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Brixton Prison

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce the outcome of the market testing of the management of HMP Brixton. [73628]

Mr. Hilary Benn: The market test for the management of Brixton did not attract bids from the private sector, partly because of its poor physical condition and location. The in house bid, while being impressive, was not affordable. Therefore, instead of operating under a Service Level Agreement, the prison will continue to be run under existing management arrangements. However, a performance baseline will be set with challenging improvement targets, and progress will be closely monitored.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements exist for asylum seekers to submit material in support of their claim. [73629]

Beverley Hughes: Under existing procedures, an applicant who is not issued with a Statement of Evidence Form (SEF) to complete prior to their asylum interview is allowed five days after their substantive asylum interview to make further representations before a decision is taken on their asylum claim.

Those asylum applicants issued with an SEF prior to any substantive interview do not benefit from this arrangement. This is because applicants issued with an SEF form are given 10 working days to submit the completed form to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. We think this gives applicants a reasonable period to set out their claim and time to seek legal representation if they wish for the submission of further supporting evidence.

We have decided that asylum applicants who go through the induction centre process will no longer benefit from the five day period to make further representations. The induction centre process is designed to familiarise an asylum applicant with the asylum procedures, providing the asylum seeker with detailed briefings on different aspects of the asylum process and to explain to applicants what their obligations are. All asylum applicants who go through the induction centre process are told that all information relevant to their claim must be available by the time they are substantively interviewed because decisions on claims will be made shortly after the interview. The interview itself will be scheduled to take place two weeks after the applicant has gone through the induction process. We consider that this two week period offers the applicant sufficient time to prepare for the interview and gather any supporting information he considers necessary.

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This change is in keeping with our commitment to deliver fast asylum decisions, whilst at the same time ensuring that asylum seekers have a proper opportunity to establish their claims.

These arrangements do not apply to Oakington or any detained cases.

Road Traffic Penalties

Mr. Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government's response to the consultation paper on road traffic penalties will be published. [73630]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Government's response to the consultation paper on the review of road traffic penalties is published today. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Campsfield House

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of the Campsfield House immigration removal centre. [73631]

Beverley Hughes: On 7 February, my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, announced that he had decided that the Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre would close by spring 2003. However, following the incident at The Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre in February and the consequent temporary reduction in Removal Centre capacity, I have decided to postpone the closure of Campsfield House until September 2004. This is in order to maintain Removal Centre capacity and thus support our commitment to increase the rate of removal of failed asylum seekers.

IND Complaints Committee

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on changes in the membership of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's independent Complaints Audit Committee. [73632]

Beverley Hughes: Ms Catherine Tuitt has been appointed as a new Member of the Complaints Audit Committee to replace Mercy Jeyasingham, whose three-year term of tenure ends in July 2002. Ms Tuitt has worked in a variety of positions, both in the private and public sector, ranging from legal consultancy and public affairs, to chairing council committees. A local elected councillor until recently, Ms Tuitt has considerable experience in facilitating service provision. She is presently an advocate for a voluntary community organisation providing support and advice to refugees and children of refugees.

Careless Driving

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers convicted of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs caused crashes which resulted in multiple deaths in each of the past 10 years. [70969]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member.

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Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what percentage of the breath tests carried out by police officers proved (a) over the legal drink-drive limit and (b) positive, but not over the legal drink-drive limit, broken down by police force, in each of the last 10 years; [70954]

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average penalty given to (a) drivers convicted of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs and (b) drivers convicted of multiple counts of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs in each of the past 10 years. [70971]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member.

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers charged with causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs were involved in crashes that resulted in multiple deaths in each of the past 10 years. [70968]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers were convicted of multiple counts of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs in each of the past 10 years. [70970]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member.

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Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers were (a) charged with and (b) convicted of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs in each of the past 10 years. [70967]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers convicted of multiple counts of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs (a) served the whole of their sentences and (b) had their sentence reduced, in each of the past 10 years. [70973]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member.

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers convicted of multiple counts of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs (a) were given concurrent sentences and (b) were given consecutive sentences, in each of the past 10 years. [70974]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member

Breath Tests

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what percentage of the breath tests carried out by police officers proved (a) over the legal drink-drive limit and (b) positive, but not over the legal drink-drive limit, broken down by police force, in each of the last 10 years. [70954]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Since 1992 police forces have been required to supply centrally the total number of screening tests and the sum of positive and refused tests as given in the tables.

