House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 13 Mar 2003 (pt 12)

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Correspondence

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 17 January 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Roz Hughes; [100687]

Mr. Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 12 March 2003.

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department will reply to the letter of 11 December 2002 from the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells regarding Mr.Hoi Kam Tang. [101875]

Beverley Hughes: I wrote to the hon. Member on 13 March 2003.

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells of 10 December 2002 and 13 January 2003 regarding Mr. and Mrs.Yurchenko. [101876]

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Beverley Hughes: I wrote to the hon. Member on 13 March 2003.

Commission for Racial Equality

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of the Commission for Racial Equality was in the last year for which figures are available; what value for money assessment he has made of its work; and if he will make a statement. [99806]

Beverley Hughes: The total operating cost of the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) for 2001–02 was £20,465,894 of which some £19,340,000 was provided in grant in aid.

The most recent quinquennial review of the Commission for Racial Equality was completed in 1996–97. The quinquennial review which was programmed to take place in 2000–01 was delayed to enable the then new Chair of the Commission to become established in post and introduce a modernisation programme to enable the Commission to meet its new responsibilities under the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000. As the Government are currently examining the feasibility of establishing a single equality body we do not anticipate conducting a separate value for money assessment of the CRE at this time.

Criminal Records Bureau

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his statement of 27 February 2003, Official Report, columns 32–36WS, on the Criminal Records Bureau, when he expects the independent executive agency to be created within the Home Office; how many additional staff will be needed; and at what additional cost. [101019]

Hilary Benn: The Criminal Records Bureau will be established as a separate executive agency as soon as practicable. As part of the process of establishing the Agency consideration will be given to the number of additional staff required and to the additional cost.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his statement of 27 February 2003, Official Report, columns 32–36WS, on the Criminal Records Bureau, what steps he is taking to determine whether current systems in the CRB would be able to deal with the doubling in demand of criminal record checks. [101028]

Hilary Benn: As the report of the Independent Review Team made clear, a further programme of enhancement to the current IT system will be required in order to satisfy the demand for Disclosures. This will be pursued as part of the renegotiation of the contract with Capita.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his statement of 27 February, Official Report, columns 32–36WS, on the Criminal Records Bureau, if he will define the needs of the intelligent customer function of the Criminal Records Bureau. [101029]

Hilary Benn: The precise details need to be settled, but the function would include setting standards for the end-to-end process, auditing them and, monitoring performance against them; contract management;

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identifying and specifying product changes; managing relationships with registered bodies, the police and other stakeholders; and handling complaints.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his statement of 27 February 2003, Official Report, columns 32–36WS, on the Criminal Records Bureau, (1) what implications the increased requirement for bodies registered with the Criminal Records Bureau to verify applicant's identity will have for their public liability insurance; [101033]

Hilary Benn: We will address any evidence that may be presented to us on these matters, under the current consultation exercise on the recommendations of the independent review team.

Under guidance issued by the Criminal Records Bureau, registered bodies are already required to verify the identity of persons, applying for a disclosure, in implementing the independent review team's second recommendation we are simply seeking to formalise this requirement. We are currently consulting registered bodies on the implications for them of recommendations and will consider any representations made about the impact on their insurance premiums.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 27 February 2003, Official Report, columns 32–36WS, on the Criminal Records Bureau, (1) how the reduction in the numbers of bodies registered with the Criminal Records Bureau will enable voluntary and community organisations more easily to access disclosures; [101035]

Hilary Benn: In the course of fieldwork for the review, representatives of two major voluntary organisations were interviewed. We have launched a consultation exercise on those recommendations of the review team that directly impact on the role of registered bodies. We expect that the sector, either through the Consultative Panel and Voluntary and Community Sector Working Group that we have put in place, or directly, will wish to make known its views on the implications of these recommendations, so that they can be fully taken into account.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Statement of 27 February 2003, Official Report, columns 32–36WS, on the Criminal Records Bureau, what the contractual consequences are for his Department with Capita of recommendation 7 of the Carter Inquiry. [101037]

Hilary Benn: This is a matter for the discussions that will take place to renegotiate the contract with Capita.

Experience Corps

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding the Home Office has provided to the Experience Corps. [101867]

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Beverley Hughes: The funding for the Experience Corps amounts to a total of £19.9 million over three years to March 2004. To date they have received £11.67 million.

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets the Government set for the Experience Corps; and what progress has been made towards those targets. [101868]

Beverley Hughes: The Experience Corps have been set the target to recruit 250,000 volunteers, reflecting the diversity of people over 50, by 2004. A further target requires that 90 per cent. of the volunteers have been active members over a three month period and that 40 per cent. of these are active over the period of a year in 2003–04. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Colchester (Bob Russell) on 11 February 2003, Official Report, column 716W, which gives details of progress. The performance of the Experience Corps is currently being reviewed by the Home Office.

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many volunteers the Experience Corps has recruited since its formation; how many of these are from ethnic minority communities; and on what basis each total is calculated. [101869]

Beverley Hughes: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Colchester (Bob Russell) on 11 February 2003, Official Report, column 716W, which gives details of volunteers recruited by the Experience Corps. The Experience Corps state that, as at 28 February 2003, over 60 per cent. of their volunteers are from ethnic communities. These figures are drawn from a database maintained by the Experience Corps. The performance of the Experience Corps is currently being reviewed by the Home Office.

Haslar Removal Centre

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research has been commissioned by his Department into the operation of Haslar Removal Centre since February 2002; and if he will place copies in the Library. [102450]

Beverley Hughes: No specific research has been commissioned into the operation of Haslar Removal Centre. However, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons carried out a formal inspection of the Centre in February 2002. We expect the report of this inspection to be published in the near future.

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