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26 Mar 2003 : Column 262W—continued
HOME DEPARTMENT
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Wellington in Somerset falls within the cluster area of Taunton and Bridgwater with respect to the housing of asylum seekers by the National Asylum Support Service. [104698]
Beverley Hughes: The town of Wellington in Somerset falls within the National Asylum Support Service cluster area of Taunton and Bridgwater.
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2003, Official Report, column 697W, on asylum seekers, whether it is a rule or a guideline that accommodation must be located within the defined area of a cluster. [104702]
Beverley Hughes: It is a rule that accommodation for asylum seekers is located within a cluster area. Accommodation providers are advised by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) that property supplied to house asylum seekers must be located within the designated cluster area. Any properties offered to NASS. which fall outside a designated cluster area will be refused.
Community Cohesion
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that Government efforts to encourage community cohesion in the UK are not endangered by the current international situation. [104099]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 24 March 2003]: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 20 March 2003, Official Report, column 51WS, providing information
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to the public about the threat of terrorism. In that statement he said that the Home Office is working with the police and other local agencies to ensure that tension levels within our communities are monitored on a daily basis. Within local areas agencies are working together—and with local communities—to provide reassurance and to ensure that there are arrangements in place to deal with any potentially difficult situations that might emerge. At this stage the assessments provided give us no reason to believe that there is a serious risk of a disturbance, and we are countering the close monitoring.
Correspondence
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a substantive reply to the letter from the hon. Member for North Shropshire dated 4 March concerning Mrs. Judith Acun. [101664]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 10 March 2003]: I wrote to the hon. Member on 25 March 2003.
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to letters from the hon. Member for Vauxhall dated 28 January and 7 March about a constituent, ref. G306128. [104070]
Beverley Hughes: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my hon. Friend on 13 March and 19 March in reply to her letters of 28 January and 7 March about her constituent.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has not replied to the letter to him dated 28 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Nariman Rave Salih. [104876]
Mr. Blunkett : I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 20 March 2003.
Data Protection
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the terms of reference given to the privacy experts consulted in relation to the draft Code of Practice concerning access to communications data; what the cost was of this consultation; whether these experts were consulted in relation to the draft Code of Practice concerning the retention of communications data; and if he will make a statement. [104406]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The terms of reference of the independent experts who assisted the preparation of the consultation paper "Access to communications data—respecting privacy and protecting the public from crime" have been:
- 1. To advise on the terms of, and process for, a public consultation paper on the addition of public authorities to the access to communications data provisions of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) to ensure: clarity, accessibility, credibility and balance of consultation paper; effective dissemination to a wide audience, and that concerns expressed over original draft RIPA Order are seen to be addressed.
2. To advise on the scope of a wider review on the balance between privacy and protecting the public and the terms in which such a review is proposed in the consultation on the
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- RIPA access to communications data order, taking into account, amongst other issues: the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) study "Privacy and data sharing", and the views of other Government Departments (including the Lord Chancellor's Department, the Office of the e-Envoy and others as appropriate).
3. To attend meetings, provide written or oral advice and to prepare reports as required.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff the Interception of Communications Commissioner will have to supervise those who have access to communications data under the draft Code of Practice; and if he will make a statement. [104407]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Interception of Communications Commissioner has a statutory duty to keep under review the exercise of powers and duties by persons who will obtain and disclose communications data under Part I Chapter II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, when it is implemented. The number of staff the Commissioner has to assist him fulfil this duty will depend on how the legislation is implemented and what additional role, or roles, he may have in safeguarding the use of powers to access communications data.
The consultation paper "Access to communications data—respecting privacy and protecting the public from crime", published on 11 March, invites views on these matters. We are also discussing with the Commissioner how he envisages his role and the resources he may require.
CABINET OFFICE
Civil Servants
Mr. Norman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisors have been employed by (i) the Strategy Unit, (ii) the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, (iii) the Office of the e-Envoy, (iv) the Office of Public Services Reform and (v) the Prime Minister's Policy Unit in each year since their creation. [103063]
Mr. Alexander: Figures regarding how many civil servants have been employed by units since they were created can be found in the following table. All figures have been rounded to full time equivalents (FTE). There have been no special advisers working in the units.
For the Prime Minister's Policy Directorate figures I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 25 March 2003, Official Report, column 125W.
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| FTE staff numbers for 3 February: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit | Date Unit Created | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Strategy Unit | July 2002 | — | — | — | 90 |
| The Prime Minister' s Delivery Unit | June 2001 | — | — | 18 | 34 |
| The Office of the E-Envoy | September 1999 | 51 | 71 | 145 | 141 |
| The Office of Public Services Reform | June 2001 | — | — | 30 | (1)43 |
(1) The Office of Public Services Reform figure for 3 February 2003 includes The Charter Mark and Beacon Unit which merged with the unit on 1 September 2002.
Ministerial Statements
Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what reason it is not normal practice to define the territorial extent of the effect of parliamentary ministerial statements. [103665]
Mr. Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.
The territorial extent of UK ministerial responsibilities is largely defined by the devolution legislation. In most cases the territorial extent of a ministerial statement is clear from the context.
Public Appointments
Rob Marris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps Government departments are taking to encourage an increase in the number and profile of public appointments to local and national decision-making bodies for members of the British Sikh Community. [104734]
Mr. Alexander: Work is currently under way in my Department on a new website which will enable people to get details of current and prospective public appointment vacancies across Government Departments. This new website will enable people to search on the basis of topic, department and location of the body and will be linked through to further information about each vacancy including how to apply. The new website will be complemented by a bi-annual newsletter, so that access to the internet is not a barrier. The website and newsletter will be launched shortly.
By developing this new website, we will be providing greater access to information about public appointments, encouraging a far wider audience to participate in public life.
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