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Judicial and Police Co-operation

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 8 June 1999, Official Report, column 264 on judicial and police co-operation, if he will list those measures in respect of the Treaty of the European Community which the Government intend (a) to adopt and (b) not to adopt; if they participate in consideration of measures which they do not intend to adopt; and in respect of each measure if

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he will include its official reference, where and when it was discussed, and the current stage of parliamentary scrutiny to which it is subject. [96568]

Mr. Straw: Title VI of the Treaty on European Union contains provisions on police and judicial co-operation in criminal matters in which member states participate as of right. The question of adopting or not adopting individual measures does not, therefore, arise. Each measure is subject to unanimity. All Third Pillar matters which meet the criteria for scrutiny are submitted to Parliament in the usual way. The following issues are under consideration:



































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K4 Committee

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his answer of 8 June 1999, Official Report, column 259, on the K4 Committee, if he will list the bodies involved in such consultation and publish their responses; what further consultations and discussions have (a) taken place and (b) are planned within the European Union on this matter; what measures he expects to be necessary to implement such a proposal; and on what treaty articles they would be based. [96504]

Mrs. Roche: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary gave evidence about the United Kingdom initiative on mutual recognition of judicial decisions in criminal matters to the House of Lords' European Communities Committee before the Tampere European Council. No detailed legislative proposals concerning mutual recognition have yet been tabled in the European Union. The European Council has, however, asked the Council and the Commission to adopt, by December 2000, a programme of measures to implement the principle of mutual recognition. Any proposals for legal instruments will be submitted to Parliament in accordance with normal procedures, and I will also ensure that United Kingdom bodies concerned in implementing the proposals are consulted. It is likely that primary legislation would be needed to implement these proposals. It is expected that the proposals would be based on Article 34 of the Treaty on European Union.

Women Medical Examiners

Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, by police authority area, the number of women medical examiners available for examinations involving child victims of sex attacks; and if in all areas child victims or their families are able to choose to be examined by a female doctor. [96398]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Comprehensive information about numbers of female medical examiners is not held centrally. It is accepted as good practice that child victims of sexual assaults, or their families on their behalf, should be given the choice of being examined by a female doctor. Unfortunately, this cannot always be guaranteed as there are some police forces which do not have female medical examiners.

Crime and Disorder Act 1998

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 25 October 1999, Official Report, column 685, on the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, if he will list the areas in which (a) reparation orders, (b) parenting orders, (c) child safety orders and (d) action plan orders are being piloted; and if he will give the number of such orders which have been issued in each respective pilot area. [96473]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The information requested is set out in the table. It indicates the number of orders made in the pilot areas by 30 September 1999, the latest date for which this information is readily available.

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Pilot area/orderReparation orderParenting orderAction plan order
Westminster13224
Kensington and Chelsea13020
Hammersmith and Fulham16040
Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight4713261
Wolverhampton1221488
Sheffield179057
Lewisham(5)--7(5)--
Devon(5)--5(5)--
Bedfordshire(5)--25(5)--
Luton(5)--10(5)--
St. Helens(5)--21(5)--
Sunderland(5)--35(5)--
Blackburn15(5)--(5)--
Total829122490

(5) Indicates that the provision is not being piloted, or was not available, in that area


In addition, one child safety order was made in the Sunderland pilot area.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply of 25 October 1999, Official Report, column 689 on asylum seekers, if asylum seekers will be deemed to be statutorily homeless. [96543]

Mrs. Roche: Asylum seekers who are destitute will be able to apply for accommodation and other essential living needs under the arrangements made under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Bill. Once those arrangements are in place, only those asylum seekers who are entitled to social security benefits will be entitled to assistance under the homelessness legislation.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on plans for standardisation of the appeal system for asylum seekers whose asylum request has been rejected, following Tampere. [96572]

Mrs. Roche: I am aware of no such plans, although consideration of appeal procedures may in due course feature in work on minimum standards for the qualification of nationals of third countries as refugees in accordance with article 63 of the Treaty of Amsterdam. The United Kingdom has the choice of opting into these measures.

Schengen Agreement

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those organisations he has consulted in deciding whether to join elements of the Schengen Agreement. [96550]

Mrs. Roche: In deciding which parts of the Schengen acquis to participate in and in preparing the United Kingdom's formal application for participation, the Home Office consulted colleagues within Government with relevant policy interests. We also consulted the Governments of Gibraltar, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, the police service and the Data Protection Registrar. In addition, we took note of the reports of the House of Lords European Communities Committee, including comments from a range of organisations and interests.

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The Government's approach to Schengen follows our established policy of full engagement in justice and home affairs matters, where compatible with the maintenance of frontier controls. As such, our application raised no fresh issues on which wider consultation might have been required.


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