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4 Sep 2006 : Column 1760W—continued
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many living persons have been convicted of child sex offences under (a) the Sexual Offences Act 1956 in the last 30 years and (b) part one of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. [82218]
Mr. Sutcliffe: It is not possible to identify the number of living persons convicted of child sex offences. The Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform holds information about convictions but it does not hold information about whether or not the offender is still alive.
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices have been issued by Luton council under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. [56548]
Mr. McNulty: The powers under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 commenced in April this year. Data on the number of fixed penalties issued by local authorities in England will not be collected until the end of the financial year.
Colombia
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on whose authority decisions are made about the (a) deployment and (b) nature of duties of (i) police and (ii) Serious Organised Crime Agency staff deployed to Colombia; and if he will make a statement. [88185]
Mr. Coaker: The operational deployment of SOCA staff is a matter for the Director General.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost was of the Serious Organised Crime Agency’s operations in Colombia in 2006; what the projected budget is for 2007; and if he will make a statement. [88186]
Mr. Coaker: This is an operational matter for the Director General of SOCA.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2006, Official Report, column 2020W, on Colombia, what instructions were given to British police officers prior to secondment to Colombia with regards to the limits of their work in that country. [88235]
Mr. McNulty: Police officers from forces in England and Wales who travel overseas to provide advice and assistance to an international organisation or other body engaged in policing activities must be authorised to do so by the Home Secretary under section 26 of the Police Act 1996. No such authorisations have been issued in 2006 for officers to deploy to Colombia.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what comments his Department has made regarding the deployment of UK police officers in Colombia to (a) The Guardian newspaper and (b) The Observer newspaper. [88238]
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis the Serious Organised Crime Agency staff are deployed in Colombia; and what the consequent liability for their activities in that country is for the Government. [88351]
Mr. Coaker: SOCA staff are deployed overseas on the basis of an assessment of the harm posed to the UK from serious organised crime in that region, and on an understanding of where the best opportunities lie for tackling that harm. Such deployment is with the full knowledge of the host Government. SOCA staff deployed overseas have diplomatic accreditation and are therefore entitled to immunity from criminal, and within certain limited exceptions, jurisdictions of the receiving state.
Communications Officers
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many communications officers were employed on 1 July 2006 by (a) the Home Office and (b) the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [89148]
John Reid: There are 204 employees within Communications Directorate, 95 of whom are GCN (Government Communications Network) staff.
As at February 2006 there were 84 posts (81 full time equivalents when taking into account part time working patterns) within Immigration and Nationality Directorate where staff were dedicated to undertaking communications roles. This figure includes but is not limited to press officers.
Community Call for Action
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources will be provided to (a) local councils and (b) local councillors to implement the Community Call for Action. [83018]
Mr. McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Community Call for Action available on the Home Office website at: http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-and-publications/publication/police-reform/2006-01-17-Community_Call_f1.pdf
Community Cohesion
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why there has been slippage in reducing race inequalities and building community cohesion in relation to Strategic Objective PSA7. [88668]
Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
Perceptions of discrimination by key public services
The public service agreement examines an aggregate target; it seeks to decrease the percentage of BME people who believe that one or more of the eight key public services (the five criminal justice system agencies (Police Service, Prison Service, Courts, CPS and Probation), local GPs, local schools and council housing / housing associations) would discriminate against them and the percentage of BME people feeling they would be treated worse than people of other races by one or more of eight public service organisations has remained unchanged since 2001.
These data are disappointing but it is positive to note that individually perceptions of discrimination among BME people across the range of key public services have fallen since 2001, with the exception of council housing/housing associations where the figure remains the same.
We are keen to learn what the key factors are which influence people’s views of prejudice and have commissioned research into the drivers of perception which will report this autumn. We are hopeful that final report from this research will enhance our knowledge in this area and our ability to assess what more might be done.
Perceptions of discrimination in the labour market
On the labour market side, HOCS 2005 provided the first milestone since the 2003 baseline. Although there is no significant change on 2003, movement is in the right direction for one of the elements (refused a job). The percentage of people perceiving that they have been discriminated against because of their race when applying for a promotion did not change significantly although it has not moved positively in the direction we would have hoped.
