| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2579W—continued
Emergency Helplines (Charges)
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the telephone charges to those calling emergency helpline numbers, with particular reference to the London bombings; and if he will make a statement. [14114]
Hazel Blears: When the Casualty Bureau was opened on 7 July 2005, it was accessed through an 0870 number. The cost of those calls varied depending upon the caller's telephone service provider.
On 15 July, I announced an urgent review of the use of 0870 numbers in respect of the Casualty Bureau. That review has now taken place and, with immediate effect, the use of 0870 numbers will be discontinued in respect of Casualty Bureau access to the public. 0800 numbers will be made available as the main contact number between the Police Service Casualty Bureau and the public.
0800 freephone numbers are free at the point of use to landline customers. Mobile users are likely to be charged based upon their mobile tariff. 0800 numbers may not be accessed from overseas and an alternative 020 geographic number is therefore being provided primarily for the use of overseas callers. This number is also available to UK customers, including those using mobile phones who may find the charges lower than the standard rate for 0800.
Emergency Response Times
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average response time to an emergency call to the police was for each police authority in each of the last 10 years. [14741]
Hazel Blears: This information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average response time to an emergency call to the police was in Sheffield, Hallam in each year since 1997. [13780]
Hazel Blears:
The average response times to emergency calls to the police in Sheffield, Hallam are given in the table.
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2580W
Sheffield Hallam constituency is not a co-terminous force area, therefore these figures are approximate. Data prior to December 2002 is not available.
| Period | Number of immediate response incidents with recorded response time available | Average response time (in seconds) |
|---|---|---|
| December 2002 | 151 | 446 |
| 2003 | 1951 | 339 |
| 2004 | 2,053 | 324 |
| 2005 (to date) | 1,213 | 224 |
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many emergency 999 calls were made in (a) Essex and (b) the Metropolitan police area of London in each of the last five years, broken down by emergency service responding. [14141]
Paul Goggins: Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary (HMCIC) publishes statistics on the number of 999 calls received. The latest available statistics relate to 2003–04 and are published in table five of HMCIC's Annual Report. The publication is available via the Home Office website: http://www.official-ocuments.co.uk/document/deps/hc/hc171/171.pdf
The equivalent figures for earlier years, up to 2000–01, are available from previous annual reports, copies of which should be in the Library.
European Community Association Agreement
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time for a decision on an application for leave to remain under the provisions of the European Community Association Agreement was in the last period for which figures are available . [15522]
Mr. McNulty: The average waiting time for Bulgarian and Romanian European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) applications in the last period for which figures are available was 258 working days. Information about Turkish ECAA applications is not currently available but is scheduled to be published with other relevant data in late August 2005. It should be noted that consideration of all applications made under the provisions of the ECAA was suspended on 30 March 2004 and has been resumed in stages with Bulgarian and Romanian switching cases re- starting on 1 October 2004, further leave and indefinite leave to remain on 14 February 2005 and all Turkish cases on 9 May 2005. All ECAA applications continue to be dealt with in strict order of original receipt.
European Constitution
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what competent authorities in the UK would fall under the remit of the Standing Committee on Internal Security created in Article 111–261 of the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe, should the Constitution be ratified. [15476]
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2581W
Andy Burnham: In the absence of agreement on the Constitutional Treaty no decision has been taken on whether to establish an internal security committee. Accordingly, it is not appropriate to decide which competent authorities would be members of, or be represented by, the United Kingdom's delegation to such a committee, as this would depend on its precise remit.
European Enforcement Order
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June 2005, on the relationship between this Order and the European Arrest Warrant; [15908]
(2) if he will make a statement, in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June, on the criminalisation of unlawful residence; [16092]
(3) if he will make a statement in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150 vol 48 of 21 June, Article 7, on cases involving xenophobia; [16327]
(4) if he will make a statement, in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June 2005, Article 7, on the list of terrorist organisations to be recognised; [15907]
(5) if he will make a statement, in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June, on the mechanism for determining the nature of the prison regime to be used; [16094]
(6) if he will make a statement, in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June, on the right of appeal; what grounds exist; what higher system of appeal exists; what time scale is permitted; and what legal aid is available; [16096]
(7) if he will make a statement, in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June 2005, on the central administrative authority to be designated for the UK; [15909]
(8) if he will make a statement, in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June 2005, Article 7, on the development of the European Public Prosecutor. [15906]
Fiona Mactaggart:
The draft Framework Decision on the European Enforcement Order and the transfer of sentenced persons between member states of the European Union is at the early stages of negotiation and is subject to a UK Parliamentary scrutiny reservation. The draft Framework Decision is intended to speed up and simplify the existing arrangements for the transfer
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2582W
of prisoners between member states of the EU. It is also intended to facilitate the return of prisoners extradited in accordance with Article 5(3) of the Council Framework Decision of 13 June 2000 on the European Arrest Warrant, where surrender of own nationals or residents was subject to a condition that the person would be returned in order to serve any sentence imposed.
Article 7 of the draft Framework Decision proposes a list of generic offences for which dual criminality would not be required in order to execute a European Enforcement Order. The restriction on the application of dual criminality has been accepted by the Government as a necessary element of the mutual recognition arrangements which are to form the basis for judicial co-operation within the EU. The proposed list of offences corresponds to that in the Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant and in the Council Framework Decision of 22 July 2003 on the execution in the European Union of orders freezing property or evidence.
The draft Framework Decision does not require prisoners to consent to the transfer, although they must be given an opportunity to express their opinion. Prisoners do not have a right of appeal under the proposed Framework Decision. However, prisoners in the United Kingdom will be able to seek judicial review of any decision made, for which they may be granted publicly funded legal aid.
Prisoners transferred under the draft Framework Decision will be subject to the same prison regime as any other prisoner sentenced in the executing state.
It is likely that the National Offender Management Service will be designated as the central authority for England and Wales. The designation of a central authority for Scotland and for Northern Ireland is a matter for Scottish Ministers and for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |