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Police Officers (Insurance)
Dr. Brand: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers (a) in each police authority and (b) as a percentage of officers employed do not hold (i) occupational accident and (ii) ill-health insurance. [110930]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
Although there is no requirement for police officers to obtain ill health or accident insurance, or for police authorities to provide such cover, I understand that some forces have set up their own contributory health trusts and that others encourage police officers to take out private health insurance. All forces also offer medical support services and can provide additional specialist medical treatment for police officers where necessary.
The Police Pension Scheme provides a range of benefits in respect of police officers who become disabled or die in service.
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Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the application of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Disability Rights Commission Act 1999 to the Prison Service. [112123]
Mr. Boateng:
The Prison Service has recognised the responsibilities placed on it by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and has already adopted good practice in the areas of recruitment, training and promotion of staff. It welcomes the establishment of the Disability Rights Commission and the role it will play in protecting the rights of disabled people. As a disability symbol user it demonstrates the importance it places on achieving equality of opportunity for people with disabilities.
The Prison Service has a duty of care to all prisoners and its policies towards disabled prisoners have been developed to meet the requirements of Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Goods, Facilities and
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Services). These policies require that disabled prisoners have equality of opportunity to access a range of facilities such as work, education and programmes.
Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to reclassify gammahydroxybutyrate as a drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; [111876]
(3) what plans he has for an announcement about the reclassification of GHB from a medicine to a drug. [111161]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
Gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB) is not licensed as a medicinal product in the United Kingdom but is regarded as an unlicensed "medicinal product" under the provisions of the Medicines Act 1968. The Medicines Control Agency investigates reports of the unlawful manufacture, advertising sale and supply of GHB in the United Kingdom and has brought a number of successful prosecutions in the last few years.
With regard to the question of the classification of GHB under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon, South (Ms Drown), on 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 95W.
Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Cotswold will receive a definitive reply from the Immigration and Nationality Department to his letters of 2 August 1999, 2 September 1999 and 9 October 1999, in the case of Mr. Resal Cerikan and leave to remain in the UK (IND Ref: Cl000625 (S) (C449744)). [111792]
Mrs. Roche:
A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 24 February. I am sorry for the delay.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women prison officers were working in segregation units of prison in England and Wales on 1 February. [111934]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The total number of women prison officer grades working in public sector prisons in England and Wales on 1 February was 3,543.
It is not possible to provide data for those working solely in segregation units as staff may be deployed to any part of the prison at any time and records are not available centrally for specific units or wings.
Mr. Crausby:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to encourage people to install smoke detectors in their homes. [112316]
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Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Smoke detectors make a significant contribution to the protection of life and property from fire and we would want all households to have them.
Current Building Regulations require all new dwellings in England and Wales to have a smoke detector system installed. Publicity and education have in recent years helped raise smoke alarm ownership levels from less than 10 per cent. of households in 1987 to over 80 per cent. But we are determined to increase this further and the Home Office National Community Fire Safety Centre will be running a fresh campaign with the fire service later this year to reaffirm the value of smoke detectors in giving early warning in the event of fire.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 10 February 2000, Official Report, column 259W, on the Hillsborough inquiry, (a) when the material is to be loaned to the designated library and (b) to which library it is to be loaned. [111718]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
I understand that the House Library hopes to finalise arrangements shortly for the papers to be sent to the Liverpool Record Office at the Liverpool Central Library.
Mr. Kidney:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what uses (a) ParentLine and (b) the National Family and Parenting Institute have put grant given to them from public funds since publication of the consultation document, Supporting Families; and if he will make a statement. [111806]
Mr. Straw:
In the first year of their three year grant from the Home Office; ParentLine has launched a new national freephone number, with expanded operating hours. ParentLine has expanded its call taking capacity by taking on and training volunteers, and has developed a national structure, training, standards and call data analysis. ParentLine has expanded its call-taking capacity from 12,000 to 80,000, and will reach its eventual target of 500,000 calls per year by April 2002.
