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Secondments

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were seconded between (a) PWC Consulting and Pricewaterhouse- Coopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen and his Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available. [33868]

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 26 February 2002, Official Report column 1266W.

Police Reform

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers he will gain under the proposed Police Reform Bill; if police authorities will be involved in directions given to chief officers and in the suspension of chief constables under the proposed reforms; what the role of the community support officers will be; what police powers will be given to accredited persons and what their responsibilities will be; what estimate he has made of how much the proposals on police reform will cost; and if he will make a statement. [48850]

Mr. John Denham [holding answer 17 April 2002]: I refer my hon. Friend to Explanatory Notes published with the Bill.

Asylum Cases

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken was from first application to initial decision in asylum cases in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [50808]

Angela Eagle [holding answer 18 April 2002]: I refer the hon Member to the reply given on 3 April 2002, Official Report, column 1066W which gives the latest available information.

Information for the 12 months to March 2002 will be available on 30 May 2002.

Vehicle Clamping

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimate he has of the number of vehicles clamped in the last full year for which figures are available; what was the (a) total number and (b) monetary amount of fines levied; what proportion and what amount of the fines levied were collected; and if he will make a statement; [49908]

(2) what regulations govern private clamping companies; [49910]

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(3) what was the largest fine that could be imposed in respect of an uncollected vehicle, which had been towed away after it had been clamped, in each of the last five years. [49909]

Mr. Denham: There are no regulations relating to clamping on private property and we do not collect any information about the number of vehicles clamped or the fines levied. The Private Security Industry Act 2001 creates the Security Industry Authority. The authority, which will regulate the industry through licensing, will begin operations in 2003 and will have wheel clamping as one of its priority areas.

Experience Corps Initiative

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2002, Official Report, column 595W, regarding the experience corps initiative if the initiative has been launched. [50399]

Angela Eagle: The Experience Corps Company began this initiative in November 2001. This is across the nine English government regions, seven of which have operations under way. I understand that the Experience Corps Company will launch in the South East, which includes Buckingham, and South West Regions by June 2002.

Yarl's Wood Detention Centre

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his statement of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 441, on the Yarl's Wood fire, whether fatalities have been discovered since 25 February. [50018]

Angela Eagle: No fatalities have been discovered to date.

Immigration

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time for determination of applications for indefinite leave to remain in the UK on the basis of marriage was in the last 12 months. [49943]

Angela Eagle: I regret that there are no published data on decision times for individual types of applications for indefinite leave to remain. Our aim is to decide 65 per cent of all straightforward applications on initial consideration within three weeks. Due to the exceptionally high number of applications received over the past year, and process changes which are being introduced to improve our longer term performance, it is at present taking up to six weeks to decide an application on initial consideration. We are working to reduce this to three weeks or less as soon as possible. Information on expected processing times for straightforward cases is provided to applicants on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate web site at http://194.203.40.90/default.asp? Pageld=113

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate received the application from Mrs. F. N. M., a Jamaican national living in Aylesbury, for leave to remain in the United Kingdom as the wife of a person

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with indefinite leave to remain (ref M1005958); when he intends to notify the applicant of his decision; and if he will make a statement. [50039]

Angela Eagle: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate received Mrs. M's application on 14 February 2000. She was notified on 16 April 2002 that she had been granted leave to remain. I am sorry that this application was overlooked whilst a waiting a hearing date for her outstanding appeal.

Football Hooligans

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals, by club, who purport to support English Nationwide and Premier League football teams are classified as football hooligans within Home Office categories. [49931]

Angela Eagle: Those housed in Accommodation Centres will receive a small cash allowance for incidental expenses, which could include public transport.

Asylum Services (Edinburgh)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the City of Edinburgh Council following its decision to pull out of negotiations with the National Asylum Support Service. [42730]

Angela Eagle: The City of Edinburgh Council has advised officials from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) that they wish to suspend formal negotiations regarding a contract to supply accommodation for dispersed asylum seekers.

Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Rainsbrook (Onley) Secure Training Centre by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49650]

Beverley Hughes: The estimated total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Hassockfield (Medomsley) Secure Training Centre by comparison with a Public Sector alternative is £29.5 million (excluding VAT).

The contract was amended on 9 August 2001 to provide an additional 36 trainee places. The estimated total savings to public funds of these additional places by comparison with a Public Sector alternative is £10.5 million (excluding VAT).

Certificates of Identity

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which European Union countries do not accept the Home Office Certificate of Identity as a valid travel document; what reasons each of them has provided his Department for this policy; how he has addressed each of these reasons; when he expects the Certificate of Identity to be accepted throughout the EU; and if he will make a statement. [48891]

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Angela Eagle: The Home Office Certificate of Identity (CID) is a travel document issued to foreign nationals, other than refugees, who are resident in the United Kingdom and cannot obtain a passport from their national authorities.

The CID is issued on a discretionary basis, not under an international convention. European Union Member States are not obliged to recognise the document. Those Member States which do not do so, and generally do not issue travel visas to CID holders, include France, Belgium, Germany, Greece and Spain.

The stance taken by all these countries is largely influenced by the fact that CID holders have no absolute right of re-admission on return from travel abroad. In response we have explained that this does not cause difficulties in practice, as CID holders are entitled to return to any United Kingdom port on a date within the CID's validity, and a visa is not required. Under the Immigration Rules, re-admission after examination by an immigration officer is not an automatic entitlement, but would normally be granted, on the basis that residency here is to be resumed. There are no plans to give CID holders an absolute right of re-admission. To do so would put them in a more favourable position than other foreign nationals who are resident here. Only British citizens, and Commonwealth citizens who have the right of abode here, have an unconditional right of re-entry.

Positive efforts will continue to be made by the Home Office with a view to achieving full acceptance for the CID, including giving consideration to alteration of the standard wording of the CID to meet Schengen concerns.

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