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Illegal Drugs
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the results of the study commissioned from York university on the costs of illegal drugs in Britain. [37625]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The University of York, Centre for Criminal Justice Economics and Psychology (Culyer A, Eaton G, Godfrey C et al, 2002) has recently completed a research report for the Home Office entitled 'The Economic and Social Costs of Class A Drugs Misuse in England and Wales, 2000'. The report will be published as a Home Office Research Study (HORS) in early summer.
Departmental Functions
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what functions of the former DfEE were transferred to the Home Office on the reorganisation of departmental responsibilities following the general election in 2001. [37149]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 26 February 2002]: The function for work permits, which formerly were the responsibility of the former Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) were transferred to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) of the Home Office after the general election.
Prakash Hinduja
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the inquiries received from hon. Members since 1 May 1997 in respect of a possible application for nationality by Prakash Hinduja; if an application is under consideration; and if he will make a statement. [34367]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 7 February 2002]: Sir Anthony Hammond's "Review of the Circumstances Surrounding an Application for Naturalisation by Mr. S P Hinduja in 1998", published in March last year, included
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at Chapter six consideration of Mr. Prakash Hinduja's inquiries about naturalisation as a British citizen. There have been no further developments since then.
Performance Targets
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many performance targets have been set by his Department, agencies and non- departmental public bodies since May 1997 on (a) prisons policy, (b) police policy, (c) fire and emergency planning policy, (d) probation policy, (e) immigration, asylum and
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nationality policy, (f) constitutional policy, (g) reducing crime, (h) the prevention of terrorism and the reduction of organised and international crime, (i) sentencing, (j) youth justice policy, (k) crime prevention policy, (l) policy relating to victims and witnesses and (m) community and voluntary sector policy; how many of those targets have been (i) amended, (ii) revoked and (iii) achieved since May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [37762]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 27 February 2002]: The details requested are set out in the table, although most have not yet reached their target date of either 31 March 2002 or March 2004.
| Number of targets | Amended | Revoked | Achieved | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) Prisons policy | 5 | 1 | — | — |
| (b) Police policy | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| (c) Fire and emergency planning policy(9) | 3 | — | — | — |
| (d) Probation policy | 1 | — | — | — |
| (e) Immigration, asylum and nationality | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| (f) Constitutional policy(10) | 3 | — | — | 2 |
| (g) Reducing crime | 7 | 1 | — | — |
| (h) The prevention of terrorism and the reduction of organised and international crime | 4 | 1 | — | 2 |
| (i) Sentencing | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| (j) Youth justice policy | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| (k) Crime prevention policy | 3 | 1 | — | — |
| (l) Policy relating to victims and witnesses | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| (m) Community and voluntary sector policy | 1 | 1 | — | — |
(9) Responsibility for Fire and Emergency Planning was transferred to the Cabinet Office and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in 2001.
(10) Responsibility for Constitutional Policy was transferred to the Lord Chancellor's Department in 2001.
The targets listed were set in the public service agreements in 1998 and 2000.
These are the published high level targets only. Each business area has more detailed internal management targets.
Asylum Seekers
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers were accommodated in prisons in (a) November 2001, (b) December 2001 and (c) January 2002. [37656]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 27 February 2002]: The latest available information on the number of persons detained under Immigration Act powers relates to 30 September 2001. The total number of asylum seekers detained in prison establishments as at that date is given in the table.
| Place of detention | Asylum seekers detained as at 30 September 2001(11),(12) |
|---|---|
| Dedicated Immigration Service wings(13) | 390 |
| Other prison establishments(14) | 460 |
| Total persons detained in prison establishments(14) | 850 |
(11) Figures rounded to the nearest five, and may not sum due to rounding.
(12) Persons detained under Immigration Act powers who are recorded as having claimed asylum at some stage.
(13) Persons detained at the dedicated Immigration Service wings at Haslar, Lindholme and Rochester.
(14) Includes 145 persons detained under dual immigration and other powers.
Information on Immigration Act detainees as at 29 December 2001 will be published on 28 February 2002 on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate (RDS) website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ rds/immigration1.html.
The temporary use of spaces in a number of local prisons ended in mid-January 2002, as did the use of the accommodation at Her Majesty's prison (HMP) Rochester. In addition, the dedicated detention facilities at HMP Haslar and HMP Lindholme were redesignated formally as immigration removal centres on 8 February 2002, thus requiring them to operate under Detention Centre Rules rather than Prison Rules. These changes will not be reflected fully in the statistics until the information on Immigration Act detainees as at 30 March 2002 is published on 31 May 2002 on the RDS website.
European Documents
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his position towards Council Document 14461/01, on the Competence, Recognition and Execution of Decisions Pertaining to Parental Responsibility. [39652]
Mr. Wills: I have been asked to reply.
The UK supports the underlying aim of this proposal, which is to improve arrangements in cross-border cases, and in particular to extend the principle of mutual recognition to all decisions on parental responsibility by establishing a clear and coherent set of rules for attributing jurisdiction and proper arrangements for co-operation between national courts and authorities. An explanatory memorandum on the proposal has been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.
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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Director of Public Prosecutions
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many staff are employed by the DPP in Northern Ireland; and what proportion are lawyers. [39661]
Dr. John Reid: I have been asked to reply. The Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland currently has the equivalent to 185 full-time posts, of which 30.27 per cent. are legal.
Lord Chancellor (Duties)
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the Lord Chancellor's attendance record for the last 36 months for (a) Committees of the House of Lords and (b) other non-Government bodies on which he sits. [30844]
Mr. Wills: The Lord Chancellor is an ex-officio member of two Committees of the House of Lords: the Offices Committee and the Procedure Committee. Since February 1999, the Lord Chancellor has attended two out of 15 meetings of the Offices Committee and three out of nine meetings of the Procedure Committee. In keeping with established practice, the Lord Chancellor is not expected to attend all the meetings of these Committees and will attend only those meetings where his participation is required.
The Lord Chancellor is an officer of, or a member of, the following bodies which could reasonably be described as 'non-Government':
- British-American Parliamentary Group, Joint President;
Christ's College, Cambridge, Honorary Fellow;
The Church Commission, Commissioner;
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Joint President;
Friends of the Slade School of Fine Art, Committee Member;
Hunterian Collection, Trustee;
Industry and Parliament Trust, Joint President;
Inner Temple, Bencher;
Inn of Court of Northern Ireland, Honorary Bencher;
Magistrates Association, President;
The Polish Bar, Honorary Member;
Society for Advanced Legal Studies, Honorary Fellow;
US College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow; and
World Mental Health Federation, Vice Patron.
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