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Millennium Compliance
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Lancashire Police Force's progress in becoming year 2000 compliant. [85217]
Mr. Boateng: It is important that all police forces in England and Wales take every measure to ensure year 2000 compliance. The Home Office has commissioned an Independent Assessment of all forces, including Lancashire, by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. The results of this survey will be published at the National Infrastructure Forum on 13 July.
Passports
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to reduce the current delays in processing passport applications at the UK Passport Agency. [85214]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The UK Passport Agency is taking a number of measures to ensure that its customers' needs are met. It is prioritising applications received in the post and made in person by customers' declared travel dates, and is meeting these dates for 99.99 per cent. of passports issued. The Agency is employing additional staffing resources, and optimising the efficiency of its examination processes consistent with the need to maintain the integrity and security of its issuing procedures. In order to clear quickly straightforward applications, certain existing passports are being extended for two years.
The Agency is currently experiencing very high seasonal demand for passports and its aim is to continue to meet customers' travel dates and to reduce its turnround time for straightforward applications to ten days by September.
Mr. Gordon Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the current delays in processing passport applications by the UK Passport Agency. [85213]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The current delays in processing passport applications by the UK Passport Agency have arisen as a result of problems with the implementation in the Liverpool and Newport passport offices of new high technology driven passport issuing arrangements, together with high seasonal demand for passports. This has increased the processing times for straightforward non- urgent applications.
My assessment of the present operational situation is that it is extremely serious, particularly in the Liverpool passport office. I am receiving reports weekly from the Agency's Chief Executive on the operational position, and the measures being taken to improve it.
In order to satisfactorily meet its customers' needs, the Passport Agency is prioritising applications by customers' declared travel dates, and is meeting these dates for 99.99 per cent. of passports issued. The Agency's aim is to continue to meet customers' travel dates, and reduce its turnround times for straightforward passport applications to ten days by September.
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Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to enhance the recruitment, retention and promotion of black and Asian police officers in the Metropolitan Police Force. [85334]
Kate Hoey:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Crausby) on 26 April 1999, Official Report, columns 17-18.
Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library copies of (a) the Statement of Service Requirements issued to the companies shortlisted to bid for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's Casework Programme and (b) the casework business model produced by Sema following its 1994 study. [84974]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
I will arrange for copies of both documents to be placed in the Library.
Mr. Martlew:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the waiting time to receive a passport from the Liverpool passport office; and if he will make a statement. [85056]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Liverpool passport office's current processing time for non-urgent straightforward passport applications is 49 days. Urgent requests are being given priority and 99.99 per cent. of urgent dates are being met. In practice, 65 per cent. of the Liverpool office intake is processed in under 20 days.
Passport applications are taking longer than normal to process at the Liverpool office as a result of operational problems arising from the implementation of new high technology driven passport issuing arrangements. Also, Liverpool are dealing with very high seasonal demand for passports with intake of applications since April 1999 over 20 per cent. up on the same period in 1998.
The Agency's aim is to continue to meet customers travel dates, and to reduce its turnround time for straightforward applications to ten days by September.
Mr. Stephen Twigg:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to publish the statistics on central Government department grants to the voluntary sector for the last two years. [85355]
Mr. Boateng:
The collection of information relating to grants made by Government Departments to the voluntary sector over the period 1995-96 to 1997-98 is nearly complete. The figures will be published as soon as possible.
Mrs. Ann Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug-free units there are in prisons in England and Wales; and if he will list the prisons in which they operate. [85443]
26 May 1999 : Column: 152
Mr. George Howarth:
There are approximately 4,000 voluntary testing places covering one third of prisons in England and Wales. We have commissioned a survey of the current provision of drug-free units. I will write to the hon. Member with the results when they become available.
Mr. Stinchcombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of ill- treatment have been lodged against prison officers in each of the last five years. [84945]
Mr. George Howarth:
I regret that information is not collected in this form.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who owns the Tote. [85482]
Mr. George Howarth:
The Horserace Totalisator Board is a non-departmental public body whose members are appointed by the Home Secretary. The Board is responsible for the assets owned by the Tote, but the Tote itself is owned by no one.
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the police forces in England and Wales which have produced guidance for their officers on dealing with mentally disordered offenders. [85389]
Mr. Boateng:
National guidance on mentally disordered offenders was issued to the police and other agencies in the criminal justice system in September 1990 and a revision issued in April 1996. Chief officers were asked to ensure that all their officers were aware of the circular. Information is not held centrally on the number of chief officers who have issued other guidance on mentally disordered offenders to their officers, but some are known to have done so.
In respect of Cheshire Constabulary, detailed policy and guidance to operational officers on dealing with mentally disordered offenders was issued in 1994 and was last revised in 1998. All local policing divisions have nominated officers of inspector rank who are responsible for the implementation of those guidelines and for maintaining locally based protocols with other agencies.
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is currently provided for police officers in England and Wales on dealing with mentally disordered offenders. [85390]
Mr. Boateng:
As part of their probationer training, all recruits to the police service in England and Wales receive awareness training on persons suffering from mental disability. This training is supplemented by practical role play exercises which can be used to reinforce learning. In addition to the content of the former probationer training curriculum, forces may provide further training on the needs of mentally disordered persons, if there was a particular local need for this. Sergeants who act as custody officers receive further, more detailed, training in the Custody Officer Training Programme which, although
26 May 1999 : Column: 153
designed centrally, is available for delivery by forces. A training video, produced by the National Schizophrenic Fellowship in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police and the Association of Chief Police Officers, and designed to help officers to identify and cope with mentally disordered persons, is also available to all police forces.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make an offer under Option C of the Firearms Compensation Scheme to Mr. R. A. J. Coe (reference FCS 052048). [85477]
Mr. Boateng:
A payment offer will be made this week.
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