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Schengen Agreement

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the purpose of Council Document 11896/01, amending UK participation in the Schengen Agreement. [39658]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Council Document 11896–01 contains a proposal to amend Article 40.1 and 40.7 of the Schengen Convention. It is currently under negotiation within the Justice and Home Affairs Council and has been deposited for scrutiny by the European Scrutiny Committees of both Houses.

The purpose of the proposed amendments is to remove existing restrictions to the operation of cross-border surveillance between participating member states. The proposal would amend Article 40.1 to allow cross-border surveillance not only of the person suspected of having taken part in an extraditable criminal offence but also of other persons in the context of the criminal investigation. Article 40.7 would be amended to extend the list of extraditable offences for which cross-border surveillance may be carried out. Adoption of the proposal will be subject to unanimity. The United Kingdom (UK) broadly supports the amendment. Implementation in the UK will be subject to the requirements of Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) and practical operation will be subject to UK police control.

The terms in which the UK will participate in certain areas of the Schengen Convention are set out in the council decision of 29 May 2000 (2000/365/EC). The UK will participate in Article 40 of the Schengen Convention and under the terms of Article 8 of the decision of 29 May 2000, the UK is participating in the adoption of the

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amendment. Preparation for UK participation in the specified areas of Schengen are under way, and will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what penalties will be imposed by him against those who escaped from Yarl's Wood following the fire but were recaptured; [38670]

(2) what penalties including loss of asylum rights are available to him to impose on those who are at large following the Yarl's Wood fire who are asylum seekers. [38661]

Angela Eagle [holding answer 28 February 2002]: The Immigration Acts do not at present provide for adverse inferences to be drawn from behaviour such as absconding or escaping from a removal centre. However, in the case of persons who were held pending removal, their removal could of course proceed once they are apprehended. Individuals who have outstanding applications or appeals would be detained pending the outcome of those matters. In the case of individuals who remain at large, the consideration of any outstanding asylum applications would proceed on the basis of the information available and this could well result in refusal. Similarly, appellants who fail to attend the hearing of their appeals would damage their chances at appeal.

Under the new arrangements set out in the White Paper, "Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain", all asylum seekers will be expected to comply fully with the more managed systems that are being put in place. If they do not do so, it will adversely affect the credibility of their claim for asylum and will increase the chances of their claim being refused.

Correspondence

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average response time was for responding to departmental correspondence; what percentage of letters took longer than one month for a response; and what percentage took longer than three months for a response in each of the last five years. [37448]

Angela Eagle: The available information on public correspondence relates solely to volumes, the number, and proportion of replies sent within the 20 working day target. The information is not held in such a way as to provide the more detailed breakdown requested, and has been collected only since 1999. It does not currently include information on public correspondence received by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.

Table A gives the information available for public correspondence:

Table A: Letters received from the public through 1999 to 2001

	Volume of letters received	Performance—percentage answered within 20 working days
1999	26,616	57
2000	34,471	71
2001	35,549	76

The following tables give the information requested for MPs' correspondence. Information on letters on immigration and nationality matters, which make up roughly half the postbag, is set out in table C. Non-immigration and nationality correspondence is set out in table B.

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Table B: Letters received from MPs through 1997 to 2001⁽⁵⁾

		Average	Performance— percentage of replies taking more than:
	Number of replies sent	response time in working days	One calendar month	Three calendar months
1997	8,517	33	56	4
1998	11,954	24	47	6
1999	11,471	17	14	2
2000	11,206	19	18	2
2001	8,341	22	25	2

⁽⁵⁾ Non-immigration and nationality correspondence

Table C: Letters received from MPs through 1997 to 2001⁽⁶⁾

		Average	Performance— percentage of replies taking more than:
	Number of replies sent	response time in working days	One calendar month	Three calendar months
1997	7,423	32	64	5
1998	8,167	34	53	10
1999	7,501	40	75	13
2000	9,596	51	67	24
2001	8,954	43	60	16

⁽⁶⁾ Immigration and nationality matters

The Home Department receives large amounts of correspondence from hon. Members, right hon. Friends, hon. Friends and members of the public. We aim to send a substantive reply to all letters as soon as possible. I am determined to achieve a high level of performance in dealing quickly with correspondence and to deliver a greater standard of service to all Members of Parliament and the public.

We are working with our information technology partners to develop a long term strategy for handling correspondence, e-mails and telephone inquires. In the short term we are implementing a number of organisational and process changes to bring about improvements in the quality and timeliness of replies. I am monitoring the situation closely and am committed to further improvements.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Rail Journeys (Staff)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the (a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant. [37505]

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Dr. John Reid: As we do not hold the information requested in the format required, an answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Plastic Baton Rounds

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 878W, how many plastic baton rounds have been (a) expended and (b) decommissioned at the end of their active lifespan; and what the maximum life is of a plastic baton round. [29943]

Jane Kennedy: The Chief Constable advises me that: (a) During the period 1981 to 21 November 2001 a total of 41,839 baton rounds were discharged by the police.

(b) No L21 baton rounds have been decommissioned: they are not at the end of their life span. Stock rotation ensures that rounds nearing the expiry of their shelf life are used for training purposes only. The recommended shelf life of the current L21 baton rounds is 1.5 years.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 878W, by what process unspent plastic baton rounds are disposed of; what body carries out this function and at what cost; and what proportion of disposed pbrs leave the armoury in their original container as supplied. [29944]

Jane Kennedy: The Chief Constable advises me that as operational stocks are recycled through training baton rounds are only disposed of when there has been an official change in the specification. In these circumstances the rounds are boxed in metal H83 containers which are inspected and sealed by the Army at no cost to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Baton rounds for disposal leave the Police Service of Northern Ireland in H83 metal ammunition boxes only. When handed over to the Army the rounds are removed from plastic 'outers' and are packed loose in bathes of 25. None of the original containers as supplied leave police premises.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 878W, in what type of containers plastic baton rounds are supplied to the police. [29945]

Jane Kennedy: The Chief Constable advises me that baton rounds are received by the police service of Northern Ireland in UN approved packaging. The packaging is reinforced cardboard boxes, marked UN 4G/Y23/S/99/GB/4031. Each box contains five clear plastic, custom made, carrying bags (GPL SPEC 2757).

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 878W, how and in what condition plastic baton rounds are stored (a) upon supply, (b) following distribution to barracks and (c) following issue to individual officers. [29946]

Jane Kennedy: The Chief Constable advises me that: (a) Upon receipt by the police service of Northern Ireland baton rounds are stored in their original UN approved packaging within a temperature controlled and secure ammunition magazine.

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(b) In preparation for distribution the baton rounds (still within their individual plastic carrying bags) are repackaged, in batches of 16, into metal ammunition boxes known as 'H83s'. The H83s are UN approved and carry the marking UN 4A1/Y19/S/90/GB/0355. On arrival at police stations it has been customary to remove the plastic outer bag within the H83 box. The boxes are stored in the police station armoury until required.

(c) Individual officers requiring access to baton rounds outside the police station are supplied with an H83 box for that purpose.

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