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Electoral Reform
26. Ms Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress in reform of electoral procedure. [99702]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Representation of the People Bill had its Second Reading on 30 November.
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27. Mrs. Lawrence:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to ensure that children and other members of the public are protected from sex offenders. [99704]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Government are committed to protecting children and others from sex offenders. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 contained strong additional safeguards in the new sex offender orders and extended supervision provisions. This session we are bringing forward proposals for a scheme to prevent unsuitable people, including sex offenders, from working with children as part of the Crime and Public Protection Bill.
Mr. Shepherd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out his Department's policy on the notification of hon. Members of the release of sex offenders into bail hostels within their constituency; and in respect of that policy if he will list (a) the number of category A sex offenders placed in bail hostels within England and Wales in each of the past two years, (b) the notification given to his Department, in each case, prior to the offender being placed in a bail hostel and the notification given, in each case, to the hon. Member for the constituency where the hostel was located and (c) on how many occasions the notification given to hon. Members was less than four days. [101359]
Mr. Boateng:
Over the last two years, two sex offenders who were category A prisoners were released to hostel accommodation. Home Office Ministers were notified of the release arrangements two weeks before the first prisoner's release and five weeks prior to the second prisoner's release. The hon. Members for the relevant constituencies received notification seven days and 34 days respectively prior to their release.
In addition to the arrangements for category A prisoners, the Department has, since 1 April 1999, operated an Early Warning system within the prison and probation services in relation to the release of offenders in respect of whom there is a strong risk that a serious violent or sexual offence will be committed after release and where there are victim issues; difficulties with the supervision plan or accommodation; and where it is likely that the case will be subject to media attention. Prisons and probation services are asked to give the Department two months notice of the release of an offender who meets these criteria.
Thirty such cases have been notified to the hon. Members concerned. The information was passed on as soon as we knew what the accommodation arrangements were going to be. I did this in order to reassure hon. Members of the safeguards which have been put in place. This is particularly important if there is likely to be a hostile media reaction so that hon. Members are able to respond if necessary. Many hon. Members have been very supportive to the local agencies responsible for managing dangerous offenders in the community, for which I am grateful.
I am currently reviewing the arrangements for handling these cases. As part of that review, I shall be writing to hon. Members individually to ascertain which of them wishes to continue to receive information, in confidence, about the release of dangerous offenders and offering further briefing to anyone who would find it useful. We
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are committed to doing all we can to ensure public safety, especially where dangerous offenders are concerned and we will continue to work with hon. Members to bring this about.
28. Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been reported to him by the Metropolitan police in the case of WPC Yvonne Fletcher. [99705]
Mr. Straw:
The criminal investigation by the Metropolitan Police into WPC Fletcher's murder is continuing. They intend to pursue this investigation vigorously and the arrival of our Ambassador in Tripoli later this month should help that process. The Metropolitan Police continue to expect full co-operation from the Libyan authorities.
29. Caroline Flint:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the current backlog and turnaround times for passport applications are at the UK Passport Agency. [99706]
Mrs. Betty Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for improving the service provided by the UK Passport Agency. [99682]
Mr. Peter Bradley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the current backlog and turnaround times are for passport applications at the UK Passport Agency. [99691]
Mr. Sawford:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for improving the service provided by the UK Passport Agency. [99695]
Mrs. Roche:
I refer my hon. Friends to the announcement the Secretary of State made earlier today.
30. Dr. Ladyman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome to date of the policy of dispersal of refugees. [99707]
Mrs. Roche:
We plan to bring in the new support arrangements in Part Vl of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 on 1 April 2000. The National Asylum Support Service is currently drawing up plans for dispersal of asylum seekers. The statutory interim arrangements set out in Schedule 9 to the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 will come into effect on 6 December. These will underpin a voluntary dispersal scheme whereby asylum seekers seeking support from local authorities in London and Kent can be transferred on a voluntary basis to local authorities outside London and the South East.
31. Shona McIsaac:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to ensure the elderly are protected from burglaries. [99708]
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Mr. Charles Clarke:
The elderly, like all age groups, will benefit from the £250 million Crime Reduction Programme that was launched in July 1998 as an evidence-based approach to reducing crime, and from the Crime Reduction Strategy that we announced last week.
The Crime Reduction Programme includes the Reducing Burglary Initiative, under which more than £50 million will be used to support anti-burglary projects over three years covering some 2 million households in 500 areas with high levels of domestic burglary. Of the 63 strategic development projects already under way under this initiative, seven will specifically benefit the elderly.
In addition, we recently announced an £11 million project to provide security improvements for the homes of pensioners on low incomes in high burglary areas, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions' New Home Energy Efficiency Scheme, which starts in June. We plan to announce in the Spring how the improved security arrangements will operate.
This scheme, along with the Reducing Burglary Initiative, will be evaluated to help identify what works most cost-effectively in which circumstances. The results will be disseminated to all partnerships to help them tackle their own burglary problems.
Home Office literature on crime prevention already includes detailed advice to help the elderly reduce the risk of burglary, including burglary by fraudulent callers.
We are also in the initial stages of developing a national programme to combat distraction burglary (the victims of which are mostly very elderly). This will use widespread publicity and improved intelligence and detection methods and will involve the police, other organisations such as Neighbourhood watch and the public utility companies.
32. Sir Sydney Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the current number of officers in the Metropolitan police. [99709]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that, on the 31 October, there were 26,290 officers in the Metropolitan Police Service.
33. Mrs. Ellman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the operation of the health service in prisons. [99710]
Mr. Boateng:
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced in a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela Smith) on 29 March 1999, Official Report, columns 556-58W, a programme of reforms of the organisation and delivery of health services to prisoners. The Prison Service and National Health Service Executive, working in partnership, are establishing a Prison Health Care Task Force and a Joint Prison Health Policy Unit. These Units are implementing
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the recommendations of the Report on "The Future Organisation of Prison Health Care", published last March.
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