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17 Nov 2003 : Column 676W—continued

Coroners Courts (Welsh Language)

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many coroners courts in Wales have the resources for simultaneous language translation. [132347]

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not available centrally. However, I understand that the Court Service is normally able to provide suitable facilities for use by other courts and tribunals in Wales on request.

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Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what action he is taking to ensure that, in inquests, the principles laid down in the Welsh Language Act 1993 are upheld; [132348]

(2) what discussions he has had with the Welsh Language Board and the Welsh Assembly on the adequacy of only providing sequential translation as an option for those wanting a Welsh language inquest. [132355]

Paul Goggins: Coroners in Wales are expected to comply with the requirements of the 1993 Act and take responsibility for making any necessary arrangements for translation services.

The Home Office assists by providing Welsh language versions of our public information leaflets for distribution. Neither the Welsh Language Board nor the Welsh Assembly has raised any concerns with us about these arrangements.

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many Welsh language inquests have used (a) sequential and (b) simultaneous translation in each year since 1997. [132349]

(2) how many applications for a Welsh language inquest have been (a) made and (b) refused in each county in Wales since 1997. [132356]

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not held centrally.

Headstones

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 27 January, Official Report, column 622W, on headstones, when he expects to issue guidance following the report of the Burial and Cemeteries Advisory Group. [131991]

Paul Goggins: The issues surrounding memorial safety are currently being considered by a working group made up of representatives from the burial industry and other organisations. Although it has taken slightly longer than we had anticipated, work is progressing well, and we hope to issue appropriate guidance on memorial safety to local burial authorities early next year.

Speeding Fines

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued in relation to speeding offences captured by (a) mobile speed cameras and (b) fixed speed cameras in each year since 1997. [138358]

Caroline Flint: Available data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for speeding offences detected by camera in England and Wales from 1997 to 2001 (latest available) are given in the table. 2002 data will be available in the New Year. Data by type of camera device used are not collected centrally.

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Fixed penalties⁽¹⁰²⁾for speeding offences detected by camera⁽¹⁰³⁾England and Wales, 1997 to 2001

Year	Number
1997	288,600
1998	338,800
1999	423,000
2000	599,200
2001	877,500

⁽¹⁰²⁾ Paid, i.e. no further action

⁽¹⁰³⁾ Automatic cameras until 1998, all camera types from 1999

Work Permits

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits have been issued to foreign nationals to work in the UK in each of the past five years. [133520]

Beverley Hughes: The total number of work permit approvals for each of the past five years in the United Kingdom is as follows:

1998—53,962


1999—60,743


2000—88,651


2001—120,823


2002—136,151 (including NI figures from 1 September);

and in Northern Ireland:

1998—347 (1 May to 31 December)


1999—549


2000—863


2001—1,173


2002—1,410 (1 January to 31 August).

Asylum Reform Consultation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend the three week consultation period on new legislative proposals on asylum reform to the minimum stipulated by Criterion 5 of Cabinet Office Guidelines on written consultations. [137245]

Beverley Hughes: As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary first announced on 22 May this year, the Government are intending to introduce further legislative measures to address the specific problems of abusive appeals and undocumented applicants in the asylum system which continue to undermine the credibility of the system. As stated in the letter we sent to stakeholders, we consider that these are urgent measures and are therefore seeking to introduce them as soon as parliamentary time allows. While we are seeking the views of key stakeholders on the new provisions we believe that further reform is needed quickly if we are to capitalise on the success of our measures to date. Further dialogue is taking place with stakeholders on specific measures and a copy of the letter to stakeholders has been placed on the website of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate so that it is available to the public.

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Administrative Court

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated costs are of cases dealt with by the Administrative Court relating to section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; and how many cases these costs cover. [135451]

Mr. Lammy: One thousand and ninety six cases have been dealt with at an estimated cost to the Court Service of £120,320; the costs of solicitors and counsel representing the claimants and defendants are not included in this figure.

Police Code of Conduct (Anonymity of Suspects)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions a police officer has breached the Police Code of Conduct through unauthorised disclosure of information on a suspect since 1973. [138280]

Ms Blears: Information concerning the number of occasions a police officer has breached the Police Code of Conduct through unauthorised disclosure of information on a suspect since 1973 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the amendments by the Association of Chief Police Officers to their media and disciplinary guidelines on the subject of anonymity for suspects will be completed. [138281]

Ms Blears: The amendments by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to their media and disciplinary guidelines have been completed. They give greater prominence to the issue of anonymity and underline that suspects should not be named before charge. They go on to highlight the possible dangers of doing so in that not only is there the risk of causing irreparable damage to a suspect's reputation, but also because unwarranted disclosure could leave a force open to civil proceedings. ACPO promulgated these guidelines to all forces in mid-October 2003.

