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Safe Third Countries

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers he will bring forward to remove a country from the list of safe third countries. [159531]

Beverley Hughes: Schedule 3 to the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill takes a differentiated approach toward human rights challenges against removal to safe third countries by providing for three lists. Part 6 of the Schedule provides for the removal of a State from lists at Parts 3 and 4 by Order subject to annulment by resolution of either House of Parliament. The Government does not consider it necessary to provide a similar Order—making power in relation to removal of a State from the list at Part 2. We intend that this list should be limited to European Union Member States which are party to the "Dublin" arrangements for determining the State responsible for examining an asylum application and other states such as Norway and Iceland, which are associated with those arrangements.

School Buses (Sex Offenders)

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in what circumstances a convicted sex offender would be able to drive a school bus without having a Criminal Records Bureau check performed on them; [159199]

(2) whether a person employed by a local authority to drive a school bus would be required to have a Criminal Records Bureau check before taking up the job. [159200]

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Ms Blears: Part 5 of the Police Act 1997, under which the Criminal Records Bureau has been established, imposes no requirement for checks to be carried out, but sets out eligibility for a Disclosure. Eligibility criteria for a Standard Disclosure include all persons whose duties include caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children. Those whose duties regularly involve such elements are eligible for an Enhanced Disclosure. In some instances, checks have been made mandatory under other legislation. Where Checks are not mandatory, it is open to the employer to require that checks are carried out. Consideration is being given to the issue of guidance by the Department for Education and Skills as regards school transport arrangements. The activities, including employment, of a convicted sex offender who is on the sex offenders register would be monitored by the police who, if a risk is identified, would take appropriate action.

Suspended Prison Officers

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of the case brought against the prison officers Mr. Rowland, Mr. Kerry and Mr. Watkins by the Prison Service. [150818]

Ms Blears [holding answer 26 January 2004]: I understand from the Chief Constable of Kent Constabulary that estimated costs to the force to investigate this case were under £10,000.

Tetra

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates he has made of the cost of introducing the Tetra telecommunication system for the Police Authority in Wales in each year from 2003–04 to 2005–06; and what proportion of this funding has been made available by the Home Office. [161297]

Ms Blears: The Home Office has provided £4.7 million in 2003–04 to police forces in Wales and will provide £5.5 million in 2004–05. This fully meets the costs of the nationally agreed core Airwave service in Wales and provides additional funding for capital expenditure and optional features required by individual forces. Estimated costs of the core service in Wales for 2005–06 are £6.7 million. The Home Office contribution in 2005–06 has not yet been finalised.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Government resources have been expended on the 02 Airwave Tetra project, including preparatory work. [161419]

Ms Blears: The total expenditure on the Airwave police radio system from 2000–01 to 2003–04 is £394.5 million. This includes 02 service costs of £117.2 million and setting-up costs of £277.3 million.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what budgetary provision has been made for further expenditure by the United Kingdom Government on the O2 Airwave Tetra project. [161420]

Ms Blears: The Spending Reviews SR2000 and SR2002 provided baseline funding for the Airwave service. SR2004 includes provision for the Home Office to continue funding the nationally agreed core Airwave

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service for police forces in England and Wales. Government will contribute to Airwave core costs in Scotland under the Barnett formula as prescribed by Her Majesty's Treasury. The Home Office is also providing £10 million to forces in Scotland to support the introduction of Airwave in 2004–05.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account was taken of the precautionary principle in the setting of the United Kingdom safety limit on Tetra. [161421]

Ms Blears: The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) has statutory responsibility for setting safety limits on exposure to electromagnetic field radiation in the UK. The recent NRPB consultation document included sections on the application of the precautionary principle to the determination of guidelines for exposure to electromagnetic radiation from 0 to 300 GHz. No specific mention of Tetra is made in those sections.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has been involved in discussions with third countries about Tetra. [161422]

Ms Blears: Tetra is a European standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. Home Office technical experts have participated as UK representatives in the development of the Tetra standard.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which emergency services for which his Department is responsible do not use the Tetra system. [161423]

Ms Blears: The Home Office is responsible for the police service in England and Wales. All police forces in England and Wales will use the new Tetra radio system.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account was taken of the non-thermal effects of Tetra radiation, such as low-frequency pulsing, by his Department prior to the setting of the United Kingdom safety limit on Tetra radiation. [161424]

Ms Blears: The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) is responsible for setting safety limits for radiation hazards in the UK. In 2001, The Home Office asked the Board of NRPB to provide advice on any health implications of Tetra technology. The Board of NRPB subsequently asked its independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation (Agnir) to examine the issue.

The Agnir report on "Possible health effects from Tetra" was published in June 2001. The report concluded that "although areas of uncertainty remain about the biological effects of low level radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in general, including modulated signals, current evidence suggests that it is unlikely that the special features of the signals from Tetra mobile terminals pose a hazard to health". Agnir also noted that the signals from Tetra base stations are not pulsed whereas those from mobile terminals and repeaters are. Hence there is no reason to believe that exposure to the signals from Tetra base stations should be treated any differently to the exposure to signals from other base

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stations. The Agnir report on Tetra has been considered by NRPB in the current review of its advice on safety limits for exposure to electromagnetic fields with frequencies from 0 to 300 GHz.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who he consulted prior to the setting of the UK's safety limit on Tetra radiation. [161429]

Ms Blears: In the UK, the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) is responsible for setting safety limits on exposure to electromagnetic fields. Safety limits are not technology-specific.

The NRPB has recently carried out a comprehensive review of exposure guidelines and a consultation document was published in May 2003. Comments were received from a range of stakeholders, including government departments. The comments have been used in the preparation of updated advice to government, which NRPB expects to publish around the end of March 2004.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department received adverse comment on the proposed UK safety limit on Tetra radiation. [161430]

Ms Blears: The Airwave Tetra radio system used by the police fully complies with the safety limits set by the National Radiological Protection Board. We have received no adverse comments on the UK safety limits set by the National Radiological Protection Board.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he received from the Scottish Executive prior to the setting of the UK safety limit on Tetra radiation. [161431]

Ms Blears: The Home Office has had no representations from the Scottish Executive on this issue, which is a matter for the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB). The NRPB is currently reviewing its advice to Government on non-ionising radiation at frequencies from 0 to 300 GHz, which includes Tetra radiation. The Scottish Executive had the opportunity to respond to the NRPB public consultation document issued in May 2003.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will commission an urgent review of the health implications of Tetra radiation. [161432]

Ms Blears: In 2001, the Home Office asked the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) for advice on the health aspects of Tetra technology. The NRPB's independent Advisory Board on Non-ionising Radiation (Agnir) published its report on "Possible health effects from Tetra" in June 2001. The conclusions of the Agnir experts were upheld in their recently published follow-up to the Stewart report, "Health effects from radiofrequency electromagnetic fields". In particular they confirm that "there is no reason to believe that signals from Tetra base stations should be treated differently to those from other base stations". There are no plans to commission any further reviews.

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Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research commissioned by the Government is being carried out concerning Tetra radiation. [161433]

Ms Blears: On the recommendation of independent experts, the Home Office set up a comprehensive programme of work on Tetra health issues. The Home Office also funds Tetra-related research as an adjunct to the Mobile Telecommunications Research Programme co-ordinated by the Department of Health. No adverse effects of Tetra have been found. Biological studies carried out by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory have shown that Tetra has no effect on calcium exchanges in cells—the main concern raised about this type of technology. Longer-term human volunteer studies are under way. Further information is available on the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs/tetra.html.

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