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Royal Prerogative
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to bring the exercise of the Royal Prerogative under parliamentary scrutiny. [109655]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: No. With very few exceptions, the Royal Prerogative is exercised only on the advice of Ministers. This provides accountability to Parliament for its exercise.
Freepost Election Mailings
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to public funds of the freepost election mailing in (a) the 1997 General Election, (b) the Scottish Parliament elections, (c) the Welsh Assembly elections and (d) the Northern Ireland Assembly elections; and what estimate he has made of cost of the freepost mailing he has authorised in the Watford local authority area election. [111521]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The costs to public funds of the free election mailings were as follows:
| Election | Cost (£) |
|---|---|
| 1997 General Election | (10)17,770,103.80 |
| Scottish Parliament Elections | (11)4,629,603.05 |
| Welsh Assembly Elections | (11)2,243,929.14 |
| Northern Ireland Assembly Elections | 1,083,427.95 |
(10) At 1997 value
(11) Year at 1999 value
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The cost of any freepost facility offered to candidates standing for election to Watford Council would be met by the Council itself. The Council estimate that this would be in the region of £6,500.
European Crime Convention
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the situation concerning negotiations on the draft European Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. [111488]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The European Union Mutual Legal Assistance Convention has been under negotiation since 1996, and is intended to enhance existing arrangements for co-operation between member states' judicial and prosecuting authorities for the purposes of criminal investigations and proceedings. The negotiations have been complicated, and, throughout, the Scrutiny Committees of both Houses have been kept fully informed of progress. Although a number of specific provisions have cleared scrutiny, the Convention itself remains subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.
Work has continued to agree outstanding matters, and I understand that the opinion of the European Parliament on the draft text has now been issued, and is to be considered.
At the meeting of Council on 2-3 December 1999, Ministers agreed that at the Council meeting on 27 March 2000, an attempt should be made to complete work on the Convention. My officials will remain in contact with the scrutiny committees.
Jackie Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list incidents that have occurred and been reported at (a) Medway, (b) Rainsbrook and (c) Hassockfield secure training centres since each facility opened; on what occasions contract failures have occurred at each facility; and what financial penalties have been incurred by the operators. [110455]
22 Feb 2000 : Column: 867W
Mr. Boateng:
The secure training centre at Medway opened on 17 April 1998, Rainsbrook opened on 1 July 1999 and Hassockfield opened on 17 September 1999.
The total number of incidents which have occurred and been reported since each facility opened are 1,513 at Medway; 497 at Rainsbrook and 612 at Hassockfield. These reportable incidents cover any occurrence which disturbs the normal operation of any part of the centre and range from a trainee refusing to go to his bedroom or do his chores, to acts of concerted indiscipline.
The contracts set out the performance measurements applying to specified services to be delivered by the Contractor, and the performance penalty points to be incurred for failure to deliver each of these services. If the Contractor reaches a specified level of performance penalty points, further points result in reductions in the payments made to the Contractor up to a maximum of 5 per cent. of the contract price in any year. The number of occasions on which performance points have been awarded for each contract is as follows:
The contracts additionally provide for financial penalties to be imposed for failure by the Contractor to meet the scheduled opening date and for any subsequent non-availability of trainee places. To date, financial penalties of £663,240 have been incurred by the operator at Medway, £155,152 at Rainsbrook and £44,890 at Hassockfield.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated (a) total legal cost to the Government and (b) cost of administration by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, to date, for proceedings related to the immigration case of Mr. Ben James; and if he will make a statement. [111322]
Mrs. Roche:
The information that the hon. Member requires is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been for racially aggravated offences under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998; what percentage of these prosecutions involved defendants who were not white; and if he will make a statement. [111320]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
Information available centrally indicates that 745 persons were prosecuted in magistrates courts in England and Wales for racially aggravated offences between October 1998 and June 1999. It is not possible centrally to identify those defendants that were not white.
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Ms Oona King:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been taken in the Metropolitan Police Service to ensure proper communication between uniform and CID officers in relation to serious racist crime. [111103]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police informs me that his principal specialist organisations in the systems for the investigation of racist crime are the Racial and Violent Crime Task Force and Borough-based Community Safety Units. All are staffed by both uniform and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers. In addition, a range of measures are in place throughout the Metropolitan police to ensure that all officers, both CID and uniform, involved in the investigation of racist crime work together using corporate documentation and methods.
Ms Oona King:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers of each rank have received anti-racism training; and how many of these have achieved minimum effective training levels. [111105]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Home Office manages a three year contract with a specialist consultant to deliver community and race relations training to the police, and it is expected that 1,760 officers will have been trained under the terms of this contract by the end of February. A breakdown of these officers in terms of rank is not available. This training incorporates the applicable Minimum Effective Training Level. Other anti-racism training is carried out in forces and by National Police Training, particularly for probationer constables: the total number of officers who have received such training during their careers is not recorded centrally.
Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training has been provided to Victim Support volunteer visitors on providing appropriate support for ethnic minority victims of racist crime. [110282]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
Victim Support is an independent national charity which receives a substantial Home Office grant each year for its work in supporting victims of, and witnesses to, crime. Current grant conditions require Victim Support to continue to review how their work affects ethnic minorities, taking into account the recommendations of the Macpherson Report.
Responsibility for the operational implementation of these requirements rests with Victim Support.
I understand from the Chief Executive that Victim Support issued guidance to volunteers on racist crime in 1991 and 1996. And, following the Macpherson Inquiry, specialist training for volunteers dealing with racist incidents is to be developed and the general training for all volunteers is to be updated to include training on cultural diversity.
Mr. Stephen Twigg:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been disciplined for using racist words or behaviour; how many have been dismissed following disciplinary action for such offences; and how many such disciplinary cases have been dismissed, since 1 April 1999. [110369]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The statistics of police misconduct cases in England and Wales for the 12 months from 1 April 1999 are not yet available.
22 Feb 2000 : Column: 869W
Medway--175;
Rainsbrook--8; and
Hassockfield--29.
A full list of reported incidents and of contract failures can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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