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Citizenship

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether those seeking British citizenship are required (a) to know the words of the National Anthem and (b) have knowledge of the flags and patron saints of the nations of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [165330]

Mr. Browne: This knowledge is not currently required for registration or naturalisation as a British citizen. However, registrars and local authorities are encouraged to play the National Anthem at Citizenship Ceremonies.

When brought into force, the provisions of section 1 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 will require applicants to demonstrate "sufficient knowledge" of life in the United Kingdom. Details of precisely what this will entail have yet to be finalised, but the focus will be on the practical knowledge new citizens will need to participate fully in UK society.

Crime (Liverpool)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the work of the Street Crime Unit in Liverpool. [170565]

Ms Blears: Robbery in Merseyside fell by 5 per cent. in 2002–03, compared to 2001–02. This has been achieved by effective partnership working across all agencies. Overall strategic, management of street crime is carried out by the Multi Agency Group. At an operational level, this is supported by Joint Agency Groups and the Robbery Reduction Team. In the Robbery Reduction Team, police and Crown Prosecution Service are co-located and the Premium Service is provided.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes are necessary to ensure the Liverpool Unit achieves the full benefits of co-location. [170566]

Ms Blears: The benefits can be seen in reductions in robbery in Merseyside. There were 5 per cent. fewer robberies in Merseyside in 2002–03 than in 2001–02. Merseyside aims to provide a good quality of prosecution, using the Premium Service approach. This involves the Crown Prosecution Service working closely with the police, with whom they are co-located, from an   early stage of investigation to facilitate incisive progression of cases through the courts, with their co-operation.
 
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Drug Misuse

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what public funds were spent on tackling drugs misuse in Sittingbourne and Sheppey in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 2003–04. [170290]

Caroline Flint: Breakdown of financial allocation to local constituencies is not available to the Home Office. Funding is allocated to Drug Action Team (DAT) areas, in this case Kent DAT.

The period 1997–98 pre-dates National Drug Strategy, accounting procedures mean that the 1997 figures are no longer available and that 1998 figures are not accessible by the DAT.

In 2003–04 the total drugs allocation was £7,591,564. In order to ensure consistency figures supplied are based on funding streams associated with the National Drug Strategy and are readily verifiable. These funding streams are specifically targeted at tackling the harm caused to individuals, families and communities by the misuse of drugs. Other mainstream funding is made available at a local level, this varies and both in amount and origin as a result it is not possible to provide robust financial information.
£

	2003–04
Partnership Capacity	124,425
Treatment Pooled Budget	4,780,000
Through Care After Care Pump Priming	35,000
Building Safer Communities(7)	1,858,242
Young people	793,897
Total	7,591,564

⁽⁷⁾ Contains non drug elements

Emergency Services

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is with regard to drivers of emergency service vehicles who are captured on speed cameras contravening speed limits. [170736]

Caroline Flint: Vehicles being used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes are exempt from speed limits when observation of the limit on any specific occasion would hinder them fulfilling their purpose.

The exemption is contained in section 87 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The exemption is not automatic. Speeding is dangerous and a driver in an emergency vehicle who exceeds the speed limit unnecessarily will be liable to a fixed penalty or prosecution.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to recompense (a) police authorities, (b) fire and rescue authorities and (c) health trusts, for the annual costs of dealing with the paperwork which is triggered by their emergency vehicles captured on speed cameras contravening speed limits. [170737]

Caroline Flint: There are no plans to make it policy to recompense theemergency services for the costs of processing fixed penalty notices for speeding. Emergency service vehicles are already exempt from speed limits when to observe the limit on a particular
 
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occasion would hinder their purpose. The exemption is however not automatic. The police enforce speed limits for everyone's safety on the road and where such a vehicle exceeds the limit unnecessarily a fixed penalty may be appropriate.

We are however working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers to ensure that emergency service vehicles caught speeding by automatic camera are not followed up unnecessarily when they can rely on this exemption.

Fingerprints

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is regarding the recording of fingerprints for police use regardless of criminal conviction; and if he will make a statement. [170332]

Ms Blears: Under section 64 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, as amended, fingerprints taken from a person in connection with the investigation of an offence may be retained after they have fulfilled the purposes for which they were taken, but shall not be used by any person except for purposes related to the prevention or detection of crime, the investigation of an offence or the conduct of a prosecution.

Identity Cards

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of UK residents have been a victim of identity fraud in each of the last five years. [170327]

Mr. Browne: It is not a criminal offence for a person simply to use another identity. However, false identities are often used to facilitate other offences such as deception and money laundering.

The police do not generally record incidents of identity fraud because prosecutions are recorded for the offences facilitated by false identities.

However, members of CIFAS, the UK's Fraud Prevention Service for the private sector, identified 74,000 cases of identity and impersonation fraud in 2002 and 101,000 in 2003.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the communication strategy to ensure engagement with the public regarding identity cards will be completed. [170528]

Mr. Browne: The identity cards communication strategy is an ongoing activity to ensure that the main audiences with an interest in the Identity Cards programme are kept up to date on progress and are informed how the programme may affect them. The communication strategy to engage the public will be regularly reviewed and developed alongside the programme's design, development and implementation to prepare for the roll-out of the first identity cards from 2007–08.

Jean-Marie Le Pen

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the recent visit of Jean-Marie Le Pen to the UK; and if he will make a statement. [169402]

 
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Caroline Flint: None. It is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to gather together and to demonstrate their views provided that they do so within the law. Racism in all its forms damages communities and deserves the severest condemnation.

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