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DNA Samples
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will bring formal legislation to allow DNA samples collected during the course of a police investigation to be retained, subject to the consent of the person giving the sample. [139099]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The consultation paper "Proposals for Revising Legislative Measures on Fingerprints, Footprints and DNA Samples", published on 30 July 1999, proposed allowing retention of DNA samples given voluntarily by members of the public during the course of a police investigation, subject to the volunteers' consent. We intend to introduce legislation on the use of DNA profiling in criminal investigations at the earliest opportunity.
Police Numbers (Gwent)
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional police officers
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will be employed by Gwent Police following the Comprehensive Spending Review. [139262]
Mr. Charles Clarke: As a result of the 2000 Spending Review (SR2000) spending on the police will rise from £7.7 billion this year to £8.5 billion in 2001-02; to £9.0 billion in 2002-03 and to £9.3 billion in 2003-04. This is a very significant increase in resources, with funding rising by nearly £1.6 billion in 2003-04 over provision for this year.
The Home Secretary's powers to set establishment levels for each force were removed by the previous Government in 1994, under the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994. It is for the Chief Officer to determine staffing requirements within the overall resources available. That said, we are providing further new money in SR2000 to expand the Crime Fighting Fund (CFF). As a result forces will be able to recruit 9,000 police officers over and above the number they had previously planned to recruit in the three years 2000-01 to 2002-03 (rather than the 5,000 announced in September 1999).
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In the case of Gwent, the force's CFF allocation has increased from 43 to 81 recruits. Their allocation is spread over three years. Allocations for years two and three are provisional. They depend on the force delivering target recruitment and improved performance.
European Public Prosecutor
Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will veto the European Commission's IGC proposal 280a to appoint a European Public Prosecutor. [134594]
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 26 October 2000]: In the Intergovernmental Conference negotiations, the Commission is entitled to make proposals. But decisions are a matter for the member states. In the IGC preparatory group, the great majority of member states, including the United Kingdom, have not been minded even to consider the Commission's proposal to appoint a European Public Prosecutor.
Asylum Seekers (Sir Lanka)
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum have been received from Sri Lanka in each of the last 10 years; how many have been refused; how many applicants have returned to Sri Lanka during that time; and if he will make a statement. [139433]
Mrs. Roche: The available information is given in the table.
I regret that the requested information on the number of applicants who have returned to Sri Lanka is not available.
All applications from Sri Lankan nationals are considered on their individual merits in accordance with the United Kingdom's obligations under the 1951 convention.
| Applications received(7),(8) | Refusals of asylum and exceptional leave(10),(11) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 3,765 | (12)20 |
| 1992 | 2,085 | 215 |
| 1993 | 1,965 | 260 |
| 1994 | 2,350 | 955 |
| 1995 | 2,070 | 1,225 |
| 1996 | 1,340 | 2,115 |
| 1997 | 1,830 | 1,710 |
| 1998 | 3,505 | 1,950 |
| 1999(13) | (9)5,130 | 1,980 |
| 2000 (to September)(13) | (9)4,250 | 3,095 |
(7) Figures do not include overseas applications.
(8) Figures rounded to the nearest five.
(9) Application figures may exclude some cases lodged at Local Enforcement Offices.
(10) Information is of initial decisions excluding the outcome of appeals or the other subsequent decisions.
(11) Includes refusals on the grounds that the applicant had arrived from a safe third country, non-compliance refusals, for failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period, and refusals under the backlog clearance exercise.
(12) Decision figures for 1991 may understate.
(13) Provisional figures.
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Neighbourhood Watch Schemes
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Neighbourhood Watch schemes there are in England and Wales; and what estimate he has made of how many people belong to them. [139484]
Mr. Charles Clarke: There are now over 160,000 Neighbourhood Watch schemes in England and Wales covering more than six million households, or roughly one in 10 of the population.
Asylum
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of asylum applications that will be made in (a) 2001 and (b) each of the following four years. [139751]
Mrs. Roche: The latest forecasts, produced in May, estimated 64,000 asylum applications in 2000-01 and 61,600 in 2001-02. Figures for subsequent years are not available.
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been (a) spent by, (b) claimed by and (c) reimbursed to each local authority in the United Kingdom (i) in the first six months of 2000-01 and (ii) in total, in respect of asylum support; and if he will make a statement. [139749]
Mrs. Roche: The amounts shown in the table have been spent and claimed by local authorities in England and Wales in the first six months of 2000-01.
These amounts are based on unaudited grant claims received for the period 1 April 2000 to 29 September 2000. A number of grant claims have yet to be received. Claims received so far are subject to pre-payment checks and will be paid shortly. Discussions are continuing with representatives of local authorities about arrangements for payments for the remainder of the financial year.
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Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been to date under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996; and if he will make a statement. [139752]
Mrs. Roche: There have been seven prosecutions to date, under section 8 of the 1996 Act. We are aware of the problem caused by unscrupulous gangmasters, and by others who commit offences under this section of legislation. There has been a marked increase in the number of prosecutions in comparison with last year, when there was only one, and this demonstrates our commitment to combat illegal working and the exploitation of vulnerable people.
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Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of total spending on (a) asylum support and (b) administration associated with asylum applications, in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) each of the next five years. [139750]
Mrs. Roche: The available information is shown in the table. Spending plans beyond 2003-04 have not yet been decided.
| Year | Asylum support | Immigration administration(14) |
|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | 604 | 594.5 |
| 2001-02 | 403 | 549.5 |
| 2002-03 | 434 | 555.9 |
| 2003-04 | 491 | 553.9 |
(14) Including asylum administration costs
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