Antisocial Behaviour

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how he plans to keep (a) the police, (b) environmental health and housing officers and (c) the community informed of new powers resulting from legislation concerning anti-social behaviour; and how he will monitor the implementation of the new legislation; [137823]

(2) how he proposes to improve the efficiency of the administration of the implementation of anti-social behaviour legislation and orders; [137825]

(3) what measures are in place to hold local authorities to account for their role in the implementation of anti-social behaviour policies. [138368]

Ms Blears: All Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships will be required to set out their strategy for tackling anti-social behaviour as part of their three-year Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy. This includes setting out the tools that they intend to use, available

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through new or existing legislation. It is the role of Government Offices to monitor the success of the Partnership against this strategy.

In addition "Together: Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour" the Government's Action Plan sets out our strategy to ensure that all available powers are understood, that they are used effectively and that all agencies support their local communities. We will be setting up the together Actionline and website to provide accurate and high quality information on a full range of interventions and access to innovative solutions. The together Academy will bring together practitioners to provide advice and training on specific issues, and to share knowledge about new solutions to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make additional funds available to local councils for the establishment of anti-social behaviour teams with (a) legal support and (b) people trained in taking witness statements. [138174]

Ms Blears: The Home Department has set aside £75 million for the next three years to tackle anti-social behaviour. The Home Office, through this money, will fund local authorities for work to tackle anti-social behaviour; however, it will be for individual local authorities to decide how they invest funding.

In addition through the together campaign the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit will improve performance across England and Wales by providing funding to support every Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP); establishing a together Academy, providing training to practitioners; and establishing a together Action Line, offering advice and information on all anti-social behaviour related matters.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Minister for Crime Reduction, Policing and Community Safety will meet the hon. Member for Crosby to discuss anti-social behaviour. [138278]

Ms Blears: I would be happy to meet with my hon. Friend the Member for Crosby (Mrs. Curtis-Thomas). If she would contact my office a meeting can be arranged.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to tackle the problem of binge drinking and associated anti-social behaviour. [138365]

Ms Blears: The answer I gave my hon. Friend on 16 September 2003, Official Report, column 659W, set out a number of legislative measures that are already in place to help tackle anti-social behaviour associated with drinking alcohol.

The Interim Analytical Report published by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit in September highlighted the scale of alcohol misuse in England. The final report setting out the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England will be published in time for implementation to begin in 2004 and will contain measures to tackle the range of harms associated with alcohol misuse, including binge drinking and alcohol related crime and disorder.

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Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on how powers of the police have been strengthened since 1997 to deal with antisocial behaviour. [138366]

Ms Blears: The Anti-social Behaviour Bill provides a number of new powers for the police:

1. Powers to close premises that are being used for drug dealing or use and causing disorder or serious nuisance.

2. The ability to issue penalty notices for truancy, for use when conducting truancy sweeps with the education welfare service

3. A power to designate areas with a history of anti-social behaviour where they can disperse groups causing intimidation and take children home who are out on the streets late at night.

4. New controls to tackle the misuse of air weapons and replica guns.

5. Improved powers for dealing.with public assemblies and trespassers. This will help the police to deal with problems caused by intimidating protestors and illegal raves. There is a new power to move on trespassing encampments where there is a relevant site available.

6. New powers for local authorities to intervene in neighbourly disputes regarding high hedges.

7. Extension of the power to issue penalty notices for disorder to 16 and 17 year olds.

8. The Criminal Justice Bill will extend police stop and search powers to circumstances where they have reasonable suspicion that articles made, adapted or intended for use in offences of criminal damage are being carried.

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will make up the nuisance neighbours panels; when they will be set up; how they will be able to be contacted; what powers they will have; and what measures will be put in place to ensure complainants are protected. [136271]

Ms Blears: Nuisance neighbour panels will be going live in early 2004. Work is currently being undertaken on the composition of the panels, and finalising their core functions. Once up and running the panels will be contactable through the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit in my Department. All complainants will be anonymised.

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