The National Family and Parenting Institute (NFPI) was formally incorporated as a company with a board of trustees in April 1999. The first Chief Executive, Mary McLeod, was appointed in September and started work in October. Government funding for the NFPI began in October 1999. Since then, the Institute had its official launch in November, and has been engaged in recruiting staff, locating premises, and building a strategy and corporate plan. A key focus for these first months is developing awareness of the role and vision of the NFPI, and raising the profile of parenting and family issues in the media.
The Institute has also started on some major pieces of work that will be completed by the end of this year. For example, the Institute has begun an exercise to map
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the support available to families at local level across the country. They will also take forward a face to face survey of parents to ask them about the support they want.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will state in respect of each of the last five years (a) the number of asylum decisions taken broken down by the nationality of claimants and (b) the number of claimants of each nationality who were (i) accepted as refugees, (ii) refused refugee status and (iii) granted exceptional leave to remain; [111886]
Mrs. Roche:
Information regarding asylum applications, by nationality, for each of the years 1995 to 1998, is given in Table 2.2 of the Home Office statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom, 1998". Information on asylum decisions made, by type and nationality during this period is given in tables 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 of the same publication, a copy of which is available in the Library.
(2) if he will reclassify gammahydroxybutyrate as a drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and if he will make a statement; [111721]
(2) if he will list for each of the last five years the number of asylum claims in the United Kingdom broken down by the nationality of the claimant. [111887]
(20) Excluding dependants
(21) Figures rounded to the nearest 5
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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers left the United Kingdom in each of the last five years (a) voluntarily, (b) through administrative removal, (c) through deportation and (d) following enforcement action; and if he will make a statement. [111888]
Mrs. Roche: The available information, relating to removals and voluntary departures of persons who have applied for asylum at some stage, is given in the table. Failed asylum seekers are removed only once all their rights of appeal in the United Kingdom have been exhausted. It should be noted that the figures include those removed on a third country basis and may include some persons who withdrew their asylum application or appeal before a decision or determination had been reached. Section 10 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, which provides for the administrative removal of certain categories of persons currently liable to deportation, has yet to be brought into force.
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 (22) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Removals under port procedures | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Refused and Removed | 1,890 | 2,695 | 4,100 | 3,460 | 4,895 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| of which: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Voluntary departures(24) | 615 | 715 | 1,090 | 1,105 | (23)--
| Removals under enforcement procedures
| Deportation removals | 225 | 405 | 455 | 350 | 140
| Of which: |
| Voluntary departures(25)(26) | 50 | 95 | 135 | 100 | (23)--
| |
| Illegal entry removals | 1,065 | 1,740 | 2,605 | 3,090 | 2,610
| Of which: |
| Voluntary departures(25)(26) | 240 | 330 | 580 | 620 | (23)--
| |
| Total asylum removals | 3,180 | 4,840 | 7,160 | 6,900 | 7,645
| Of which: |
| Voluntary departures(24)(25)(26) | 905 | 1,140 | 1,805 | 1,825 | (23)--
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(22) Figures are provisional
(23) Not available
(24) Includes voluntary departures up to and including notification of the decision on the asylum application for port applicants
(25) Includes only those voluntary departures taking place after the initiation of enforcement action for in-country applicants
(26) 1998 voluntary departures are estimated
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
28 Feb 2000 : Column: 111W
Ms Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to use Adamton House at Prestwick for accommodation for asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement. [111989]
Mrs. Roche: A general invitation to tender for the provision of accommodation and related services as part of our new support arrangements for asylum seekers was issued last November. We are currently holding discussions with prospective suppliers aimed at enabling contracts to be awarded very shortly. Information provided by suppliers within the tender process, including property details, is commercially confidential.
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers entered the United Kingdom during 1999; and how many have been placed in accommodation in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland. [111308]
Mrs. Roche: Total asylum applications in 1999 were 71,160. Information is not held centrally on where these asylum seekers have been accommodated.
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