higher levels of checks the cost could exceed £10 million a year. If checks were extended to all existing volunteers the cost could be between £40-£200 million. The cost of the fees for certificates from the Bureau will be kept to the minimum necessary to recoup costs.
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