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Entry Clearance (Bangkok)

Mr. Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will issue instructions to Her Majesty's Ambassador in Bangkok to issue entry clearance to Lalintip Pichaironn Arongsongkram and Rowarong Achaironn Arongsongkram. [139674]

Mrs. Roche: The appeal against the refusal to grant an entry clearance to those named in the question was heard on 16 February 2000. The Adjudicator's determination allowing the appeal was issued on 25 May 2000 and the Entry Clearance Officer in Bangkok was notified of this on 16 June 2000.

Following an inquiry from the solicitors, a further copy of the determination was sent to Bangkok on 14 November. Entry clearance was issued on 16 November.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the introduction of new technology in the work of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate; and if he will make a statement. [139431]

Mrs. Roche: In the past 12 months, the interim IT system used by Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) caseworkers has expanded to provide over 3,000 terminals in 23 different locations throughout the United

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Kingdom. Work is at an advanced stage to enable this network to be connected to the Internet, providing better internal links within the Home Office and the potential for communicating electronically with IND's customers when suitable interfaces are developed. This network provides the platform on which increasingly sophisticated functionality is being built. The most important example of this is the database of information on asylum claimants which is used to monitor the progress of asylum cases. IND's private sector partners, Siemens Business Services, have provided these enhancements while at the same time continuing the development of their fully integrated caseworking system which will use the same platform. In addition, over 3,000 staff in IND now have access to the Home Office-wide desktop IT system, POISE, provided by SEMA Group--an increase of 2,200 in the last 12 months, extending availability to the majority of immigration service staff at ports and enforcement offices. A major operational system for the National Asylum Support Service has been developed and implemented in the last year on the POISE platform. Work continues on redevelopment of the Warnings Index. A new electronic fingerprinting database is being rolled out and will soon be fully operational. The IND website has been improved and will be relaunched shortly.

PRIME MINISTER

Her Majesty the Queen

Mr. Levitt: To ask the Prime Minister what plans are being made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's Accession to the Throne; and if he will make a statement. [140120]

The Prime Minister: I believe that not only this House, but also the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, will join me in looking forward to Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee as a joyous occasion and a very special milestone. It will be a time both for looking back at the central part which the Queen has played in the affairs of this country and the Commonwealth over the preceding 50 years, and for looking forward to the continuation of Her Majesty's unique contribution for many years to come.

Her Majesty The Queen has approved my recommendation that the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne should be celebrated during the summer of 2002.

A Ministerial Committee, under the chairmanship of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, was set up last year to help co-ordinate arrangements with Buckingham Palace. I have made the following recommendations which Her Majesty has approved and which have the support of the Leaders of the Devolved Administrations and of Opposition Parties.

The Queen will attend a National Service of Thanksgiving in St. Paul's Cathedral on Tuesday 4 June 2002. That day will be a Bank Holiday in place of the Spring Bank Holiday, which would otherwise fall on 27 May in 2002. The day before, Monday 3 June, will be an additional Bank Holiday for the Golden Jubilee.

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The Queen hopes to travel within the United Kingdom as widely as possible during the summer months of May to July, and especially the weeks running up to and following the Bank Holiday weekend. She has agreed to visit the armed forces on 27 June and to open the Commonwealth Games in Manchester on 25 July and to close them on 4 August. She will undertake a Commonwealth visit in the autumn. The Queen has also agreed to a grant of certain civic honours--city status and Lord Mayoralty--to mark Her Jubilee. Other elements of the programme will be announced in due course. It is Her Majesty's express wish that there should be no undue expenditure from public funds on the programme of celebrations.

The Queen has said that she sees her Golden Jubilee as an opportunity to express her thanks for the support and loyalty she has enjoyed during her reign. She hopes that events surrounding the Jubilee will create numerous opportunities for voluntary and community service and that as many people as possible will have the opportunity to enjoy the celebrations to mark this happy occasion.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace

Mr. Faber: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement about the future of the National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace. [134282]

Kate Hoey [holding answer 25 October 2000]: All parties involved in the future development of Crystal Palace are working towards a centre which meets the needs of the local residents and some of our world class athletes, within realistic funding parameters.

Sport England are in the process of looking at a number of options for developing the centre as a Community/ English Institute of Sport facility. The proposed development would provide high performance training facilities and support services for world class athletes in the south of London, and also provide recreational facilities for the local community in Bromley and surrounding areas.

It is anticipated that once the proposed options for the development of the site have been considered by Sport England in conjunction with the relevant national governing bodies, a meeting will be arranged with relevant parties to discuss the proposals and a possible way forward.

Millennium Dome

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions took place between Mr. Gerbeau and (a) the board of the New Millennium Experience Company and (b) the Millennium Commission, prior to the announcement that a 12 hour party would be held on the Dome site on December 31. [135416]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 30 October 2000]: Discussions with the Ministry of Sound involving Events staff at the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) and Mr. Gerbeau took place over a period of

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several weeks prior to the announcement on 24 October. The Executive Chairman and Finance Director (who is also a Board member) were kept informed of these discussions. There were no discussions with the Millennium Commission.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what credit rating his Department has obtained for the New Millennium Experience Company. [139041]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 20 November 2000]: My Department has not obtained a credit rating for the New Millennium Experience Company.

Departmental Employees (HIV)

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to ensure that people who are HIV-positive do not suffer discrimination as a result of employment practices followed by his Department. [137791]

Mr. Chris Smith: Yes.

November Floods

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) museums, (b) libraries and (c) galleries have reported damage to their collections arising from the November floods; what steps he is taking to ensure artefacts are protected against flooding; and if he will make a statement. [138549]

Mr. Alan Howarth: I have had a report about damage at the underground Cabinet War Rooms arising from the recent heavy rainfall. I am also aware of significant and regrettable damage to the University of Sussex's Library Store and the East Sussex County Reserve Library Store, both in Lewes, as a result of the recent floods and of some minor damage in some of Kent county council's libraries. Additionally, I gather that there has been some flood damage to the Brooklands Motor Museum's Film Collection although it is not clear that this resulted from the recent severe weather.

Elsewhere, although there have been reports of the effects of flooding on the fixtures and fabric of museum and library buildings, collections seem to have been protected by good and quick-thinking management. This is to the enormous credit of all concerned.

It is of course the responsibility of museums', galleries' and libraries' governing bodies to assess the risk of damage to their collections from flooding and take steps to protect them.

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