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18 Mar 2004 : Column 491W—continued

Child Seatbelts

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers were (a) cautioned, (b) charged and (c) arrested for carrying child passengers who failed to wear seatbelts in the last year for which figures are available. [162052]

Caroline Flint: Available information held centrally, on police action taken for motoring offences, does not distinguish between passenger and driver seat belt offences, nor whether children are involved.

Detention Centres

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what formal notifications are required when the ownership of a custody or detention centre operated by private companies on behalf of the Government is transferred to another company (a) before and (b) after transfer. [159861]

Beverley Hughes: The Contract contains a provision requiring the Contractor to notify the Home Office if there is a change of more than 3 per cent. in the ownership of the company. A change of control for the Contractor requires the prior written approval of the Home Office—such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed. If shares are listed in the stock exchange such consent is to be obtained as soon as the Contractor becomes aware of the change of control.

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has been consulted over plans to change the ownership of Yarlswood Detention Centre from Group 4 (Falck); and if he will make a statement. [159862]

Beverley Hughes: My right hon. friend, the Home Secretary, has not been consulted. However there are no current plans to change the ownership of the Yarlswood Removal Centre. The contract is currently run by Global Solutions UK Ltd. (GSL) a division of Group 4 Falck.

There have been recent press announcements regarding the potential merger of Group 4 Falck with Securicor. This relates to the division of Group 4 Falck which deals with cash in transit and guarding business, and does not affect the custodial business run by Global Solutions. In conjunction with the merger Group 4 Falck

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will separate its security business from the GSL business. GSL will be a division of the Group 4 company to be listed as Falck A/S.

As with all public sector contracts, performance will be subject to regular review, and continued provision of the service dependent upon satisfactory performance.

Drug Testing

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his statement of 14 January 2004, Official Report, column 279WH, on drug testing, if he will place a copy of the National Workplace Strategy he referred to in the Library; if he will list the members of the steering group, with their organisation; and if he will list the dates, place and length of the meetings of the steering group referred to. [161185]

Caroline Flint: Yes, a copy of the National Workplace Strategy can be placed in the Library. In total there have been 13 steering group meetings. The first steering group meeting was held on 10 October 2002, then 5 November 2002, 9 December 2002, 27 January 2003, 12 February 2003, 25 March 2003, 29 April 2003, 28 May 2003, 24 June 2003, 22 July 2003, 30 September 2003, 28 October 2003, 25 November 2003 and 27 January 2004.

In general, each meeting lasted two hours and venues changed for each meeting.

Members of the Steering Group include:

























Drug Users (Greater London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people in Greater London who take (a) heroin, (b) marijuana, (c) cocaine and (d) ecstasy. [162338]

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Caroline Flint: In 2001–02 there were 4.6 million 16 to 59-year-olds living in London. Among this population the British Crime Survey estimates prevalence of illicit drug use was 0.1 per cent. for heroin, 14 per cent. for cannabis, 4.2 per cent. for cocaine and 3.5 per cent. for ecstasy.

Environmentally Sustainable Procurement

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what ways environmentally sustainable procurement strategies within the Department have driven innovation in the design and supply of products. [159152]

Fiona Mactaggart: Within the Home Office there are currently no examples of environmentally sustainable procurement strategies that have driven innovation in the design and supply of products. However, it is expected that the forthcoming procurement section of the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate will set Government—wide commitments for embedding sustainable development considerations in departmental procurement strategies. The Department will adopt the considerations in the framework as this will help to encourage environmental innovation in the design and supply of products.

The department supports the introduction of new environmental sustainable products that become available on the market and has adopted a positive stance to environmentally sustainable procurement in the following areas, recycled paper, green electricity, energy use, and recycling of redundant IT hardware.

EU Accession Countries

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he plans to take to prevent an increase in illegal working following the expansion of the European Union on 1 May. [160211]

Beverley Hughes: The free movement of accession nationals will apply across the whole of the EU from May 1. The Government's policy is to welcome accession nationals coming here to work but not simply to claim benefits. This will prevent an increase in illegal working, ensuring that accession nationals who come here to work will do so legally, paying tax and national insurance rather than being forced into the sub-economy.

We have also taken steps to strengthen controls on illegal working. We announced on 23 February that we would introduce a registration scheme for workers from eight of the 10 countries joining the European Union on 1 May this year. We announced on 16 March measures to strengthen the law on the prevention of illegal working, section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996.

The reform of section 8 will bring added clarity and security to the document checks employers must carry out on prospective employees to prevent the use of illegal labour, and the Immigration Service will continue to increase intelligence-led enforcement activity against illegal working. The workers registration scheme will allow these nationals access to our labour market in a monitored way, and will encourage those working here illegally to formalise their status and contribute to the

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formal economy. Employers will be required to check that a person has registered within 30 days of starting their employment.

EU Enlargement

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many accession countries nationals he expects to arrive in the UK between 1 May and 31 December 2004. [157351]

Beverley Hughes: A number of studies have been published which offer estimates of total net flows to the United Kingdom from the accession countries, but these do not of course take account of the measures we announced on 23 February and the steps we are taking to publicise them in the countries most concerned.

The registration scheme announced by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is designed to monitor the number of A-8 nationals registering as workers and collate information about the nature and location of the jobs they are doing.

Home Security Service

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the resources available to (a) the Surveillance Commissioner, (b) the Information Commissioner and (c) other commissioners involved in supervising the powers and operations of the home security service; and if he will make a statement. [159419]

Mr. Blunkett: There are no plans to increase the resources available to the Chief Surveillance Commissioner, who does not have oversight of the Security Service. Nor are there plans at present to increase the resources available to either the Intelligence Services Commissioner or the Interception of Communications Commissioner for their work relating to the Security Service.

We are increasing the resources available to the Interception Commissioner for his work in overseeing access to communication data by public authorities including the security service. I believe that all are presently, but we keep this position under review.

The Information Commissioner's remit extends to the Security Service in so far as it is a data controller under the Data Protection Act 1998. Most of the information held by the Service falls under the national security exemption of that Act or the Freedom of Information Act 2000. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, informs me that there are currently no plans to provide additional resources to the Information Commissioner.

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