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27 Mar 2006 : Column 740W—continued
Public Relations Companies
Mr. Weir:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the public relations companies that have had contracts with (a) his Department, (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and
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(ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible and (c) independent statutory bodies, organisations and bodies financially sponsored by his Department and other such organisations since May 1997. [39078]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 from the Department of Social Security and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment including the Employment Service. The information provided relates to this date onwards.
The Department has had a mixture of framework agreements, in which pre-qualified groups of suppliers compete for contractual assignments as they arise as well as fully specified contracts awarded to individual suppliers at the outset.
The information available is as follows and is shown separately for framework agreement contracts and specific PR contracts for the Department and its agencies.
The following companies have had framework agreement with the Department or its agencies. Our systems do not allow us to show separately the information for individual departmental agencies from the departmental information.
The following have had specific PR contracts:
Non-departmental public bodies for which the Department is responsible:
Independent statutory bodies organisations and bodies financially sponsored by this Department and other such organisations:
Queen's Birthday
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to celebrate Her Majesty's 80th birthday; what advice he has issued to his Department's executive agencies on celebrations for the birthday; and if he will make a statement. [54189]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions will be flying the Union flag on its buildings in recognition of the Queen's birthday, wherever those buildings have flag poles. The Department is not planning any other specific events in relation to Her Majesty's birthday.
Tribunals System
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has held with the Department for Constitutional Affairs on the effective use of the tribunals system. [59050]
Mrs. McGuire: My officials have been working closely with the Department for Constitutional Affairs on all aspects, including the effective use of the tribunal system, in preparation for the transfer of the Appeals Service to that Department in April.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Abu Hamza
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials had with the Crown Prosecution Service regarding the prosecution of Abu Hamza. [53772]
Fiona Mactaggart:
The process of bringing a prosecution is a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service in conjunction with the police, and as such, neither I nor my officials had discussions with the CPS concerning the prosecution of Abu Hamza beyond occasional general requests for information, such as dates of hearings.
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Asylum Seekers
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials have visited the Democratic Republic of Congo to assess the safety of returned asylum seekers in the last 12 months. [22467]
Mr. McNulty: No Home Office officials have visited the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last 12 months. However, in addition to the permanent staff attached to the British embassy in Kinshasa, officials from several Ministries regularly visit the DRC.
Cash Handling Centres
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps were taken to review security arrangements at major cash handling centres in England and Wales since 20 December 2004. [58500]
Hazel Blears: Local police forces offer security advice as part of their crime prevention agenda to any business or householder who requests it. Additionally, if intelligence is received that a threat exists then appropriate action will be taken.
Children in Custody
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2006 to question 47527, on children in custody, howmany young persons held in prison establishments were held in adult prisons in each of the last three years. [60436]
Fiona Mactaggart: On 30 June 2003 there were eight persons aged under 18 held in adult prisons; on 30 June 2004 five such persons were held in adult prisons; and on 30 June 2005 two such persons were held in adult prisons. All of these persons were female and held in female prisons, in accommodation specially set aside for juveniles on young offender wings. Under-17-year-old girls are no longer placed within the Prison Service estate, unless exceptional circumstances apply in an individual case, and four dedicated units, within the Prison Service estate, have now been created for 17-year-old girls; a fifth is due to open later this year.
Citizens' Arrests
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances a citizen may make an arrest; what legislation governs the right of a citizen to make an arrest; what his Department's policy is on the rights of citizens in England and Wales to make an arrest; and if he will make a statement. [60849]
Hazel Blears:
Section 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984, as inserted by Section 110 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, provides that a person other than a constable may arrest in relation to an indictable offence in those situations where it is necessary to (a) prevent harm or injury, (b) loss or damage to property or (c) the person making off before a constable can assume responsibility. Additionally, the person must be satisfied that it is not
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reasonably practical for a constable to make the arrest instead. There are no current plans to make further amendment to these powers.
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