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Illegal Immigrants
Mr. John M. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many £2,000 fines have been imposed on (a) British and (b) foreign hauliers for attempted smuggling of illegal immigrants; how many of these fines have been (i) paid and (ii) waived; and if he will make a statement. [146449]
Mrs. Roche: Persons who deliberately facilitate the arrival of illegal entrants are liable to criminal prosecution. The civil penalty provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 enable the imposition of a penalty on those who, through negligence or otherwise, allow their vehicles to be used by persons seeking to enter the United Kingdom clandestinely. The penalty is £2,000 for each clandestine entrant carried.
Since 3 April 2000 when the provisions where implemented, and as at 18 January 2001, 743 civil penalties have been imposed on persons found to have carried between them a total of 4,124 clandestine entrants. One hundred and ninety-four of the penalties where imposed on British hauliers in respect of a total of 1,023 clandestine entrants carried.
Sixty one penalties, with a combined value of £532,000 have been paid in full and agreement has been reached for the payment of a further 35 penalties with a total value of £384,000.
One hundred and seventy five penalties have been withdrawn or were not pursued because a valid defence against their imposition has been made.
Hinduja Brothers
Mr. Cawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who has (a) made inquiries, (b) made representations and (c) submitted material in connection with applications for citizenship made by (i) G P Hinduja and (ii) S. P. Hinduja. [147294]
Mr. Straw: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Cryer) and the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 25 January 2001, Official Report, columns 708-09W.
26 Jan 2001 : Column: 769W
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) by whom the naturalisation application of Mr. Srichand Hinduja was determined in 1999; which Ministers in his Department (a) were consulted and (b) requested information about the application, and on what dates; and if he will make a statement; [147322]
- (2) what the (a) date and (b) time was of the telephone conversation between the right hon. Member for Hartlepool Mr. Mandelson) and the hon. Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien) in June 1998 regarding the nationality application of Mr. Hinduja; [147551]
(3) on what dates the right hon. Member for Hartlepool contacted him, Ministers in his Department and his officials, (a) in writing, (b) by telephone, (c) by other electronic means and (d) orally, regarding naturalisation applications by the Hinduja brothers; [147325]
(4) if he will make a statement about the involvement of (a) the right hon. Member for Hartlepool and (b) other Ministers in the naturalisation applications of the Hinduja brothers; [147326]
(5) what representations the right hon. Member for Hartlepool made to (a) him, (b) the hon. Member for North Warwickshire, (c) other Ministers in his Department and (d) officials in his Department regarding naturalisation applications by the Hinduja brothers; on what dates the representations were made; and if he will make a statement; [147324]
(6) if he will place in the Library the record of the telephone conversation between the right hon. Member for Hartlepool and the hon. Member for North Warwickshire in June 1998 regarding the naturalisation application of Mr. Hinduja; [147323]
(7) what information was provided by (a) the hon. Member for North Warwickshire and (b) other Ministers and officials in his Department to Mr. Srichand Hinduja, following the telephone conversation between the hon. Member for North Warwickshire and the right hon. Member for Hartlepool in June 1998. [147430]
Mr. Straw: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Cryer) and the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 25 January 2001, Official Report, columns 708-09W.
Prison Sentences
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people serving life sentences were in jail in 1995; and how many are serving life sentences at the latest date for which figures are available. [147427]
Mr. Boateng: There were 3,289 persons serving a life sentence in prisons in England and Wales in 1995. Provisional data show that currently there are 3,631 persons serving a life sentence in prisons in England and Wales. This information is also published in successive volumes of "Prison statistics England and Wales" (chapter 8 of the 1995 edition, Cm 3355) copies of which are in the Library.
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Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners are serving sentences of more than (a) 25 years, (b) 20 years, (c) 15 years and (d) 10 years, respectively; [147429]
- (2) how many people convicted of murder are serving sentences of more than (a) 25 years, (b) 20 years, (c) 15 years and (d) 10 years, respectively. [147428]
Mr. Boateng: Provisional information on lengths of sentences for prisoners throughout England and Wales is given in the table. This information is also published in successive volumes of "Prison statistics England and Wales" (In the 1999 edition, Cm 4805) copies of which are in the Library.
| Length of sentence | All prisoners | Prisoners convicted of murder |
|---|---|---|
| More than 25 years | 4,800 | 3,449 |
| More than 20 years | 4,883 | 3,449 |
| More than 15 years | 5,290 | 3,451 |
| More than 10 years | 7,297 | 3,451 |
Correspondence
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to correspondence concerning Mrs. Farahat Hamid Sultana dated 1 November 2000, reference S10 35382. [147424]
Mrs. Roche: An official from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to the hon. Member on 25 January. I am sorry for the delay.
NCH Action for Children
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times since May 1997 Ministers in his Department met John Carr of NCH Action for Children (a) formally and (b) informally. [146893]
Mr. Straw [holding answer 23 January 2001]: Home Office Ministers have met John Carr informally on several occasions and have met him in a formal capacity once or twice since May 1997. There are also plans for him to meet with Ministers in the near future.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Circuit Judges
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the solicitors and barristers appointed circuit judges over the last five years who have not sat previously as recorders; which of them had no other judicial experience prior to appointment; and on what basis they were appointed. [147049]
Mr. Lock: The information is as follows.
26 Jan 2001 : Column: 771W
- (i) Those appointed circuit judges over the past five years who had not previously sat as recorders:
- Solicitors
- Her Honour Judge Andrew
- His Honour Judge Hollis
- His Honour Judge McKenna
- His Honour Judge Wade
- Barristers
- His Honour Judge Connor
- His Honour Judge Prophet
- His Honour Judge Tyzack QC.
- (ii) Only Judge McKenna, had no other prior judicial experience.
- (iii) Judge McKenna was appointed to the circuit bench on the Midland and Oxford Circuit on 26 July 2000. He was recommended for appointment following a public competition.
Lucy Crone
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if Lucy Crone, part-time chairman of an employment tribunal, is a member of the Law Society of Scotland; and if he will make a statement on her credentials with respect to practising in Scottish law and holding the post of chairman of an employment tribunal. [147534]
Mr. Lock: The Minister for Competitiveness will provide the hon. Member with an answer as soon as possible.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Depleted Uranium
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Italian authorities about medical examinations of Italian troops who served in Bosnia-Herzogovina in 1994-95. [146433]
Mr. Vaz [holding answer 22 January 2001]: The Foreign Secretary discussed the issue of depleted uranium munitions with his EU colleagues at the General Affairs Council in Brussels on 22 January. Detailed information is being shared among Allies in the Committee of Chiefs of Military Medical Services in NATO (COMEDS) and with other interested parties in NATO's Ad Hoc committee on Depleted Uranium. Our Embassy in Rome has discussed policy with Italian officials.
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Greek authorities about the visit of Greek medical experts to the Urosevac area of Kosovo. [146436]
Mr. Vaz [holding answer 22 January 2001]: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to question 146433. In addition to collective consideration of the issue in NATO and the EU, our Embassy in Athens has discussed the issue with the Greek authorities.
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Romanian authorities about the results of medical examination of Romanian soldiers who served in Bosnia-Herzogovina Peace Missions in 1994-95. [146432]
26 Jan 2001 : Column: 772W
Mr. Vaz [holding answer 22 January 2001]: NATO has established an Ad Hoc committee to share information about the possible health effects of Depleted Uranium with all contributors of troops to NATO-led peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Kosovo. Our Embassy in Bucharest has discussed the issue with the Romanian Authorities. The Foreign Secretary has had no direct discussions with Romania.
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