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Criminal Assets

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress made at the Council of Ministers on fixing minimum standards for tracing and confiscating assets from crime. [128258]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The European Union Heads of State and Government meeting at the special European Council at Tampere in October 1999 called for action with regard to the approximation of criminal law and procedures on money laundering, with particular reference to the tracing, freezing and confiscation of the proceeds of crime. It has been proposed that a new ad hoc working group, which has still to be set up, will carry this work forward.

Separate discussions are taking place with regard to the application of the principle of mutual recognition to asset freezing and restraint. This will involve consideration of the minimum standards which should be applied to permit recognition of orders between member states.

The incoming French Presidency of the European Union has made action against financial crime and money laundering one of its priorities and it is clear that this will involve some action in the area of the tracing and confiscation of the proceeds of crime.

Staff Secondments

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2000, Official Report, column 471W, 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. [128249]

Mr. Straw: Secondments and attachments are part of the Interchange Initiative which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the civil service and other organisations. Before an Interchange can occur all parties must be satisfied that no conflict of interest arises.

The details of the two private sector staff seconded to my Department are as follows:

The first secondee was from Barclay's Bank to the Planning, Finance and Performance Group from January 1997 to January 1999. The secondee was employed on various project management activities.

The second secondee is from PriceWaterhouseCoopers to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate for 12 months from 4 August 1999. The secondee has had responsibility for various project management and operational activities.

Police Secondments

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are seconded on duty abroad; how many officers were seconded in each of the previous five years; and if he will make a statement. [128165]

29 Jun 2000 : Column: 586W

Mr. Charles Clarke: Each police force keeps its own records and comprehensive figures are not currently held centrally. Figures are available on the number of United Kingdom police officers participating in international peace-keeping missions overseas. On 28 June 2000, the United Kingdom had 264 police officers working in Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo and East Timor.

Departmental Bills

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Bills his Department has sponsored in each of the last 20 years; how many have been enacted; and if he will list the Bills and Acts per year. [128164]

Mr. Straw: Since the 1979-80 parliamentary session, the Home Office has sponsored 89 Bills, of which 79 have passed into law. The Acts listed are in Royal Assent order for their respective session followed by details of any unsuccessful legislation.





































29 Jun 2000 : Column: 587W


























































29 Jun 2000 : Column: 588W


















The following Home Office Bills for the 1999-2000 session are currently before the House:



Police Radio Frequencies

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy in relation to the future of the existing police radio frequencies; what is the estimated commercial value of expected surplus frequencies; what is his current estimated timescale for the changes to the use of radio frequencies; and if he will make a statement. [128166]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The majority of the radio frequencies currently used by the police service, in England and Wales, will be returned to the central Government pool once the Public Safety Radio Communications service (PSRCS) is fully operational and the frequencies are no longer required. This is expected to occur in 2005.

The spectrum returned will be used to assist in re-organising the civil spectrum to improve its quality by aligning it with usage in Europe. This re-alignment will take many years and we do not expect that any parts of the spectrum currently used by the Home Office will be available for sale or for further allocation until this programme has been completed.

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