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Heritage (Cornwall)

Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to ensure that the culture and heritage of Cornwall is protected. [179460]

Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 18 June 2004]: In 2002, the Government recognised the Cornish language under the Council of Europe Charter for Minority or Regional Languages, which provides a framework for the protection of such languages. The Government office for the south-west is working closely with Cornwall county council and representatives of Cornish language organisations on a strategy for development of the language. The Home Office is currently considering representations from a number of Cornish organisations that the Government should include the Cornish within the scope of their reporting under the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

Identity Cards

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he will ensure that identity cards have sufficient data capacity to make them future proof. [180539]

Mr. Browne: Work is under way to establish the functional requirements for identity cards including the data storage requirements. It has not yet been established what data will be stored on the card but the specifications will be sufficient so that there is space for whatever data and biometrics need to be stored. If in the future higher capacity cards are needed, this can be accommodated as cards are renewed when they reach their expiry date.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provisions will be in place for (a) visually impaired people who are physically unable to register for identity cards and (b) individuals whose work has worn away their fingertips and who are physically unable to register for identity cards. [180581]

Mr. Browne: Recording biometrics from all applicants will help to ensure that an individual does not establish more than one identity in the scheme.

Schedule 1 of the draft Identity Cards Bill sets out the information that may be recorded on the National Identity Register. This includes "identifying information" which includes biometric information.
 
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Clause 38(4) of the draft Identity Cards Bill allows for exceptional circumstances which would include people who may not be able to register biometric information.

The precise arrangements for making an application for an ID card, including the provisions that will be put in place for people who may have difficulty in registering biometric information, will be decided as the identity cards programme progresses, following further preparatory work and testing of different options.

Illegal Weapons

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate his Department has made of the number of illegal weapons held by (a) criminal gangs and (b) terrorist organisations in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [180294]

Caroline Flint [holding answer 24 June 2004]: We do not have estimates of the number of illegally-held weapons. We do not consider producing an estimate would be of any benefit as there is no basis on which to make such an estimate and any figure is likely to be highly inaccurate.

Information relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland (Alistair Darling) and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Paul Murphy).

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in finding the file of Mr. Warren Brien Otieno, Home Office reference 0179019, a constituent; and if he will make a statement. [180249]

Mr. Browne: Mr. Otieno's file, Home Office reference 0179019 has been traced. The case is being progressed and Mr. Otieno will be contacted in the near future.

Judicial Review

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which decisions by his Department were challenged by judicial review in the session (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02; and in how many cases the (i) Department's decision was upheld by the court, (ii) court found for the applicant, (iii) Department submitted to the judgment and (iv) Department appealed successfully against the decision. [180118]

Mr. Browne: This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Asylum Seekers (Somalia)

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether failed asylum seekers being returned to Somalia are escorted for any part of the journey. [178087]

Mr. Browne: Failed asylum seekers who are returned to Somalia are escorted for their journey from the UK to Dubai. Their onward travel from Dubai to Somalia is unescorted.
 
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Motorcycles

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorcycles have been confiscated and crushed by the police in the last year. [180288]

Caroline Flint: This information is not collected centrally.

National Criminal Intelligence Service

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what quantifiable progress the National Criminal Intelligence Service has made against its performance targets in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [180131]

Caroline Flint: In 2002–03, the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) achieved or exceeded all but two of the targets against its key objectives. In terms of specific successes, seizures of Class A drugs involving NCIS intelligence increased significantly on 2001–02. NCIS increased their contribution to European seizures of Class A drugs by a third. The number of assessments in support of the concerted inter-drugs agency action exceeded both the original and the revised higher level targets. Full performance details are listed in the annual report.

Quantifiable progress for 2003–04 includes:

A 5.6 per cent. increase in intelligence reports disseminated in respect of organised immigration crime;

A 75 per cent. increase in intelligence reports on money laundering and proceeds of crime.

Full details of NCIS performance against its targets will appear in the annual report.

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the National Criminal Intelligence Service intends to publish annual reports for (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [180132]

Caroline Flint: The National Criminal Intelligence Service annual report for 2002–03 was published on 24 June 2004. This was the organisation's first such report as a non-departmental public body, working with the National Audit Office. It's completion took longer during this transitional year.

The report for 2003–04 is on schedule and due for publication by September.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to answer parliamentary questions (a) 165196, (b) 164093, (c) 163121 and (d) 163122 tabled by the hon. Member for Southend, West. [170030]

Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 30 April 2004]: The hon. Member received replies on the following dates to the questions cited above.

165196—30 April 2004, Official Report, column 1291W

164093—22 June 2004, Official Report, column 1366W

163121—28 April 2004, Official Report, column 1101W

163122—14 May 2004, Official Report, column 606W.

 
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Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer the question tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South on 29 January, ref. 152147. [173275]

Fiona Mactaggart: The question cited, 152147, was actually asked of the Department for Work and Pensions. Home Office officials have spoken to DWP officials and have been informed that they will be answering the question shortly.

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