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Iran
Mr. Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he is proposing to travel to Iran. [128754]
Mr. Hain: The visit to Iran of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has been postponed, owing to the busy schedule and travel commitments of Dr. Kamal Kharrazi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Both he and Dr. Kharrazi are keen for the visit to proceed and will be consulting to find a mutually convenient date.
Staff Secondments
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis) of 11 February 2000, Official Report, columns 337-38W, on secondments, if he will give the names, grades and job titles of the staff seconded into his Department from each organisation mentioned, stating in each case the name of the section they were seconded to and a summary of the work that they were involved with. [128242]
Mr. Battle: As soon as the information can be compiled I shall write to the hon. Member, and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.
Burma
Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to discourage UK firms from promoting tourist travel to Burma. [127853]
Mr. Battle: Since 1998 we have written to tour operator associations and to travel companies drawing attention to the views of Burmese democratic leaders that tourism to Burma is inappropriate. We cannot stop British citizens choosing Burma as a holiday destination, but we hope that any who go there are aware of the political and human rights situation. They should also be aware that they have to exchange $300 on arrival. Every one of these dollars will directly support the regime.
Entry Clearance
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision will be made on the application for entry clearance by Shamsad Anwar, lodged at Islamabad in November 1998, reference C4694. [128255]
Mr. Vaz: This application, by Muena Fatima and a child, Aisha Shamshad, to join Mr. Shamsad Anwar in the UK, is the subject of ongoing inquiries, including DNA testing, at our High Commission in Islamabad. I shall be writing separately to my hon. Friend to provide the background to this application.
Embassies
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the start-up costs were for each embassy established in Eastern European countries and the former states of the USSR since 1990. [127813]
29 Jun 2000 : Column: 582W
Mr. Hain: It will take some time to collate the information requested. I will write to the hon. Member shortly with the information. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Sierra Leone
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) technical and (b) financial assistance the Government have provided to ECOMOG in Sierra Leone. [128093]
Mr. Hain: We have provided around £5 million worth of practical support for the ECOMOG peacekeeping forces in Sierra Leone. This support included vehicles, ration packs, boots, tents, communications equipment and the funding of helicopter hours.
The ECOMOG peacekeeping force has now left Sierra Leone.
HOME DEPARTMENT
R v. Weir
Mr. Hope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking following the judgment of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) in R v. Weir and the Attorney-General's Reference No. 3/1999 on 26 May. [128626]
Mr. Straw: I am looking at what steps need to be taken, including possible revisions to section 64 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
Cyclists
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions in each of the last five years cyclists have been prosecuted for exceeding the speed limit; [127980]
- (2) how many prosecutions there have been in each of the last five years of cyclists for cycling the wrong way down one-way streets; [127968]
(3) how many prosecutions there have been in each of the last five years of cyclists for riding on pavements; [127971]
(4) how many prosecutions there have been in each of the last five years of cyclists for cycling through traffic lights at red; [127979]
(5) how many prosecutions there have been in each of the last five years of cyclists for using footpaths designated for pedestrians; [127969]
(6) how many prosecutions there have been of cyclists for failing to carry cycle lights at night in each of the last five years. [127970]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Available information for 1994 to 1998 taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database is given in the table. Data for 1999 will not be available until the autumn.
The fixed penalty system is also used for several pedal cycle offences, but information specific to such offences is not recorded centrally.
29 Jun 2000 : Column: 583W
| Offence description | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neglect of traffic directions | 125 | 155 | 181 | 92 | 121 |
| Riding on footpath | 219 | 314 | 423 | 648 | 1,055 |
| Failing to obey signal | 19 | 11 | 24 | 43 | 19 |
| Lighting and reflector offences | 293 | 332 | 382 | 412 | 624 |
| Other pedal cycle offences | 2 | 11 | 16 | 7 | 16 |
Notes:
1. The offence of 'failing to comply with traffic light signals' may be recorded under 'Neglect of traffic directions', Failing to obey signal' or 'Other pedal cycle offence'.
2. The offence of 'Cycling the wrong way down a one-way street' may be recorded under 'Neglect of traffic direction' or 'Other pedal cycle offence'.
3. The offence of 'exceeding the speed limit' may be recorded under 'Neglect of traffic directions' or 'Other pedal cycle offence'.
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many compensation claims for lost passports were lodged with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in each year since 1992. [127975]
Mrs. Roche: The number of claims for lost passports lodged in the last four financial years is set out in the table. Information for earlier years is not available.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 30 |
| 1997-98 | 60 |
| 1998-99 | 85 |
| 1999-2000 | 94 |
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate of settling compensation claims for lost passports in each year since 1992. [127976]
Mrs. Roche: The cost of settling claims for lost passports in each of the last four financial years is set out in the table. Information for previous years is not available.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 3,000 |
| 1997-98 | 11,500 |
| 1998-99 | 12,000 |
| 1999-2000 | 20,000 |
Clandestine Entrants
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many notices of objection lodged by hauliers allegedly transporting clandestine entrants into the UK have been (a) upheld and (b) rejected in each month since the coming into force of the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) Regulations 2000. [127874]
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Mrs. Roche: As at 25 June 2000, there have been 159 cases where notices of objection have been lodged against a penalty imposed in accordance with the Civil Penalty provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Of those that have been determined, four notices of objection have been upheld and 62 rejected.
It is not possible to break these figures down on a monthly basis.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many haulage contractors were charged under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, in each month since April, with bringing clandestine entrants into the UK. [127978]
Mrs. Roche: The number of haulage contractors charged under the Civil Penalty provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in each month since April was:
| Month | Number |
|---|---|
| April | 72 |
| May | 84 |
| June (to 25) | 55 |
| Total | 211 |
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the average fine imposed on hauliers for transporting clandestine entrants into the UK since the coming into force of the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) Regulations 2000. [127873]
Mrs. Roche: The Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sales of Transporters) Regulations 2000 enables the imposition of a penalty of £2,000 for each clandestine entrant transported to the United Kingdom.
As at 25 June, 211 penalty notices, with a total value of £2,336,000 had been served in relation to 1,168 clandestine entrants. Twenty-four of the penalty notices served relate to vehicles that between them carried 367 clandestine entrants, with an average penalty of £30,000 in respect of 15 entrants for each vehicle. The remaining 187 penalties relate to vehicles that between them carried 801 clandestine entrants, with an average penalty of £8,000 in respect of four entrants for each vehicle.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the value of fines levied on hauliers charged under the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) Regulations 2000 in each month since April. [127872]
Mrs. Roche: As at 25 June, the value of penalties raised on persons under the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sales of Transporters) Regulations 2000 in each month since April were as follows:
| Month | £ |
|---|---|
| April | 848,000 |
| May | 838,000 |
| June | 650,000 |
| Total | 2,336,000 |
29 Jun 2000 : Column: 585W
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