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Private Security Industry
Mr. Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations have been received regarding the consultation paper on the Government's proposals for regulation of the private security industry in England and Wales opposing the (a) regulation of in-house employees, (b) regulation of security system installers and (c) security companies; and if he will list the organisations making representations in each category. [155466]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Around 180 responses were received to the White Paper "The Government's proposals for Regulation of the Private Security Industry in England and Wales" (CM 4254) published in March 1999. Those respondents opposed to the regulation of in-house employees were:
- Theatrical Management Association and Society of London Theatre
- Museums and Galleries Commission
- The National Trust
- Association of Leading Visitor Attractions
- A member of the public.
HM Inspectors
Mr. Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will appoint the next HM Inspector of Prisons and HM Inspector of Probation. [155104]
Mr. Boateng: Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons is appointed by Her Majesty the Queen, who is advised on the appointment by the Home Secretary. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Probation is appointed by the Home Secretary. We are following the guidelines of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in recruiting for the two posts.
28 Mar 2001 : Column: 710W
Mr. Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has revised the terms of reference of HM Inspector of Prisons to include the inspection of the Prison Service. [155105]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The remit of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons is fixed by statute. In summary it is to inspect prisons in England and Wales, reporting on the treatment of prisoners and conditions in prisons, and to report to the Home Secretary on related matters as the Home Secretary directs. The inspection of the Prison Service as a whole, including Prison Service Headquarters, falls outside the Chief Inspector's statutory remit. The proposed terms of reference for Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, which have been sent to the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee and other Members of this House, do however make clear that the Chief Inspector's responsibilities include reporting on the impact of management decisions within the Prison Service on prison conditions and the treatment of prisoners and, as the Home Secretary directs, on matters concerning Prison Service Headquarters which could impact on prison conditions.
Ministerial Meetings
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many ministerial meetings with hon. Members have been cancelled by Ministers since 1 January. [155240]
Mr. Straw: Ministerial meetings with hon. Members that I and Ministers in my Department have had to cancel since 1 January 2001 are as follows:
| Date | Meeting |
|---|---|
| 9 January 2001 | Home Secretary meeting with John McDonnell MP, Alan Keen MP and Peter Bottomley MP |
| 1 February 2001 | Lord Bassam meeting with Gwyn Prosser MP |
| 26 February 2001 | Charles Clarke meeting with Dr. Julian Lewis MP |
| 27 February 2001 | Charles Clarke meeting with Sir Richard Body MP |
| 20 March 2001 | Mike O'Brien meeting with Gerry Steinberg MP |
28 Mar 2001 : Column: 711W
Other meetings with hon. Members have had to be rescheduled from their original date but have subsequently taken place.
Police Funding
Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list funding allocations from his Department to (a) the Metropolitan police and (b) the Borough of Camden for each year since May 1997. [150960]
Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 26 February 2001]: The Home Department has made, or for 2001-02 will make, the following funding to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in each year since April 1997:
| Financial year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 900,344,546 |
| 1998-99 | 931,229,096 |
| 1999-2000 | 949,070,118 |
| 2000-01 | 956,094,652 |
| 2000-02 | 1,007,548,948 |
In addition, Revenue Support Grant is paid by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR).
| Financial year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 6,049,591 |
| 1998-99 | 5,916,813 |
| 1999-2000 | 4,783,118 |
| 2000-01 | 4,331,583 |
| 2001-02 | 4,387,349 |
| Financial year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 24,774,000 |
| 1998-99 | 21,892,000 |
| 1999-2000 | 21,892,000 |
| 2000-01 | 22,554,000 |
| 2001-02 | 22,803,000 |
| Financial year | £ |
|---|---|
| 2000-01 | 12,004,571 |
| 2001-02 | 37,365,685 |
An allowance for training costs of £7,000 per new Metropolitan Police Service recruit is included in the figure for each year.
Payments due in 2001-02 will change to reflect the actual pattern of recruitment, if it is different from the even distribution assumed for the purposes of the table. The Metropolitan Police Service is deferring 108 Crime Fighting Fund recruits from its 2000-01 allocation into 2001-02.
28 Mar 2001 : Column: 712W
| Date | £ | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 August 1999 | Beacon scheme | 94,000 |
| 3 October 2000 | Robbery grant | 9,100,000 |
| 4 December 2000 | Execution of warrants(58) | 924,557 |
(58) Responsibility for the execution of warrants was to transfer to the Lord Chancellor's Department in October 2000. The transfer was deferred until April 2001 and appropriate grant was distributed to all police authorities.
| Date | £ |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 133,128 |
| 1998-99 | 44,772 |
Grants were paid to each force to help meet costs incurred in collection and destruction of handguns.
| Date | £ |
|---|---|
| 1999-2000 to 2001-02 | 8,395,460 |
This is the total allocation to the Metropolitan Police Service under the Reducing Burglary Initiative (£6.84 million) and the Targeted Policing Initiative (£1.55 million) rounds 1 and 2.
Allocation of funds within the Metropolitan police area is a matter for the Commissioner. The Commissioner has informed me that the budget provided to the local commander for the borough of Camden is to help meet the priorities identified in the Metropolitan Police Service policing and performance plan such as the reduction of crime and disorder and diversity objectives.
| Date | £ |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 34,160,000 |
| 1998-99 | 34,140,000 |
| 1999-2000 | 35,342,000 |
| 2000-01 | 36,482,000 |
The devolved budget for the borough of Camden in 2001-02 is not yet available.
In addition, policing in Camden, and in all other boroughs, draws on a large number of specialist services and support controlled centrally such as scientific support, murder review, inspection and review, territorial policing support, public order, specialist search dogs and criminal justice.
From the Crime Reduction Programme provision, several schemes are associated with the borough of Camden--the Camden Safety Net violence against women project (£275,000); Camden Town centre extension and centralised control room (£598,000); a further three reductions in burglary schemes (£1517,000). Camden will also benefit from a portion of £598,000 allocated to a multi-borough project covering Camden, Islington and Southwark under the Targeted Policing Initiative and from £287,000 allocated to a scheme of the Targeted Policing Initiative that will benefit all boroughs.
28 Mar 2001 : Column: 713W
S. P. Hinduja
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have benefited from the change in naturalisation policy announced in paragraph 10.7 of the White Paper, 'Fairer, Faster, Firmer: a Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum'. [155820]
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 27 March 2001]: As I indicated in answer to questions from the hon. Member on 5 February 2001, Official Report, column 434W, the change of policy foreshadowed in paragraph 10.7 of the White Paper has yet to be introduced. No statistics are kept which would enable identification of any cases which might have benefited from anticipation of this change.
28 Mar 2001 : Column: 714W
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will conduct an investigation into how Mr. S. P. Hinduja knew of the announcement on naturalisation policy in paragraph 10.7 of the White Paper, 'Fairer, Faster, Firmer: A Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum' prior to the White Paper's publication, as set out in paragraph 5.21 of the Hammond report (HC 287); if a Minister or official in his Department informed Mr. Hinduja of the announcement prior to publication; and if he will make a statement. [155816]
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 27 March 2001]: Sir Anthony Hammond has already carried out a thorough review of the issues surrounding the application for naturalisation of Mr. S. P. Hinduja. I do not think any further inquiry would be fruitful.