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11 Mar 2003 : Column 206W—continued
Ministerial Travel
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times since 2001 he has taken flights within his departmental duties in the UK; how many of these were (a) charter flights, (b) first or club class and (c) by helicopter; and who accompanied him on each trip. [95385]
Mr. Blunkett : I have taken eight flights within the UK while undertaking my departmental duties since 2001. With the exception of one standard, scheduled flight, all of these were RAF flights. All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Library.
In addition to my protection officers, I am normally accompanied by a private secretary and/or a special adviser.
Misuse of Drugs Act
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 11 February 2003, Official Report, column 717W, on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, when the Government expect to publish a summary of the responses to the consultation on draft guidelines. [100671]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: We have received a very large number of diverse comments in response to our consultation about the amended section 8. We are currently analysing the comments to the consultation exercise. A summary of these will be published once a decision on section 8 has been made.
Nurses
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 5 February 2003, Official Report, column 317W, on the overseas nurse advice line, when the decision to continue funding the helpline was made; what meetings were held; and if he will list the organisations which were consulted. [100152]
Mr. Hutton: I have been asked to reply.
The decision to continue funding the overseas nurses advice line was made in February 2003.
11 Mar 2003 : Column 207W
Meetings are held on a quarterly basis by the International Nurses Working Group, set up to identify the problems faced by overseas nurses.
Representatives from the Royal College of Nursing, UNISON, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Work Permits (UK), Independent Healthcare Association, Registered Nursing Home Association, Department of Trade and Industry, Philippines Embassy and Philippines Nursing UK attend the International Nurses Working Group meetings.
Overseas Trips
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the overseas trips made by himself and other members of his ministerial team in 2002; and what the (a) purpose and (b) cost was in each case. [101476]
Mr. Blunkett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley, South (Mr. Alexander) on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.
Parliamentary Questions
Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer by the hon. Member for Stretford and Urmston (Beverley Hughes), on the Angel Group, ref. 99702, if he will identify the nature of the contract to which the answer refers. [102488]
11 Mar 2003 : Column 208W
Beverley Hughes: The Angel Group has a contract with the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) to provide accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute and have no way of providing for their own accommodation.
PFI Prisons
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were in (a) PFI and (b) non-PFI funded prisons at the latest date for which information is available. [101761]
Hilary Benn: On 5 March 2003, 6,683 prisoners were held in prisons managed by the private sector. This figure includes Doncaster and Wolds prisons, which are managed by the private sector but which were built under traditional procurement methods. On the same date, 65,732 prisoners were held in prisons managed by the public sector, making a total prison population of 72,415.
Police Dogs/Horses
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) dogs and (b) horses are employed by each police force, broken down by species. [100370]
Mr. Denham: The Association of Chief Police Officers has provided the following information:
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| Constabularies | Cross Breeds | Weimaraner | Malinois | Rottweiler | Bloodhound | Working Sheepdog | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon and Somerset | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 60 |
| Bedfordshire | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 28 |
| Cambridgeshire | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 |
| Cheshire | — | — | — | — | — | — | 37 |
| City of London | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 |
| Cleveland | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 |
| Cumbria | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 28 |
| Derbyshire | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 31 |
| Devon and Cornwall | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 63 |
| Dorset | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 27 |
| Durham | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 |
| Dyfed Powys | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 31 |
| Essex | — | — | — | — | — | — | 55 |
| Gloucestershire | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 |
| Greater Manchester | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 167 |
| Gwent | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 |
| Hampshire | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 48 |
| Hertfordshire | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 33 |
| Humberside | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 |
| Isle of Man | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
| Kent | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 56 |
| Lancashire | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 77 |
| Leicestershire | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 |
| Lincolnshire | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 30 |
| Merseyside | — | — | — | — | — | — | 63 |
| Metropolitan | — | — | — | — | — | — | 239 |
| Norfolk | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 27 |
| Northamptonshire | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 21 |
| Northumbria | — | — | — | — | — | — | 84 |
| North Wales | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 |
| North Yorkshire | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 |
| Nottinghamshire | — | — | — | — | — | — | 37 |
| South Wales | — | — | — | — | — | — | 63 |
| South Yorkshire | — | — | — | — | — | — | 108 |
| Staffordshire | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 |
| Suffolk | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 |
| Surrey | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 47 |
| Sussex | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 63 |
| Thames Valley | — | — | — | — | — | — | 52 |
| Warwickshire | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 |
| West Mercia | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 60 |
| West Midlands | 2 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 102 |
| West Yorkshire | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 82 |
| Wiltshire | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 21 |
11 Mar 2003 : Column 211W
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