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Free Nursing Care

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out (a) the assumptions his Department used and (b) the definition of nursing care used in providing an estimate of the cost of his proposal that nursing care should be free. [139042]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 20 November 2000]: These figures were based on the estimated costs of nursing care incurred by individuals in nursing homes who are not currently supported by local authorities or the National Health Service. They also include costs associated with assessing people's nursing care needs under the new arrangements. This calculation broadly reflected the difference in the average costs of residential and nursing care, rather than a particular definition of nursing care.

Hospices

Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total budget spent on hospices in (a) England and (b) Wales from 1979 to 1997; and what are the projected budgets for England for the next three years. [139603]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 21 November 2000]: Specialist palliative care is provided by voluntary sector providers and by the National Health Service. Information on the total budget spend on hospices in past years is not available.

The National Council for Hospices and Specialist Palliative Care has estimated that in 1999-2000 total spend on hospice provision for adults (both NHS and voluntary hospices) was £249 million. Of this, £99 million was provided by the NHS and £150 million by the voluntary sector. In addition, the NHS spend on specialist palliative care services was a further £31 million.

The NHS Cancer Plan published on 27 September, copies of which have been placed in the Library, recognises the importance of palliative care for all patients that need it. By 2004 the NHS will invest an extra £50 million to end inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and to enable the NHS to make a realistic contribution to the cost hospices incur in providing agreed levels of service. This will mean for the first time ever, NHS investment in specialist palliative care services will match that of the voluntary sector.

Matters relating to Wales are for the devolved administration to answer.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Sir Walter Raleigh Statue

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to move the statue of Sir Walter Raleigh from its position in Whitehall; and if he will make a statement. [139310]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 20 November 2000]: I announced on 15 November that the statue of Sir Walter Raleigh, which is currently sited in Whitehall, should be moved to a new home at the Royal Naval

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College, Greenwich. I have asked English Heritage, who are the statue's guardians, to begin any necessary preparations.

Tourist Attractions

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what official procedures are in place to ensure that lottery-funded and other tourist attractions across the United Kingdom are adequately served by public transport systems. [139015]

Janet Anderson: Government policy on planning issues is contained in Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) published by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. PPG 13 covers transport and states that in promoting policies for tourism and recreation, local authorities should ensure that major new attractions are readily accessible by a range of means of transport. In addition, attractions applying for lottery funding are required to demonstrate that they have a viable business plan. The availability of public transport is an important element for attractions where viability depends on visitor numbers.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Palace of Westminster (Guided Tours)

Mr. Harvey: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what was the total (a) cost incurred and (b) revenue gained as a result of the arrangements for guided tours of the Palace of Westminster during the summer recess 2000. [139927]

Mrs. Roe: My Committee's Report, containing this information, will be put before the House shortly.

HOME DEPARTMENT

EU Judicial Systems

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy towards pooling of prosecution under the "Ne bis in idem" principle, where the defendant has committed the same crime in several EU countries, as discussed in Com (2000) 495. [134798]

Mrs. Roche: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 November 2000, Official Report, column 519W.

European Judicial Systems

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on Eurojust; and if he will make a statement. [139740]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The decision to establish Eurojust was taken at the special European Council meeting held at Tampere, Finland in October 1999. The European Council agreed that Eurojust would have

the task of facilitating the proper co-ordination of national prosecuting authorities and of supporting criminal investigations in organised crime cases, notably based on Europol's analysis, as

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well as of co-operating closely with the European Judicial Network, in particular in order to simplify the execution of letters rogatory.

The Justice and Home Affairs Council was requested to adopt the necessary legal instrument by the end of 2001.

The Government fully support the decision to establish Eurojust and are actively participating in the current work to negotiate the necessary legal instrument. In discharging the remit from Tampere, the Government believe that Eurojust should co-ordinate and facilitate cross-border investigations, but without directing the national authorities involved.

