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Stalking
Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what provision there is for the psychiatric assessment of persons convicted of stalking under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997; [104038]
(2) if he will issue guidance to police forces on improving communications with the victims of stalking; and if he will make a statement; [104039]
(3) if he will make a statement on the notification to (a) the police and (b) the courts of changes of name or address by persons subject to a restraining order under section 5 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. [104041]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Anyone convicted of an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 is entitled to seek psychiatric help voluntarily, but the Act itself makes no provision for the court to compel anyone to seek such an assessment.
I have commissioned research into the effectiveness of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and will respond to any recommendations for changing the Act once I have seen the report. I have no plans to make a statement on this subject before that time.
Detention Centre
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the specific planned location of the new detention centre for those held under the Immigration Act 1999; and what progress has been made towards its opening. [104083]
Mrs. Roche: All immigration detainees are held under the Immigration Act 1971 as amended. If my hon. Friend is referring to the powers in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to make regulations enabling a person granted temporary admission to be required to reside at accommodation provided by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary there are no immediate plans to make such regulations.
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters to him dated 23 August, 7 October and 11 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Mohammed Abdullah and Mrs. Nargis Begum. [104068]
Mrs. Roche: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary wrote to my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton on 5 January 2000. I am sorry for the delay in replying.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters to him dated 4 August, 16 September and 19 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. N. Doski. [104069]
Mrs. Roche:
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary wrote to my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton on 5 January 2000. I am sorry for the delay in replying.
10 Jan 2000 : Column: 21W
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answers to the hon. Member for Aylesbury of 26 November 1999, Official Report, columns 241-42W, concerning drug treatment and testing orders, when he will write to the hon. member for Aylesbury about drug treatment and testing orders. [104135]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
I wrote to the hon. Member on 17 December 1999.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 13 December 1999, Official Report, column 8W, concerning training in respect of the European Convention on Human Rights, for what reason his answer did not deal with training given to the Prison Service. [104149]
Mr. Boateng:
Information about training given by the Prison Service in respect of the European Convention on Human Rights was omitted from my answer of 13 December owing to an administrative error. I apologise to my hon. Friend for this oversight.
The information he required is that the Prison Service intends to provide all personnel working in prison establishments and at headquarters with information about the Human Rights Act 1998, which incorporates the Convention into United Kingdom law. Training will be provided as necessary.
Ms Ryan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary's report on the recent inspection of the Metropolitan police service, which he directed as a result of recommendation four of the Macpherson Inquiry. [104164]
Mr. Straw:
I have today published the Inspection Report and copies have been placed in the Library.
Ms Shipley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to amend the law relating to the registration of births of children conceived after the father's death; and if he will make a statement. [100620]
Yvette Cooper:
I have been asked to reply.
The question as to whether a man can be named on a birth certificate as the father of a child conceived after the man's death is governed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. Among other things the Act provides that where
10 Jan 2000 : Column: 22W
Professor McLean recommended that consideration should be given to an amendment to the 1990 Act which would, in effect, permit the child to have a "legal" father where his sperm was used posthumously.
Professor McLean reported to Ministers in 1998 and we have since conducted a public consultation on the recommendations made in her report. We expect to be able to respond shortly to Professor McLean's recommendations, including our views on any possible amendments to the 1990 Act.
Mr. Wyatt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on potential conflicts of interest involving the Chairman of the English Table Tennis Association. [104170]
Kate Hoey:
I am fully aware of the concerns which have been expressed in respect of the operation of the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) and the role of its Chairman. These issues have been investigated by Sport England and the National Audit Office. As a result, the ETTA has taken a number of steps, including changes to its rules, committee structure and constitution, in order to prevent the risk of conflicts of interest arising and of members gaining unfair commercial advantage. In particular, it has set up a trade committee, upon which the Chairman does not sit, to deal with any business in which the chairman might have a commercial interest. The ETTA is also on the "watch list" of Sport England's Management Audit Department and is therefore subject to regular review and monitoring. This has indicated that all of the required operational procedures are being fully implemented by the ETTA. Sport England is also satisfied, having investigated a number of specific complaints, that there has been no misuse of public funds in respect of the ETTA. However, in view of the concerns which have been expressed in the past about the ETTA, the Chairman of Sport England has, at my request, agreed to carry out a further review of the progress being made towards the original recommendations made to the ETTA by the National Audit Office and Sport England. I have asked my officials to discuss the review with Sport England's Management Audit Department and report back to me as soon as it has been undertaken.
