---

HMP Manchester

Jackie Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria were used as the basis for the decision to market-test the current service level agreement for HMP Manchester; and if he will make a statement. [110459]

Mr. Boateng: The current service level agreement for Manchester expires in 2001 and the competitive process of a market test is the best means of driving up standards and of obtaining a high quality service at maximum value for money.

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 819W

Freedom of Information

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on the extent to which (a) the Information Commissioner and (b) the utility regulators will have the overriding power to adjudicate on matters of dispute in regard to applications for release of information from utilities. [110648]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Under the Freedom of Information Bill, which was introduced into Parliament last November, the Information Commissioner will have wide powers to adjudicate on complaints arising from a public body's refusal to disclose information requested by an applicant.

The utility regulators are public bodies and are included in the scope of the Bill. Applicants may obtain such information about the public functions of the utilities as their regulators hold, if it does not fall within any of the exemptions in the Freedom of Information Bill. And even when a public authority receives a request for information which is exempt, it will be required to consider the exercise of any discretion it may have to disclose it.

The Information Commissioner has the power to order disclosure except where an exemption has been properly relied on, and the issue is whether information should be disclosed as a matter of discretion. Where information is exempt, the Commissioner may consider whether the authority had proper regard to its discretion to release the information when it is in the public interest. She can also recommend discretionary disclosure of the information. In such cases, however, it would be for the public body, in this case the utility regulator, to determine whether or not to accept the Commissioner's recommendation.

We have made it clear that we are considering representations made during the course of the debate in the Commons on Second Reading and in the Committee Stage. My hon. Friend did not contribute in these debates but if he wishes to write to me I will certainly consider any points he wishes to make.

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the mechanism by which the freedom of information legislation is to be implemented in Northern Ireland. [110649]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Freedom of Information proposals within the Bill will apply to Northern Ireland in the same way as to England and Wales. However, when the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly is lifted, the Assembly will be able to use its power to amend the legislation in relation to bodies in the transferred field. It will be up to them to decide whether they wish to do so.

Clause 85, subsection (3) of the Bill makes provision for the legislation to come into force within five years of achieving royal assent. This is a statutory limit and not a target for implementation. This subsection also makes provision for the Secretary of State, by order, to appoint different days for the legislation to come into force for different purposes.

Stansted Hijack

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria he used to distinguish

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 820W

applications from those seeking asylum following the Stansted hijacking from other applications outstanding which led him to consider the former personally. [110562]

Mrs. Roche: While it is for the Secretary of State to make decisions on asylum claims, there are too many for the Home Secretary to do so in every case. However, as my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, said in his statement to the House on 10 February 2000, Official Report, columns 417-18, the special circumstances of the hijacking caused him to decide to consider these particular asylum applications personally.

West Yorkshire Police

Mr. Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are currently suspended in the West Yorkshire Force; and in each case for how long the officer has been suspended. [110468]

Mr. Charles Clarke: West Yorkshire Police currently has 13 officers suspended. Five officers have been suspended for 330 days; and others have each been suspending for 401 days, 251 days, 246 days, 241 days, 235 days, 185 days, 150 days and 108 days.

Data Protection Registrar

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time taken by the Data Protection Registrar to deal with complaints from the public. [110666]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Data Protection Registrar publishes information about complaints handling in her Annual Report to Parliament. Her 15th report, published in July 1999, records that in 1998-99 a total of 1,686 complaint files were closed. Of these, 38 per cent. were open for 0-3 months; 26 per cent. for 3-6 months; 19 per cent. for 6-12 months; and 17 per cent. for more than 12 months.

Farm Watch Schemes

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the success of farm watch schemes in combating crime; [110786]

(2) what assessment he has made of the success of the Kent Country Eye partnership in combating crime. [110785]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Government recognise that, although people in rural areas face much the same sort of crime as urban and inner-city areas, they have different policing needs. Owing to the physical nature of the countryside, police response times may not always be as quick as they or the public would like.

The most effective response to rural crime, therefore, is the partnership approach between the police and local communities and schemes such as Farm Watch and Country Eye are important in enabling members of the public to work with the police and other agencies to tackle specific issues of crime and disorder.

As schemes such as Farm Watch and Country Eye are run at local level in conjunction with local police forces, the Home Office does not keep records and has not

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 821W

evaluated their success. Along with Neighbourhood Watch, though, they appear to be popular and worthy of replication.

Feltham Young Offenders Institute

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average time out of cell for (a) juvenile and (b) young adult remand prisoners in Feltham Young Offenders Institute during 1999. [110961]

Mr. Boateng: The amount of time individual prisoners at Feltham spend out of cell may vary according to their location within the establishment. In 1999, the average time out of cell was 3.45 hours per day for unsentenced prisoners aged under 18 years, and 3.29 hours per day for those aged 18 to 21.

As a result of a specific recruitment initiative for London and the South-East, the governor of Feltham expects to achieve full staffing levels by July, which will allow the time spent on purposeful activity and out of cell to rise.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the factors which have led to officers seeking transfer out of Feltham Young Offenders Institute. [110960]

Mr. Boateng: The main reason why staff leave Feltham is the high cost of living in London. To help attract new staff, the governor may offer a relocation package to help with the cost of living. Changes to the age limits for prison officer recruitment have been introduced together with an alternative entry test for those without the formal educational qualifications. The governor may, in exceptional circumstances, start new recruits above the normal starting salary.

A specific recruitment drive for London and the south-east, including Feltham, was initiated in October 1999. Applications resulting from this are still being assessed, but a large number of successful candidates are starting duty at Feltham during the first quarter of this year.

Prison Staff (Recruitment and Retention)

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve the recruitment and retention of prison staff in areas of high property prices. [110959]

Mr. Boateng: The Prison Service recognise that there are concerns about the recruitment and retention of staff predominantly, but not exclusively, in the South-East. This area has been particularly affected by recent trends in house prices.

The Service is currently working with unions on a number of initiatives which aim to address pay and recruitment and retention issues. These initiatives

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 822W

included a review of local pay issues. This builds further on changes to pay and recruitment introduced in 1999 which included:

the introduction of additional flexibility to offer higher starting pay for new entrants including prison officer and related grades;

raising significantly the minimum rates of many administrative and industrial grades in the 1999 pay round;

launching a national recruitment campaign specifically targeted to filling posts in London and the South-East, which included a central clearing house to speed up processing of applications;

offering relocation expenses of up to £5,000 to new entrant prison officers who have to move home in order to take up an appointment in high priced housing areas, principally in London and the South-East;

the introduction nationwide of an alternative entry test for candidates who do not meet the minimum educational requirements for entry as a prison officer; and

the introduction of revised upper and lower age limits for prison officer recruitment.

---