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25 May 2004 : Column 1553W—continued

Gun Crime

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance has been issued to police regarding the use of informants in cases of gun crime. [175540]

Caroline Flint: The use of informants in cases of gun crime is subject to the standard police operating procedures, which apply generally in relation to the use of informants.

Home Detention Curfew Scheme

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were recalled for failing to adhere to home detention conditions during January and February in each prison region. [163270]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 23 March 2004]: The number of prisoners who were recalled for failing to adhere to the home detention curfew conditions during January and February 2004, by Prison Service management region, is given in the table.
HOC recalls, by Prison Service management area from which the prisoner was discharged

	January 2004	February 2004
All Establishments	220	189
North East	5	3
Yorks and Humberside	20	18
East Midlands (N)	10	9
North West	20	19
East Midlands (S)	15	14
Eastern	15	19
West Midlands	31	22
Wales	6	4
South West	15	16
Thames Valley and Hants	5	7
Kent Surrey and Sussex	12	6
London	8	9
Female Estate	32	20
Juveniles Estate	2	2
High Security Estate	8	8
Contracted Out	16	13

Illegal Arms Trade (Nuclear Weapons)

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether investigations by the police authorities have been undertaken in respect of individuals and companies for the offence of assisting or inducing weapons-related acts overseas, in particular for developing, producing or participating in the development or production of a nuclear weapon; and if he will make a statement. [174627]

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.

Investigation and prosecution of offences involving assisting or inducing weapons-related acts overseas is the responsibility of HM Customs and Excise. However, Customs' cannot comment on whether a matter is under current investigation; Exemption 4 (Law enforcement and legal proceedings) of the Open Government Code applies.
 
25 May 2004 : Column 1554W
 

Customs have an important role in countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. They work closely with other Government Departments and agencies, in the UK and overseas, to ensure that effective action is taken against proliferators.

Any prosecution for such offences require the consent of the Attorney-General.

Immigration Training

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding was provided to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner to provide immigration training for voluntary sector workers in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [171792]

Mr. Browne: The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), in its annual business plan, submits its budget proposals to the Home Office for approval. The total budget allocation is then paid, in monthly grant in aid payments, to the OISC, which then has authority to incur the expenditure approved without further reference to the Department.

The OISC community training budgets for the relevant period, which have been approved by the Home Office, were:

£
2002–03	200,000
2003–04	175,000
2004–05	170,000

National Identity Register

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances the police would be authorised to access data stored on the National Identity Register. [170258]

Mr. Browne: It is incorrect to say that any body or person will have "access" to the register, rather the legislation will permit the Secretary of Sate to disclose information where a person consents or, where a person does not consent, only for specified purposes to specified persons.

People will therefore be free to produce an identity card on a voluntary basis, including to a police officer, as a means of establishing their identity.

There is an exception to the general bar on disclosing information from the register without consent where disclosure to the police is in the interests of national security and for the prevention and investigation of crime, as set out in Clause 20(3) of the draft Identity Cards Bill. Such disclosure may be authorised only where the Secretary of State is satisfied that it was not reasonably practicable for the police to have obtained the information by other means. For example, if fingerprint information is recorded on the register, the police would first have to search their own fingerprint records before resorting to the register. In addition, Clause 24(2) enables the Secretary of State to impose other requirements that must be satisfied before such a disclosure is made.
 
25 May 2004 : Column 1555W
 

Correspondence

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the investigatory report referred to in the letter to the hon. Member for Totnes from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State dated 17 March 2004, regarding the treatment of Mr. Torben Vannan and Mr. Calvin John Vannan at Heathrow airport on 15 February 2004. [172761]

Mr. Browne: I apologise for the delay in providing a substantive response to the hon. Member's letter of 3 March.

The investigating officer has now completed his report, and I wrote on 25 May detailing the outcome of the inquiries into the concerns he raised.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer the question from the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South of 29 January 2004, reference 152236. [165364]

Paul Goggins: I replied to the hon. Member on 26 April 2004, Official Report, column 759W.

Police (Lancashire)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether radios used by Lancashire police work in adjoining police areas; and whether they are compatible with radios used by (a) Cumbria, (b) Merseyside and (c) Greater Manchester police forces. [175495]

Caroline Flint: Operational arrangements are in place to ensure that Lancashire police can communicate with neighbouring forces.

Lancashire police can already communicate seamlessly with Greater Manchester police using the new Airwave system. Airwave will be available in Merseyside and Cumbria by the end of March 2005.

Probation Service

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what budget was set for the National Probation Directorate at the commencement of the financial year 2003–04; what the change in gross provision was; and if he will make a statement. [168464]

Paul Goggins: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 18 May 2004, Official Report, column 860W.

Racial Equality

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Commission for Racial Equality's section 44 funding is for 2004–05, broken down by region. [172830]

Fiona Mactaggart: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 14 May 2004, Official Report, column 862W.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the panel members who decided Commission for Racial Equality section 44 funding for 2004–05. [172848]

 
25 May 2004 : Column 1556W
 

Fiona Mactaggart: The members of the Communities and Partnerships Committee who made the decisions on Getting Results funding this year were as follows:

Kay Hampton (Committee Chair)

Trevor Phillips

Gloria Mills

Julia Chain

Khurshid Ahmed

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