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7 Mar 2005 : Column 1605W—continued
Gaelic Language
Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's policy is on the use of the Gaelic language; and what plans his Department has to prepare and implement a Gaelic language scheme. [217095]
Fiona Mactaggart: Action to support the Gaelic language is primarily the responsibility of Scottish Ministers.
The Home Office attaches great importance to the promotion and protection of the Gaelic language in line with the UK's obligations under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.
The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament does not extend statutory obligations on UK public bodies in Scotland in relation to the preparation or implementation of Gaelic language plans. However, UK departments and public bodies which operate in Scotland may—like comparable Scottish public bodies—have a role to play in facilitating the use of the language.
The Home Office has been working closely with colleagues in the Scotland Office and the Scottish Executive on the role our department can play, voluntarily, in securing the status of Gaelic.
Illegal Immigrants (Albanians)
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Albanian nationals have been deported from the United Kingdom in each of the last three years. [219760]
Mr. Browne: The latest available information on the number of Albanian nationals removed from the UK as a result of deportation action in each of the last three years is shown in the table.
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 2002 | n/a |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004(77) | 8 |
n/a=Information not available.
(76)These figures are based on management information and are not National Statistics.
(77)Data for 2004 are provisional.
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Infectious Diseases (UK Entrants)
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) asylum seekers, (b) tourists and (c) immigrants entering the UK were tested for (i) tuberculosis, (ii) HIV and (iii) hepatitis in each year since 1997; and what proportion tested positive in each case. [217742]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Referral statistics are not collected routinely for all ports of entry. However we have obtained the statistics shown in the table for tuberculosis checks at Heathrow and Gatwick from the bodies which carry out the checks there. These statistics cover all passengers who are routinely referred.
(78)Figures given may not be strictly comparable because of changes in definitions used by the health control unit at the airport. Where ranges are given, they reflect the fact that the unit does not always receive confirmation from a hospital that what the unit has identified as a case of TB on the basis of a chest x-ray is a case.
Inquests (Teesside)
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many days in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004 the (i) coroner, (ii) deputy coroner and (iii) assistant deputy coroner for Teesside sat on inquests. [212064]
Paul Goggins: This information is not available.
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the salaries of the (a) coroner, (b) deputy coroner and (c) assistant deputy coroner of Teesside were on 1 December 2004. [212091]
Paul Goggins: The information is not held centrally. Coroners' salaries are determined by the relevant local authority which in this case is Middlesbrough borough council.
Internet Pornography
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to bring forward further proposals to control access to violent pornography on the internet. [202240]
Paul Goggins: We understand the public concern about the availability of extreme and obscene material on the internet. We are currently considering how the law relating to pornographic material featuring violence and sexual abuse could be strengthened.
Mistaken Identity
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of mistaken identity in relation to cases brought to prosecution he has been informed of in each of the last five years. [220340]
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Paul Goggins: It is not possible from the Home Office Court Proceedings database to identify, from the number of defendants who were acquitted or had their case dismissed at court, those which involved mistaken identity, as the reasons behind the acquittal or dismissal are not collected.
Mobile Phones
Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers have been stopped by police for driving while using a mobile phone in (a) London and (b) England since the ban came into force. [218529]
Ms Blears: Information collected centrally on the new offence of driving while using a hand held mobile phone relates to police action by written warning, fixed penalty notice and court proceedings. It does not cover all stops for the offence, some of which may result in advice or an oral warning. Data for 2003 will be available in late March 2005.
Use of a hands free mobile phone is not part of the new offence.
National Offender Management Service
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what legal authority regional offender managers under the National Offender Management Service structure are (a) taking responsibility for parts of the National Probation Service's budget in 2005–06 and (b) allowed to employ staff. [218793]
Paul Goggins: The Regional Offender Managers are civil servants and as such can exercise the Secretary of State's functions, which include making financial provision for local probation boards to perform their role. As civil servants they do not employ staff but can manage other civil servants.
Police Numbers
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent police officers there are per 1,000 residents of (a) England, (b) Avon and Somerset police area and (c) south Gloucestershire; and how many there were in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1997. [218009]
Ms Blears [holding answer 24 February 2005]: The latest information on police strength wards published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 13/04 Police Service Strength England and Wales, 31 March 2004".
The requested information is given in the following table.
(79)Not comparable with previous years data. Includes staff on career breaks and maternity/paternity leave.
(80)Figures for south Gloucestershire not collected before 31 March 2002.
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