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12 Feb 2003 : Column 763W—continued
HOME DEPARTMENT
Badgers
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been undertaken under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [95946]
Mr. Denham: The information requested is shown in the table for England and Wales, 1997 to 2001.
Statistics for 2002 will be available in the late autumn of this year.
| Number of defendants proceeded against | Offence description | Statute | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 44 | Offences relating to cruelty to badgers and special protection for badgers and their setts | Protection of Badgers Act 1992 (except section 13) |
| 1998 | 19 | ||
| 1999 | 30 | ||
| 2000(9) | 21 |
(8) These data are on the principal offence basis.
(9) Staffordshire Police were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against at magistrates courts in 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.
Anti-social Behaviour Orders
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Anti-Social Behaviour Orders have been issued in 2002–03 for offenders aged 15 to 18-years-old. [96018]
Mr. Denham: The number of notifications received by the Home Office of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued within England and Wales, from 1 January 2002 up to 30 September 2002 (latest available), for persons aged 10 to 17 years is 105. For persons aged 18 years and over the figure is 59. A further 10 ASBOs have been issued within the same period where the age of the recipient has not been given. A more detailed breakdown by age is not available.
We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made nationally have been consistently under reported in returns made by magistrates courts and are considering how reporting can be improved.
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) anti-social behaviour orders, (b) parenting orders and (c) curfew orders have been issued in the City of Leeds in the last three years. [96967]
Mr. Denham: The table shows the number of notifications received by the Home Office of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued within the West Yorkshire Magistrates' Courts Committee (MCCs) area (in which the City of Leeds is situated) and by local government authority up to 30 September 2002 (latest available).
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We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made nationally have been consistently under reported in returns made by magistrates' courts and are considering how reporting can be improved.
| MCC/Local authority area | Total issued |
|---|---|
| West Yorkshire MCC | 22 |
| Of which: | |
| From 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 by pfa | 4 |
| From 1 June 2000 to 30 September 2002 by local authority area | 18 |
| Bradford, City of | 2 |
| Kirklees MC | 3 |
| Leeds CC | 13 |
Note:
Between 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 data available by police force area (pfa) only
Youth Justice Board (YJB) figures indicate that between April 2000 (when YJB data collection on Parenting Orders started) up to September 2002 (latest available) a total of three Parenting Orders were imposed in Leeds.
Figures from the electronic monitoring contractors indicate that a total of 1,465 Curfew Orders with electronic monitoring were imposed in Leeds during the years 2000 to 2002.
| Year | Number of orders |
|---|---|
| Juvenile Curfew Orders (aged 10–15) | |
| 2000 | 0 |
| 2001 | 16 |
| 2002 | 41 |
| Total | 57 |
| Adult Curfew Orders (aged 16+) | |
| 2000 | 431 |
| 2001 | 368 |
| 2002 | 609 |
| Total | 1,408 |
No applications have yet been received to establish a local child curfew scheme under section 14 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Some local authorities and police forces have considered the possibility but concluded that other measures should be taken to tackle relevant local problems.
Settlement Applications
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the countries from which people have come who have applied for settlement in the last five years; and what percentage of applications was refused. [95999]
Beverley Hughes: The available statistics are given in the following table.
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The information relates to decisions on applications for settlement by main nationality. The latest available data are for 2001. Data for 2002 will be published later this year.
(10) The Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire
Notes:
Data rounded to the nearest five.
Percentages rounded to one decimal place.
12 Feb 2003 : Column 766W
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 30 January 2003, Official Report, column 1035W, on Afghan asylum claims, how many Afghan refugees granted asylum have claimed that they fought for the Taliban but (a) that they did not support the Taliban and (b) that they were coerced. [96529]
Beverley Hughes: We are under no obligation to give refuge to terrorists or anybody else who poses a threat to the United Kingdom's national security, such as Taliban fighters. As a result of media speculation, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) has
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reviewed all Afghan applicants granted asylum who applied since 1 October 2001, shortly before the fall of the Taliban.
No cases were found of people granted asylum because they were committed to the Taliban regime and feared persecution from the new government. There were three who gave credible accounts of being opposed to the Taliban but having been forcibly conscripted by them. All three claimed to have escaped when an opportunity presented itself and none was engaged in direct combat with British or US ground forces.
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the use of (a) chartered and (b) military flights for the deportation of failed asylum claimants. [96530]
Beverley Hughes: The use of charter flights is a means of removing large numbers of failed asylum seekers and other immigration offenders when there is no availability of seats on scheduled aircraft.
They are also used for removals to destinations that carriers from the United Kingdom currently do not operate to, eg Kosovo.
Charter flights have been used to remove large numbers of failed asylum seekers since March 2001. During the current financial year over 2000 failed asylum seekers have been removed on such flights.
Military flights are not used for the removal of failed asylum seekers at this time.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many accommodation and property companies he has commissioned to find properties with planning permission for use as hostels for the accommodation of asylum seekers; where properties selected for such use are located; what costs have been incurred by the Home Office in connection with such properties; what the anticipated (a) capital and (b) revenue costs are; what consultations have taken place with (i) hon. Members and (ii) other bodies; and if he will make a statement. [92878]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 23 January 2003]: The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) is currently conducting a procurement exercise for the provision of accommodation to support the Induction Centre for London and the south east which will include consultation with relevant local stakeholders as part of this procurement process.
NASS is also considering proposals for short term emergency accommodation in the regions. If contracts are entered into, this accommodation will be used until the national network of induction centres is established.
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