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Betting Duty

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the actual and estimated yield from betting duty for the years 1996 to 2001. [119452]

Mr. Timms: Information on the actual yield from betting duty can be found in "HM Customs and Excise Annual Report", Table L2 "Betting, Gaming and Lottery: Receipts". The estimated yield from betting and gaming duties in 1999-2000 and in 2000-01 can be found in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report March 2000", Table C9 "Public Sector Current Receipts".

National Insurance Records

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to deal with delays in processing national insurance records in the Newcastle centre; and if he will make a statement. [117967]

Dawn Primarolo: Inland Revenue National Insurance Contributions Office process information onto National Insurance accounts, and although it is recognised that there have been delays in finalising this work in the Newcastle centre, they are implementing a programme of recovery to clear the work items on hand caused by earlier difficulties.

Constant monitoring ensures delays are kept to a minimum.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Electronic Tagging

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral statements of 29 November 1999, Official Report, columns 26-27 and 28 March 2000, Official Report, column 234, and to his answer to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and the Weald of 29 March 2000, Official Report, column 145W, what types of offender serving sentences of four or more years he estimates will be released earlier than at present as the result of the availability of electronic monitoring as a condition of release on licence, under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Bill, with particular reference to offenders convicted of (a) homicide, (b) drugs offences, (c) robbery, (d) assaults, (e) firearms offences, (f) burglary and (g) terrorist offences; if he will define the term serious offenders, used in his oral statement of 29 November; if it is his policy that the timing of the release of (i) serious, (ii) high-risk

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and (iii) sex offenders should not be influenced by the electronic monitoring provisions of the Bill; and if he will make a statement. [118307]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 7 April 2000]: The electronic monitoring measures in the Criminal Justice and Court Services Bill will not change the timing of any prisoner's eligibility for release. The basis of any discretionary release decision will continue to be careful risk assessment. The use of the new licence conditions will be subject to piloting before full implementation. Evaluation of the pilots will include consideration of the impact of the new licence conditions on discretionary release decisions taken by the Parole Board and by the Prison Service, on behalf of the Secretary of State.

In the vast majority of cases, we anticipate that the availability of electronic monitoring as a licence condition will have no impact on release decisions.

Prison Service Orders will make clear there are no circumstances in which the availability of the new electronic monitoring provisions in the Bill should influence decisions on release made by the Prison Service, on behalf of the Secretary of State.

In addition, using the powers available to him under section 32(6) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, the Home Secretary will direct the Parole Board that in considering certain types of case, decisions on release should not be influenced by the availability of the new powers of electronic monitoring in the Bill. The Home Secretary's Directions to the Parole Board will cover any sex offender required to register under the Sex Offenders Act 1997, and any sexual or violent offender who is serving an "extended sentence" as provided for in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The Directions will also apply to all prisoners serving a licence sentence, to other prisoners serving a determinate sentence for homicide or attempted homicide, terrorism, arson, robbery or assault and to any other prisoner whose offending or other behaviour suggests that he poses a clear risk of violence to the public. This definition could include prisoners convicted of drugs offences, firearms offences or burglary, depending on the circumstances of the cases.

The types of case where the use of electronic monitoring may provide sufficient extra reassurance to influence a decision in favour of release are expected to be those where the Parole Board is considering prisoners who are at the lower end of the offending scale (within the category of prisoners eligible for parole), and who pose no obvious risk of violence to the public.

It is, therefore clear that the Home Secretary's policy is that the timing of the release of serious, high risk and sex offenders, as defined above, should not be influenced by the electronic monitoring provisions of the Bill.

The term "serious offenders" has different legal definitions in different contexts. In the context of my oral statement of 29 November, the term "serious offenders" was a reference to those prisoners serving sentences of four years or more who will be covered by the planned Directions to the Parole Board.

Immigration Checks (Young People)

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what immigration checks are made on

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(a) young children and (b) young people allowed into the UK; how such checks are followed up; and if he will make a statement. [118390]

Mrs. Roche: The normal requirements of the Immigration Rules apply to persons under the age of 18. For a British Citizen or other European Economic Area national the immigration officer establishes nationality and identity to confirm exemption from the immigration control. For other nationalities, the immigration officer must be satisfied that the individual is eligible for entry for the purpose requested.

