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Terrorist Threat

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of terrorist threats to the UK and security threats coming
 
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from sovereign states with standing armies; when this assessment was last (a) reviewed and (b) changed; and if he will make a statement. [214379]

Mr. Ingram: The Government published the White Paper Delivering Security in a Changing World" (CM6041) in December 2003. This set out the policy baseline and assessment of risks against which the Ministry of Defence currently plans to carry out its aim to deliver security for the people of the United Kingdom and the Overseas Territories by defending them, including against terrorism, and by acting to strengthen international peace and security.

The Ministry of Defence and other departments continually monitor changes in security circumstances around the world. The assessment of the threat of terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom is the responsibility of the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, which draws on the expertise of a range of departments and agencies including the Ministry of Defence.

Trident

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the cost to his Department in each year since 1993 of modifications to the shore-based target planning system for Trident; when the last modification took place; what its cost was; and if he will make a statement on the functions of these modifications. [214241]

Mr. Hoon: Modifications to the shore-based target planning system for Trident have cost an average of £250,000 per year (at current prices) since 1993. The last major modification took place in Financial Year 2001–02 and cost around £584,000. The purpose of the modifications has been to update hardware and operating system software in accordance with good industry practice.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the running costs of the Trident programme have been since it came into service; what the running costs of the Trident programme are in this financial year; what the total lifetime running costs of the Trident programme are expected to be at the end of its service period; and if he will make a statement. [214374]

Mr. Hoon: The combined capital and running costs of Trident, since it was declared operational in 1994, has ranged between 2 and 4 per cent. of the annual defence budget. The total cost of Trident for the current financial year is not yet available. Based on current planning assumptions the costs for its remaining period in service are expected to be between 2 and 4 per cent. of the expected annual defence budget.

HOME DEPARTMENT

2 Marsham Street

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff will be housed at the new Home Office buildings in 2 Marsham street; and to which agencies each of the staff belongs. [205341]

 
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Fiona Mactaggart: The Private Finance Initiative contract (PFI) for the construction and operation of the new Home Office Headquarters provided for a building occupancy of 3,450 workstations. It is expected that when the building is fully occupied in April 2005, close to this number will be accommodated. The building is designed to be flexible and the numbers occupying will depend on operational factors including the Department's continuous programme of moving posts to the front line. Further staff will be moved in as these changes occur. There are no current plans to accommodate staff from any of the Home Office executive agencies.

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which body has responsibility for the furnishings of the new Home Office buildings in 2 Marsham street. [205347]

Fiona Mactaggart: Annes Gate Property plc as part of the 29-year Private Finance Initiative contract.

Antisocial Behaviour Measures

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all the antisocial behaviour measures introduced by his Department since 1997; and if he will give the total figures for take-up for each measure to date by (a) basic command unit and (b) local authority area. [214265]

Ms Blears: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOS) were introduced under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The Police Reform Act 2002 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003 extended the legislation to allow additional agencies to apply for ASBOs and introduced two new types of ASBO: orders on conviction and interim orders.

The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 put in place a range of measures to tackle antisocial behaviour and gave local agencies the tools they need to tackle antisocial behaviour on the ground. Key measures in the Act include:

Powers to close premises where drugs are used unlawfully

Powers enabling social landlords to take action against anti-social tenants

A package of support and sanctions to enable parents to prevent and tackle anti-social behaviour among children

Powers to allow police officers to disperse groups of people who are causing nuisance or intimidating others

Powers for environmental health officers to close noisy premises

Powers to tackle graffiti and fly-posting.

The Housing Act 2004, introduced by ODPM, also contained important measures to enable landlords to tackle antisocial behaviour.

Data on the take-up of antisocial behaviour measures is not available in the form requested. However, a one-off snapshot survey of the uptake of antisocial behaviour powers was carried out in September 2004 and published in October 2004 in the Together" One-
 
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Year On report. This survey of antisocial behaviour co-ordinators in Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships provided an estimate of use of powers over a 12-month period. The results of the survey, based on responses from 239 antisocial behaviour co-ordinators, found that:

158 crack house closure orders were made between January and September 2004

418 dispersal orders were made between January and September 2004

824 parenting contracts and orders were made between October 2003 and September 2004

5,383 acceptable behaviour contracts were made between October 2003 and September 2004.

Data showing the number of ASBOs issued by all courts, broken down by local authority area, is shown in the table which has been placed in the Library. We do not collect data on ASBOs by basic command unit.

Asylum Seekers

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2005, Official Report, column 739W, on asylum seekers, if he will list the special and specific grants given to each local authority in Wales to cover the costs of asylum seekers' support in each year since 1996–97; and when information on payments in Wales for (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 will be available. [211168]

Mr. Browne: The Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999, as amended, provide local authorities with the power to support adults and families whose applications for asylum were made prior to the revised system of support administered by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) coming into force in their area. Under this grant local authorities can claim their direct costs of providing support—accommodation and financial assistance—to asylum seekers. The grant is subject to unit cost limits and is calculated on an individual local authority's audited expenditure in 2001–02 uplifted for inflation.

The Home Office also pays grant to local authorities exercising their statutory duties under the Children Act 1989 in respect of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASCs). Under this grant, which is subject to unit cost limits, local authorities can claim their direct costs of providing support to UASCs.

Local authorities who are unable to live within their grant limit can seek additional payments under the arrangements for special payments. No local authorities in Wales have made special circumstances requests since 1999–2000, suggesting that authorities are able to meet the costs of providing support to asylum seekers from their grant.

It is expected that the grant payments to Wales for 2003–04 and 2004–05 will be published at the end of March 2005. These payments will, however, be subject to audit.
 
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Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department show much central Government grant has been paid to local authorities in (a) each Government Office region, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland to cover the cost of asylum seeker support in each year since 1996–97. [211920]

Mr. Browne: The information is not available in the precise format requested. The Home Office assumed responsibility for the support of adult and family asylum seekers on 1 April 1999. Responsibility for the budget for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children did not transfer to the Home Office until 1 April 2000. Available information for the years 1999–2000 to 2001–02 is in the table and will be placed in the Library.

For Scotland NASS paid the Scottish Executive, who were responsible for reimbursing local authorities. Payments to Northern Ireland were made to the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. That Department is responsible for reimbursing to local authorities their costs of supporting asylum seekers.

Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers resident in Loughborough are in receipt of hard case payments; and if he will make a statement. [213915]

Mr. Browne: As at 4 February 2005 there were no failed asylum seekers in receipt of support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (hard case support) in Loughborough.

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