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British Nationality Act

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have had British citizenship removed under section 40(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 and its subsequent amendments. [63326]

Mr. McNulty: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave to a similar question on 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 76W.

British Transport Police

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the possible amalgamations of the British Transport police with other forces; and if he will make a statement. [57197]

Hazel Blears: As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, the Department for Transport are currently undertaking a review of the British Transport police. As such, it would be inappropriate for me to make a statement on this matter until the review has reported its findings.

Business Crime

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to reduce crime against business in the North-East. [63282]

Hazel Blears: The Home Office has previously funded Business Crime Reduction Advisors (BCRAs) in each of the Regional Government Offices. In the north-east the BCRA has been instrumental in the promotion of
 
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effective partnership working between local businesses, local authorities and local police forces. This work has led to a number of partnerships being accredited with the Safer Business Award".

Much work has also been done to provide crime prevention advice and support for businesses in the north-east, and we are grateful to organisations such as Business Link for their continued help in disseminating this information.

In Hartlepool, the BCRA has worked closely with the town centre shopwatch partnership (Hartlepool Crime Net) to help them achieve accredited status. He has also worked with the local council, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership and police crime reduction officers on a range of issues, including the reduction of crime committed on industrial estates.

Carlile Report

Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the Carlile Report on the use of restraint and isolation in secure training centres. [63421]

Fiona Mactaggart: My colleague, Baroness Scotland, met Lord Carlile, on 29 March to discuss his report. The Home Office and the Youth Justice Board are looking at the recommendations in the report. We will announce in due course any action we propose to take in relation to them.

Clean Up Week"

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders will be participating in 'Clean Up Week' 2006. [63007]

Fiona Mactaggart: As part of the year-round, nationwide Community Payback scheme, Clean Up Week" aims to give communities a greater say in the kind of work offenders undertaking unpaid work do. Through this the objective is to increase the involvement of communities in criminal justice activities.

As such, although Clean Up Week" did not involve members of the public voting for projects in all probation areas, it is hoped that interest in Community Payback will be stimulated nationwide. And of course in all probation areas offenders will continue to do unpaid work which benefits their communities, as they do every week.

In the eight Clean Up Week" areas, projects vary in size and numbers of offenders working on them: from seven offenders for one day this week (and seven or eight every week until the project is complete) on the winning project in Warwickshire; to 90 offenders across the week on the winning project in Manchester. In Norfolk, since the projects (and votes) were spread out across the county, probation staff decided to go ahead with all five nominated projects, so approximately 250 offenders will take part.

So across the eight probation areas taking part in Clean Up Week", around 486 offenders will be taking part in projects that were voted for by members of the public. But across the country as a whole, thousands
 
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more offenders will be doing work which has been suggested by members of local communities and which benefits them.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the likely effects of Clean Up Week" 2006 in Romford and Havering. [63008]

Fiona Mactaggart: Romford and Havering were not part of one of the Clean Up Week areas this year. The Probation Areas taking part (Avon and Somerset, Manchester, Leicestershire and Rutland, Humberside, Norfolk, South Wales, Teesside and Warwickshire) were chosen in consultation with the Communication Managers in local probation areas.

However, in Romford and Havering offenders continue to undertake a range of unpaid work this week, as in any other. Local Probation staff estimate that around 50 offenders will attend every weekday, and up to 120 per day at weekends. These offenders will do a range of tasks which benefit the communities of Romford and Havering. During the week much of the work takes place in community centres, where offenders will help permanent staff and do repair and decorating work. Or the work will take place outside, where they will clear overgrown footpaths or clean graffiti. On housing estates they will clear communal areas. Meanwhile at weekends much of the work takes place in schools: painting, decorating and cleaning. Through this work people who have offended can pay back and provide benefits to the community.

Correspondence

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green of 7 November 2005 to regarding a constituent Mr. Hasan Gun (Home Office reference G306739). [53592]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 27 February 2006]: The Director General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to the hon. Lady on 31 March.

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 15 February 2006 from the hon. Member for Walsall, North concerning a constituent, ref M4153/6. [60762]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 23 March 2006]: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 31 March 2006.

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Hartlepool of 29 September 2005, 20 December 2005 and 6 March 2006 regarding the status of the case of Mrs. Brigitte Rowell (Reference P1046572). [61021]

Mr. McNulty: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my hon. Friend on 24 March 2006.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State for Crime, Security and Communities expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight of 15 February on the Bichard report. [61630]

 
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Hazel Blears [holding answer 27 March 2006]: I will be writing to the hon. Member very shortly with a full response to his letter of 15 February 2006.

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he will reply to the letter dated 13 February from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Wasim Buksh; [62438]

(2) when he will reply to the letter dated 13 February from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. D. Tekele. [62433]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 30 March 2006.

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Warley of 5 December on behalf of Mr. Naim Urshini, Waterloo Road, Smethwick. [63328]

Mr. McNulty: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate replied to my right hon. Friend on 4 April 2006.

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Warley of 9 January on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Bent, 77 Albright Road, Oldbury. [63332]

Mr. McNulty: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate replied to my right hon. Friend on 4 April 2006.

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