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Care Home Staff Checks
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reduce the cost of Criminal Records Bureau checks for new staff in nursing and residential homes. [213994]
Ms Blears [holding answer 9 February 2005]: There are no plans to reduce the cost of Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks for new staff in nursing and residential homes.
However, the CRB will continue to look at ways to improve efficiencies to improve the speed and reduce the overall cost of the disclosure service without compromising the quality and accuracy of their service.
Carter Report
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to implement the recommendations of the Carter Report. [213550]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Home Office has made significant progress in implementing Lord Carter's recommendations. The National Offender Management Service became operational on 1 April 2004 with Martin Narey as Chief Executive. A National Offender
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Manager and 10 Regional Offender Managers are now in place. Together they are taking forward work on developing contestability and helping Boards to develop offender management in their areas, drawing on what we have already learnt from the offender management pilots in the North West. A redesign of NOMS headquarters, to reflect these changes, will be in place by 1 April 2005.
The Management of Offenders and Sentencing Bill which was published on 13 January will underpin the creation of a National Offender Management Service as proposed by Lord Carter and establish sentence planning and review as a core offender management function. The Bill will also implement key Carter proposals to rebalance sentencing by making provision for a 'day fines' scheme, reinforcing rigorous and effective community punishments and by targeting resources on the most serious, dangerous and persistent offenders.
Community Support Officers
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community support officers are working in (a) Warrington and (b) Warrington, North. [214972]
Ms Blears: The available data on the deployment of Community Support Officers (CSOs) within Cheshire police is for Basic Command Units rather than parliamentary constituencies. I am told by the Chief Constable of Cheshire (Mr. Peter Fahy QPM) that the No. 3 Division (Warrington) currently has 14 CSOs.
I announced on 24 November that, under the first phase of the Neighbourhood Policing Fund, the Home Office will support the recruitment of an additional 13 CSOs in Cheshire. This will enable the force to deploy a total of 69 CSOs in Cheshire by 31 March 2005.
Control Orders
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in relation to the introduction and operation in Northern Ireland of control orders as announced by the Home Secretary on 26 January; and if he will make a statement. [212035]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I have had no direct discussions with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on this issue. However, my officials have had discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers of England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and will continue to liaise closely, through official channels, with the police forces in all three jurisdictions and other relevant stakeholders on the detail of the policy and in preparation for the necessary legislation to come into force.
Mr. Austin Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether homeless people subject to house arrest without trial under his proposals for the detention of terrorists will receive help in finding accommodation for their detention; [213466]
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(2) what plans he has for housing terrorist suspects who are homeless at the time of arrest under his proposals for detention without trial; whether it is his policy to press for priority to be given to such people on waiting lists for council accommodation; and what assessment he has made of the suitability of bed-and-breakfast accommodation for such people. [213467]
Mr. Charles Clarke: It is not anticipated that the imposition of a control order on an individual (where this is deemed necessary and appropriate) would interfere with access to any benefits (including housing benefit) to which he or she might normally be entitled.
The conditions imposed in any control order will be tailored on a case by case basis to the threat posed by the individual.
Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 4 January 2005 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Miss Calnette Dele-Charley. [215102]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 3 February 2005.
Doormen
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether doormen who have passed their examinations but have not yet received their certification may work as such; [213879]
(2) what the average time has been between doormen being trained and passing their examinations and receiving their certification. [213880]
Ms Blears:
It is an offence for an individual to work as a door supervisor prior to being licensed as such by the Security Industry Authority once it is a legal requirement to be licensed in their region.
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Independent awarding bodies have a contractual obligation to process an assessment within 10 working days from the time an individual sits the exam and has provided all necessary identification and supporting documentation. This assessment provides the applicant with the appropriate reference number with which to make a licence application to the SIA. The SIA aim to process accepted applications within six weeks.
European Public Bodies
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the activity of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia in the UK in the last 12 months; and if he will list its publications and newsletters published over that period. [215231]
Fiona Mactaggart: The European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) is based in Vienna and its prime objective is to produce objective, comparable and reliable data at European level on racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.
It produces regular reports on these issues, including an annual report, which are published on its website at www.eumc.eu.int Its reports cover the whole European Union, customarily including sections relating to each of the member states, including the United Kingdom.
It collects its data on each member state through a contract with a national focal point" based in each member state. The national focal point for the UK is the Commission for Racial Equality.
Departmental Staff
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are employed by the Home Office and each of its agencies (a) in London and (b) in each location outside London. [205344]
Fiona Mactaggart: The number of staff employed by the Home Office and it agencies in London and in the regions is set out in the following table:
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