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19 Jul 2005 : Column 1605W—continued
Race Relations Act
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what account was taken of the provisions of the Race Relations Act 1976 in conducting the regulatory impact assessment for price competitive tendering. [12703]
Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Commission fully recognises and actively seeks to fulfil its obligations under Race Relations legislation to eliminate unlawful discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and encourage good race relations. As such, prior to publication of its proposals for competitive tendering, the LSC had already carried out a partial race equality impact assessment on both black and minority ethnic (BME) firms and clients.
Close collaboration with the Law Society, the Black Solicitors Network and other specialist practitioner and representative groups will help to inform a full race impact assessment to be carried out during summer 2005.
In addition, the LSC is tendering for research into the issues faced by BME firms within its legal aid supplier base. The information from this research will further help to shape the development of competitive tendering policy.
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Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will take steps to protect small black minority and ethnic law firms as part of the proposed price competitive tendering for criminal legal aid contracts. [12984]
Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is strongly committed to promoting diversity within the supplier base and is aware of the concerns of small black and minority ethnic (BME) firms providing London based criminal defence services.
The potential impact of competitive tendering upon BME firms was raised in the consultation paper Improving value for money for publicly funded criminal defence services in London", published in January 2005. The LSC has been working closely with both BME suppliers and their representative bodies throughout the competitive tendering consultation process to address any concerns they may have.
The LSC is also commissioning research into the issues faced by BME firms within the legal aid supplier base. This research will help to cultivate further measures to protect small black and minority ethnic suppliers against unfair discrimination.
Voting
Mr. Hood: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what research the Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on compulsory voting; and if she will make a statement. [10754]
Ms Harman: My Department has neither commissioned nor evaluated research on proposals for a compulsory voting system.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Advertising
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Department spent on advertising in each of the last five years. [10231]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The amount spent by the Home Office on advertising over the last five years was:
2000–01: £28.36 million. Campaigns included fire safety, vehicle crime and recruitment of police officers
2001–02: £14.4 million. Campaigns included fire safety, vehicle crime, internet child protection, drugs, recruitment of police officers and postal voting
2002–03: £9.9 million. Campaigns included vehicle crime, internet child protection, drugs, firearms amnesty and recruitment of police officers
2003–04: £12.487 million. Campaigns included vehicle crime, internet child protection, drugs, recruitment of police officers and domestic violence
2004–05: Figures are still being reconciled but current data shows £9.7million. Campaigns included recruitment of police officers, drugs, internet child protection, domestic violence and firearms.
Anti-terrorism Legislation
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were detained under anti-terrorism legislation in each year since 1975;
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how many were (a) UK and (b) non-UK citizens; how many of those detained were subsequently charged with (i) terrorist and (ii) other criminal offences; and how many were deported. [4100]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 27 June 2005, Official Report, column 1240W.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will adopt the recommendation of the Home Affairs Select Committee of April 2003 to collect data on the numbers of people who abscond once they have reached the end of the asylum process. [12970]
Mr. McNulty: Work is ongoing to develop methodology to identify absconders using existing data sources and collate reliable data. If the data quality is sufficient to comply with National Statistics protocols, we will consider the most appropriate method for publishing this information.
Child Abuse
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful prosecutions there have been of individuals for child abuse in cases where the child had been accused of witchcraft in each of the last five years; and whether religious leaders have been prosecuted in connection with such cases. [13196]
Fiona Mactaggart: It is not possible from the Home Office court proceedings database to identify those defendants prosecuted for child abuse, where the child had been accused of witchcraft, as the details of the offences are not centrally collected. Nor is it possible to identify those defendants who are religious leaders.
Criminal Records Bureau
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Answer to the hon. Member for Leyton and Wanstead of 28 June 2005, Official Report, column 1451W, on the Criminal Records Bureau, what criteria will be taken into account in determining whether to proceed with the basic disclosure. [10188]
Andy Burnham: The criteria to be taken into account for determining whether to proceed with the basic disclosure service will include due consideration regarding the method of access for applicants to the service; the cost of delivering the service; the likely demand for the service; and methods for verifying the applicant's identity to ensure the integrity of the service.
Departmental Bills
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list bills sponsored by his Department in each session since 1979. [10548]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The information for the period requested is not readily available across Whitehall and could only be answered by incurring disproportionate costs. Since 1997 the Home Office has sponsored the following Bills.
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