18 Jun 1999 : Column: 229
Written Answers to Questions
Friday 18 June 1999
HOME DEPARTMENT
Passports
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice his Department gives to persons who (a) need a passport urgently and (b) have not received their passport and are due to travel in the immediate future. [86971]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Passport Agency is currently processing applications by customers' declared travel dates, and is meeting those dates for 99.99 per cent. of passports issued.
In circumstances where a passport has not been received and an applicant is travelling within four days, the Agency's advice is to attend personally at the office to which the application was made. This should not be left to the last day in case there are problems with the application.
Where the travel need is less pressing but still urgent my letter to hon. Members of 10 June gave contact telephone and fax numbers that should be used for urgent inquiries by passport applicants. Alternatively and as indicated in the Agency's any problems leaflet, applicants can write to Kevin Sheehan, the Agency's Director of Operations at Passport Agency Headquarters, Room 201, Clive House, Petty France, London SW1H 9HD.
The Agency's policy is to reimburse applicants if unsatisfactory service causes them additional expense, for example through having to call personally at a passport office.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the incidence of doctors (a) refusing to authenticate applications for postal votes on medical grounds and (b) charging a fee for signing postal votes; and if he will make a statement. [87463]
Mr. George Howarth:
There is no way in which such an assessment could be made. The legal position is that, under paragraph 37 and Schedule 9 of the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992, a doctor must issue certain certificates to his or her patients free of charge. These include attestations for absent votes, provided that they are required on grounds of physical incapacity. Anyone who has been charged a fee should in the first instance discuss the situation with the doctor concerned to determine if a refund is appropriate. If the matter cannot be resolved satisfactorily in this way, the patient should contact the local Family Health Services Authority, which has powers to investigate such complaints.
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Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the statutory requirements which require the Electoral Roll number to be written on the ballot paper at elections; and if he will make a statement. [87504]
Mr. George Howarth:
The provisions of Rule 37 of the Parliamentary Elections Rules (Schedule 1 of the Representation of the People Act 1983), which is also applied to European Parliamentary and local elections, requires a voter's electoral registration number to be written on the counterfoil of the ballot paper issued to that voter. Writing that number on the ballot paper would cause the voter to be identified. Under rule 47(1)(c), such a ballot paper would be liable to be declared void when the votes were counted.
Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportation orders were enforced in May. [87011]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The information requested is not currently available from central data sources and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will amend the British Nationality Act 1981 to allow those born abroad to British women prior to 1 January 1983 to be deemed to have British nationality; and if he will make a statement. [87356]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Since February 1979, minors born abroad to British mothers have been able to acquire British nationality on application. Those born after 1 January 1983 are automatically British citizens at birth. It was decided in 1981 not to make these changes retrospective. We have no plans to alter the position.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to implement the fixed penalty offence of cycling on the pavement; and if he will make a statement. [87358]
Mr. Boateng:
We intend that it will come into force in August this year.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date investigators ordered a transcript of police radio messages in the Portadown area on the night of the attack on Mr. Robert Hamill; what measures have been taken to ensure the security of the original tape; if the transcript was made available to (a) prosecution lawyers and (b) defence lawyers, (c) the legal representatives of the Hamill family and (d) herself; and if she will place a copy in the Library. [86141]
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Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 9 June 1999]: The RUC have advised that the investigators obtained the original radio tape on 9 May 1997 and this was made available to the Director of Public Prosecutions as part of the RUC prosecution case. Transcripts were made available to the DPP and, under disclosure rules in criminal cases, to defence lawyers in the case R -v- Hobson. No transcripts have been made available to any other parties, including the Secretary of State's office. The original tape will be secured for future reference by the Chief Constable on its return to the RUC.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what dates US Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel have been in Northern Ireland in connection with the investigation of the death of Rosemary Nelson; and what has been their role in the investigation. [86142]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 9 June 1999]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 16 June 1999, Official Report, column 140.
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list for the week ended Saturday 5 June the number of violent incidents involving paramilitary groups which took place in Northern Ireland, indicating how many involved (a) Loyalist and (b) Republican groups. [87161]
Mr. Ingram:
The number of security incidents during the period 30 May-5 June 1999 are shown:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Deaths | 1 |
| Shooting incidents | 2 |
| Bombing incidents | 7 |
The number of casualties as a result of paramilitary-style attacks during the period are as follows:
| Loyalist | Republican | |
|---|---|---|
| Assaults | 2 | 2 |
| Shootings | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 3 |
Notes:
1. The shooting and bombing incidents cannot as yet be firmly attributed to a grouping.
2. Figures may be subject to minor amendment.
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list for the week ended Saturday 29 May the number of violent incidents involving paramilitary groups which took place in Northern Ireland, indicating how many involved (a) Loyalist and (b) Republican groups. [87163]
18 Jun 1999 : Column: 232
Mr. Ingram:
The number of security incidents during the period 23-29 May 1999 are shown:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Deaths | 0 |
| Shooting incidents | 1 |
| Bombing incidents | 2 |
The number of casualties as a result of paramilitary-style attacks during the period are as follows:
| Loyalist | Republican | |
|---|---|---|
| Assaults | 0 | 0 |
| Shootings | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 1 |
Notes:
1. The shooting and bombing incidents cannot as yet be firmly attributed to a grouping.
2. Figures may be subject to minor amendment.
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list for the week ended Saturday 29 May the number of (a) punishment beatings and (b) punishment shootings which took place in Northern Ireland, indicating how many in each category were committed by (i) Loyalist and (ii) Republican groups. [87164]
Mr. Ingram: The number of paramilitary attacks during the period 23-29 May are as follows:
| Loyalist | Republican | |
|---|---|---|
| Assaults | 0 | 0 |
| Shootings | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 1 |
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list for the week ended Saturday 5 June the number of (a) punishment beatings and (b) punishment shootings which took place in Northern Ireland, indicating how many in each category were committed by (i) Loyalist and (ii) Republican groups. [87162]
Mr. Ingram: The number of paramilitary attacks during the period 30 May-5 June are as follows:
| Loyalist | Republican | |
|---|---|---|
| Assaults | 2 | 2 |
| Shootings | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 3 |
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