Table A: Percentage of positive or refused screening breath tests, by police force area, 1992–2000

England and WalesPercentages
Police force area1992199319941995199619971998(85)1999(85)2000(85)
Avon and
Somerset161718192021151719
Bedfordshire131511141719162722
Cambridgeshire1188887789
Cheshire151626151177816
Cleveland996443334
Cumbria19131311988810
Derbyshire14108765543
Devon and
Cornwall383632292211141820
Dorset241917201715151411
Durham2619192731291777
Essex13121086610119
Gloucestershire201917162217141617
Greater Manchester24169778212231
Hampshire282620211814141210
Hertfordshire312930262825242733
Humberside181920171417181513
Kent12121317181511119
Lancashire33272316121391010
Leicestershire22161117202211911
Lincolnshire877764446
London, City of151919161616141723
Merseyside492816161717131217
Metropolitan868131213131110
Norfolk91618201611778
Northamptonshire182020201721262325
Northumbria545149513830272827
North Yorkshire354337352216151617
Nottinghamshire324040432925272928
South Yorkshire292221181614131211
Staffordshire242930201511141816
Suffolk20181714149879
Surrey171919161513111413
Sussex16161615111011119
Thames Valley121011121417151617
Warwickshire342918131212101213
West Mercia1411119111081325
West Midlands344035291814252328
West Yorkshire242824171719202123
Wiltshire151617152117151515
Dyfed-Powys17161715149121011
Gwent91312121010101010
North Wales111110121212101011
South Wales222018171611131315
Total161514131312131213

(85) Since 1998 comparisons between the number of positive breath tests reported by each police force and the number of court proceedings for drink/driving related offences have indicated that there has been under-reporting in a number of forces. Appropriate adjustments have been made.


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Table B: Number of screening breath tests, by police force area, 1992–2000

England and WalesPercentages
Police force area199219931994199519961997199819992000
Avon and
Somerset5,4004,0003,8006,70015,10016,00019,70019,20015,800
Bedfordshire6,0004,9008,2006,1006,4006,0005,3002,9003,300
Cambridgeshire11,70016,00016,50016,30016,20019,10017,80013,60012,800
Cheshire9,40012,3008,20015,30021,30025,50023,30020,50015,800
Cleveland12,60010,10015,00028,20026,10031,60034,20028,60018,800
Cumbria5,0006,0007,0007,8009,80011,2009,4007,1006,100
Derbyshire9,10014,70017,00020,50028,60034,50035,70049,20052,000
Devon and
Cornwall6,9005,6005,6006,8009,10015,20015,70014,70013,000
Dorset4,6005,8006,8005,8007,4009,10010,1009,20012,300
Durham5,8006,7006,9004,5004,1004,3007,40012,70015,300
Essex21,50028,00038,20027,70032,40028,70028,40024,10027,200
Gloucestershire3,7002,7004,2005,2007,0009,4009,3008,3008,200
Greater Manchester27,70047,70078,500102,400100,40095,60031,20021,50027,300
Hampshire9,90010,20014,10017,00018,20025,00027,30031,60035,200
Hertfordshire5,5005,7007,1006,4005,9007,4008,1007,0006,000
Humberside8,0006,5006,8008,9007,5006,5008,3008,1009,400
Kent20,20017,20017,0009,2008,1009,10027,50032,70032,200
Lancashire6,1006,5008,60015,90026,10021,30020,30019,10015,500
Leicestershire6,30010,30015,50011,70010,30010,20020,20021,10018,600
Lincolnshire12,60012,60011,60015,60015,80020,20025,90021,00012,100
London, City of2,2002,8004,4003,3004,5003,6003,3001,7001,100
Merseyside5,30010,70016,00015,30015,90014,80018,70018,60012,800
Metropolitan132,300143,000141,600123,300123,000137,900111,40099,80093,800
Norfolk7,7003,9003,5004,2005,5009,20012,40011,6009,100
Northamptonshire5,0006,4006,0005,1007,4007,1004,7005,3005,800
Northumbria4,6005,5006,1005,8008,40011,90012,20012,50012,700
North Yorkshire4,3003,9004,5004,8007,80010,5009,9008,1006,700
Nottinghamshire6,8005,0005,5005,7009,30011,5008,9008,4008,400
South Yorkshire6,5009,40011,30011,00013,30014,20012,60016,10019,200
Staffordshire6,8004,6005,3006,3009,70013,80015,40010,1007,700
Suffolk5,9006,3005,9007,5008,20012,30015,60015,1009,200
Surrey8,3008,1008,5009,30011,20011,20011,40011,70012,400
Sussex10,90015,80016,00015,90024,30026,10017,40017,90020,800
Thames Valley29,70048,30051,40047,20039,70033,10034,20030,30030,800
Warwickshire2,3002,7006,1008,2009,2008,7008,7008,6007,100
West Mercia17,50018,50018,40019,90018,10018,30019,10012,3008,900
West Midlands13,70015,40014,8009,10019,50022,60024,10021,30016,200
West Yorkshire14,50010,60011,80015,80019,50023,30022,90018,80018,300
Wiltshire8,2008,0008,00010,0006,3007,4007,1006,8006,500
Dyfed-Powys5,4004,3004,5005,0005,9008,5009,2009,9007,400
Gwent6,8006,0005,6004,9009,30012,20011,20010,60010,100
North Wales16,10013,40015,90014,90014,90013,30015,20015,90015,000
South Wales12,40013,40010,40012,20014,90023,10024,90020,70017,800
Total531,300599,600678,500702,700781,100860,400815,500764,500714,800

Source:

Home Office (RDS/CCJU) 19 July 2002.


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