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EU Extradition Warrants
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the EU agreement on extradition warrants will take effect in each country of the EU. [24872]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Article 27 of the Council Framework Decision on the European arrest warrant and the surrender procedures between member states requires member states to take the necessary measures to comply with it by 31 December 2003. Article 27 also provides that the Framework Decision can come into force between two member states on a bilateral basis, once they have made the necessary declaration.
David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which countries do not deport their own nationals to the UK under existing extradition treaties but will be obliged to do so under the common European arrest warrant proposals. [25419]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Of the European countries to whom the European arrest warrant proposals will apply Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg and Norway will not currently extradite their own nationals under any circumstances. Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden will do so on a discretionary basis and attach varying degrees of conditions to doing so. The Republic of Ireland and
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Italy will extradite their own nationals provided there is reciprocity. The United Kingdom attaches no such conditions to the extradition of British citizens.
Under the Framework Decision on the European arrest warrant, it will no longer be possible for a country to refuse to extradite an individual on the grounds that he or she is an own national. The one exception to this is Austria whose executing judicial authorities will be permitted to refuse the enforcement of a European arrest warrant if the requested person is an Austrian citizen and if the act for which the European arrest warrant has been issued is not punishable under Austrian law until such time as Austria has modified its basic law. They are required to do this under the framework agreement by 31 December 2008.
Staff Numbers
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed in his Department in each of the last four years. [23784]
Mr. Blunkett: The available information for 1 April 2001 was published by the Cabinet Office on 8 November 2001. Figures for the previous three years are set out in Civil Service Statistics for 2000 which is available in the Library.
For ease of reference, the available data are set out in the table. The figures given are full-time equivalents.
(35) 1 April 2001 figures come from the Cabinet Office National Statistics briefing published on 8 November 2001.
(36) Most of the increase in the non-agency Home Office is as a result of expansion within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.
(37) United Kingdom Passport Agency.
Note:
The April figures include some staff (like those of the Fire Service College) who later moved from the Home Office in the machinery of Government transfers of 8 June 2001
Source:
Civil Service Statistics 2000
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Departmental Expenditure Limit
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the reasons for the difference between the final voted departmental expenditure limit and provisional outturn for financial year 2000–01, as listed in the Treasury document, Public Expenditure 2000–01: Provisional Outturn, for Vote IV, Home Office and Charity Commission, subcategory 1 Home Office administration, police, probation, immigration and other services, England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [24112]
Mr. Blunkett: Full details of outturn against 2000–01 voted provision will be published in the appropriation accounts to be presented to the House of Commons by 31 January. The departmental resource account on an accruals basis will also be presented to the House of Commons before 31 January. Updated estimates of the outturn for Departmental Expenditure Limits in 2000–01 on an accruals basis were published in the 2001 pre-Budget report (Cm 5318), Table B16.
Anti-terrorism Legislation
Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the costs for UK communication and internet service providers in storing data required under Part II of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. [24509]
Mr. Blunkett: The Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 is published on the Home Office website. Further consideration of additional costs which may be incurred will take place during consultation with communications service providers.
Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what volume of data he expects internet service providers and communication service providers to retain under Part II of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. [24504]
Mr. Blunkett: The type of data to be held and the retention period will be determined in consultation with service providers and the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies. This will in turn determine the volume of data to be retained.
Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure effective cross-border co-operation on data retention periods and disclosure under the Code of Practice on the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. [24507]
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Mr. Blunkett: We have had discussions with our European and other international counterparts on communications data retention in various fora including the G8, the European Union and informal bilaterals, and will continue to do so.
The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 does not cover disclosure of communications data, which is provided for by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects discussion on the Code of Practice under Part II of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 to be completed. [24506]
Mr. Blunkett: We aim to publish a draft communications data retention code of practice after consultation so as to allow a three-month period of public consultation before laying the code before Parliament before the summer recess.
Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if data stored outside the UK, by UK companies, will be covered by the Code of Practice on the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. [24505]
Mr. Blunkett: The communications data retention provisions in the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 apply to communications providers providing a telecommunications service in the United Kingdom wherever the data are retained. The full practical considerations will be examined during the consultation on the code of practice and agreements, in partnership with the industry.
Internet and Communication Service Providers
Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next intends to meet representatives of the internet and communication service providers industry; and if this meeting will include smaller companies. [24508]
Mr. Blunkett: Officials are now beginning consultation with industry contacts. Service providers of all sizes will have the opportunity to make individual representations, both while the code is being prepared and during consultation.
At an appropriate juncture, when discussions have proceeded to a point where this would be constructive, there will, as always, be an opportunity for the industry to meet with Ministers.
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Anti-drugs Strategy
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of whether the targets set in the 10-year anti-drugs strategy will be achieved by 2008; and if he will make a statement. [24386]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: We are currently reviewing progress against all the Drugs Strategy targets to ensure that we still have the right balance and focus. We have made good progress in establishing programmes to drive forward the Strategy and in delivering our short-term goals. Drug use in the general population remains stable with some significant reductions in the proportion of young people aged 16–19 taking drugs, although there has been a small increase in the proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds reporting cocaine use.
We know we need to be even more effective at tackling the harm caused by Class A drugs. That is why, as he indicated in his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 23 October 2001, the Home Secretary is seeking advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on their assessment for reclassifying cannabis from Class B to Class C. We are also implementing a series of harm minimisation measures, in partnership with the Department of Health, such as the publication of an action plan to reduce drug-related deaths.
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