---

Legal Aid

Mr. Geraint Davies: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many legal firms deal with legal aid work; and what the number was in 1996. [125434]

Mr. Lock: The information is not readily available in the form requested, and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Legal Services Commission, which replaced the Legal Aid Board on 1 April 2000, records payments made to solicitors offices and not solicitors firms. One firm may have several offices, but the Commission's payment system cannot identify them as belonging to the same firm.

During the period April 1996 to 31 March 1997, 10,739 offices received legal aid payments. The most recent figure available is for the period 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999, when the number was 10,751. The figure for 1999-2000 is not yet available but will appear in the Legal Aid Board's final annual report which will be laid before Parliament in July 2000.

14 Jun 2000 : Column: 626W

Barristers

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what his policy is with regard to the exercise of his powers under the Access to Justice Act 1999 and the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 on the formation of partnerships between barristers. [125432]

Mr. Lock: The Lord Chancellor has no statutory powers with regard to the formation of partnerships between barristers.

The Lord Chancellor's powers under Schedule 4 to the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990, as amended by schedule 5 to the Access to Justice Act 1999, enable him only to strike down and replace a professional body's rules if they unreasonably restrict a right of audience or to conduct litigation, or the exercise of such a right.

The rules preventing barristers forming partnerships are entirely a matter for the Bar Council.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcohol (River Boats)

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many alcohol-related incidents were reported to police on or relating to Thames river boats in (a) 1990-91, (b) 1992-93, (c) 1994-95, (d) 1996-97 and (e) 1998-99. [125446]

Mr. Charles Clarke: This information is not available.

Immigration

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens of the European Community or European Economic Area, or members of their families, were (a) questioned, (b) searched and (c) detained in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999; and how the powers in these respects are exercised and at what location, in respect of those travelling by rail through the channel tunnel. [125385]

Mrs. Roche: The information requested is not available. European Economic Area (EEA) nationals are normally admitted to the United Kingdom on production of a valid passport or identity card as evidence of nationality and identity, in accordance with Article 3(1) of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Order 1994 ("the EEA Order") and subject of Article 15(1) of the EEA Order. Under Article 3(3) of the EEA Order, an accompanying family member of an EEA national who is not himself an EEA national will normally be admitted to the United Kingdom, although he may, in addition, be required to hold an EEA family permit issued abroad.

Under Article 15(1) of the EEA Order, immigration officers on arrival may refuse to admit a person if his exclusion is justified on grounds of public policy, public security or public health. This applies when the person is travelling by rail through the channel tunnel or by any other means of transport.

Powers for immigration officers to question passengers arriving in the United Kingdom, whether they are citizens of the European Union or European Economic Area, or their accompanying (third country) relatives, are contained

14 Jun 2000 : Column: 627W

in paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971. Schedule 2 applies to the examination of (EEA) nationals in accordance with Article 20(2)(e) of the EEA Order. Under paragraph 4(3) of Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971, a person who is examined under paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 may be searched, and his belongings examined, and that person may be detained under paragraph 16 of Schedule 2 of the Immigration Act 1971.

These powers are normally exercised where the passenger first encounters the immigration officer or, in the case of a person examined on board a train, immediately on his arrival in the United Kingdom.

Child Abuse

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he takes to ensure that alleged cases of institutional child abuse are thoroughly investigated. [125750]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Although the conduct of criminal investigations is a matter for the chief officer of police, the police have a duty and responsibility to investigate all criminal offences. Investigations into allegations of criminal offences against children in particular, should be carried out sensitively, thoroughly and professionally.

The Home Office has worked with the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Employment to publish guidance--"Working Together to Safeguard Children"--which sets out how all agencies and professionals should work together to promote children's welfare and to protect them from abuse and neglect.

In addition, following the North Wales Child Abuse Report (the Waterhouse Report) "Lost in Care", the Government agreed there was a need for an inter-agency review of best practice in conducting complex abuse investigations and that a Review Group would be established to take forward this work, bringing together representatives from the Home Office, Department of Health, Local Government Association, Association of Directors of Social Services and the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Ronald Maddison

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people (a) have voluntarily contacted the police, (b) the police have contacted and (c) the police estimate they will wish to contact in connection with the Wiltshire Constabulary inquiry into the death of Ronald Maddison. [125989]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I understand from the Wiltshire Constabulary that no-one has contacted them on their own initiative in connection with the inquiry into the death of Ronald Maddison; that the force has so far been in contact with 12 people in this connection; and that it is not possible to estimate the final number who may be contacted. The inquiry into Mr. Maddison's death is just one aspect of a wider inquiry into events at Porton Down over many years.

14 Jun 2000 : Column: 628W

Asylum Seekers

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will direct that the relevant local authorities and regional assemblies be given the opportunity to be involved in all discussions between the National Asylum Support Service and the private agencies and landlords in the allocation of asylum seekers to different localities. [125278]

Mrs. Roche: The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) is fully committed to consulting the regional consortiums as part of the negotiation process in dispersing asylum seekers. We recognise the importance of local knowledge and expertise and NASS has an established consultation process for the procurement of accommodation. It would not be practicable to give individual local authorities and regional assemblies the opportunity to be involved in all discussions with private agencies and landlords. NASS must strike the right balance between the need to consult and the need, for example, to secure accommodation within reasonable timescales.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the size of the local Islamic community and the availability of support workers in the education and social services departments and voluntary agencies is taken into account by the National Asylum Support Service in the allocation of asylum seekers to local authorities. [125279]

Mrs. Roche: Wherever possible we disperse asylum seekers to areas where there is an established community of the same language. We also take into account any other local factors brought to our attention during the consultation process with the local regional consortium. The voluntary agencies are establishing "one stop shops" where asylum seekers can receive help and advice.

Resident and Community Groups

Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been made available for spending under the Government's policy for community involvement by residents' and community groups since May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [124261]

Mr. Boateng: The Home Office spent £170,000 in 1999-2000 under the Community Resource Fund, and is likely to spend a similar amount during this financial year. £325,000 was spent under the Community Development Learning Fund with £650,000 to be made available for 2000-01. Both these funds were established as a result of recommendations contained in the Policy Action Team 9 Report on Community Self-Help, and are aimed at enabling small and emerging community groups in deprived areas to access funds as easily and quickly as possible.

Other departments also resource this activity. The hon. Member may wish to seek further information from, in particular, my right. hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, and the Secretary of State for the Department for Education and Employment.

14 Jun 2000 : Column: 629W

---