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Refurbishment
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library the certificates showing that timber used for replacement doors and windows in the refurbishment of the Cabinet Office has been certified as coming from sustainable sources. [51417]
The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at column 1251.
My Department is currently, with Balfour Beatty, undertaking a full investigation and will report back to the House.
Llew Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on the use of wood from sustainable sources in the refurbishment of the Cabinet Office. [49490]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at column 1251.
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My Department is currently, with Balfour Beatty, undertaking a full investigation and will report back to the House.
Ms Walley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what organisation or company provided the certification for the doors and windows for the refurbishment of the Ripley and Kirkland buildings to show that they were produced from sustainably managed sources; and if he will place a copy of these certificates in the Library; [41345]
- (2) who provided, or is providing, the (a) windows and (b) doors for the refurbishment of the Ripley and Kirkland buildings. [41346]
The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at column 1251W.
My Department is currently, with Balfour Beatty, undertaking a full investigation and will report back to the House.
Ms Walley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, (1) how much has been spent on timber for the refurbishment of the Ripley and Kirkland building; [35686]
- (2) how much certified timber has been used in the refurbishment of the Ripley and Kirkland building; and what proportion of the total timber purchased for this refurbishment this represents; [35685]
(3) what action was taken by his Department to ensure that timber procured for the refurbishment of the Ripley and Kirkland building was sourced (a) sustainably and (b) legally. [35684]
Mr. Leslie [pursuant to the answer I gave on 14 February, column 558]: I regret to say that the information I provided was incorrect. The contract used with the main contractor for the refurbishment of 22 Whitehall (comprising the Ripley and Kirkland Buildings) did not specify that all timber should be supplied from certifiable sustainably managed sources upon which certificates are to be made available. The contract does require that timber for the doors and door frames in the Ripley Building should be "supplied from a certified renewable source. Certificates to be provided." The contract did not specify the source of any other timber to be used in the buildings.
I provided the original answer to the House in good faith on the basis of information provided to Cabinet Office officials. I am grateful to my hon. friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North for her interest in this matter. As a result of her investigations, we are currently, with Balfour Beatty, undertaking a full investigation in to all circumstances surrounding this matter and will report back to the House.
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Civil Contingencies Secretariat
Mrs. Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the members of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat. [49827]
Mr. Leslie: Mike Granatt is the head of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat, of which there are currently 123 members.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Residential Care
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the number of (a) residential and (b) nursing home places available to the elderly in each of the last three years. [49923]
Jacqui Smith: I have been asked to reply.
The requested information is shown in the table.
| 31 March | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Care | 265,090 | 263,430 | 260,070 |
| Nursing Care | 150,370 | 149,960 | 142,520 |
Source: DH Returns.
Dungavel Detention Centre
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the hunger strike by asylum seekers at Dungavel detention centre; [50513]
- (2) how many children are detained at his Department's Dungavel centre; how many of that number have special needs as a result of disability or health problems; and what level of education and healthcare is provided for these children; [50438]
(3) if he will make a statement on his assessment of the management of the Dungavel detention centre in Scotland; [50436]
(4) what medical care is available to asylum seekers detained at the Dungavel centre. [50437]
Angela Eagle: Dungavel Removal Centre is managed and operated by Premier Services Ltd. All removal centres must provide for the safety and care of detainees in compliance with the Detention Centre Rules 2001. The Rules set out the rights and responsibilities of those held in removal centres and of those who operate such centres. The contract with Premier reflects the requirements of the Rules.
The number and profile of detainees, including the number of children, at an immigration removal centre changes from day-to-day. Internal management information records that on the morning of Monday 15 April 2002 there were 15 children at Dungavel Removal Centre and of these, two had special needs as a result of disability or health problems.
A programme of modular education is provided at Dungavel for all school age children.
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There are excellent medical facilities at Dungavel in the dedicated healthcare unit. This unit includes two hospital beds. There is a full time doctor and five full time nurses. There is a 24-hour on call facility to both doctors and nurses. There is a weekly visit by a dentist and an optician visits the centre fortnightly. These medical facilities are available to all detainees including children.
Reports that have recently been circulating suggesting that there has been a hunger strike by a number of detainees at Dungavel are completely unfounded.
On Tuesday 9 April a number of detainees announced their intention to stage what they termed a "non-compliance" day. Detainees refused to get out of bed, take part in removal centre activities such as education or sport activities or eat in the centre's dining hall. They did, however, continue to buy food from the centre's shop.
Most detainees ate lunch and supper the next day and the centre has been operating normally since.
Asylum Seekers
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of asylum seekers held in removal centres are waiting for an initial decision on their application; and if he will make a statement. [48699]
Angela Eagle: I regret that the information requested is not available and could be obtained only by examining individual case files at disproportionate cost.
Asylum And Immigration Act
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001; and if he will make a statement. [50809]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 18 April 2002]: Information from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on a principal offence basis indicates that in 2000, 32 persons were prosecuted under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996. More recent information is not yet available. Information on the number of prosecutions in 2001 is due to be published in the Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2001" later this year.
The Government set out its proposals for tackling illegal working in Chapter 5 of the White Paper, "Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain" (CM 5387). These proposals included suggested amendments to section 8 of the 1996 Act, which now form part of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 12 April 2002.
Special Advisers
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number and expected cost to his Department of special advisers in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [43284]
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Mr. Blunkett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Grieve) on 23 October 2001, Official Report, column 211W.
With regard to the pay of special advisers, I refer the Hon Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 10 April 2002, Offical Report, column 11W.
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