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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 13 June 2000
HOME DEPARTMENT
Criminal Justice
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the baseline against which he will measure his target of improving the satisfaction of (a) victims and (b) witnesses with their treatment by the criminal justice system; how that baseline was measured; and how he proposes to measure levels of satisfaction by 31 March 2002. [125624]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The baseline for victim satisfaction is the British Crime Survey 1998.
There is presently no reliable indicator of witness satisfaction. A new cross Criminal Justice System survey on witness satisfaction has accordingly been put in hand. The results will be available in the autumn, enabling a baseline to be set.
Future levels of victims' satisfaction will be measured by the British Crime Survey, and of witness satisfaction by a further survey.
Departmental Expenditure Limits
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for changes to the 2000-01 Department expenditure limits within his responsibility. [126025]
Mr. Straw: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL), which covers Class IV Vote 1 (Home Office administration, police, probation, immigration and other services, England and Wales) and Vote 2 (Prisons, England and Wales), will be increased by £42,050,000 from £8,068,786,000 to £8,110,836,000.
The changes are the net effect of the following transfers: £1,200,000 to the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Class III Vote 1) in respect of neighbourhood wardens; £20,200,000 from the DEL Reserve for police modernisation; £2,900,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund for the electronic chipping of goods; and £20,150,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund for the national strategy for police information systems.
The increases will be offset by a charge on the Reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Changes to the budgeted amount for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, which includes the costs of dealing with the asylum seekers, have yet to be confirmed.
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Prison Service Race Relations Group
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the report of the Prison Service race relations group. [126026]
Mr. Boateng: A copy of the ninth report of the Prison Service race relations group to the Prison Service Management Board has been placed in the Library.
Interception of Communications Tribunal
Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made following the expiry of the term of appointment of the President of the Interception of Communications Tribunal on 4 April; and if he will make a statement. [126027]
Mr. Straw: Mr. Justice Burton has been appointed as President of the Interception of Communications Tribunal for a period of five years.
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Mr. Hope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received the annual report for 1999 of the Complaints Audit Committee of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate; and if he will make a statement. [126067]
Mr. Straw: A copy of the report has been placed in the Library. It is a useful and informative document and I am grateful to the Committee for its comments and its recommendations which will all be followed up. The report also includes details of the broadening of the Committee's terms of reference to reflect their role in monitoring complaints arising from the enhanced powers of Immigration Officers under Part VII of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
Animal Experiments
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Mr. Wyatt) of 15 May 2000, Official Report, column 53W, on animal experiments, whether the review of section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1966 in the context of freedom of information legislation has been completed; and if he will make a statement. [125902]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 prevents the disclosure of information about the use of animals in scientific procedures that has been provided in confidence. Under the proposals for the Freedom of Information Bill, all statutory bars are being reviewed, including Section 24.
The maintenance of the necessary protection for individual scientists and their research institutions and for the commercial confidentiality of their work is a priority in the review of Section 24.
No decision has yet been taken on whether to repeal or amend Section 24.
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Health and Safety
Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the criminal sanctions in his proposed Health and Safety legislation come into force which official or Minister will be criminally liable for deaths caused in or by each Government department and agency; and if he will list the job title of each such official or Minister in each Government department or agency. [125810]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The consultation paper published on 23 May, "Reforming the Law on Involuntary Manslaughter: the Government's Proposals", set out proposals for a new offence of corporate killing and invited views on the application of Crown immunity to the offence. The closing date for comments on the proposals is 1 September 2000.
Once we have been able to consider responses to the consultation paper, we will reach a decision on the possible application of Crown immunity to the offence.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications were (a) lodged, (b) outstanding and (c) decided in the years 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000. [125691]
Mrs. Roche: The information requested is given in the table.
| Asylum applications(2) | Initial decisions(2) | Cases awaiting an initial decision(2), (3) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 43,365 | 28,915 | 69,165 |
| 1996-97 | 27,685 | 38,895 | 54,950 |
| 1997-98 | 33,855 | 36,020 | 50,950 |
| 1998-99(4) | 51,255 | 26,525 | 74,405 |
| 1999-2000(4) | 76,115 | 51,445 | 98,365 |
(1) Figures rounded to the nearest five
(2) Excluding dependants
(3) Cases outstanding at the end of the financial year
(4) Provisional data
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the arrangements are for assessing the suitability of individual retail outlets for receiving vouchers allocated to asylum seekers; what criteria are applied in the assessment; and what monitoring arrangements are in place. [125119]
Mrs. Roche: The retail outlets have been selected to provide a wide range of retail opportunities to asylum seekers. In excess of 19,000 outlets are signed up to the voucher scheme. Sodexho is responsible for the maintenance of this retail network. The National Asylum Support Service monitors the growth of the retail network in terms of overall numbers, geographical spread, and retail mix.
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are applied in assessing the suitability of (a) contractors and (b) accommodation in relation to the Government's dispersal policy for asylum
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seekers; and what weight is given in that assessment to factors concerning management arrangements and care of the asylum seekers. [125117]
Mrs. Roche: Independent property surveyors were appointed to inspect property proposed by all potential providers prior to contract. An ongoing programme of inspection is in place for all providers to ensure providers maintain acceptable standards.
Potential providers were assessed in terms of their financial standing, nature of accommodation offered, commercial offer and support infrastructure. This process included seeking references from past and present customers and consultation with Local Authority Consortia.
The assessment model for assessing the suitability of contractors includes management arrangements and care of asylum seekers. I am unable to give further details since this information could prejudice negotiations with additional accommodation providers.
Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) failed asylum seekers and (b) others have been (i) deported and (ii) removed to Zimbabwe in each month since May 1999. [125124]
Mrs. Roche: The requested information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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