In addition to dealing with other types of serious crime, the Government consider that Eurojust should take an active part in the investigation and prosecution of cases of fraud against the finances of the European Union. Eurojust will also need to establish close links with Europol to enable the two organisations to co-operate fully in the European Union's fight against organised crime.

The Government have fully supported the decision to establish a Provisional Judicial Co-operation Unit in Brussels in the interim period before Eurojust is established. A similar method was used successfully when Europol was established, and experience gained from the operation of the Provisional Unit will feed into the negotiations on Eurojust itself.

Lord Birt

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met Lord Birt in his position as an adviser to the Government on crime matters; what issues were discussed; and if he will make a statement. [136574]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 6 November 2000]: I would refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 17 November 2000, Official Report, column 801W.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings he has had with Lord Birt regarding crime since Lord Birt's appointment as an adviser to the Government on crime; and what reports on crime he has been presented with by Lord Birt. [137321]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 8 November 2000]: I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 17 November 2000, Official Report, column 801W.

Correspondence

Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to letters sent by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath on 20 July 2000 and 1 September 2000 concerning the case of Abdul Hammed Butt. [139027]

Mrs. Roche: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate replied to my hon. Friend on 17 November. I am sorry that a reply was not sent sooner.

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Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will explain the delays by his Department in dealing with correspondence from Plancey & Company, immigration consultants in Glasgow. [138997]

Mrs. Roche: We are not aware of any particular delays in dealing with correspondence from Plancey & Co. Inquiries from this organisation are not treated differently to those from other organisations representing immigration applicants. General inquiries should be directed to the Immigration and Nationality Enquiry Bureau. Correspondence about individual cases will be linked to the file and every effort is made to respond speedily to inquiries, depending on the nature and complexity of the case. Resources have been committed to speeding up consideration of all types of application and to reducing backlogs, which has reduced the number of inquiries about outstanding applications.

Movement of Persons (EU)

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by subject headings those provisions of the European Union treaties concerned with movements of persons between member states, and within it of persons from third countries, (a) those obligations which bind all member states, (b) those additional obligations applicable to members of the Schengen agreement, (c) those optional arrangements provided for in the treaties to which the United Kingdom is a party, (d) those additional arrangements made by the Schengen agreement into which the United Kingdom has entered and (e) those arrangements additional to the above currently under negotiation by the United Kingdom. [139083]

Mrs. Roche: Articles 18 and 39-48 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC) concern the free movement of European Union citizens. Article 18 falls under the subject heading 'Citizenship of the Union' (Part Two of the Treaty). Articles 39-48 fall under 'Free Movement of Persons, Services and Capital' (Part Three, Title III). These provisions are binding on all member states.

Articles 61-64 of the TEC contain provisions regarding the movement of third country nationals. These articles fall under 'Visas, Asylum, Immigration and Other Policies Related to the Free Movement of Persons' (Part Three, Title IV). Any measure adopted under Title IV does not bind the United Kingdom (or Ireland) unless either country chooses to opt in to the measure, pursuant to the 'Protocol on the Position of the United Kingdom and Ireland' annexed to the TEC by the Treaty of Amsterdam. Denmark's separate Protocol prevents it from taking part in any measures under Title IV.

Members of the Schengen agreement have additional obligations under the Schengen acquis. This body of law is extensive, so I refer my hon. Friend to the Council Decision 1999/435/EC where the obligations are listed. The United Kingdom does not participate in the parts of the Schengen acquis which are inconsistent with the Government's policy on frontier controls. Those parts of the Schengen acquis in which we do participate are listed in Council Decision 2000/365/EC.

The scope of the treaty amendments currently under discussion in the Intergovernmental Conference is set out in the Government's White Paper 'IGC: Reform for

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Enlargement', presented to Parliament in February 2000. The latest position on these negotiations is set out in the French Presidency document of 3 November 2000, 'The Progress Report on the Intergovernmental Conference on Institutional Reform' (CONFER 4790), which is available in the Library.

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