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Prison Service
Mr. Hope:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the Prison Service's Business Plan and the Key Performance Indicators for 2000-01. [117466]
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Mr. Boateng:
The Prison Service Business Plan for 2000-01, which includes the key performance indicators, has been published today and copies have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the absence through sickness rate among (a) police officers and (b) civilian support staff in the Essex police for each month since 1 May 1997. [116859]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The information requested for monthly sickness rates is not held centrally but annual sickness rates for the last three years for Essex police are given in the table.
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| 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police officer working days lost through sickness | 28,399 | 34,066 | 38,748 |
| Average days sickness per police officer | 10 | 12 | 13 |
| Civilian support staff working days lost through sickness | 16,903 | 21,309 | 19,232 |
| Average days sickness per civilian support staff | 12 | 14 | 13 |
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Scientific Procedures Committee
Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requirement, in terms of objectivity, is requested of members of the Scientific Procedures Committee. [116952]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Animal Procedures Committee was established by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The Act requires the Secretary of State, who appoints members, to have regard to the desirability of ensuring that the interests of animal welfare are adequately represented. There is also a requirement that the committee shall have regard both to the legitimate requirements of science and industry and to the protection of animals. The key consideration in making appointments to the committee is the need to maintain a breadth of professional experience and a proper balance of views among the membership.
In 1998, the committee adopted a Code of Conduct for Members. This requires members at all times to act in good faith and observe the highest standards of impartiality, integrity and objectivity in relation to the conduct of the Committee's business; to declare any personal or business interest which may influence their judgment: not to participate in discussion of matters in which they have a personal or business interest; and to understand that they are appointed as individuals and not as representatives of organisations with which they have significant contacts.
Vivisection
Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations with the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection in respect of their lifting their restrictions on the full publication of the Harlan report; and if he will publish the full report. [117012]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
I am pleased to report that the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) agreed on Monday 27 March to waive confidentiality of all
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of the material in the report stemming from videotapes, an audio tape and diaries kept by the undercover investigator and an interview conducted with her during the course of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate's investigation. I have, therefore, today laid in the Library, copies of a fuller version of the report in which only those sections containing commercially sensitive information, or information relating to individuals and third parties remain censored. I regret that the BUAV were unable to agree to release this information earlier as I requested.
Dr. Ladyman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the author of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection report on Harlan UK is a member of the Scientific Procedures Committee. [116958]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The administration of the Animal Procedures Committee is the responsibility of the Chairman, the Reverend Professor Michael Banner. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will represent the United Kingdom at the official opening of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia on 7 and 8 April in Vienna. [116955]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The United Kingdom will be represented at the official opening of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia on 7-8 April in Vienna by either a Minister or a senior official (yet to be finalised) from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and by the Director of Constitutional and Community Policy from the Home Office.
This Government remain committed to the work undertaken by the Centre. The event in Vienna marks the official opening of the Centre, but in fact it has been in existence for over a year now. The Centre is supported
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financially by the European Commission; the Home Office provided £48,000 to cover the running costs of the Centre's United Kingdom Secretariat during 1999-2000.
Mr. Quinn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many board members he appoints to each non-departmental public body. [116336]
Mr. Straw:
A full list of the non-departmental public bodies to which I make appointments is published in the publication "Public Bodies 1999", a copy of which is available in the Library.
Mr. Gray:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many workplace car parking spaces are available at the buildings used and controlled by his Department. [116761]
Mr. Straw:
The Home Office Central London Estate, which comprises six buildings, has a total of 177 car park spaces. Figures for the rest of the Home Office estate could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. We are extending travel plans for all our key buildings in line with the commitment set out in the Transport White Paper and are reviewing the scope for reducing our car parking requirements in that context.
Mr. Heald:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 March 2000, Official Report, column 168W, concerning external consultants used by his Department since 1997, if the individual value of every consultancy contract is commercial in confidence, with particular reference to Clear Communications; and if he will indicate the reasons for commercial confidentiality in each case. [116774]
Mr. Straw:
In line with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information issued by the Cabinet Office, my Department encourages transparency and openness in the tendering and contracting process and where possible, we will publish information on individual contract values. However, where publishing such information would prejudice the legitimate commercial interest of any person or competition between service providers or where such information has been given in confidence, it is my Department's policy to treat this information as commercial in confidence unless consent to publish has been obtained.
It had not been possible, in the reply I gave the hon. Gentleman on 14 March 2000, Official Report, columns 168-69W, in the time available, to obtain consent from Clear Communication to disclose information on contract value. I have now obtained their consent and the information available is as follows:
Mr. Heald:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultancy contracts the Smith Group has entered into with his Department since May 1997. [116775]
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Mr. Straw:
From the information available, there is no record of the Smith Group entering into any contracts with my Department since May 1997.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will order an external inquiry into the handling of the immigration case of Jon Riser, deceased. [116733]
Mr. Straw:
Following Mr. Riser's tragic death in the United States of America, I am making arrangements for a senior officer within the Home Office to conduct an urgent and detailed investigation into the handling of the case by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. I have asked to be provided with a full report of the findings.
Clear Communication Contract Value £46,000
In the time available, I have been unable to seek consent from other consultancy companies listed in my previous reply.
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