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Police (Inspections)

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to use the business excellence model as the framework for future inspections of police forces by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. [114463]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary has developed a new inspection model which will come into effect on 1 April 2000. This coincides with the introduction of best value into the police service.

The principles of the Business Excellence Model have been closely followed during the development of this new inspection model. However, the model has been tailored to meet the particular needs of policing.

A manual explaining the new inspection model is due to be published in April.

City Status

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the towns which have applied for city status for the third millennium. [114587]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The following towns have submitted bids for the grant of city status for the millennium:

England

Blackburn with Darwen

Blackpool

Bolton

Brighton and Hove

Chelmsford

Colchester

Croydon

Doncaster

Dover

Guildford

14 Mar 2000 : Column: 160W

Ipswich

Luton

Maidstone

Medway

Middlesbrough

Milton Keynes

Northampton

Preston

Reading

Shrewsbury

Southend

Southwark

Stockport

Swindon

Telford

Warrington

Wolverhampton

Northern Ireland

Ballymena

Lisburn

Scotland

Ayr

Inverness

Paisley

Stirling

Wales

Aberystwyth

Machynlleth

Newport

Newtown

St. Asaph

Wrexham.

British Nationality Applications

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for British nationality are awaiting approval; and if he will make a statement. [114252]

Mrs. Roche: As at 31 January, the current estimated number of British nationality applications awaiting approval was 94,000.

Stop and Search Operations

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were stopped and searched in 1998 and in 1989; how many people were arrested following stop and search in 1998 and 1999; how many white people per 1,000 population were stopped and searched in 1998 and 1999; how many black and ethnic minority people per 1,000 population were stopped and searched in 1998 and 1999; how many white people per 1,000 population were arrested following stop and search in 1998 and 1999; how many black and ethnic minority people were arrested following stop and search in 1998 and 1999; what was the ratio of stop and searches for black and ethnic minority people for each white person stopped and searched in 1998 and 1999; what was the ratio of arrest following stop and search for black and ethnic minority people for each white person arrested following stop and search in 1998 and 1999; and what

14 Mar 2000 : Column: 161W

was the ratio for conviction following stop and search for black and ethnic minority people for each white person convicted following stop and search in 1998 and 1999 for each police authority in England, and for each borough in the Metropolitan Police area. [114431]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Information by police force area and ethnic appearance of suspect for persons stopped and searched by the police and those subsequently arrested, is published annually by the Home Office in 'Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System', a copy of which is in the Library. This information is also available through the Home Office web site www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/publf.htm. The latest information published in December 1999, covers information for the financial year 1998-99. No information is available centrally for each borough in the Metropolitan Police area or for the number of convictions following a stop and search.

Correspondence

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letters to him dated 15 November and 16 December 1999 and 20 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. A. H. Sameh. [114582]

Mrs. Roche: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary wrote to my right hon. Friend the Member for Gorton on 9 March.

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letters to him dated 16 November and 15 December 1999 and 20 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. K. Mandelsi Ibrahim. [114581]

Mrs. Roche: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary wrote to my right hon. Friend the Member for Gorton on 14 March. I am sorry for the delay in replying.

Porton Down

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost to date of the investigation by Wiltshire Constabulary into the Chemical and Biological Defence establishment at Porton Down; and how many (a) police officers and (b) civilians are employed on it. [114224]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The total costs, as of 29 February 2000, are estimated at approximately £203,000. This figure includes all salaries, overtime, subsistence, travel, accommodation and purchase of additional computer and other equipment.

Fourteen police officers (one on a part-time basis) and two civilian support staff are employed on the investigation.

Asylum Seekers Voucher Scheme

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the testing of asylum seeker support vouchers began; and what progress has been made with those tests. [114541]

Mrs. Roche: Sodexho Pass began testing the voucher scheme in early March. This is an ongoing process that will continue until the scheme goes live on 3 April.

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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local authorities have been consulted by Sodexho about the implementation of the new asylum seeker voucher scheme. [114584]

Mrs. Roche: Sodexho Pass is not contractually bound to consult local authorities in regard to the voucher scheme. However, the National Asylum Support Service continues to liaise and work with local authorities, through the regional consortia and the Local Government Association, on all aspects of the new support arrangements.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he expects Sodexho to have an asylum seeker voucher scheme ready to implement on 1 April; and if he will make a statement. [114583]

Mrs. Roche: Yes. Sodexho Pass, the contractor for the asylum support voucher scheme, will be ready to implement the voucher scheme from 3 April when the new national asylum support scheme begins to be phased in.

Anti-social Behaviour Orders

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for each local authority, the number of anti-social behaviour orders (a) in total and (b) per head of population; and if he will make a statement. [114588]

Mr. Charles Clarke: As I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Mr. Hawkins) on 21 February 2000, Official Report, column 824W, records of numbers of anti-social behaviour orders applied for are not currently held centrally. We understand that about 25-30 orders have been made in England and Wales since the order came into force in April last year.

Young Offenders

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the (a) number of incidents of concerted indiscipline at each young offender institution and (b) average daily population at each young offender institution in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [114638]

Mr. Boateng: The information requested is given in the tables.

Number of incidents of concerted indiscipline at young offender institutions between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 1999

Prison Service establishment	Number of incidents (10)
Altcourse	1
Aylesbury	2
Brinsford	2
Brockhill	1
Castington	10
Deerbolt	1
Doncaster	2
Dover	1
Exeter	3
Feltham	3
Gloucester	6
Hollesley Bay	2
Lancaster Farms	1
Moorland	2
New Hall	1
Northallerton	1
Parc	3
Rochester	5
Stoke Heath	4
Wetherby	2
Total	53

(10) Provisional figures

14 Mar 2000 : Column: 163W

Average population in young offender institutions in England and Wales in 1999

Prison Service establishment	Average population
Male
Altcourse	105
Ashfield	32
Aylesbury	357
Brinsford	500
Cardiff	88
Castington	350
Deerbolt	421
Doncaster	515
Dorchester	24
Dover	265
Exeter	63
Feltham	822
Glen Parva	827
Gloucester	119
Guys Marsh	134
Haslar	150
Hatfield	119
Hindley	462
Hollesley Bay	204
Hull	134
Huntercombe	305
Lancaster Farms	482
Lewes	82
Moorland	386
Northallerton	268
Norwich	149
Onley	590
Parc	253
Portland	545
Reading	220
Rochester	272
Stoke Heath	611
Swansea	71
Swinfen Hall	283
Thorn Cross	231
Usk	15
Werrington	100
Wetherby	332
Woodhill	78
Female
Brockhill	10
Bullwood Hall	65
Drake Hall	18
East Sutton Park	3
Holloway	38
New Hall	105
Styal	58

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average time between arrest and sentencing for persistent young offenders (a) in 1999 and (b) from July to December 1999; and if he will make a statement. [114639]

14 Mar 2000 : Column: 164W

Mr. Charles Clarke: The average time between arrest and sentence for persistent young offenders in the first half of 1999 was 110 days. Figures for the whole of 1999 are expected to be available within the next two months.

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