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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 20 April 2000
HOME DEPARTMENT
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Mr. Tharcisse Muvunvi and Captain Valentine Strasser have been granted asylum within the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [113142]
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 7 March 2000]: I will write to the right hon. Member shortly.
Miss Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been relocated to Morecambe in the last 12 months. [120014]
Mrs. Roche: Local authorities have been responsible for accommodating destitute asylum seekers in the last 12 months. Therefore, we do not know the number of asylum seekers who may have been relocated to Morecambe in the last 12 months.
Miss Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy regarding the relocation of asylum seekers to seaside resorts through (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory dispersal schemes; and if he will make a statement. [120017]
Mrs. Roche: The Home Office has not dispersed any asylum seekers under the voluntary dispersal arrangements. This is an arrangement between local authorities.
Under the New Asylum Support Service arrangements, brought in on 3 April 2000, all areas of the United Kingdom will be expected to share the responsibilities of destitute asylum seekers. Those asylum seekers who are eligible for support are being dispersed on a fair and rational basis around the country. On this basis, destinations may include seaside resorts. However, it is our clear intention that no local authority should have a disproportionate share of the responsibility.
Miss Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his policy on consulting hon. Members on the relocation of asylum seekers to their constituencies; [120016]
- (2) what information is provided to hon. Members representing constituencies in the North West of England from the National Asylum Support Service and the North West Regional Consortium about proposals for relocating asylum seekers in their constituencies. [120019]
Mrs. Roche: A letter will shortly be sent to Members of Parliament advising of the likely cluster areas for dispersal during the first three months of the new arrangements.
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Miss Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans the National Asylum Support Service has to use the Grosvenor Hotel in Morecambe to house asylum seekers; [120015]
- (2) what visits have been made by his Department's officials to Morecambe to look at potential properties to house asylum seekers. [120018]
Mrs. Roche: The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has no plans to use the Grosvenor Hotel to house asylum seekers. NASS officials have not visited Morecambe to look at potential properties.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what means it is possible for a person with a well-founded fear of persecution in another country legally to enter the United Kingdom (a) when holding valid travel documents from the regime which they are fleeing and (b) in the absence of such documents. [120052]
Mrs. Roche: All asylum applications, irrespective of the applicant's method of entry, are considered in accordance with the criteria set out in the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. To be recognised as a refugee, a person must be outside his or 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.
As a matter of law, any asylum applicant who gains entry by material deception having presented a valid travel document or who enters without any documents or using false documents is an illegal entrant.
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Maldon and East Chelmsford will receive a reply to his letter of 24 January to the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche), concerning the proposal to house asylum seekers in the Maldon district. [119963]
Mrs. Roche: The information necessary to provide the answer has been subject to protracted inquiries. I apologise for the delay and a reply will be sent to the hon. Member shortly.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the amount (a) spent, (b) claimed and (c) reimbursed to each local authority in the United Kingdom, and in total, in relation to expenditure on asylum support in each six month period since 1 April 1999; how many payments to local authorities are (i) outstanding and (ii) in dispute; and if he will make a statement. [120055]
Mrs. Roche: Tables showing the amount spent, claimed and reimbursed to each local authority in the United Kingdom have been placed in the Library. It is not shown in six month periods; for the first eight months from 1 April 1999 to 5 December 1999, these costs were covered by a special grant report, for the four months
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from then until 31 March 2000, the costs were covered by grant paid under the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999. These are shown separately. In each case, the amount claimed is the amount that has been paid.
All claims received by the National Asylum Support Service so far have been paid, but all are still subject to audit.
Miss Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria must be met by those wishing to provide accommodation to the National Asylum Support Service. [120057]
Mrs. Roche: The accommodation provider will have a contract with the National Asylum Support Service. They will ensure that the accommodation is "suitable" in that it will be of an adequate standard; the relevant standard. The relevant standards are the same as those applied by local authorities when re-housing any homeless residents.
Private Security Industry
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to implement his proposals for regulation of the private security industry. [119566]
Mr. Charles Clarke: As we indicated in our White Paper last year, we intend to introduce legislation as soon as parliamentary time permits.
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to bring forward proposals for better regulation of private investigators. [119567]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Our White Paper of last year, "The Government's Proposals for Regulation of the Private Security Industry in England and Wales", proposed that a new authority should be established to set and improve standards in the industry and to license those who work in the private security field. The White Paper proposed that licensing should apply to private investigators in due course.
Custody (Vulnerable Adults)
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specialist training and standard
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protocols are made available to custody officers for handling persons with learning difficulties and other vulnerable adults. [119996]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Codes of Practice under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 require the presence of an appropriate adult whenever a mentally disordered person (including a person with learning difficulties) is being detained or questioned.
National Police Training (NPT) has developed a two-week training course for Custody Officers which is available for delivery by forces. The course, which includes the content of the provisions of the Codes of Practice, is regularly updated and revised. It is, however, essentially for Chief Officers to decide on the training to be undergone by their officers.
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) recognise the value and importance of the custody officer training package, and continue to work with NPT in promoting the use of this course by police forces.
Regeneration-related Initiatives
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the number and value of (a) bids and (b) grants made in each of the last three financial years for which figures are available, for each (i) area-based and (ii) other regeneration-related initiative for which his Department is responsible; [119796]
- (2) if he will list for each (a) area-based and (b) other regeneration-related initiative for which his Department is responsible (i) the amount budgeted and (ii) the total expended in each financial year for the planned lifetime of each initiative. [119788]
Mr. Straw: The Home Office is responsible for a number of initiatives which although not directly aimed at regeneration, contribute indirectly to the regeneration of deprived areas. The information requested on the sums already expended and planned budgets for the current and next financial years in respect of these initiatives is given in the table. Expenditure plans beyond March 2002 will be determined by the current spending review.
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| Planned expenditure | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Initiative | Expended so far | 2000-01 | 2001-02 |
| Active Community Demonstration Projects | 0.5 | 1.36 | 1.36 |
| Drug Treatment Testing Orders(1) | 1.75 | 20 | 40 |
| Youth Justice Pilots(2) | 1.3 | 0.1 | n/a |
| Reducing Burglary(3) | 12 | 4 | Up to 42 |
| Targeted Policing(3) | 6.7 | 15.6 | Up to 10.7 |
| CCTV(3) | 57.2 | (4)0.98 | 90 |
| Locks for pensioners(3) | n/a | 4.5 | 6.5 |
(1) Funding added to probation grant. Y1 figures is for pilot areas. Y2 figure is for pilot areas to continue until October when the programme will be rolled out nationally subject to ministerial decision.
(2) £22 million annually has been built into local funding settlements from April 2000 onwards to resource national rollout from June 2000 of the new youth justice measures under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. This figure reflects estimates in the November 1997 White Paper and the Financial Memorandum to the Crime and Disorder Bill.
(3) These initiatives are part of the Crime Reduction Programme, which has a three year budget including evaluation, development running and other overhead costs. Figures shown are what has been committed so far. Total available over three years to 2002 is £62 million for Reducing Burglary, £33 million for targeted policing, £153 for CCTV and up to £11 million for locks for pensioners (depending on take up). Figures of £4 million for targeted policing and 6 million for reducing burglary have been earmarked for evaluation.
(4) There is potential for a further £5 million spend on deferred bids.
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The information requested on bids for and grants made in each of the last three financial years for each initiative, could not be collected in the time available. I will write to the hon. Member with the information shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
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