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EU Legislation

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many regulations originating from the EU have been implemented by the Department over each of the last five years. [120839]

Caroline Flint: EC Regulations are, in general, directly applicable in the member states without the need for further incorporation into national law. However, some Regulations may require UK measures to make them workable and enforceable.

Over the last five years, one Regulation has required such implementation by the Home Office: the Council Regulation concerning the establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of the Dublin Convention. The legislative changes required to implement the Eurodac Regulation were made in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, effective from 11 December 2000, by virtue of the Immigration and Asylum Act (Commencement No 8 and Transitional Provision) Order 2000. Implementation was completed when the centralised Eurodac fingerprint database became operational on 15 January 2003.

Two other EC Regulations for which the Home Office has responsibility have also been adopted in the last five years but have not required implementation in the UK:

Council Regulation 2220/2000/EC of 28 September 2000 amending Regulation (EEC) No 302/93 on the establishment of a European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.


Council Regulation 24247/2001//EC of 6 December 2001 on the development of the Second Generation Schengen Information System (SIS II).

Extradition

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, under the new extradition treaty with the United States, a US legal team will be required to give evidence to a British court; and whether these extradition arrangements are reciprocal. [123754]

Caroline Flint: The new extradition Treaty was signed by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, and United States Attorney General John Ashcroft in Washington on 31 March.

When it comes into force it will provide that extradition requests from the United States will, like those from Council of Europe countries, not have to be accompanied by 'prima facie evidence'.

In accordance with the United States constitution extradition requests to the United States will have to be accompanied by sufficient evidence to provide a reasonable basis to believe that the person sought committed the offence for which extradition is sought.

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to ensure that foreign legal teams have sufficient evidence to apply for the extradition of a British citizen. [123755]

Caroline Flint: Under current arrangements, with the exception of those requests made by the UK's 43 partners under the Council of Europe's European Convention on Extradition 1957, ratified by the UK in 1991, all extradition requests to the UK, have to be

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supported by 'prima facie evidence'. This must be evidence sufficient to warrant the trial of the arrested person if the extradition crime had taken place within the jurisdiction of the court of committal.

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the human rights implications of proposals to allow extradition proceedings to occur without evidence submitted to a British court from the prosecuting foreign legal team. [123756]

Caroline Flint: Since the United Kingdom ratified the European Convention on Extradition (ECE) in 1991, other countries which are also parties to the ECE, of whom there are now more than 40, have not had to submit 'prima facie' evidence to accompany their extradition requests.

We do not believe that this has human rights implications but the Extradition Bill, which is currently before Parliament, makes it clear that we can not extradite in any case where extradition would be incompatible with the Convention rights of the person whose extradition is sought.

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what extradition arrangements exist between the EU member states and the United States; and what plans there are to change them. [123757]

Caroline Flint: The UK's extradition relations with the United States are currently governed by the 1976 bilateral treaty (amended in 1986). We cannot speak for our European Union partners, but all have bilateral treaties with the USA.

The European Union has no extradition relations with the USA at present. However, the European Union and the USA signed bilateral mutual legal assistance and extradition treaties on 25 June 2003. These will come into force in the UK, once the EU and US agree to put them into force and the UK withdraws its declaration that it will not be bound by the agreements until it has completed its constitutional procedures. This declaration means that any necessary legislation will need to be in place before the agreements can be applied to the UK. The EU decision to bring the agreements into force, like the decision to sign, is subject to unanimity.

The EU/US extradition agreement has no significant impact on UK/US extradition relations, but, for example, ensures that all other member states have extradition relations with the USA based on dual criminality and a penalty threshold, rather than a list of offences.

Gambling

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a Gaming Bill. [124453]

Mr. Caborn: I have been asked to reply.

We will bring forward legislation as soon as parliamentary time permits. We also intend that Parliament should have an opportunity to give our proposals pre-legislative scrutiny, and plan to publish draft clauses to that end.

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Interface with Faith

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason Gurdwaras and Sikh organisations in Wales have (a) been excluded from the review of the Government's Interface with Faith Communities and (b) not been included in the mapping exercise. [123608]

Fiona Mactaggart: The scope of this Review is England-only, though the devolved Administrations are represented at meetings of the Review Steering Group and may in due course decide to conduct similar reviews.

Juvenile Prisoners

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the imprisonment of (a) female and (b) male juveniles in adult prison establishments will end. [122714]

Paul Goggins: On 1 July 2003, 101 young women aged 16 and 17 were in units with young adults aged under 21 or specialist medical and mother and baby facilities catering for adults and juveniles. By the end of the year we expect all the 16-year-olds to have been moved from Prison Service custody; the Prison Service will continue to hold the 17-year-olds for the time being.

There are currently no male juveniles in adult prison establishments.

Less-than-lethal Weapons

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use is being made in the UK of less-than-lethal weapons technology in tackling crime, terrorism and other illegal activity. [123027]

Ms Blears: The police currently have at their disposal the L21A1 baton round for use in dealing with violent situations where there is a significant threat to life. This will include incidents of serious public disorder and circumstances where a resort to conventional ammunition may be the only other alternative.

In addition, the Association of Chief Police Officers is undertaking a limited operational pilot of Taser in five police force areas. The pilot will allow the police to explore, in greater detail, the potential benefits of the new technology.

For use in a wider operational role, CS Spray has been available to UK Police forces since 1996. Following its introduction, there was a marked decrease in officer injury rates.

The UK has well-tried and tested contingency plans developed over many years for responding to a wide range of terrorist threats. The Government does not disclose specific security measures to counter the terrorist threat.

Paedophiles

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for specialised treatment centres for paedophiles to replace the Wolvercote Centre. [124127]

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Paul Goggins [holding answer 7 July 2003]: As part of the development of a wider accommodation strategy for offenders, the National Probation Directorate is considering how treatment of the sort which was provided by the Wolvercote Clinic may best be provided in dedicated residential facilities. As yet we have no confirmed plans as to the number or the location of such facilities.

Resources are currently being concentrated on delivering accredited, non-residential treatment programmes for sexual offenders in the community and for those in prison.

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many treatment centres are available to treat paedophiles; and how many paedophile patients these centres can treat at any one time. [124128]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 7 July 2003]: There are no residential facilities funded by the Home Office which are dedicated to the treatment of adults convicted of sexual offences against children. However, each of the 42 Probation Areas in England and Wales delivers accredited sex offender treatment programmes in the community. In addition to the 2,000 places on these programmes provided this year, 920 places are provided on accredited sex offender programmes which run in prisons.

In developing an accommodation strategy for offenders generally, the National Probation Directorate is considering what sort of residential facilities for treating sexual offenders in the community may be required.

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