14 Oct 2002 : Column 455W
Written Answers to
Questions
Monday 14 October 2002
PRIVY COUNCIL
Parliamentary Scrutiny
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the President of the Council what proposals he has to improve parliamentary scrutiny of ministerial decisions which are made using the Royal Prerogative. [72954]
Robin Cook: As the Ministerial Code makes clear, Ministers are accountable to Parliament for their decisions and actions, including decisions which are made using the Royal Prerogative. If the hon. Member has any proposals to improve parliamentary scrutiny of ministerial decisions, which are made under the Royal Prerogative, I would be willing to consider them.
The introduction of Westminster Hall and the greater flexibility available to select committees should already have increased the House's ability to scrutinise all aspects of Ministers' work, and will continue to do so in the future.
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Departmental Report
Mr. Beith: To ask the Solicitor-General what the cost was of publishing her Department's annual report for each of the past five years. [70481]
The Solicitor-General [holding answer 18 July 2002]: The cost of publishing the Law Officers' Departments' annual report in each of the last four years was as follows:
| # | |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 4,327 |
| 2000 | 4,485 |
| 2001 | 6,849 |
| 2002 | 7,618 |
In 1998 the Law Officers' Departments' annual report was published as part of the Lord Chancellor's Annual Report and the cost is not separately available for that year.
In addition, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Treasury Solicitor's Department and the Serious Fraud Office publish Departmental Annual Reports. The costs are as follows:
| # | |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 22,695 |
| 1999 | 22,387 |
| 2000 | 18,600 |
| 2001 | 24,340 |
| 2002 | 34,000 |
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| # | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 11,647 |
| 1998–99 | 11,746 |
| 1999–2000 | 9,505 |
| 2000–01 | 9,910 |
| # | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 44,902 |
| 1998–99 | 22,235 |
| 1999–2000 | 21,140 |
| 2000–01 | 20,833 |
| 2001–02 | 25,093 |
In addition, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers published a document entitled XThe Attorney General's Review of the Year 2001–02". Although not formally an Annual Report, it explained the work of the Law Officers over the last year. Its cost was #9,234.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports sent to the IND in 2001 went missing; and of these, how many have subsequently been found. [64237]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 25 June 2002]: The information requested is not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. However, a measure of the number of passports which could not be returned to their owners is the lost passport letter. Since September last year, strict controls have been in place on the way such letters are used; as a consequence more effective searches have been carried out and the number of letters issued has fallen by around 50 per cent. per month (from an average of 45 per month to about 20). Of those searches completed, less than 1 per cent. of passports cannot be found. Even so further initiatives are in place to improve the handling of passports.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve the efficiency of the IND. [64239]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 25 June 2002]: We aim to consider 70 per cent. of all new general and settlement cases on initial consideration within three weeks. Due to an exceptionally large increase in the number of immigration cases in the latter part of 2001 the turnaround time increased but has now been reduced to four weeks. We are working to return performance to three weeks very shortly. However, cases which cannot be dealt with at the initial consideration stage are taking up to nine months to consider. We are looking to reduce this timescale as a priority case over the next six months. We have also reviewed our processes to speed up the consideration of cases and are looking at options for utilising additional resources within The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND).
14 Oct 2002 : Column 457W
Since the beginning of June, queue management changes in the Public Enquiry Office (PEO) in Croydon have resulted in bringing the public faster into the building when it opens. Plans are underway to open a second entrance into the building and to relocate other callers to another Croydon office in a further effort to improve access.
Immigrant Dispersal
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the policy of dispersing immigrants to Wales from the South-East of England. [63338]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 20 June 2002]: As at the end of March 2002, 1,020* asylum seekers including dependants were being supported in National Asylum Support Service (NASS) accommodation in Wales. In addition 160* asylum seekers including dependants in receipt of subsistence only support are resident in Wales. NASS has appointed a Regional Manager in each of its regions. Regional Managers are responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the support provided to asylum seekers in their region.
* Figures rounded to nearest 10. We cannot say categorically that all dispersals were from the south-east of England.
Visa Applications
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about granting visas to Egyptian students in the past 2 months; and if he will make a statement. [65235]
Beverley Hughes: I have received no such recent representations.
Asylum Seekers
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are receiving cash-only support; and if he will make a statement. [72930]
Beverley Hughes: As at the end of March 2002, 30,740* asylum seekers (including dependants) were receiving subsistence only support1 from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS).
Statistics on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS are available on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website: http:// www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration.1.html.
1 Subsistence only support changed to cash only support in April 2002.
*Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Figures exclude cases where the asylum seekers support has been ceased.
14 Oct 2002 : Column 458W
Beverley Hughes: The research commissioned by the Home Office on the reception policies of Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany will be published by the end of 2002. This date is provisional, subject to the work being completed on schedule by the research contractors and to Research, Development and Statistics (RDS) publication procedures (including peer review).
Retail Crime
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 May 2002, to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Mr. Lepper) Official Report, column 605W, on retail crime, if he will list for each regional crime reduction director, the amount spent on business crime in 2001–02. [71306]
Mr. Denham: I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Dr. Spink) on 22 July 2002, Official Report, columns 862W.
Motorcyclists
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact on motorcyclists of the proposed establishment of law enforcing arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [30826]
Mr. Denham: 'Policing a New Century: a Blueprint for Reform' made no specific reference to motorcyclists. One of its themes, however, was the effective tackling of anti-social behaviour. The anti-social use of motorcycles has been a particular issue and growing concern in some areas, for example where the motorcycles have been raced around estates, across public footpaths or over public parks.
The Police Reform Act was introduced by the Government to take forward the proposals in 'Policing a New Century. Amongst its provisions, the Government have given the police new powers to deal with the anti-social use of motor vehicles, including motorcycles. It is already an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 to drive inconsiderately on public roads or off-road without consent. The Act now provides an addition that if a vehicle committing one of these offences is being driven in such a way that it is causing or is likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public, a constable in uniform will be empowered to stop and seize it. A constable will be able to enter premises other than a private dwelling to effect the seizure. The owner will be able to retrieve the vehicle on payment of removal and storage charges. Detailed arrangements will be made by regulation and will ensure that the owner is not required to pay when the vehicle was used without his consent.
The new power will enable the police to deal with motorcycle nuisance more effectively by putting an immediate stop to such anti-social behaviour.
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