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Deportation Orders
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportation orders have been made against Irish nationals in each full year since 1996. [57203]
Angela Eagle: The latest available information relates to the period 1996 to 2000 and is given in the table.
| 1996 | 5 |
| 1997 | 10 |
| 1998 | 15 |
| 1999 | 5 |
| 2000p | 5 |
(36)Figures rounded to the nearest five.
pProvisional data.
Anti-Personnel Landmines
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is being taken in respect
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of the British company alleged to be selling illegal anti-personnel landmines at the Arms Trade Fair in Docklands; and if he will make a statement. [57157]
Mr. Denham: I understand that Derbyshire Constabulary are making extensive enquiries to assess whether or not the allegations made can be substantiated; and that Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and the Health and Safety Executive are also seeking to establish whether there have been breaches of the legislation for which they are responsible.
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department is taking to stop the illegal manufacture of anti-personnel landmines in the UK. [57158]
Mr. Denham: This would be a matter for the police force for the area concerned, in conjunction as appropriate with the Department of Trade and Industry and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.
Christopher Stephen-Martin
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the application of Metropolitan Police Conditions of Service (a) Chapter 4.3,2 and (b) Chapter 4.3 annex C, subsections 1, 8, 9, and 13, to the disciplinary proceedings against Christopher Stephen-Martin. [57352]
Mr. Denham: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that there are no disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Stephen-Martin at present. Also as an investigation into the allegations which have been made and to which this question relates is ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment upon the conduct of any possible disciplinary proceedings at this time.
CS Gas
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many CS gas cannisters are known to be missing from Metropolitan Police stocks; and if he will make a statement. [57444]
Mr. Denham: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that 50 CS spray canisters are known to be missing from Metropolitan Police stocks. All losses of CS canisters are carefully investigated.
Yaba
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the level of use of the drug yaba in the UK. [57690]
Mr. Ainsworth: Those Home Office surveys that ask questions about drug use do not inquire about the consumption of the drug Methylamphetamine (or yaba). No estimate can therefore be provided on the level of use of this drug.
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has collated on whether the UK is being targeted by producers of the drug yaba from Far East Asia. [57686]
Mr. Ainsworth: Methylamphetamine (or yaba) is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It is known to be produced in the United States,
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Europe and East Asia. We understand from the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) that there is no evidence to suggest that the United Kingdom (UK) is being specifically or significantly targeted by producers in East Asia although small quantities of crystal methylamphetamine has been intercepted from the Philippines. It is believed that most UK seizures are produced within Europe.
Greater Manchester Police
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 May 2002, ref. 41412, what his reasons were for funding that proportion of the additional costs for Greater Manchester Police as a result of the Commonwealth Games. [57465]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 20 May 2002]: We took into account the force information supporting the Manchester case, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's recommendations and the financial circumstances of the Police Authority. Payment up to £5 million also takes account of the costs of the extra security element in the bid post 11 September.
Funds for special grant are limited and the conditions for consideration of special grant are known to the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities. Local Police Authorities must expect to make some contribution towards additional policing costs.
Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 6 November 2001, Official Report, column 175W, on the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, what progress has been made with the Government's review of section 24 of the Act; when he will announce his conclusions; and if he will make a statement. [57598]
Angela Eagle: Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 creates a criminal offence for the unauthorised disclosure of confidential information relating to the use of animals in scientific procedures by Home Office Ministers and officials, members of the Animal Procedures Committee and others appointed for specific purposes under the Act, other than for the purposes of carrying out functions under the Act. The maximum punishment is two years imprisonment. Following the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, all statutory bars to the disclosure of information are being reviewed, including section 24 of the 1986 Act.
For some time now the Government has taken the position that greater openness and transparency regarding the regulation and use of animals in scientific procedures is desirable, providing it does not jeopardise the safety of individual scientists and their establishments or their legitimate commercial and intellectual interests. I am continuing my consideration of how these commitments can best be met. I hope to make a decision on whether to repeal or amend section 24 by the summer.
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Work-related Illness
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees in the (a) police force, (b) fire service and (c) prison service retired through work-related injury or ill-health in the last year for which records are available; and what the total cost to the Department was. [56064]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 20 May 2002]: There were 1,209 ill health retirements from the police service in 2000–01. I understand from the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions that there were 238 retirements due to work-related ill health from the fire service in 2000–01. This excludes Bedfordshire and Luton, and West Sussex brigades, for which data were not available. There were 221 ill-health retirements from the prison service in 2001–02.
Separate figures are not kept centrally for ill health retirements from the police and prison service which are specifically work-related. In none of the three services is information held centrally as to costs in the form requested. However, the cost in civil service pensions of the ill-health retirements from the prison service in 2001–02 was £4,196,348.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued (1) in Lancashire in each year since their inception; [57279]
- (2) been issued in Wales in each year since their inception. [57285]
Mr. Denham: Official statistics on the number of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO) issued are based on quarterly returns received from Magistrates' Courts Committees (MCCs). Latest available information is given in the table.
| Area/MCC | Period | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 99– 31 Dec 00(38) | 1 Jan 01– 31 Dec 01 | Total | |
| Lancashire | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| Wales | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Dyfed Powys | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gwent | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| North Wales | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| South Wales | 1 | 3 | 4 |
(37) Introduced under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 on 1 April 1999.
(38) From 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 information collected on the total number of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders issued by police force area only.
The requirement for further checks for completeness of information reported from MCCs is currently under review.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of antisocial behaviour orders; and if he will make a statement. [56234]
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Mr. Denham [holding answer 21 May 2002]: The Home Office review of anti-social behaviour orders was published on 2 April 2002. This review found that ASBOs are being used successfully to reduce anti-social behaviour and increased public confidence in the partner agencies. The review also found that the use of ASBOs was not consistent between areas and the Government is taking a range of steps in the Police Reform Bill to make anti-social behaviour orders more effective. They include:
an interim order which will protect the community at the start of the court process.
allowing ASBOs to cover a wider geographical area which will remove the need for repeat applications.
allowing ASBOs to be made in county courts and on conviction in criminal courts and thereby reducing the number of times witnesses need to appear and avoiding the need for a separate court process.
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