| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
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
14 Nov 2001 : Column: 776W
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:
- (a) improved HIV/AIDS/CSTD case management in Caribbean member countries which aims to improve the quality of STD diagnosis and treatment;
- (b) the development and implementation of information, education and communication (IEC) interventions aimed at target groups;
- (c) improved management of National AIDS programmes in participating Caribbean member countries; and
- (d) implementation of sentinel surveillance for HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B in six Caribbean member countries.
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).
14 Nov 2001 : Column: 777W
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:
- 1. Shipton by Beningbrough, Near York, North Yorkshire
- 2. Alemouth Road, Hexham, Northumberland
- 3. Skendleby, Near Spilsby, Lincolnshire
- 4. Buder Street, Loughborough, Leicestershire
- 5. Watton Road, Bawburgh, Near Norwich, Norfolk
- 6. Day's Lane, Biddenham, Bedford, Bedfordshire
- 7. Keveldon Hall Lane, Keveldon Hatch, Near Brentwood, Essex
- 8. RAF Chilmark, Near Salisbury, Wiltshire
14 Nov 2001 : Column: 778W
- 9. Crown Building, Soar Gull Perch, Hope Cove, Devon
- 10. Borras Park Road, Wrexham, North Wales
- 11. Brackla Tunnels, Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan
- 12. Longly Lane, Goosnargh, Preston, Lancashire
- 13. French Lane, Hack Green, Near Nantwich, Cheshire.
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]
- (2) how many prisoners have successfully completed the (a) Basic Skills Test in Life Skills, (b) Social and Life Skills Programme and (c) Oxford and Cambridge Board Diploma in Achievement. [13956]
14 Nov 2001 : Column: 779W
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 level | Qualifications achieved |
|---|---|
| Entry level—WordPower | 621 |
| Level 1—WordPower | 1,007 |
| Entry level—NumberPower | 359 |
| Level 1—NumberPower | 653 |
| Basic skills test in life skills | — |
| Social and life skills programme | 2,644 |
| 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
14 Nov 2001 : Column: 780W
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]
- (2) how many contracts for providing prison education have been withdrawn because contractors failed to reach the standards required for consideration in the re-tendering process since 1997. [13955]
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.
| Company | Establishments |
|---|---|
| Amersham and Wycombe College | Aylesbury, Belmarsh, Brixton, Cookham Wood, Elmley Grendon/Spring Hill, Holloway, Pentonville, Rochester, Standford Hill, Swaleside, Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs |
| Beverley College | Full Sutton, Wakefield |
| Blackpool and The Fylde College | Kirkham, Preston |
| City College, Manchester | Ashwell, Askham Grange, Hatfield, Haverigg, Leeds, Lindholme, Liverpool, Manchester, Moorland, New Hall, Risley, Stocken, Stoke Heath, Styal, Wealstun, Werrington, Wetherby |
| CfBT Education Services | Huntercombe, Reading |
| Derby Tertiary College (Wilmorton) | Foston Hall, Sudbury |
| Dudley College | Birmingham, Brinsford, Brockhill, Featherstone, Hewell Grange, Nottingham, Ranby, Shrewsbury, Whatton |
| Evesham College | Long Lartin |
| Filton College | Eastwood Park, Gloucester |
| Gwent Tertiary College | Cardiff, Swansea, Usk/Prescoed |
| Highbury College | Haslar, Kingston, Winchester |
| Isle of Wight College | Albany, Camp Hill, Parkhurst |
| Kent Adult Education Service | Aldington, Blantyre House, Canterbury, Dover, East Sutton Park, Maidstone |
| Kingston Upon Hull Community Education Services | Everthorpe, Hull |
| Lancaster and Morecambe College | Lancaster, Lancaster Farms |
| Lewes Tertiary College | Lewes |
| Matthew Boulton College | Bedford, Gartree, Glen Parva, Leicester, Lincoln, Littlehey, Morton Hall, North Sea Camp, Onley, Wellingborough |
| Milton Keynes College | Bullingdon, The Mount, Woodhill |
| North East Surrey College of Training (NESCOT) | Coldingley, Downview, Feltham, Highdown, Send |
| New College, Durham | Acklington, Castington, Deerbolt, Durham, Frankland, Holme House, Low Newton, Northallerton |
| Northbrook College | Ford |
| Norwich City Centre | Blundeston, Bullwood Hall, Chelmsford, Highpoint, Hollesley Bay, Norwich, Wayland, Whitemoor |
| Richmond Upon Thames College | Latchmere House |
| Runshaw College | Garth, Wymott |
| Strode College | Bristol, Channings Wood, Dartmoor, Dorchester, Exeter, Portland, Shepton Mallet, The Verne, Weare |
| Tamworth and Lichfield College | Drake Hall, Stafford, Swinfen Hall |
| Trowbridge College | Erlestoke, Guys Marsh |
| Wigan and Leigh College | Hindley, 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
14 Nov 2001 : Column: 781W
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.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |