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Professional Footballers

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received regarding the evasion of work permit regulations by overseas footballers wishing to play professionally in the UK. [150257]

Ms Hodge [holding answer 13 February 2001]: The Department has received no representations regarding the evasion of work permit regulations by overseas footballers wishing to play professionally in the UK.

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what discussions his Department has had with other Departments relating to the evasion of work permit regulations by overseas footballers wishing to play professionally in the UK. [150258]

Ms Hodge [holding answer 13 February 2001]: The Department has had no discussions with other Departments relating to the evasion of work permit regulations by overseas footballers wishing to play professionally in the UK. The Home Office is responsible for deciding whether overseas nationals may enter the country to work based on the passport they hold or whether they require a work permit.

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

House of Lords Appointments Commission

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Council how many people are employed by the House of Lords Appointments Commission; how many are on fixed-term contracts; and what the annual running costs of the Commission is. [146277]

Mrs. Beckett: I understand that the Appointments Commission employs no one directly. It is supported by a small team of civil servants, none of whom is on a fixed-term contract. Its budget for running costs for 2000-01 is about £300,000.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

House Stationery

Mr. Chope: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee how many hon. Members have been requested to make payments for prepaid House of Commons envelopes which have not been used in accordance with the rules of the House; and how many hon. Members have been ordered to make such payments following complaints since May 1997. [150348]

Mrs. Roe: Supervision and enforcement of the regulations for the use of House stationery and post-paid envelopes are a matter for the Serjeant at Arms. I have asked him to write to my hon. Friend.

14 Feb 2001 : Column: 172W

PRIME MINISTER

Lord Levy

Mrs. Gillian: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the business interests that Lord Levy would be required to register were he a Minister. [145326]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 15 January 2001]: Lord Levy is not a Minister.

Council Housing (London)

Q13. Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister what plans the Government have to increase the supply of council housing in London. [148807]

The Prime Minister: We are almost doubling the budget for development of new social housing in London over the next three years with total planned expenditure of £1 billion. We are also helping key workers to purchase homes in London and other high house price areas through our new Starter Homes Initiative.

Ministerial Code of Conduct

Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Prime Minister if the Government will amend the Ministerial Code of Conduct in line with the recommendations of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. [148660]

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Prime Minister if the Government will amend the Ministerial Code of Conduct in line with the recommendations of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. [148780]

Mr. Green: To ask the Prime Minister if the Government will amend the Ministerial Code of Conduct in line with the recommendations of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. [148782]

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Prime Minister if the Government will amend the Ministerial Code of Conduct in line with the recommendations of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. [148779]

Mr. Gray: To ask the Prime Minister if the Government will amend the Ministerial Code of Conduct in line with the recommendations of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. [148788]

The Prime Minister: The Government's response to the sixth report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, published in July 2000 (Cm 4817), set out my position on amendment to the Ministerial Code.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Prime Minister if the special advisers working (a) in his Private Office, (b) in the Policy Unit, (c) in the Strategic Communications Unit, (d) in the Research and Information Unit, (e) in the Social Office and (f) under a dispensation granted by an Order in Council in May 1997 will relinquish their posts when the next general election is called. [149276]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 13 February 2001, Official Report, column 130W.

14 Feb 2001 : Column: 173W

Official Histories

Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Prime Minister if any further official histories have been commissioned. [150690]

The Prime Minister: I have appointed Dr. Terence R. Gourvish, Director of the Business History Unit of the London School of Economics and Political Science, as an official historian to write the official history of the Channel Tunnel.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Prison Education

Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the Government's plans to improve prison education and training. [150463]

Mr. Boateng: I have today made a joint announcement with my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Education and Employment, establishing a new partnership between the Department for Education and Employment and the Prison Service. From 1 April this new partnership will be responsible for securing improvements in the education, training and resettlement of prisoners.

Our plans for the partnership are outlined in "Improving Prisoners' Learning and Skills", published today, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Overseas Students

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to ensure that employers are aware of the provisions enabling overseas students to work while studying in the United Kingdom, with particular reference to overcoming difficulties where such students apply for work before they have been issued with a national insurance number; and if he will make a statement. [150077]

Mrs. Roche: Information about the eligibility of overseas students to take employment is available on the Home Office and Department for Education and Employment websites, and in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate information leaflet on overseas students.

Essex Constabulary

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on (a) total number of new recruits who have joined Essex police and (b) total number of police officers who have retired from the Essex constabulary between 1 April 2000 and the latest date for which figures are available. [148700]

Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 6 February 2001]: Between 1 April 2000 and 30 September 2000, 103 officers joined Essex police; 97 of these were in the rank of constable. During the same period 53 officers retired from the force. The force's total wastage for this period amounted to 80 officers.

14 Feb 2001 : Column: 174W

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the special advisers working for him will relinquish their posts when the next general election is called. [149315]

Mr. Straw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 13 February 2001, Official Report, column 130W.

Staffordshire Constabulary

Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) uniformed police constables, (b) uniformed police sergeants, (c) uniformed police officers above the rank of sergeant, (d) police detective constables, (e) police detective sergeants and (f) police detectives above the rank of sergeant, there were in the Staffordshire constabulary (i) in May 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available. [148154]

Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 7 February 2001]: Information on police service personnel numbers is collected twice a year in March and September. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary collects information annually on 31 March about the number of officers deployed to different functions.

The information on detective numbers has been provided by Her Majesty's Inspectorate. The inspectorate made changes to its classification system for different police functions in 1999-2000. It is not therefore possible to identify from the new classification the number of officers that would have been classified as Criminal Investigation Department (CID) under the old rules and who are now recorded under other classifications. The change in classification accounts for some of the reduction in CID strength. The information in the tables has therefore been provided on the basis of non-CID officer numbers and CID officer numbers for March 1997 and March 2000.

Staffordshire police (i) Non-CID officers (full-time equivalent)

	31 March 1997	31 March 2000
Constables	1,415.5	1,518.7
Sergeants	285.2	289.2
Other ranks	157	131

Staffordshire police (ii) CID officers (full-time equivalent)

	31 March 1997	31 March 2000
Constables	268.4	153.6
Sergeants	59	45.8
Other ranks	26	19

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