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HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum Intake Reduction Sub-committee

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Mr. Ken Sutton is a member of the Asylum Intake Reduction Sub-committee; and if he will make a statement. [176396]

Mr. Browne [holding answer 7 June 2004]: The Asylum Intake Reduction/ Secure Borders sub-programme board was established in February 2003 under the chairmanship of the Senior Director, Operations of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. Initially it was intended that Ken Sutton should be included as a second Senior Director member, given his responsibility for Asylum Support, Casework and Appeals. However by April 2003 it was decided that, as Mr. Sutton already chaired or co-chaired two of the other sub-programme boards, he should not continue to be a member. Mr. Sutton has never attended any meetings of the board.
 
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Asylum/Immigration

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what qualifications immigration officers assessing initial asylum applications have; and what training is provided to assessing officers. [180010]

Mr. Browne: Immigration officers operating the primary arrivals control at seaports and airports do not assess asylum applications. In line with the 1951 Convention, their role as Border Guards, is to gather basic information from applicants relating to identity, nationality, immigration history, route into the UK and timing of the asylum claim.

Initial decisions on asylum applications are made by asylum caseworkers at the Executive Officer grade and Higher Executive Officers in Fast Track Cases. All caseworkers receive six weeks training (four weeks classroom based training and two weeks formal coaching) covering all aspects of asylum casework including interviewing and how to deal with human rights allegations.

Asylum training is currently under review and it is intended to involve UNHCR in future training provisions.

All asylum caseworkers receive refresher training to consolidate their initial training programme. This includes a rolling programme of workshops run by the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, the aim of which is to equip caseworkers better to interview asylum applicants who have been victims of torture.

Other additional training is provided as and when required, such as in respect of changes in legislation or procedures or in response to weaknesses identified by quality assurance work. For example, all asylum caseworkers have recently been invited to attend a refresher course to better equip them to deal with human rights allegations raised alongside asylum claims.

In addition, representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also undertake presentations to provide information about their work and to discuss the procedures and criteria for determining refugee status with asylum caseworkers.

Bribery/Corruption

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on what date each of the two investigations being undertaken by the Metropolitan Police into allegations of foreign bribery began; and what stage these investigations have reached; [175394]

(2) what resources are available for enforcement of Part 12 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001; and what plans he has to make changes to the amount available. [175943]

Paul Goggins: No specific resources have been allocated for the enforcement of Part 12 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security (ATCS) Act 2001.

However, we have put significant extra resources into the police service in England and Wales over the last few years. Since 2000–01 total provision for policing has risen by over 30 per cent.
 
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Allocation of resources within any given force area is a matter for the Chief Constable. Implementation of Part 12 of the ATCS Act forms part of the National Policing Plan and each Police Authority and Chief Constable will take the National Policing Plan into account when drawing up their Local Policing Plans. There are currently no plans to allocate additional funding.

Concerning the two cases currently under investigation by the Metropolitan Police which you referred to in PQ 158308: the investigations were commenced in January 2003 and are ongoing.

Child Offenders

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were sent to (a) prison and (b) young offender institutions in each of the last five years; how many children were (i) in prison and (ii) young offender institutions on the latest date for which figures are available; what representations he has received about children in prisons and young offender institutions; what his response has been; what plans he has to (A) reduce the number of children in prison and young offender institutions overall and (B) implement a policy where no children are held in prisons and young offender institutions; what arrangements he is considering to improve their (1) safety and well-being and (2) education of such children; and if he will make a statement. [169144]

Paul Goggins: Children who are sent from court to Prison Service accommodation are—save in exceptional circumstances and on a case-by-case basis—placed within the Service's juvenile estate, as commissioned and purchased by the Youth Justice Board. Children who have been remanded in custody are received under the Prison Rules 1999, while sentenced children are received under the Young Offender Institution Rules 2000.

In 2003, there were 4,918 children under sentence in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales. Figures for the preceding four years can be found in table 3.10 of the publication 'Prison Statistics England and Wales', a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library (total receptions cannot be calculated by adding together receptions in each category because there is double counting).

On 30 November 2003, 485 remanded children and 1,769 sentenced children were held in Prison Service accommodation. The Home Secretary receives a variety of representations from a range of bodies and individuals on children in prison service accommodation. The Youth Justice Board has had responsibility, since April 2000, for commissioning and purchasing all secure accommodation for juveniles (those under 18) sentenced to custody, including Prison Service accommodation.

The Board takes the view that custodial provision has an important place in the criminal justice system for young people, but believes that with the provision of robust and highly intensive new community sentencing alternatives, such as the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP), it is possible and desirable to reduce the use of custody and ensure that it is used only for those who clearly need it. The Board
 
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aims to reduce custody for children by 10 per cent. over the next three years. Custody for under 18s did fall by 11 per cent. between October 2002 and October 2003 and although there has been a recent increase, the Board does anticipate further reductions over time.

The Youth Justice Board has no plans to discontinue the purchasing and commissioning of prison service accommodation. However, the Board has fulfilled the commitment made by the then Home Secretary in March 1999, to remove all girls aged under 17 from Prison Service accommodation.

The Youth Justice Board and Prison Service are committed to improving the child protection and safeguards arrangements within the Prison Service juvenile estate. A comprehensive review of the arrangements in across the estate was undertaken during 2003 and a report launched in November. Its recommendations are currently under consideration. Every establishment has appointed a Child Protection Co-ordinator and has set up a Child Protection Committee with representation from the local Area Child Protection Committee, police and other relevant agencies. Anti-bullying strategies, and suicide and self-harm prevention policies have been put in place in all establishments in the estate.

The Youth Justice Board's National Specification for Learning and Skills, introduced to the Prison Service juvenile estate in early 2002, focuses on improving numeracy and literacy; ensuring continuity of mainstream educational placements; reintegration into full-time education, training or employment; increasing employability through practical and vocational activities; and learning how to learn. Establishments provide a range of activities, including learning and skills, vocational training, work, physical education, enrichment activities, access to the library and offending behaviour programmes.

Correspondence

Mr. Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 10 February 2004, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Withington, on behalf of his constituent Wendy Steele. [180702]

Mr. Browne [holding answer 28 June 2004]: The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, the hon. Member for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) replied to my right hon. Friend on 1 July 2004.

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