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HOME DEPARTMENT

Home Detention Curfew Scheme

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) types of crime committed by prisoners released on the Home Detention Curfew Scheme while they are on the scheme which are not reported to the police; and if he will make a statement. [152694]

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 8 March 2001]: No data are collected on the number or type of offences which might be committed by prisoners released on Home Detention Curfew (HDC) but which are not reported by victims to the police. The British Crime Survey which measures crime against households and individuals--including incidents not reported to the police--shows that overall levels of crime in 1999, the year following introduction of the HDC scheme, were 10 per cent. lower than in 1997.

Departmental Advertising

Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what major advertising campaigns his Department is carrying out; and what the cost and duration of each is. [154266]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 19 March 2001]: My Department is not currently running any advertising campaigns.

6 Apr 2001 : Column: 355W

The second phase of the vehicle crime reduction campaign finished on 31 March. The cost for this phase of the campaign was £4.4 million. The total cost for this campaign during 2000-01 is £8.67 million as outlined in a previous answer to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) on 12 February 2001, Official Report, column 63W.

Foot and Mouth

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the meetings and conferences organised by his Department and agencies of his Department which have been (a) cancelled and (b) postponed owing to foot and mouth disease; and if he will make a statement. [155357]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 23 March 2001]: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a decision in the application for leave to remain made by Mrs. Farmer of Babbacombe Road, Torquay (Ref. D 2599777). [156518]

Mrs. Roche: A decision has now been taken on Mrs. Farmer's application and notification of the decision has been sent to Mrs. Farmer's solicitors. I have arranged for a copy of the notification to be sent to the hon. Member.

Data Protection

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which Government Departments pay to access information on the national change of address database; [156453]

(2) what the cost to public funds of accessing the national change of address database was in each year since 1995. [156455]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: It is a matter for individual Departments to provide the information requested. There are no central records kept in the Home Office of these costs and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people have lodged complaints with the Data Protection Registrar concerning information from the change of address database sold by the Post Office to third parties; [156456]

(2) if he will make it his policy to require the Data Protection Registrar to obtain the consent of an individual before information from the change of address database is sold on to third parties. [156454]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Data Protection Registrar has been known since 30 January 2001 as the Information Commissioner. The Commissioner administers and enforces the Data Protection Act 1998 independently of the Government.

I have drawn the Commissioner's attention to these questions and I understand that she will be writing to my hon. Friend.

6 Apr 2001 : Column: 356W

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many notifications there were to his Department in each year from 1997 to date of criminal convictions of asylum seekers resident in the United Kingdom. [157168]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The information is not available centrally.

The Home Office Court Proceedings Database does not hold information about the characteristics of individual cases apart from those that are evident from the description of the offence with which the defendant has been charged.

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision he has made for education materials to be made available in appropriate languages for asylum seekers held at Winchester prison. [157012]

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 5 April 2001]: Provision for education materials in appropriate languages is made available to detainees as and when the need arises. On arrival each detainee is offered an education induction involving an assessment and interview to find out what his needs are. The education department provides dictionaries, "English as a second language" packs, basic readers and cassettes and has recently employed an "English as a second language" teacher. The education department also provides detainees with information and advice about education and employment opportunities available on release.

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are recipients of voucher-only support; and if he will make a statement. [157173]

Mrs. Roche: As at the end of February 2001, ¹ 11,630 asylum seekers (including dependants) were allocated voucher-only support by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS).

¹ Figure rounded to the nearest ten

Young Offenders Institutions

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral statement of 13 February 2001, Official Report, columns 294-96, on young offenders institutions, what further consideration he has given to the availability of sanctions to deal with disorder and bullying by young persons in custody; and if he will make a statement. [157036]

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 5 April 2001]: The Prison Service and the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) are working on a joint rewards and sanctions strategy. This emphasises the increased use of incentives which can encourage positive behaviour and be withdrawn when negative behaviour is displayed. The aim is to create a more direct link between individual target setting and compliance with institutional rules, which can in turn influence decisions regarding early and late release under the Detention and Training Order. Guidance will be issued to Governors and practitioners by July.

6 Apr 2001 : Column: 357W

Appointments Committee

Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the members of the Appointments Committee advising him on the selection of HM Chief Inspector of Probation and their current occupations; [157002]

(2) if he will list the members of the Appointments Committee advising him on the selection of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and their current occupations. [157003]

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 5 April 2001]: The members of the Advisory Panel are Baroness Stern, former Director of the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders and Senior Research Fellow at the International Centre for Prison Studies; Lord Laming, former Chief Inspector of the Social Services Inspectorate and author of the Laming Report on Modernising the Management of the Prison Service; Sir Hayden Phillips, Permanent Secretary at the Lord Chancellor's Department and chair of the Panel, and Sue Street, Director of the Home Office's Criminal Policy Group.

In appointing Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons and Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Probation, the guidelines of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments are being followed.

Identity Cards

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consultations the Government have carried out with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland authorities about the possible introduction of a national identity card; [157386]

(2) what his policy is towards the introduction of a national identity card. [157347]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We believe that, at least for the time being, the costs and risks associated with the introduction of a national identity card would outweigh the benefits. During the assessment of the options there was consultation at official level with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland authorities; but we have not specifically sought the views of the Scottish Parliament or the Welsh or Northern Ireland Assemblies.

Freedom of Information Act

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to extend the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to include technical details of animal experiments; and if he will make a statement. [157423]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Technical details of animal experiments are likely to be covered by the prohibition on disclosure set out in section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. We will not provide public information which will compromise the personal security of scientists and researchers who have concerns about violent animal extremists. The current extremist activity makes it difficult to move on Freedom of Information.

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