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Immigration Rules
Mr. McCabe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used to assess the
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validity of marriages in cases where the husband has been allowed residence in the United Kingdom following marriage. [100616]
Mrs. Roche:
Before indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom is granted on the basis of marriage, we must be satisfied that the marriage is genuine and subsisting. Appropriate checks are carried out in order to ensure that these criteria are met. The validity of a marriage in cases where indefinite leave to remain has been granted would not normally be investigated unless there were strong grounds to believe that leave was obtained by deception.
Mr. McCabe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on co-operation between different Government agencies to (a) track down and (b) deport illegal immigrants. [100615]
Mrs. Roche:
Staff in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND), including the Immigration Service (IS), work in co-operation with many other government agencies as appropriate, including the police, Benefits Agency and Contributions Agency, in detecting those who are suspected of being illegal immigrants or facilitating illegal entry. This liaison is allowed for under section 28(3) of the Data Protection Act 1994 which provides for the exchange of information where this is necessary to prevent or detect a crime.
The responsibility for deciding whether an illegal immigrant should be deported or otherwise removed rests with IND. No other government agencies are involved in this decision.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the police investigation of the murder of Jill Dando. [100589]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The investigation of crime within the Metropolitan Police District is an operational matter for the Commissioner. He tells me that this investigation is continuing, although no clear motive for the murder has yet emerged.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the Criminal Records Bureau will come into operation; and if he will make a statement; [100609]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The project to set up the Criminal Records Bureau is being managed within the framework of a Public Private Partnership. Final costs and staff numbers will depend upon the outcome of procurement action. This is under way. Bids were
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received on 19 November and are under evaluation. I have been reviewing the timetable of the project and I shall announce the outcome shortly.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the potential impact on the health and safety of police officers of their exclusion from the Working Time Regulations. [100628]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Working Time Regulations do apply to the Police Service. However, while the regulations clearly apply to police officers and support staff, there are a number of defined exceptions covering circumstances routinely encountered by operational police officers and support staff. Regulation 18 specifically exempts those police duties which inevitably conflict with the limits and entitlements provided for. Regulation 20 applies to workers whose duration of working time is not measured or predetermined, or can be determined by the worker him/herself. Regulation 21 applies in a range of circumstances, including duties in security or surveillance.
Chief officers have a 'duty of care' towards their employees and, although forces do have local arrangements in place in respect of the Working Time Regulations, we are aware that chief officers may need guidance on the issue for operational purposes. The Home Office will issue guidelines following discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Health and Safety Executive.
Mr. Colman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the findings of the Charity Commission Inquiry into the Adlearn Foundation. [100730]
Mr. Boateng:
I understand from the Charity Commission that its inquiry began following the Commission's routine monitoring procedures.
The Charity Commission is satisfied that the way in which the trustees have now decided to wind up the charity is appropriate. I have asked the Chief Charity Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend, and I shall arrange for a copy of that letter to be placed in the Library.
Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the proposed restrictions on the use of the electoral register. [100831]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Annexe K to the Report of the Working Party on Electoral Procedures lists those who responded to the consultation exercise on this issue which was carried out in 1998.
Since publication of the Working Party's recommendation in July of this year, we have received a number of further representations from industries which make use of the electoral register, from members of the public and from hon. Members.
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Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he issues to police authorities on the use of CLASSIC (Covert Local Area Sensor System for Intrusion Classification); and if he will make a statement. [100845]
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the implementation of the recommendations of the Edwards report. [100850]
Mr. Straw:
My intention is to publish a progress report early in the New Year.
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people currently subject to life imprisonment for murder are awaiting the outcome of a review by him of his tariff. [101343]
Mr. Boateng:
As at 30 November 1999, there were 94 people in custody in England and Wales convicted of murder who had submitted representations about the tariff set in their case and who were awaiting a decision by the Secretary of State.
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department since 1983, in how many cases of people convicted of murder the tariff was set at less than 20 years; and what, in each case, was the reason for a tariff being set at less than 20 years. [101342]
Mr. Boateng:
Tariffs of 20 years or more are reserved for the gravest types of murder including, for example, terrorist murders, murder by firearm in the course of robbery, the murder of police or prison officers and the sexual or sadistic murder of children. The great majority of murders do not fall into any of the gravest categories and the tariffs they attract are, therefore, normally less than 20 years. About 88 per cent. of all those convicted of murder and currently serving their sentence in custody in England and Wales have a tariff of less than 20 years.
Sir Michael Spicer:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual cost is of maintaining the blocks at 2 Marsham Street. [101153]
Mr. Straw:
My Department took responsibility for the maintenance of 2 Marsham Street on 1 April 1999, as part of the Home Office Central London Accommodation Strategy. The budgeted cost of maintenance for the year to 31 March 2000 is £640,000 excluding Value Added Tax.
Most of this expenditure is related to health and safety issues.
A Winter Shelter under the Rough Sleepers Initiative is currently operating from 2 Marsham Street until 7 April 2000.
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Mr. Burns:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the prescribed maximum capacity of Chelmsford Prison; and how many prisoners were held at the prison on the latest date for which information is available. [100713]
Mr. Boateng:
On 1 December 1999, the operational capacity of Chelmsford prison was 469 places, and the number of prisoners held was 426.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers, (b) constables and (c) civilian staff there are in the Essex constabulary; and what the equivalent numbers were for the two previous years. [101412]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
Information on police numbers is collected twice a year (March and September). The figures for September 1999 are not yet available. The information requested for each year since 1997 are set out in the table.
(2) what is the estimated cost of establishing the Criminal Records Bureau; how many staff will be employed when it commences operations; and what is the estimated annual cost of running the Bureau. [100611]
| Year (as at 31 March) | Police Officers | Constables | Civilian support staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 2,961 | 2,269 | 1,199 |
| 1998 | 2,929 | 2,264 | 1,253 |
| 1999 | 2,891 | 2,215 | 1,273 |
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