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Smuggling (Motor Fuel Products)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the fuel duty and VAT lost in each year since 1997 through the smuggling of motor fuel products into Northern Ireland. [14013]

Mr. Boateng: Updated estimates will be presented in the forthcoming pre-Budget report.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Ministerial Visit (Pakistan)

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whom she met and what discussions she had during her recent visit to Pakistan. [12908]

Clare Short: I visited Pakistan from 17 to 19 October. My statement on 24 October 2001, Official Report, columns 284–85, reported on the discussions I had there.

I met President Musharraf, Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz and the Ministers of Health, Education, Northern Areas and Women's Affairs. I met the Governor of the

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North West Frontier Province and some of his ministers and senior officials. I had informal discussions with local representatives of NGOs, including SCF, Oxfam, CARE and the Iranian Red Cross; and with representatives of the UN agencies. I also had a meeting with the US Ambassador. In Peshawar, I visited the World Food Programme office and food distribution depot.

Caribbean

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will set out the conclusions her Department reached in its examination of further support to the CARICOM-sponsored regional plan for tackling HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean; and if she will make a statement. [14412]

Clare Short: We have confirmed our readiness to provide additional support to the regional HIV/AIDS action plan for the Caribbean, particularly in the key area of policy and advocacy support. CARICOM will be convening a meeting of all interested donors in St. Lucia this month to examine the most effective process for turning the action plan into reality.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will set out how the funding for the second phase of the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre Project has been allocated and itemise the purposes to which it has been applied, by island or territory. [14416]

Clare Short: DFID support for the second Phase of the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) project is geared towards the Prevention and Control of AIDS and Sexually transmitted diseases in the Caribbean (£713,564). Specific outputs include:





We are considering a further project with CAREC designed to strengthen its effectiveness as an organisation to respond to the growing incidence of HIV/AIDS in the region.

Ivory Coast

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which (a) non-Governmental organisations and (b) charities the Government support in the Ivory Coast. [14073]

Clare Short: We are currently supporting the work of four non-governmental organisations in Cote d'Ivoire. Through our Small Grants Scheme we are helping to support the work of the World Wide Fund for Nature, Cote d'Ivoire Ecology, and Afrique Nature International. We are also supporting the work of Action on Disability and Development through the Civil Society Challenge Fund (CSCF).

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HOME DEPARTMENT

Ethnic Minority Staff

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the second annual report on progress on his race equality employment targets for ethnic minority staff in his Department and its service areas. [15465]

Angela Eagle: I have today published a report entitled "Race Equality—The Home Secretary's Employment Targets—The Second Annual Report on Progress". Copies have been placed in the Library. The targets cover recruitment, retention and career progression for minority ethnic staff in the Home Office, the prison, the police, the fire and the probation services.

Amarjit Singh

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the case of Mr. Amarjit Singh, stating for what reason he has been detained. [12297]

Angela Eagle: I wrote to my hon. Friend about this matter on 14 November.

Downview Prison

Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners there were at HMP Downview on 26 October; and, of these, how many were (a) UK and (b) Jamaican citizens convicted of trafficking in illegal drugs. [11935]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 7 November 2001]: On the morning of 26 October 2001, there were 130 female prisoners at Downview prison, rising to 140 by the end of the day. A breakdown of nationality and drug offence for that date is not held centrally. However, provisional data for the morning of 13 November 2001 show that there were 180 female prisoners in Downview prison. Of these, 13 United Kingdom (including prisoners from the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) and 28 Jamaican nationals were imprisoned for importing/exporting or conspiring to import/export drugs. The population of each prison is shown in the monthly prison population brief available on http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds.

Government Bunkers

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the former Government bunkers sold to private purchasers since 1990. [13413]

Mr. Blunkett: Following the decision of the then Home Secretary in 1992, the Home Office has sold Regional Government Headquarters (RGHQ) bunkers at the following addresses to private purchasers:









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Correspondence

Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Putney will receive a substantive reply to his letter of 8 October, for which he received an acknowledgement on 7 November, on behalf of his constituent Ms Karen Devlin. [14371]

Angela Eagle: My right hon. Friend Lord Rooker has now replied to my hon. Friend.

Nationality Applications

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for British nationality are under consideration by his Department. [13931]

Angela Eagle: I regret that statistics on the number of British nationality applications under consideration are not available.

Since April this year, all new cases are initiated as soon as they arrive. The vast majority of cases awaiting a decision are already in progress, and we aim to start all remaining cases by March 2002. This means that the queue of applications waiting to be considered is getting shorter.

Security Service

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the extra cost to the Security Service of activities in connection with events following the 11 September terrorist attacks; and if this cost will be met from the existing Security Service budget. [14078]

Mr. Blunkett: It has long been the policy of this and previous Governments not to comment on the individual budgets of the Security and Intelligence agencies. The impact of the terrorist attacks on 11 September is being taken into account in considering the Security Service budget.

