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Graffiti

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to tackle graffiti. [92038]

Mr. Denham: The Government take the problem of graffiti very seriously and are examining ways in which it can reduce the problem. It requires action by several Government Departments and is one of the areas addressed in the Government consultation, "Living Places, Powers, Rights and Responsibilities", which was launched at the Urban Summit on 31 October 2002 with a closing date of 14 February 2003.

Writing graffiti is an offence under the Criminal Damage Act 1971. Where criminal proceedings are not appropriate, it can also be dealt with through a number of measures designed to address anti-social behaviour, including anti-social behaviour orders.

The London Local Authorities Bill, which is currently before Parliament, would clamp down on the sale of spray paints to under 18-year-olds within the London area. We are looking carefully at whether we should adopt this approach nationally.

In addition, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships are working with local communities to tackle graffiti. Neighbourhood wardens' programmes and community safety officers are also helping to reduce yobbish behaviour, such as graffiti writing. Local authorities have developed graffiti cleansing programmes and are working with the police to apprehend the culprits.

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We are exploring what extra measures may be necessary as part of the work on the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill and White Paper.

Immigration (Members Hotline)

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone calls were received by the hon. Members' hotline at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in each of the last six weeks. [94480]

Beverley Hughes: The number of telephone calls received by the Members of Parliament hotline is as follows:

Week ending	Number of calls
20 December 2002	750
27 December 2002	(10)88
3 January 2003	(11)132
10 January 2003	751
17 January 2003	736
24 January 2003	735

⁽¹⁰⁾ Only 2 days worked.

⁽¹¹⁾ Only 4 days worked.

Mrs. Gemmell

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the application by Mrs. Gemmell of Christchurch to transfer her visa from an old passport to a new one will be dealt with; and for what reason the application is awaiting a decision. [94445]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 30 January 2003]: Mrs. Gemmell submitted her passport to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) on 29 November for her visa to be transferred into her new passport. There has been a very large number of applications during this period and some applications, including Mrs. Gemmell's, had to wait longer than usual for initial consideration. However, Mrs. Gemmell's visa was stamped in her new passport on 28 January and her documents are in the process of being returned to her by recorded delivery at her home address.

National Asylum Support Service

Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made to increase the number of contracts NASS has with organisations and local authorities in Scotland to provide accommodation for asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement. [94062]

Beverley Hughes: The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) accommodates asylum seekers who request that this be provided as part of an application for support. Currently NASS has two contracts, one with Glasgow City Council and one with the YMCA, to provide accommodation for asylum seekers in Scotland. Discussions with another area are ongoing but I am unable to give further information at this stage because this information is commercially sensitive.

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Passports

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reduce the (a) length and (b) complexity of the forms used to apply for passports. [93582]

Beverley Hughes: The UK Passport Service (UKPS) introduced the current universal passport application form in 1998. The length of the application form is determined by the requirements for identity authentication, determination of entitlement and the fact that it is an application form for all types of passport application. UKPS had previously used different forms for the different types of service required. However there were problems with this arrangement. For example, people did not always use the form that was right for them and the printing and distribution arrangements were both costly and complicated. The current version of the universal form is the fourth produced by UKPS and has been reviewed and improved over the past four years to ensure that it best meets the needs of UKPS' customers. This is tested through analysis of customer error rates and regular market research as well as analysis of complaints.

The forms are supported by a passport application pack which aims to provide the information required by all UKPS customers. As well as essential information on eligibility and the documents needed to apply, it contains guidance on the services that UKPS offer, the methods of application, fees and details of the complaints procedure. The pack is regularly reviewed to consider where there are opportunities to improve the textual format, provide greater clarity and reduce, where possible, the amount of text.

UKPS is currently undertaking a further review of both the passport application form and the content of the application pack. All relevant stakeholders are being consulted and customer feedback is being taken fully into consideration as part of this process.

Prison Officers (Vacancies)

Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacancies there are for prison officers in prisons in England and Wales; and what the rate of sickness absence for (a) prison officers and (b) governors was in the last year for which figures are available. [93314]

Hilary Benn: Information on vacancies within Prison Service establishments in England and Wales is as follows.

Vacancies reported as at 1 December 2002 within establishments

	Number
Senior operational managers	54
Officer grades	934

Information relating to sickness absence rates is as follows.

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Working days lost per person January-December 2002

	Days lost
Senior operational managers	6.7
Officer grades	17.2

Senior operational managers include all grades known as governors. Officer grades include senior officers and principal officers.

Information on private sector prisons is considered to be commercial in confidence and is not therefore available.

Prison Service Order

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that there should be a consolidated Prison Service Order encapsulating best practice on safer custody; and if he will make a statement. [93328]

Hilary Benn [holding answer 27 January 2003]: Prison Service Order (PSO) 2700 (suicide and self-harm prevention) came into effect on 1 January 2003. It replaces the previous instructions and sets out mandatory requirements. This PSO brings existing policy in line with the direction of the Prison Service's approach to suicide prevention (the move from awareness to prevention) and the broader context (decency, safety, the concept of the healthy prison). It provides prison staff with instructions on identifying prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm, and on providing the subsequent care and support for such prisoners.

A guidance document "Suicide Prevention Strategies" has been issued in conjunction with this PSO. Copies of both have been placed in the Library. The guidance document provides suggestions in line with the suicide and self-harm prevention strategy based on the Internal Review of Suicide and Self-harm in the Prison Service, and incorporates protocols on the use of safer cells and information on the role of the Samaritans and prisoner peer supporters. It aims to support the practices and procedures set out in PSO 2700, while recognising that not all the guidance will be appropriate or feasible or affordable for all establishments. Managers are encouraged to judge which suggestions are appropriate to their type/category of establishment and carefully consider which aspects of the advice they believe realistically can be implemented in their establishment with the resources available.

These documents cannot reflect all the learning from the Prison Service's suicide prevention and self-harm reduction programme, which is at its halfway stage. This programme includes a series of projects to improve pre-reception, reception and induction arrangements; inter-agency information exchange; prisoner care; detoxification; prisoner peer support, and the learning from investigations into deaths in custody. The three-year programme, which started in April 2001, will be subject to an independent evaluation, and a new generation of replacement PSOs is planned for 2004. It is likely that, as with PSO 2700 and the supporting guide, the distinction between mandatory actions and good practice will be maintained.

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