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Gibraltar (Service Bases)
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have taken place between his Department and the Spanish Government over the (a) joint use and (b) joint decision making of the (i) naval base and (ii) RAF base at Gibraltar. [20440]
Project SLAM
Mr. Anthony D. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of Project SLAM. [20967]
Dr. Moonie: Project SLAM forms a key part of the Single Living Accommodation improvements for the services that was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 14 March 2001, Official Report, column 600W. The project represents over half of the total programme and primarily covers service establishments in England and Wales. Accommodation in Scotland may be part of SLAM or will be part of the regional prime contract for estate services, and separate projects are dealing with Northern Ireland and overseas.
Four consortiums are bidding for a single prime contract worth £0.5 billion over five years. There will also be an opportunity, subject to satisfactory performance, for the contract to be extended for a further £0.5 billion over five years. An invitation to tender was issued to bidders on 30 November 2001.
The consortiums invited to tender for this work are:
- Amec
Carillion
Debut, comprising Bovis Lend Lease and Unicorn
Prime Solutions, a large consortium led by CITEX.
4 Dec 2001 : Column 227W
Project Whirlwind
Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with Project Whirlwind; and if he will make a statement. [19417]
Mr. Ingram: Project Whirlwind is an initiative in integrated supply chain management for the repair of aircraft capital spares items.
A Heads of Agreement document was signed by DARA and BAE Systems on 15 August 2001, which included an intention to investigate moving towards a formal partnering agreement. Discussions on the terms of a partnering agreement continue.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Custody Arrests
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many custody arrests were made in (a) Chorley and (b) Skelmersdale in the last three years. [9038]
Mr. Denham: Information on the number of arrests for notifiable offences is collected centrally at police force area level only. Available information shows that in 1999–2000 there were 37,535 arrests for notifiable offences within the Lancashire police force area. Information for earlier years is not available on a consistent basis. Figures for 2000–01 will be available in due course.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been detained for more than seven days in the last two years in Northern Ireland; and on what grounds these individuals were detained. [18857]
Angela Eagle: The available information relates to persons detained under Immigration Act powers as at 30 June 2001. As at that date, there were less than five persons who had sought asylum at some stage who had been detained for more than seven days in Northern Ireland.
I regret that information on the grounds for detention of individual detainees, and the requested information on asylum seekers detained for more than seven days in the last two years in Northern Ireland is not available and could only be obtained by examining individual case files at disproportionate cost. However, in general terms detention would have been on the grounds that the persons concerned were in the process of being removed from the United Kingdom, their identities and the basis of their claim needed to be established, or it was believed that they would not comply with the terms of temporary admission or release.
Communications Data
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what analysis he has conducted to ensure the provisions relating to retention and use of communications data traffic are consistent with the provisions of the (a) Data Protection Act 1998,
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(b) Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 1999 and (c) Human Rights Act 1998; and if he will make a statement. [20443]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I am satisfied that the code of practice relating to the retention of communications data as provided for in the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Bill will be drafted in such a way as to be fully compliant with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998, the Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 1999 and the Human Rights Act 1998. We will consult the Information Commissioner to help ensure that this is achieved.
Access to communications data will in future be regulated by Chapter 2 of Part 1 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, which requires that access be necessary and proportionate.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the voluntary Code of Practice proposed in clause 11 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Bill will provide protection for the UK communications provider industry against challenges under the Data Protection Act 1998. [20442]
Mr. Blunkett: The code of practice and agreements proposed in part 11 of the Anti-Terrorism Crime Security Bill will be drafted in a way which is compatible with data protection and human rights legislation. For the code to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998, data retained under it should only be kept for a period which is necessary and proportionate to the purposes for which it is kept.
We will consult the Information Commissioner to help ensure that the drafting of the voluntary code is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act.
Auld Report
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the proposal in the Auld report that evidence of a defendant's previous convictions will ordinarily be admissible in criminal proceedings. [17518]
Mr. Keith Bradley: In the report of his review of the criminal courts, Lord Justice Auld recommends consideration of the Law Commission's report on evidence of bad character in criminal proceedings, published on 9 October. We welcomed the Law Commission's thorough and comprehensive work on this topic and will carefully consider the way forward in light of the report, Sir Robin's recommendations and the outcome of the public consultation on the review of criminal courts currently in progress.
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will forward to the Immigration and Appellate Authority the appeal papers in respect of Nasira Bibi, date of birth 4 August 1974. [19483]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 30 November 2001]: I understand that Mrs. Bibi's appeal papers were sent to the Immigration Appellate Authority on 17 October 2001 and that a preliminary hearing took place on 22 November 2001.
4 Dec 2001 : Column 229W
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision will be made by Immigration and Nationality Directorate on application F220282, lodged on 19 June. [19482]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 30 November 2001]: On 27 November 2001 my officials wrote to my hon. Friend explaining that a decision has been made in Mrs. Bibi's case and that her file has been passed to the relevant department in order that her stay can be regularised.
Police Numbers
Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the numerical establishment has been for (a) police officers and (b) special constables based in the Bexley division of the Metropolitan Police Service, in each year since 1996. [14086]
Mr. Denham: The information requested has been provided by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and is set out in the table.
| Year to December | Police officers(20) | Budgeted workforce totals(21) | Civilian support staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 287 | n/a | 87 |
| 1997 | 283 | n/a | 79 |
| 1998 | 274 | n/a | 74 |
| 1999 | 281 | 277 | 70 |
| 2000 | 306 | 310 | 69 |
| 2001(22) | 322 | 328 | 70 |
(20) Actual officers in post.
(21) These are the numbers of officers for which the force have budgeted.
(22) To October.
Note
All figures are full-time equivalents
I am also informed that there are approximately 25 special constables currently attached to Bexley division. The metropolitan police service do not hold historical figures for special constables.
Departmental Targets
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress towards tackling attrition in the criminal justice system and the cost to public funds in doing so. [17150]
Mr. Keith Bradley: Various initiatives funded in the Spending Review 2000 are expected to reduce attrition, but are unlikely to begin to have a significant effect until 2001–02. The most important of these are the expansion of the DNA database, the provision of additional scene of crime support, and increased police recruitment, funded from the Crime Fighting Fund. Additional funding of £16.3 million has also been provided to criminal justice services for 2001–02 to cover the increase in workload expected to flow from improved performance. However, it is not possible to disaggregate the total cost of bringing offences to justice.
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