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Football (Offences and Disorder)

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been required to surrender their passports in connection with football events in the last five years. [124377]

Mr. Straw: There are currently 100 people subject to international football bans, all of whom are required to report to a police station throughout the period of Euro 2000. The Football (Offences and Disorder) Act 1999,

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which came into force in September 1999, includes provision for the court to require an individual to surrender their passport for designated periods as a condition of their banning order. The courts have imposed nine such conditions to date.

The Dutch and Belgian authorities have extensive powers to refuse entry to any England supporter who poses a threat to public order, including those subject to domestic bans. Acting on information provided by the National Criminal Intelligence Service, police will be monitoring all England supporters at every United Kingdom exit point throughout the tournament and sharing the intelligence gathered with the Dutch, Belgian and French authorities and the English police team operating in all these countries.

Local Authority Grants

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the funds which are available to local authorities on application, indicating those for which the Torbay Unitary Authority has successfully applied in each of the last two years. [124194]

Mrs. Roche: Local authorities can claim the costs of accommodating and supporting asylum seekers plus an element of administrative costs. Prior to 1 April 1999, all grants were administered by the Department of Health. That Department retains responsibility for the payment of a special grant for the support of unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

From 1 April 1999 to 5 December 1999, costs to local authorities for adult asylum seekers were covered in a special grant report. From 6 December 1999 until 31 March 2000, these costs were covered by grant paid under the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999.

In addition, the costs incurred by local authorities in supporting Kosovan evacuees, who arrived as part of the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme, is being reimbursed under the terms of Special Grant Report (No. 49).

The Torbay Unitary Authority has not applied for any grants from the National Asylum Support Service or under the terms of the Kosovo Special Grant Report.

On 31 May 2000, we announced the introduction of a new race equality support grants programme--Connecting Communities--which will address racial disadvantage by helping marginalised minority ethnic communities at grass roots level. There are four support programme areas--Community Networks, Opportunity Schemes, Towards More Representative Services, and Positive Images.

Local authorities will be eligible to bid for funding under the new support programmes, which are expected to start in October 2000.

Asylum Seekers

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements his Department has made for identifying suitable accommodation for asylum seekers under the Government's dispersal policy. [125116]

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Mrs. Roche: Accommodation providers are responsible for identifying suitable accommodation. They are bound by contract to provide accommodation to certain specifications. These specifications were drawn up with other organisations, including the Refugee Council. The National Asylum Support Service check all proposed addresses for suitability of location for asylum seekers and access to Post Offices and the retail network.

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the result of consultations with (a) the North West Consortium and (b) Liverpool City Council prior to the decision to award contracts to place asylum seekers in The Landmark and The Inn on the Park in Everton, Liverpool; and when these consultations took place. [125114]

Mrs. Roche: Officials in the National Asylum Support Service wrote to the North West Consortium, including Liverpool City Council, on 9 February seeking comments on proposed providers. No comments were received.

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made to monitor contracts entered into in respect of the Government's dispersal policy for asylum seekers. [125115]

Mrs. Roche: The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has established dedicated contract managers to oversee all accommodation contracts. In addition, a dedicated contract management team oversees the contract with Sodexho. NASS also has a network of regional managers monitoring support provision for asylum seekers.

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bed spaces are contracted for by the Home Office in its asylum seeker allocation and dispersal schemes in each district of the counties of (a) Tyne and Wear, (b) Northumberland, (c) Durham and (d) Cleveland; through which bodies these bedspaces have been contracted; and if he will estimate the (i) average annual unit cost per bedspace and (ii) total annual cost of these bedspaces. [125141]

Mrs. Roche: The number of bed spaces contracted are as follows: Tyne and Wear 485; Northumberland 0; Durham 0; and, Cleveland 50. The accommodation contracts in these areas are with private sector providers Roselodge, Angel and Adelphi. To avoid prejudicing negotiations currently taking place with potential further accommodation providers, I am unable to provide information on unit costs as this is commercially sensitive.

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts have been entered into with (a) local authorities, (b) the private sector and (c) the voluntary sector in relation to the Government's scheme for the dispersal of asylum seekers. [125118]

Mrs. Roche: Contracts have been entered into with one local authority, one housing association, one YMCA and seven with the private sector.

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been received by public funds in the last five years in fines levied upon foreign lorry drivers apprehended for importing asylum seekers into the United Kingdom. [125271]

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Mrs. Roche: Since the coming into force of the civil penalty provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, a total of £12,000 in penalties has been paid by foreign lorry drivers or their employers. In addition, a further £105,829 has been paid by foreign lorry drivers or their employers to secure the release of vehicles which had been detained pending payment of the penalty. These provisions of the Act came into force only on 3 April this year, so no sum actually fell to be paid until 4 June 2000.

Statistical information relating to the sums of money imposed in fines on those convicted in the courts for the offence of facilitation of illegal entry does not record separately the amounts paid by foreign lorry drivers

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to police budgets, for the latest year for which figures are available, of the provision of interpreters to assist asylum seekers and economic migrants; how much of this money has been refunded by central Government to local police authorities; and if he will make a statement. [125276]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The information requested is not centrally collected. The Home Office does not refund the cost of interpreters to police authorities. The cost of using interpreters is a matter for Chief Officers of police and as part of their operational activities the cost would be met from within force budgets.

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision he has made for the financial year 2000-01 to meet the costs incurred by Kent Police through the provision of interpreters to assist asylum seekers and economic migrants. [125272]

Mr. Charles Clarke: No specific provision has been made in the allocation of Government funding to Kent Police Authority for the cost of using interpreters. The arrangements for the employment of interpreters are a matter for the Chief Constable.

The funding allocation for the Kent Police Authority in 2000-01 has recognised the costs to the local police of asylum seekers and other policing demands that arise from Dover being the main route between the United Kingdom and Europe. Government supported funding for Kent Police Authority increased by 4.4 per cent. or £8 million, and around 20 per cent. of this extra funding was in consequence of the growing pressures from illegal immigration and other "Gateway to Europe" policing demands on the Kent Constabulary.

Chinese President (State Visit)

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he will take following the criticism made in the judgment of Mr. Justice Burton on the actions taken by police during the visit of the President of China; and if he will make a statement. [124890]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I understand that the judgment in this case, while noting that there remained some disagreement between the parties on matters of fact, supported the declarations granted by the Metropolitan Police and considered the matter settled.

It is for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to determine in the light of this case what changes should be made to policing arrangements for future events.

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