Prison Education

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison education departments have obtained a Basic Skills Agency Quality Mark. [13958]

Beverley Hughes: Forty-eight prison education departments have obtained the Basic Skills Agency Quality Mark to date.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners have achieved (a) Entry Level Wordpower and Numberpower and (b) Level One Wordpower and Numberpower since December 1996; [13959]

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Beverley Hughes: The table shows the number of individual qualifications achieved in various categories since April 2000. Statistical returns allow some desegregation but do not contain separate figures for the Oxford and Cambridge Diploma. We do not recognise Basic Skills Test in Life Skills as a "qualification".

Subject type and the number of qualifications achieved

Subject type and levelQualifications achieved
Entry level—WordPower621
Level 1—WordPower1,007
Entry level—NumberPower359
Level 1—NumberPower653
Basic skills test in life skills
Social and life skills programme2,644
Oxford and Cambridge board diploma in achievement

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will state the names of contractors (a) providing prison education and (b) who

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have failed to reach the minimum standard required by the quality monitoring and assessment procedure; and what the grades obtained by each of them were; [13961]

Beverley Hughes: December 1988 marked the end of the first five-year tendering period. In April 1997, there were 45 prison education providers. Following completion of the re-tendering exercise the number was reduced to 28 in 1999. The existing contractors are set out in the table. No contracts have been withdrawn since the re-tendering exercise.

The newly founded Prisoners' Learning and Skills Unit located in Department for Education and Skills will be reviewing the funding, procurement and delivery of prison education. The review will draw up a comprehensive improvement strategy which will include the dissemination of existing good practice. It will also challenge and support establishments where education provision gives cause for concern. The unit is leading a review of the present contracting arrangements for that provision.

Education providers/contractors and prison establishments

CompanyEstablishments
Amersham and Wycombe CollegeAylesbury, Belmarsh, Brixton, Cookham Wood, Elmley Grendon/Spring Hill, Holloway, Pentonville, Rochester, Standford Hill, Swaleside, Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs
Beverley CollegeFull Sutton, Wakefield
Blackpool and The Fylde CollegeKirkham, Preston
City College, ManchesterAshwell, Askham Grange, Hatfield, Haverigg, Leeds, Lindholme, Liverpool, Manchester, Moorland, New Hall, Risley, Stocken, Stoke Heath, Styal, Wealstun, Werrington, Wetherby
CfBT Education ServicesHuntercombe, Reading
Derby Tertiary College (Wilmorton)Foston Hall, Sudbury
Dudley CollegeBirmingham, Brinsford, Brockhill, Featherstone, Hewell Grange, Nottingham, Ranby, Shrewsbury, Whatton
Evesham College Long Lartin
Filton CollegeEastwood Park, Gloucester
Gwent Tertiary CollegeCardiff, Swansea, Usk/Prescoed
Highbury CollegeHaslar, Kingston, Winchester
Isle of Wight CollegeAlbany, Camp Hill, Parkhurst
Kent Adult Education ServiceAldington, Blantyre House, Canterbury, Dover, East Sutton Park, Maidstone
Kingston Upon Hull Community Education ServicesEverthorpe, Hull
Lancaster and Morecambe CollegeLancaster, Lancaster Farms
Lewes Tertiary CollegeLewes
Matthew Boulton CollegeBedford, Gartree, Glen Parva, Leicester, Lincoln, Littlehey, Morton Hall, North Sea Camp, Onley, Wellingborough
Milton Keynes CollegeBullingdon, The Mount, Woodhill
North East Surrey College of Training (NESCOT)Coldingley, Downview, Feltham, Highdown, Send
New College, DurhamAcklington, Castington, Deerbolt, Durham, Frankland, Holme House, Low Newton, Northallerton
Northbrook CollegeFord
Norwich City CentreBlundeston, Bullwood Hall, Chelmsford, Highpoint, Hollesley Bay, Norwich, Wayland, Whitemoor
Richmond Upon Thames CollegeLatchmere House
Runshaw CollegeGarth, Wymott
Strode CollegeBristol, Channings Wood, Dartmoor, Dorchester, Exeter, Portland, Shepton Mallet, The Verne, Weare
Tamworth and Lichfield CollegeDrake Hall, Stafford, Swinfen Hall
Trowbridge CollegeErlestoke, Guys Marsh
Wigan and Leigh CollegeHindley, Thorn Cross, Thorn Cross HIT

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners assessed as having literacy and numeracy skills below level two on entry to prison have achieved nationally accredited qualifications up to level two, since April 2000. [13957]

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not available in the form requested. Data on prison education do not enable the tracking of individual prisoners. Figures do show that 21,319 prisoners have achieved nationally accredited basic skills qualifications up to level two, since

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April 2000. The Prisoners' Learning and Skills unit located in the Department for Education and Skills is looking into ways of improving the collection of data on prison assessments, participation and achievement.


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