---

13 Jul 2004 : Column 1050W—continued

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many antisocial behaviour orders have been imposed by the courts at the same time that they have passed a sentence for a criminal conviction in each year since 2002; [175134]

(2) how many antisocial behaviour orders have been applied for by (a) registered social landlords and (b) the British Transport police in each year since 2002; [175135]

(3) how many antisocial behaviour orders that apply throughout the country have been issued in each year since 2002; [175136]

(4) how many interim antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in each year since 2002 in (a) England and Wales and (b) each county; [175138]

(5) what the average duration was of antisocial behaviour orders issued in each year since 1999; [175140]

(6) how many antisocial behaviour orders have been breached in each year since 1999; and how many of those were punished with (a) fines and (b) prison sentences; [175142]

(7) how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in each year since 1999 in (a) England and Wales and (b) each county. [175143]

Ms Blears: From 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 data on the number of Anti- social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued was collected by police force area. From 1 June 2000 official statistics are based on quarterly returns
 
13 Jul 2004 : Column 1051W
 
from Magistrates' Courts Committees (MCCs). Since 2 December 2002, following implementation of the Police Reform Act, data are also collected from the Crown court and the county courts. Available information is given in the tables and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Asylum/Immigration

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested by the police for immigration offences in each of the last five years. [181506]

Mr. Browne: Information collected centrally on arrests is for 'notifiable' offence groups only. Those immigration offences that are 'notifiable' are included under the "Other" offence group and cannot be identified separately.

Bichard Inquiry Report

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the legal costs relating to action to suspend the Chief Constable of Humberside from office; and if he will make a statement. [181822]

Ms Blears: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary's decision to require Humberside Police Authority to suspend Chief Constable David Westwood was upheld in the High Court on Friday 2 July. If Humberside Police Authority had carried out its legal duty when required to do so, there would have been no costs, as acknowledged by Mr. Justice Stanley Brunton at the High Court hearing on Friday 2 July. The Police Authority has been ordered to pay the Secretary of State the costs of these proceedings. The Secretary of State will be seeking full reimbursement of these costs, which will be either agreed between the parties or assessed by the court, in the normal way.

Bulgaria

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the consequences of the recent suspension of all immigration claims from Bulgaria in terms of freedom of movement; [178848]

(2) what the British policy is on applications for business visas from Bulgaria; [178849]

(3) whether the European Community Association Agreement applies to Bulgarian nationals. [178850]

Mr. Browne: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement on the handling of European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) applicants made by my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary on 17 June 2004.

Bulgarian nationals are not nationals of a European Union member state and hence do not benefit from freedom of movement. They do, however, have privileged access to establishment rights by virtue of an Association Agreement with the European Union.

The temporary suspension of the arrangements for Bulgarian and Romanian nationals making visa and immigration applications under managed migration
 
13 Jul 2004 : Column 1052W
 
schemes, including the self-employed under the Association Agreements, is a matter of regret. However, the Government believes that it was the only sensible course of action in the circumstances and crucial to public confidence in the integrity of the UK immigration system.

Applications from self-employed Bulgarian nationals under the ECAA scheme remain suspended while the recommendations of the Button investigation are implemented and the new approach is put in place for the consideration of these applications.

Applications from Bulgaria are currently accepted under all other immigration categories including business visitor, Innovator and the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.

CCTV (Warrington)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much public money has been spent on CCTV cameras in (a) Warrington as a whole and (b) Warrington, North constituency since 1997. [182773]

Ms Blears: In 2001–02, the Home Office provided £31,700 to Warrington borough council towards the WATCH scheme (Warrington Action Towards Community Harmony), a borough-wide project for the supply of a mobile CCTV suite with equipment, which is deployed as necessary, including in the Warrington, North constituency.

This money represents the only direct CCTV funding to Warrington, however crime reduction funding has been allocated to local Crime Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Basic Command Units to enable them to tackle local crime priorities using a number of interventions, including CCTV. Allocation of that funding locally is a matter for Warrington borough council and the Greater Manchester Police.

Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 29 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Geoff Schofield, transferred to him from the Department for Transport. [178950]

Mr. Blunkett: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 23 June.

Crime Reduction Projects (Warrington, North)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much public funding has been spent on crime reduction projects in Warrington, North in each year since 1997. [182774]

Ms Blears: Allocation of crime reduction funding is not broken down by constituency. However, money allocated overall to the Borough of Warrington for crime reduction through a number of funding streams and for a range of projects totals £1,218,877 over the period 2000–05. Figures before 2000 are not readily available.
 
13 Jul 2004 : Column 1053W
 

Deaths in Custody

Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have died in custody since 1974; in which institution each person was being held, and for what mental health condition or criminal offence; how many of those being detained for a criminal offence had been convicted of that offence; for what offences; and what the length of sentence was in each case. [177597]

Paul Goggins: Not all the information requested was collected or collated or is readily retrievable, particularly for the earlier years covered by this Question. I will write to my hon. Friend with as much information as officials from the Prison Service, Police, Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Department of Health can gather, within the bounds of proportionate cost.

Departmental Properties/Staff

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many properties are rented by his Department; and at what annual cost. [181507]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office is currently renting 1,327 properties at a total rent of £83.7 million per annum excluding VAT. This excludes premises that are not rented but taken under service agreements and those where costs are shared with other Government Departments where the other Department pays the rent.

There are a variety of reasons for renting rather than purchasing offices, which includes cost, availability, sustainability and flexibility. Many leases are for parts of other buildings including accommodation at ports where purchase would not be a practical option.

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the accommodation of departmental staff who cannot be housed in the Marsham street building, with reference to the National Audit Office report "PFI: The New Headquarters for the Home Office". [181511]

Fiona Mactaggart: The National Audit Office Report "PFI: The New Headquarters for the Home Office" published last year noted that it was very unlikely that all core Home Office and Prison Service staff could be housed in 2 Marsham street. There are a number of issues under consideration including the impact of Home Office reform and the potential for relocation of staff including the Headquarters of the National Offender Management Service away from London and the South-East. Final decisions on the housing of staff in 2 Marsham Street when it is ready for occupation in January 2005 will be taken later this year.

---