Mr. Wyatt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the finding of the Press Council on the English Table Tennis Association has been brought to his attention; and if he will make a statement. [104036]
Kate Hoey:
I am aware that a complaint was made to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), the successor body to the Press Council, on behalf of Alan Ransome, Chairman of the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) in relation to an article by John Goodbody in The Times on 14 December 1998. I have read the PCC's subsequent adjudication and they concluded that Mr. Ransome's complaints did not amount to a breach of the Code of Practice.
10 Jan 2000 : Column: 23W
The Government do not generally comment on specific cases brought before the PCC. We remain of the belief that an effective voluntary Code of Practice for the print media, overseen by the PCC, is the best way of ensuring high editorial standards.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the contracts between Sport England and Wembley National Stadium Ltd. relating to the development of the national stadium. [102420]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 13 December 1999]: The Lottery Funding Agreement is the only contract between Sport England and Wembley National Stadium Ltd., and the Football Association is also party to that contract. Publication of the contract is primarily for the parties to the contract.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings he (a) has had and (b) plans with members of the UK Athletics Technical Team who worked with Wembley National Stadium Ltd. on the design of the new National Stadium at Wembley. [103587]
Kate Hoey
[holding answer 20 December 1999]: My right hon. Friend and I have met representatives of UK Athletics to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the National Stadium project. Neither of us, however, has met or plans to meet the UK Athletics Technical Team.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was the value of the Government grant for the development of Wembley Stadium. [103754]
Kate Hoey:
No direct Government funding has been provided for the development of Wembley Stadium. Sport England has made available a Lottery award of up to £120 million for the national stadium project.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department paid DLA Ellerbe Beckett for producing their report on the new Wembley Stadium. [103588]
Kate Hoey
[holding answer 20 December 1999]: The report was commissioned by UK Sport from DLA Ellerbe Beckett at our request at a cost of £35,000.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the correspondence between his Department and Sport England in relation to the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium. [102419]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 13 December 1999]: No. Much of the material contained in the correspondence was given on the understanding that it represented confidential communications between the Department and Sport England.
Mrs. Lait:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the revised timetable for a decision on the rebuilding of Wembley Stadium. [102144]
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Kate Hoey:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced his decision on the rebuilding of Wembley Stadium on 22 December. A copy of that announcement has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which of his Department's Ministers and officials attended the meeting of the National Stadium Monitoring Committee on 20 May. [103591]
Kate Hoey
[holding answer 20 December 1999]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the then Minister for Sport, and three officials from my Department attended the National Stadium Monitoring Committee meeting on 20 May 1999.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the dates and locations of the meetings of the National Stadium Monitoring Committee at which Ministers or officials of his Department were present. [103590]
Kate Hoey
[holding answer 20 December 1999]: There have been three meetings of the National Stadium monitoring committee: on 17 February 1999 and 15 July 1999 at the DCMS offices; and on 20 May 1999 at the House of Commons.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many days interested parties were given to study the DLA Ellerbe Beckett report on the future of Wembley Stadium before he made his statement to the House of 1 December. [103592]
Kate Hoey
[holding answer 20 December 1999]: We received the DLA: Ellerbe Beckett report on Monday 29 November and following consideration of its contents made it available on 1 December to interested parties shortly before the statement made in the House by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
"the sperm of a man, or any embryo the creation of which was brought about with his sperm, was used after his death, he is not to be treated as the father of the child".
The legal status of children conceived using posthumous insemination was one of the issues considered by Professor Sheila McLean in the course of her "Review of the Common Law Provisions Relating to the Removal of Gametes and of the Consent Provisions in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990".
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