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Mike Tyson

Ms Jenny Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if Steve Fitch has applied to enter the UK with Mike Tyson; [124389]

Mr. Straw: We do not at present know who will be applying for entry to the United Kingdom as part of Mike Tyson's support team. But the question of whether entry may be granted to those accompanying him will be considered by the Immigration Officer on arrival in the normal way.

It would be open to Immigration Officers to question them about any relevant matters, including their criminal convictions. However, they are likely to do so only if there is reason to believe that any of them has a relevant conviction. This is to ensure consistency with existing

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practice. Proposals in our consultation paper would introduce the requirement for all non-European Union passengers to declare convictions resulting in imprisonment. It would be premature to implement those proposals while the consultation process is still ongoing.

In the case of Steve Fitch, we are aware that he has relevant convictions. In January, Mr. Fitch was granted entry for an extremely limited period, and he observed the conditions imposed on his stay. If he is part of Mr. Tyson's entourage on this occasion, his application for entry will be considered separately in accordance with the Rules.

Community Penalties

Mr. Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the final report on the Norfolk and Greater Manchester pilot schemes in community penalties for fine defaulters and persistent petty offending; and what proposals he has to extend these schemes to other parts of the country. [124683]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 provides courts with additional sentencing options for dealing with fine defaulters, persistent petty offenders and others. The provisions were piloted in Norfolk and Greater Manchester and the final report evaluating the trials was published as a Home Office Occasional Paper on 29 February this year. A decision will be taken in due course on whether to bring these measures into effect throughout England and Wales.

Football Hooliganism

Mrs. Fiona Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to restrict the rights of fans to travel abroad to football matches in cases where they have been identified as being involved in incidents of hooliganism but have not been successfully prosecuted. [123717]

Mr. Straw: Only convicted football hooligans who are subject to international banning orders can be prevented from leaving the United Kingdom. The Dutch and Belgian authorities have extensive powers to refuse entry to any individual or group who they consider may pose a risk to public order. This includes people subject to domestic bans. The National Criminal Intelligence Service has provided their Dutch and Belgian counterparts with details of the 506 people currently subject to football banning orders and another 500 or so names of suspected hooligans have also been passed on. Police will be monitoring all England supporters at every United Kingdom exit point throughout the period of the tournament and the information gathered will be shared with the Dutch, Belgian and French police teams and United Kingdom police operating in these countries.

I have placed in the Library a report prepared by the Euro 2000 Co-ordinating Group on measures which have been taken in preparation for the tournament.

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ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

Dioxin Emissions

Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the five largest producers of dioxin emissions in the UK. [123484]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 23 May 2000]: Estimates of dioxin emissions from those industrial processes that are regulated by the Environment Agency are published in the Pollution Inventory on the Agency's website. The latest data published for 1998 list the top five as follows:

CompanyDioxins emission to air Grams of toxic equivalents (1-TEQ) (per year)
Corus (formerly British Steel), Llanwern Works13
Corus (formerly British Steel), Port Talbot Works10
Corus (formerly British Steel), Brigg Road9
Calder Industrial Materials Ltd.8
Allied Steel and Wire Ltd., Tremorfa Works7

The Environment Agency are working with those industries to identify ways to reduce their emissions.

GM Crops

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what non- departmental technical advice he has sought, and what action he will take in respect of the farm-scale evaluation of GM herbicide-tolerant crops pending his review of separation distances between the crops. [123757]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 25 May 2000]: When the separation distances relate to risks to human health or the environment, for example for small-scale experimental releases. I seek non-departmental technical advice from the independent Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, chaired by Professor Alan Gray. These distances are kept continually under review.

When the separation distances are for agronomic or commercial reasons, for example to protect crop integrity, which is the case for the farm-scale evaluations, they are a matter for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who consult appropriate bodies representing, for example, organic farmers and honey producers.

I am seeking further meetings between the Soil Association and SCIMAC (the body representing agricultural industries involved in the farm-scale evaluations) to examine case-by-case criteria for minimum separation distances for the farm-scale evaluations.

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what GM crop trials are being conducted within Shrewsbury and Atcham; and if he will make a statement. [124473]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 5 June 2000]: There are currently no GM crop trials authorised under Part B of Directive 90/220 within Shrewsbury and Atcham. There are trials taking place in Shropshire near Ash Parva,

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Beckbury, Eyton and Prees Heath. Further details of these trials are available on the Public Register held in the Department.

Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what date his Department was informed (a) by telephone, (b) by e-mail and (c) in writing by Advanta Seeds UK that a batch of Hyola oilseed rape seed had been found to be contaminated with GM oilseed rape seed. [124322]

Mr. Meacher: Officials from my Department and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food were first informed of the contamination when they met with representatives from Advanta on 17 April. At that meeting, Advanta informed them that some Hyola oilseed rape in Germany had been found to be contaminated with GM oilseed rape. Since then officials were in regular contact with Advanta to establish the facts of the case and in particular to determine which GM variety was involved and the extent to which the contamination extended to seeds in the UK.

Roadside Memorials

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what procedures exist for the erection of roadside memorials to commemorate the lives of those killed in accidents; and if he will make a statement. [123874]

Mr. Hill: Although Britain has a good road safety record there are still far too many people killed and injured in road traffic accidents. It is for local highway authorities to ensure that any roadside memorials to commemorate the lives of those killed in accidents comply with the provisions of the various Highways Acts and Road Traffic Acts and do not themselves become a road safety hazard either through obstruction of the highway or a distraction to road users.

New Millennium Village

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to use solar voltaics and small-scale wind power as part of the sustainable energy strategy at the New Millennium Village in Greenwich. [124046]

Ms Beverley Hughes: In winning the competition to select a developer for the Millennium Village at Greenwich, the consortium now known as Greenwich Millennium Village Ltd. proposed to include energy from both wind and solar sources. It is for the developers to decide how to incorporate such features, but I am keen that opportunities in this area should be fully explored. Photovoltaic cells and solar panels are both being considered, and the position in respect of wind power is being reviewed.

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what consultations were held with (a) urban sociologists and (b) anthropologists on assessing ways to optimise social cohesion in the New Millennium Village in Greenwich. [124047]

Ms Beverley Hughes: No consultations were held with professional anthropologists or urban sociologists. However, social cohesion is a key objective of the

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Millennium Village, and is being pursued through its design, through the provision of affordable housing, education and health facilities, along with other community facilities, and through physical and other linkages with existing communities.


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