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Departmental Communications

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are employed in the Department to work in the communications field, broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158170]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office employs four Special Advisers. The Special Advisers' Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister. This includes communications activity.

Details of other staff employed to work in the communications field are as follows:

	Government Information and Communication Service staff	Press Officers	Others
Communication Directorate	(14)86	1	(15)167
Research, Development and Statistics Directorate	0	0	7
Total	86	1	174

⁽¹⁴⁾ Press Officers are also GICS members and have been included in the Government Information Communication Service staff figure. There is only one non-GICS member of staff on secondment to the Press Office.

⁽¹⁵⁾ Includes six staff employed in policy units and 76 in customer communications.

Details of the numbers of staff employed in the communication field in the wider Home Office are not held centrally and could not be collected without disproportionate cost.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total expenditure on communications for the Department has been in 2003–04, broken down by expenditure on (a) Government

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Information and Communications Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers.(ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158202]

Fiona Mactaggart: Expenditure on communications in 2003–04 within the Home Office's Communication and Research, Development and Statistics Directorates is estimated as follows:

£

	Government Information and Communication Service staff	Press Officers	Other
Communication Directorate	3,427	25,000	(16)4,031,000
Research Development and Statistics Directorate	0	0	111,000
Total	3,427	25,000	4,142,000

⁽¹⁶⁾ Includes costs of six staff employed in policy units and 76 in customer communications.

Details of expenditure on communications beyond these two directorates are not held centrally and could not be collected without disproportionate cost.

The Home Office employs four Special Advisers. Details of the costs of Special Advisers are given on an annual basis. Information for the financial year 20003–04 will be published in due course.

Youth Justice Board

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints his Department has received about the operation of the Youth Justice Board since its inception. [158840]

Paul Goggins: I am not aware of any complaints having been received about the operation of the Youth Justice Board since its inception.

Departmental Scientific Adviser

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has a chief scientific adviser. [162476]

Fiona Mactaggart: Professor Paul Wiles was appointed Home Office Chief Scientific Adviser in November 2002 and reports directly to the Permanent Secretary.

The key functions of the Chief Scientific Officer are:

To be the senior adviser to Ministers and the Group Executive Board on all matters concerning science.

To provide assurance that the overall scientific work of the Department is managed so that it serves the Home Office's purpose, aims and delivery.

To ensure that the Department makes appropriate use of the external research community: including mechanisms to ensure that all the scientific work for, or by the Department is of appropriate quality and relevance.

To ensure that all matters concerning the professional skills, development and training of staff occupying specialist scientific grades are properly conducted.

To represent the Department on cross-Whitehall scientific groups, such as the Chief Scientific Advisers Committee.

In addition, the Police Scientific Development Branch and the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate are line managed by the Chief Scientific Adviser.

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Drinking Water

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what his Department's policy is on the provision of drinking water in HM young offenders institutions for (a) staff and (b) inmates; and if he will make a statement; [161354]

(2) what his Department's policy is on the provision of drinking water in HM Prisons for (a) staff and (b) inmates; and if he will make a statement. [161359]

Paul Goggins: All prison establishments have facilities to provide drinking water from the mains supply. Although access points may vary in establishments, drinking water is generally available in accommodation wings and other prisoner areas such as healthcare, gym, workshops and visits. Staff working in these areas would also have access to drinking water as well as having provision in staff areas such as messes and changing areas.

Policy on access to drinking water facilities and the provision of additional facilities (for example water coolers for staff) is a matter for individual governing governors.

Firearms Legislation

Mr. Martin Salter To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he will publish the consultation paper for the Home Office Review of firearms legislation; [161761]

(2) what the purpose is of his Department's review of firearms legislation; [161762]

(3) how long will be allowed for the consultation on his Department's review of firearms legislation; [161763]

(4) what representations he has received regarding the current law on firearms in the last three months; [161764]

(5) which stakeholder organisations he plans to meet to discuss the review of firearms legislation; [161768]

(6) what discussions he has had with the police regarding the Department's review of firearms legislation; [161769]

(7) what principles guide the Home Office's relations with stakeholders with regard to firearms legislation; [161771]

(8) with which organisations he has discussed the Home Office review of firearms legislation. [161772]

Caroline Flint: We will be publishing a consultation paper shortly as the first step in a comprehensive review of our firearms controls to ensure they meet current needs and reduce the risk of guns getting into the wrong hands. We believe that any system of regulation must be robust, efficient and effective but should not place unnecessary burdens on those who administer and enforce the law or who possess guns for reasons allowed by the law.

In drawing up the consultation paper there have been no formal discussions with interested parties although it will seek to reflect a range of issues which have been raised in the past by representative bodies and in public correspondence. We are interested in receiving views

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from everybody with an interest in the future regulation of firearms and want an open debate of the issues. A period of three months will be allowed for responses.

Heroin

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the penalties for (a) possession and (b) use of heroin. [162180]

Caroline Flint: There are no current plans to amend the penalties for the possession of heroin. While the possession of heroin is a criminal offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, use or consumption of the drug is not.

Illegal Immigration

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to prevent people falsely claiming to be students for immigration purposes from entering the UK. [162532]

Beverley Hughes: Overseas nationals seeking to enter the UK must prove that they meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules as students. Visa officers and immigration officers are supported in making decisions by intelligence networks. In particular, a joint initiative between the home office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office/UKvisas has seen special risk assessment units set up to increase our ability to identify and tackle all forms of visa abuse at key British Embassies.

Internet Fraud

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to combat fraud on the internet. [162537]

Caroline Flint: The Home Office works with the police and industry to tackle fraud and other online crime.

In January we launched a website to combat fraud over the internet and last October, together with the British Bankers' Association and the Association of Payment and Card Services we issued advice to customers on how to avoid falling victim to online fraudsters.

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