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Yarl's Wood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps were taken to alert residents of Thirleigh and Clayham, Bedfordshire, that an escape of detainees had taken place at the Yarl's Wood removal centre on 14 February. [38782]

Angela Eagle: I understand from Bedfordshire police that, as a precautionary measure, a general warning was issued to the public on the night of the incident to stay inside with windows and doors locked.

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that Bedfordshire county council is not financially disadvantaged by the destruction of the Yarl's Wood Detention Centre. [38646]

Angela Eagle: There is no reason to believe that Bedfordshire county council will be financially disadvantaged by the incident at Yarl's Wood removal centre.

Asylum Seekers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers there are in each unitary or borough in Essex broken down by (a) country of origin and (b) gender. [38428]

Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the form requested.

The availability of information on the location of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom (UK) is currently linked to the support the asylum seeker receives. Asylum seekers in the UK are receiving support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS), local authorities and the Department for Work and Pension (DWP), or are supporting themselves.

Currently asylum seekers supported by NASS are not dispersed to Essex because NASS has no dispersal accommodation there. Some asylum seekers supported by NASS find their own accommodation and receive

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vouchers from NASS. From available information, as at the end of December 2001, there were 1,690 asylum seekers (including dependants) in receipt of voucher only support in the east of England (which includes Essex).

For asylum seekers supported by local authorities, DWP or who support themselves, no information is held centrally on the numbers living in Essex.

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he plans to revise his target of 30,000 removals per year of failed asylum seekers. [38662]

Angela Eagle [holding answer 28 February 2002]: The 30,000 target (2,500 per month) for the removal of failed asylum seekers has always been ambitious and high risk, but our continued expectation is to achieve that removal rate in the next financial year.

The full impact of the incident at Yarl's Wood has yet to be assessed. However, any measures taken are expected to be short term. At this current point in time it is not our intention to revise our removals target.

"Secure Borders, Safe Haven"

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the responses to the various consultation exercises announced in his White Paper "Secure Borders, Safe Haven". [38471]

Angela Eagle: The Government will place copies of responses to the White Paper from organisations in the Library unless they have indicated they do not wish their responses to be published.

Decisions on publication of the responses to the consultation exercises in respect of working holidaymakers and entitlement cards will be made later in the year.

Car Theft

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with car manufacturers about reducing the incidence of car theft. [38839]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 28 February 2002]: The principal forum for such discussions is the Vehicle Crime Reduction Action Team. This was set up in 1998 under the chairmanship of the Director of Fleet Operations at the Ford Motor Company to develop, and oversee the implementation of, initiatives to meet the Government's target to reduce vehicle crime by 30 per cent. over five years. Members of the action team include the chief executives of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and the Retail Motor Industry Federation. It meets three times a year, with additional meetings of its executive committee, and has in our view been an outstanding success.

Private Medical Insurance

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 57W, on private medical insurance, how many police authority employees will be covered by the private medical insurance scheme begun in November 2001; what assessment he has made of the

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reasons for Surrey police authority choosing to take out private medical insurance; and if he will make a statement. [37191]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 28 February 2002]: The chief constable of Surrey police informs me that about 2,800 police staff are covered by the private insurance scheme arranged by Surrey police authority.

The reasons given by the force for introducing the scheme are that it will help reduce sickness absence and ill health retirements and increase officer availability.

Chelmsford Prison

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the maximum capacity is for prisoners at Chelmsford prison; and how many prisoners are housed in the prison; [37479]

(2) what plans he has to increase the maximum number of prisoners at Chelmsford prison; by how many prisoners he plans to increase capacity; and if he will make a statement. [37481]

Beverley Hughes: On 25 February 2002 the operational capacity of Chelmsford prison was 531. This includes an increase of 30 places effective from 25 February 2002. On 27 February 2002 the population of the prison was 529. Consideration is being given to increasing the operational capacity by a further 45 places.

Child Abuse

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police authorities within England and Wales have been involved in cases of child abuse; what resources have been utilised to service each investigation as a percentage of the total budget allocated to each police authority in each year since 1996; and what definition is used for a victim and complainant. [35958]

Mr. Denham: I have been informed by the Association of Chief Police Officers that all authorities are likely to have been involved in investigation of cases of child abuse and all authorities will have family protection units.

It is for the chief officer to determine what level of resources should be allocated to any investigation. Provision will vary between cases.

Central records of numbers of cases and resources employed are not held.

A widely recognised definition of 'victim' is that of the European Union Council Framework Decision of 15 March 2001:

"Victim shall mean a natural person who has suffered harm, including physical or mental injury, emotional suffering or economic loss, directly caused by acts or omissions that are in violation of the criminal law of a member state""

There is no formal definition of "complainant".

Asylum Seekers Accommodation Centres

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people he plans to accommodate in accommodation centres for asylum seekers; what length of average stay is planned; and what range of facilities will be provided. [37077]

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Angela Eagle: The accommodation centre trial will be based on 3,000 places, spread across four centres.

It is not possible to specify what an average length of stay will be, at this stage. We intend, as my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary said in the House on 7 February 2002, Official Report, column 1039, that no asylum seeker should be in an accommodation centre for in excess of six months.

A range of facilities will be provided on site. They will include health care, interpretation, education for both adults and children (including English language), and other purposeful activities such as information technology classes and volunteering. Residents will also have access to legal advice.

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the sites that have been identified as potential sites for accommodation centres for asylum seekers. [37098]

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Luff) on 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 57W.

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to locate all residential asylum facilities in areas with ready access to the emergency services. [38645]

Angela Eagle: As part of the initiative to develop new removal centres and trial accommodation centres for asylum seekers, the Home Office will consult and take account of the views of the relevant emergency services.

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 57W, on asylum accommodation centres, what the distance to the nearest (a) primary school, (b) secondary school, (c) special school, (d) further education college, (e) railway station, (f) bus stop, (g) post office, (h) chemist, (i) hospital, (j) leisure centre, (k) library and (l) Immigration Appellate Authority appeal centre is for each proposed site. [37849]

Angela Eagle [holding answer 4 March 2002]: We have not collected the information requested by my hon. Friend. Accommodation centres will have a range of on-site services and will provide for transport where necessary.

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