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Immigration and Asylum (Detention)

Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimate he has made of the time it takes an asylum applicant to secure conditions to receive (a) an initial decision on an asylum application and (b) to complete all appeals if the initial application is refused; [153826]

(2) how many asylum applicants are held in secure conditions. [153825]

Mrs. Roche: Current information on persons detained who have claimed asylum and the time taken for an applicant in detention to receive an initial decision or complete all appeals is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The most recent information relates to the number of persons detained under the Immigration Act 1971 as at 31 January 2001. At that date a total of 1,334 persons, including those who had claimed asylum, were recorded as detained.

Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the existing immigration detention estate; and by how many places. [153827]

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Mrs. Roche: The Home Secretary announced in May 2000 a policy to deliver new detention places to enable the Immigration Service to achieve its removals targets.

Our plans to increase the Immigration Detention estate from its current capacity are as follows:

	Places
Yarl's Wood Detention Centre (Bedford)	900
Harmondsworth Detention Centre (Heathrow)	440
Dungavel Detention Centre (Scotland)	150
Aldington Detention Centre (Kent)	300

Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sites his officials considered as potential places to build immigration detention centres in the last three years. [153828]

Mrs. Roche: Over the past three years my officials have considered about 120 sites throughout the country as potential candidates to build new immigration detention centres.

The majority of sites did not meet our requirements for a variety of reasons, including location, nature of the site, availability for a quick development and cost.

Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average annual cost of holding an asylum applicant in secure conditions was in each of the last three years. [153831]

Mrs. Roche: Secure detention facilities are routinely provided on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's detention estate, supplemented by places in Prison Service accommodation. Police services also provide some detention on a limited, ad hoc basis. Information specifically on the cost of asylum detainees is not separately available. Assuming full occupancy, the average annual cost of a place for an immigration detainee is shown in the table:

£

Year	Average Annual Cost(20)
1998-99	26,819
1999-2000	27,433
2000-01	(21)29,424

⁽²⁰⁾ These figures are weighted averages of the cost of Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) detention and Prison Service facilities, taking into account an assessment of the usage of detention in the two types of accommodation. The figures cover the running costs of IND detention facilities but exclude expenditure on capital works and major maintenance. The figures for Prison Service detention are based on the average cost per prisoner place. The figures do not include the cost of temporary police accommodation.

⁽²¹⁾ The figures for 2000-01 are based on estimates of the full-year IND costs and the target cost per prisoner place for Prison Service detention.

Criminal Record Checks (Volunteers)

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the cost to public funds of his proposed exemption for volunteers from fees for criminal record checks. [153791]

Mr. Charles Clarke: We have announced our intention that standard and enhanced disclosures, which include those working in sensitive positions with the

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vulnerable, will be issued free of charge to volunteers. We have also made clear that it remains our intention that the Criminal Records Bureau should be self-financing by means of the fees that it charges. Work is continuing on the fee levels, but we expect to make a further announcement shortly.

London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the ability of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority to generate additional income under Best Value legislation. [153722]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority is defined as a Best Value authority under the Local Government Act 1999. Under the duty of Best Value, authorities are required to secure continuous improvement in the way in which they exercise their functions, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

Section 16 of the Local Government Act 1999 allows the Secretary of State to exclude Best Value authorities from the application of existing legislation which prevents them from achieving Best Value or to amend the application of such legislation. It also allows for new powers to be conferred to facilitate the achievement of Best Value.

The Government expect to publish this month a consultation paper on the use of powers in section 16 to provide new and amended powers for partnership working. This will include proposals for Best Value authorities to provide a wider range of goods and services to partners, both in the public and private sectors. Draft orders will be laid before Parliament following the conclusion of the consultation exercise.

Election Observers

Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to allow overseas observers to be present in election polling stations. [153464]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government have no plans to allow overseas observers inside election polling stations. Current legislation restricts who is allowed to be present in polling stations to prevent possible intimidation of voters and preserve the secrecy of the ballot. The hon. Member recently wrote to my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary about this matter and I shall shortly be replying to him in detail.

Police Inspectorate

Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Police Inspectorate last reported to him on equal opportunities, community and race relations challenges, policy and training of the Royal Parks Police. [153461]

Mr. Charles Clarke: There is no statutory requirement for the Royal Parks Constabulary, which is a non-Home Office police force, to be inspected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. A review of the Constabulary was undertaken during July and August 2000 by Mr. Anthony Speed, a former Assistant Commissioner of

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the Metropolitan Police Service. I understand that the review was conducted in the form of a full inspection in accordance with the latest procedures and protocols practised by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. The report was submitted recently to my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, who has responsibility for the Royal Parks Constabulary. He will be publishing the report shortly.

National Black Police Association

Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consult the National Black Police Association on challenges facing the Royal Parks Police and other police services in the fields of equal opportunities and community and race relations; and if he will make a statement. [153462]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I understand from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whose Department has overall responsibility for the Royal Parks Constabulary, that the force intends to consult the National Black Police Association about an extension of diversity training. The Home Office has consulted the association about community and race relations training for officers in Home Office forces in England and Wales. The association was also consulted during the development of minority ethnic employment targets and an associated action plan for all Home Office forces, published in July 1999 under the title 'Dismantling Barriers'. The association is represented on the steering group overseeing the implementation of 'Dismantling Barriers'.

Lancashire

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) funded and (b) actual (A) special constables and (B) salaried constables were in post in the Lancashire Constabulary (i) on 31 March 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available. [153220]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate collect police personnel statistics, including those of the Special Constabulary.

There are no national target numbers for specials, and Lancashire Constabulary advises that they do not differentiate between funded and actual specials. The Special Constabulary strength figures for Lancashire Special Constabulary for 31 March 1997 and 30 September 2000 (the latest figures available) are as follows:

	March 1997	September 2000
Total strength	483	362

I understand from the Chief Constable that it is not possible to provide information on the number of funded constable posts as Lancashire does not budget for workforce totals and the force devolves its budget to its Divisional Commanders, who then determine how to use funds to maximise their effectiveness locally. Police Constable numbers for Lancashire Constabulary for 31 March 1997 and 30 September 2000 (the latest figures available) are as follows:

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	March 1997	September 2000
Total strength	2,493	2,463

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reported offences involving violence there were in Lancashire in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001; and how many of those involved (i) village shops and (ii) village post offices. [153221]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Numbers of recorded violent crimes in Lancashire by category are given in the table, the most recent published data being for the year ending September 2000. Recorded crime statistics do not generally include the location of offences, and so details of those involving village shops and village post offices are not available. It should be noted that, owing to the change in counting rules on 1 April 1998, figures for recorded crime before and after that date are not directly comparable. For example, from that date, figures for offences of violence against the person additionally include figures for common assault and assault on a constable, among other offences.

Recorded crime in Lancashire--number of recorded crimes in violent crime categories

Year ending	Violence against the person	Sexual offences	Robbery
March 1998	3,865	966	887
March 1999	10,328	879	982
March 2000	9,803	754	1,058
September 2000	9,832	810	1,065

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