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Statutory Maternity Pay

Brian Cotter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of those businesses providing statutory maternity pay to their employees have made a claim to be reimbursed in each financial year since 1996. [19111]

Dawn Primarolo: All employers are required to pay Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) to eligible employees. Employers do not have to make a claim to have SMP reimbursed; they recover it from the national insurance contributions (NICs) that they are due to pay over to the Inland Revenue each month.

Information is not available in the form requested. Although we have accurate figures of the numbers of employers recovering SMP we do not presently record the number of employers paying SMP. The number of employers who recovered SMP in each year is as follows:

Year	Number
1997–98	95,524
1998–99	70,812

No data are currently available for any later year. A random sample check of employers who pay SMP is carried out each year. Data from this sample check indicate that between 88 per cent. and 90 per cent. of employers do recover all the SMP that they have paid out.

30 Nov 2001 : Column: 1218W

HOME DEPARTMENT

Immigration and Nationality Directorate,

Liverpool

Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on (a) delays at Liverpool office of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, (b) their cause and (c) production of naturalisation certificates. [17911]

Angela Eagle [holding answer 27 November 2001]: Last month, new computer equipment was installed in the Directorate. It was necessary to stop issuing certificates of citizenship between 17 October and 12 November while the installation of the equipment was successfully completed. Certificates of citizenship are now being issued to successful applicants.

Residency

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 12 November 2001, Official Report, column 558W, when his officials received an application on behalf of Mrs. Melissa Jane Gryspeerdt of Chippenham, Wiltshire, maiden name— Dodd, date of posting—August 2001; when they expect to process it; and if he will make a statement. [16276]

Angela Eagle [holding answer 20 November 2001]: It has not been possible to trace any application in August from Mrs. Melissa Jane Gryspeerdt. But an application from her was received by special delivery post on 17 September. On examination it was found to be invalid because a document specified in the application form had not been provided. It was accordingly returned to Mrs. Gryspeerdt by recorded delivery post on 18 October. The Royal Mail confirmed that the package was delivered in Chippenham on 20 October.

Charity Commission Investigations

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what organisations are being investigated by the Charity Commission for possible (a) terrorist links and (b) money laundering activities. [14823]

Angela Eagle: This is a matter for the Charity Commission who will write to my hon. Friend. A copy of the Commission's reply will be placed in the Library.

Wrongfully Convicted Prisoners

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the Question of the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside, of 29 October on the publication of his Department's report on support for wrongly convicted prisoners. [19832]

Beverley Hughes: I have replied to my hon. Friend today. I am sorry for the delay in doing so.

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish his Department's report on after-care for wrongfully convicted prisoners. [11784]

Beverley Hughes: The study has contributed useful material for further development of proposals but it does not stand alone, and was an internal document not designed for wider circulation. The National Association

30 Nov 2001 : Column: 1219W

of Citizens Advice Bureaux has been commissioned to develop a project proposal. I expect to make an announcement early in the new year.

Vivisection

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to establish a Royal Commission on vivisection; and if he will make a statement. [19648]

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Redcar (Vera Baird) on 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 645W.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for reducing asylum decision times. [16934]

Angela Eagle: The target for the current year is to decide 60 per cent. of new substantive asylum claims within two months. We are taking a range of measures, including strengthening asylum decision capacity and streamlining internal casework procedures, to support delivery of the target. It is planned that interim data on performance during the period April-September 2001 will be published during the first half of 2002.

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent consultations he has undertaken with local authorities about proposals for levels of funding for asylum seekers. [18644]

Angela Eagle: Officials from National Asylum Support Service (NASS) met with representatives of the Association of London Government (ALG) and Local Government Association (LGA) on 22 October and 9 November this year. Also present at these meetings were representatives from the Audit Commission and, at the first meeting only, the Rent Service.

Discussions covered arrangements for an interim grant payment to cover costs in the first half of this year, and an agreed letter has been sent to all local authorities. They also covered proposals to increase the information given by local authorities to the Home Office in support of claims. This is to improve communication from the Home Office to local authorities on case status, so that next year's grant can be based on agreed lists of named asylum seekers. Discussion of grant arrangements for 2001–02 continue and another meeting is planned for early in the new year.

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities have indicated that their costs of supporting asylum seekers exceed (a) current and (b) proposed grant levels. [18645]

Angela Eagle: In 2000–01, based on unaudited claims, some 60 local authorities had costs that exceeded the grant levels. Of these 38 had shortfalls of less than £50,000.

Grant limits for the current year have yet to be confirmed. We are discussing with local authority associations proposals which take into account the recommendations of the Audit Commission report "Halfway Home" and also allow proper scope to recognise the reasons for high costs in some authorities.

30 Nov 2001 : Column: 1220W

Kainos Programme Evaluation Report

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the recommendations made by the Kainos Programme Evaluation report. [18184]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 26 November 2001]: I understand that the main report is still in draft form. When the recommendations are available the Kainos trustees (who own the report) have agreed that a copy may be placed in the Library, and I will ensure that this is done. The Executive Summary, which has been finalised, has already been placed in the Library.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the cost and effectiveness of the Kainos units in prisons. [17215]

Beverley Hughes: I understand from information provided by Kainos that the additional cost of the units was of the order of £60,000 a year in each prison. In the course of a year typically 50–70 prisoners went through the programme in each prison.

An independent evaluation found no statistical basis for concluding that prisoners who had been through the Kainos programme had re-conviction rates that were any lower than would be expected for similar released prisoners as a whole. It found some modest improvements in prisoners' attitudes and behaviour, and that the programme made a positive contribution to order and control.

The Prison Service Management Board concluded that the benefits of the programme were not sufficient to justify its meeting the costs from public funds.

Work Permits

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits were granted in 2000 and in which categories. [18746]

Angela Eagle: In the 2000 calendar year, a total of 102,174 work permit applications were approved as follows:

Type of permit	Number issued
Business and Commercial	72,550
Sports and Entertainments	21,817
Training and Work Experience	7,807
Total	102,174

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many footballers have been granted work permits in each year since 1997. [18747]

Angela Eagle: The following table illustrates how many footballers have been granted work permits in each year since 1997:

	Number of work permits approved
1997	53
1998	67
1999	78
2000	76
2001 (To date)	36

30 Nov 2001 : Column: 1221W

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