Every effort is made to try to ensure that inquiries or an interview are conducted in the presence of a responsible adult either accompanying or meeting a child.

Once granted entry, the normal requirements apply in respect of those seeking an extension of stay, or with failure to observe the time limit which render the child's or young person's stay unlawful.

Metropolitan Police (Ethnic Minorities)

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women from ethnic minority backgrounds are officers of the Metropolitan Police Force; and what ranks are held by these officers. [118502]

Mr. Straw: The information requested is given in the table, provided by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, and represents the position as at 31 March 2000.

	Total
Rank	Male	Female
Commander and above	2	0
Chief Superintendent	2	0
Detective Chief Superintendent	0	0
Superintendent	3	0
Detective Superintendent	0	0
Chief Inspector	4	0
Detective Chief Inspector	3	1
Inspector	16	1
Detective Inspector	5	0
Sergeant	70	6.69
Detective Sergeant	18	1
Constable	615.6	180.16
Detective Constable	75	12

Vulnerable Adults

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce legislation to make police checks on people working with vulnerable adults compulsory; and if he will make a statement. [118738]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Criminal Records Bureau, which is being established under Part V of the Police Act 1997, will provide information from police and criminal records to employers, voluntary organisations and others in positions of responsibility for vulnerable adults. The 1997 Act does not make such checks compulsory. It is for those organisations and others, including departments and authorities with responsibility for employing people in positions of trust, to lay down their particular vetting

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requirements and procedures. This might include legislating for particular sectors where this is considered appropriate.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that asylum seekers in receipt of food vouchers are able to purchase food required for dietary or religious reasons, including halal meat. [118869]

Mrs. Roche: Our voucher provider, Sodexho Pass, is required to ensure that vouchers can be exchanged in a wide variety of retail outlets. A number of major retail stores accept the vouchers. In addition, Sodexho Pass have contracted with a large number of independent retailers, including stores supplying specialist dietary or religious needs.

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 3 April 2000, Official Report, columns 366-68W, concerning applications for asylum, what grounds are required for admission of persons seeking asylum from each applicant state; what grounds have been regarded as acceptable in respect of those granted asylum; when he expects to publish complete figures for 1999; and what representations the Government have made to applicant Governments about such claims. [118865]

Mrs. Roche: All asylum applications, regardless of the applicant's nationality, are considered in accordance with the criteria set out in the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. To qualify for asylum a person must be outside his/her country of nationality and have a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. Those who meet these criteria are granted asylum; those who do not meet the requirements of the 1951 Convention may nevertheless be granted exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom if there are exceptional compelling humanitarian reasons why they should not be required to leave. Asylum statistics for 1999 are expected to be published in June 2000.

Ministers and officials regularly take the opportunity to discuss the question of migration to the United Kingdom with the Governments of applicant nations. These discussions include measures which may be taken to prevent the possible abuse of the United Kingdom's immigration legislation and asylum process.

Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which cities have been judged appropriate for the housing of asylum seekers with HIV infection under the new dispersal arrangements. [118948]

Mrs. Roche: We have not selected particular areas for those with HIV infection. Instead, when asylum seekers make an application for asylum they are invited to indicate whether they have any special needs. Consideration is given on a case-by-case basis to those needs both in terms of the accommodation and support package and the proximity to any medical treatment which may be required.

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Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost is to his Department as of the week commencing 9 April of placing (a) unaccompanied minors, (b) single asylum seekers and (c) asylum seekers' families with children in the cities of (i) Glasgow, (ii) Edinburgh, (iii) Liverpool, (iv) Sheffield and (v) Newcastle; and if he will make a statement. [118967]

Mrs. Roche: The information is not available.

The National Asylum Support Service has contracts with a number of private sector contractors. The information on contract price is commercially confidential. In any event, this information is not disaggregated by area of location.

The Home Office is not responsible for the costs of unaccompanied minors.

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