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Legal Costs
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legal costs have been incurred by his Department in each of the last four years. [34283]
Angela Eagle: Expenditure by the Home Office on external legal costs can be split into two main areas:
- (i) Litigation: This includes judicial review proceedings (eg challenges to decisions by the Immigration and Nationality Division or the Prison Service), personal injury claims, employment tribunal cases, commercial litigation and other miscellaneous disputes;
- (ii) Commercial legal advice: This includes advice on procurement (eg contracts to build new prisons or the installation of new computer systems).
Home Office litigation is handled by the Treasury Solicitor's Department who also provide and/or manage external legal services on some Home Office procurement projects. Over the last four years the Home Office expenditure with the Treasury Solicitor's Department is as follows:
| Year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 14,487,753 |
| 1999–2000 | 11,710,362 |
| 2000–01 | 16,781,326 |
| 2001–02(24) | 13,809,191 |
(24) To date
These figures include VAT and disbursements eg Counsels' fees and fees of external solicitors. The figures are gross. They do not take account of recovered costs. Neither do they include costs paid to third parties by way of damages or compensation.
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In addition the individual Units in the Home Office instruct Counsel or external solicitors direct without going through the Treasury Solicitor's Department. No central record is kept of such expenditure and to obtain such details would incur a disproportionate cost. The figures above also do not include the cost of the Home Office Legal Adviser's Branch.
Work Permits
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 532W, on the fast track work permit scheme, if he will list (a) the members of the panel of representatives from the technology communications and electronics sector to which he refers and (b) the organisations to which they belong. [34799]
Angela Eagle: The Information Technology, Communications and Electronics (ITCE) sector panel is composed of other Government Departments and relevant industry bodies and not individuals. The organisations that are represented on the ITCE sector panel are:
- Association of Technology Staffing Companies
British Computer Society
Computer Software Services Association
Department of Trade and Industry
Department for Education and Skills
e-Skill National Training Organisation
Federation of the Electronics Industry
Institution of Electrical Engineers
National Training Organisation for Engineering and
Manufacturing
Professional Contractor Group
Recruitment and Employment Confederation.
Angela Eagle: At the Information Technology, Communications and Electronics (ITCE) sector panel meeting held on 10 October 2001 evidence from panel members restricted the Database Specialist to Oracle Database Administrator. That in itself is under review following the ITCE meeting in January 2002 as further evidence is provided by panel members. Further information has been requested from panel members, before considering the removal of this specific shortage occupation.
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown, by category, of the work permits approved under the shortage occupation category for information technology since 21 January 2000. [34797]
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Angela Eagle: The number of work permits approved under the shortage occupation category for information technology since 21 January 2000 is:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Analyst programmer | 2,505 |
| Business analyst | 331 |
| Computer engineer | 410 |
| Computer programmer | 1,293 |
| Database specialist | 162 |
| Information Technology (IT) manager | 172 |
| Network specialist | 304 |
| Project manager | 300 |
| Software engineer | 4,681 |
| System analyst | 2,375 |
| Other IT related occupations(25) | 7,759 |
(25) This category includes occupations that are on the published shortage occupation list but are not captured separately for management information purposes by the Work Permits United Kingdom computer system.
Life Sentences
Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women serving life sentences in England and Wales have tariff sentences of (i) less than two years, (ii) between two and five years, (iii) between five and 10 years, and (iv) above 10 years. [34593]
Beverley Hughes: The available information, which relates to tariff periods set by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for both men and women mandatory lifers is as follows: (i) less than two years—nil, (ii) between two and five years—five, (iii) between five and 10 years—463, and (iv) over 10 years—2,526. Information about tariffs for prisoners serving a life sentence for serious offences other than murder and those detained during Her Majesty's pleasure is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Immigration Detainees (Purposeful Activities)
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reintroduce purposeful activity for the inmates of removal centres. [34743]
Angela Eagle: Persons detained at immigration removal centres are, in line with the requirements of the Detention Centre Rules 2001, provided with opportunities to take part in a wide range of purposeful activity including education, sports, physical education, arts and crafts, drama and library.
"Sport and Charity"
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many responses to the Charity Commission consultation paper, "Sport and Charity", were received from (a) voluntary sports clubs, (b) sports governing bodies and (c) the legal and accountancy professions. [34515]
Angela Eagle: This is a matter for the Charity Commission as the Government Department that registers charities in England and Wales. The Chief Charity Commissioner will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
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Immigration Office (Belfast)
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend the facilities available at the immigration office in Belfast, with specific reference to passport and visa services. [35035]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 11 February 2002]: There are no plans to extend the facilities available to members of the public at the Immigration Office in Belfast. Passport services for British Citizens are provided by the United Kingdom Passport Agency and for other nationalities by their relevant high commissions and embassies. Visas for entry to the United Kingdom are issued by posts overseas.
Children's Rights
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to encourage Government departments to consider the impact of new policies and legislation on children and young people. [31164]
Mr. Denham: In November, the Government published for consultation a framework for an overarching strategy for children and young people. "Building a Strategy for Children and Young People" sets out 10 principles for all children and young people's policies and services to ensure that they are centred on their best interests. Each principle has been developed to take into account the UN convention on the rights of the child and will provide a framework for the way Government Departments develop new policies and legislation.
Departmental Expenditure Limits
Mrs. Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for changes to the departmental expenditure limit and administration costs limit within his responsibility. [36365]
Angela Eagle: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Home Office Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) will be increased by £841,193,000 from £9,862,267,000 to £10,703,460,000 and the administration costs limits will be increased by £117,831,000 from £2,405,643,000 to £2,523,474,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:
| Resources | Capital | |
|---|---|---|
| Change | 892,496 | -51,303 |
| New DEL | 9,670,789 | 1,032,671 |
| Of which: | ||
| Voted | 9,374,386 | 923,315 |
| Non-voted | 296,403 | 109,356 |
The increases will be offset by charges to the DEL reserve and by interdepartmental transfers. They will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
13 Feb 2002 : Column 468W
A detailed breakdown of the Spring Supplementary changes has been placed in the Library.
Mrs. Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to change the Charity Commission's departmental expenditure limit and administration costs limit for 2001–02. [36366]
Angela Eagle: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Charity Commission Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) will be increased by £700,000 from £22,792,000 to £23,492,000 and the administration costs limits will be increased by £700,000 from £21,483,000 to £22,183,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:
| Resources | Capital | |
|---|---|---|
| Change | 700,000 | 0 |
| New DEL | 22,163,000 | 1,329,000 |
| Of which: | ||
| Voted | 22,163,000 | 1,329,000 |
| Non-voted | 0 | 0 |
The change in the resource element of the DEL arises from a £700,000 increase in administration costs, in line with agreement given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
The £700,000 increase in administration costs will be met from the take up of DEL End Year Flexibility carry forward from 2000–01.
The increases will be charged to the DEL Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
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