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Rehabilitation
Mr. White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 to those sentenced to longer than 30 months. [104842]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Following the recommendation of the Better Regulation Task Force's Review of Fit Persons Criteria, we plan to review all the rehabilitation periods currently established by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Tharcisse Muvunyi
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the immigration status of Lt Col Tharcisse Muvunyi; when he was admitted to the UK; and what representations his Department has received concerning allegations made against him in respect of crimes against humanity. [104512]
Mr. Straw [holding answer 13 January 2000]: Lieutenant Colonel Muvunyi has limited leave to remain in the United Kingdom until 12 May 2002, having been admitted on 29 March 1998. The Home Office has received a number of representations concerning Lieutenant Colonel Muvunyi's alleged involvement in the genocide which took place in Rwanda in 1994. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda has jurisdiction to prosecute persons responsible for this crime and for other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of Rwanda in the period in question, and was indeed established by the United Nations to do so. The Tribunal which is located in Arusha, Tanzania, has extensive powers to request assistance from states. We have assisted the Tribunal in the past by helping it to approach Lieutenant Colonel Muvunyi for an interview and have made it clear that if the Tribunal requests the future assistance of the United Kingdom, we will act appropriately.
Primates
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the import of primates from South-East Asia for onward export abroad for the purpose of experiment. [104280]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food authorises the transportation of animals, including primates, to the United Kingdom. Import licences for primates are issued under the Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and other Mammals) Order 1974 (as amended). These specify the intended use and require the animals to be transported immediately after landing by an authorised carrying agent to an authorised quarantine premises. They must remain there for six calendar months. Licences are not required in the case of animals which land at a port or airport for onward export from the same place within 48 hours. If an animal is exported from the United Kingdom before the period of quarantine is completed, their movement to the port of departure must be licensed.
As such animals are not for use in regulated procedures in the United Kingdom, the Home Office has no involvement with them except where they are held in a supplying establishment designated under the Animals
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(Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The establishment will be expected to meet the standards published in the Home Office Codes of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals. All establishments are regularly inspected, often without prior notice, to assess compliance with the 1986 Act, the terms and conditions of the certificate of designation, and the standards set out in the Codes of Practice.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by Police Authority for each of the last four years the number of (a) civilian and (b) non-civilian employees who have retired early on the grounds of ill health and the cost of such retirements. [105343]
Mr. Straw:
Tables containing the information requested on the number of ill health retirements for civilian and non-civilian employees from each Police Authority during the past four years have been placed in the Library.
The Police Pension Scheme is administered locally by individual police authorities. The costs of ill health retirements are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those properties held by his Department and agencies responsible to him which are (a) wholly and (b) mainly unoccupied at present, giving locations and when they became so unoccupied in each case. [105301]
Mr. Straw:
The requested information on unoccupied properties held by my Department and its agencies is set out in the table entitled "Wholly or mainly vacant properties on the Home Office non-prison estate".
In addition, the Home Office is in the process of acquiring/fitting out leasehold offices in London, Croydon and Merseyside to accommodate staff for new initiatives. It is anticipated that these properties will be occupied within a few weeks of acquisition.
Prison Estate
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(15) But plan to sell if possible
(16) Can be sold if freehold obtained
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