We recognise the need to address issues of progression in the work place for ethnic minorities The CRE’s new “Code of Practice on Racial Equality in Employment” took effect from 6 April and will help business to promote diversity, by providing case studies, best practice and other practical guidance. In addition, the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force, led by my hon. Friend the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform is coordinating work to improve employment chances for ethnic minorities.
Perceptions of community cohesion
As the data for this element of the target were only baselined in the Citizenship Survey 2005, there is no current slippage here.
A perceptions based target, this objective is extremely challenging. It requires not just working towards ensuring that the experiences that people have are fair and can be seen to be fair, but also tackling the inequalities which still exist for many groups and being open about the progress we are making and the work which remains to be done.
This work is a long term objective and the impact that any progress made has on changing perceptions broadly, may take time to be seen in the data collected for this PSA. The PSA forms part of the Government’s strategy to increase race equality and community
cohesion, “Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society”, and the first annual progress report on this will be published this summer.
Convicted Irish Nationals
Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultation took place before the decision was authorised to deport lifelong UK resident Irish nationals who have completed prison sentences. [75167]
Mr. Byrne: Under section 7 of the Immigration Act 1971, Irish citizens who were ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom on 1 January 1973 (the date of the coming into force of the that Act) and who have been ordinarily resident five years prior to a court recommendation or decision to make a deportation order are exempt from deportation. Those Irish nationals who do not fall into this category may be removed under the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 if it is decided that removal is justified on the grounds of public policy, public security or public health.
Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what rights of appeal exist for Irish nationals under notification of imminent removal to Ireland on completion of prison sentences. [75171]
Mr. Byrne: Under the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006, Irish nationals have an in-country right of appeal against a decision to remove them.
Corporate Hospitality
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months. [67523]
Mr. McNulty: Paragraph 5.28 of the Ministerial Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what corporate hospitality Ministers in his Department have received in each month since January 2004. [73674]
Mr. McNulty: Paragraph 5.28 of the Ministerial Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.
Correspondence
Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, of 12 January regarding UK policy on returning asylum seekers to Zimbabwe on behalf of Dr. Margaret Sherratt (acknowledgement reference 185435/05). [29147]
Mr. McNulty: My hon. Friend the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality replied on 1 December 2005.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 1 March from the hon. Member for Aylesbury about the case of Mr. N.T.H. of Aylesbury (Home Office reference P417261, LR1875033114 and B6093/6). [86003]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 17 July 2006]: The Director General of the immigration and nationality directorate replied to the hon. Member's letter on 20 July 2006.
Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the immigration and nationality directorate will reply to the letter of 10 May 2006 from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood on behalf of Sylvia Cumberbatch (Home Office reference C1145804, acknowledgment reference B12281I6). [87159]
Mr. Byrne: The immigration and nationality directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 24 July 2006.
Credit Cards
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the merits of placing a limit on the number of credit cards an individual may own at one time. [73019]
Mr. Coaker: Most consumers use credit in a productive and prudent way, however a small minority of individuals show signs of financial distress. The Government needs to strike the right balance between enabling a competitive consumer credit market, and protecting those at risk of over-indebtedness. It is the Government's view that the amount an individual can borrow is a matter between the individual and the lender concerned. Government, however, are working with lenders to promote responsible lending through increased data sharing and industry codes of practice.
Crime and Disorder Act
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the operation of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998; if he will list the statutory instruments that have been made under this Act; and what recent representations he has received on the operation of the Act. [82558]
Mr. McNulty:
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 contained a wide range of different measures designed to improve the protection of the public and the operation of the criminal justice system. Some of the main areas included the establishment of crime reduction partnership arrangements, the introduction
of antisocial behaviour orders and of sex offender orders, the establishment of the Youth Justice Board, sentencing for both adults and juveniles, the establishment of the Sentencing Advisory Panel and the creation of specific racially aggravated offences. Although the measures in the Act have worked well, we have kept them under review and in the light of experience and of specific reviews we have made a number of changes to further improve them. In particular we have strengthened and improved upon the arrangements for antisocial behaviour orders and have built upon sex offender orders to create sexual offences prevention orders; we have extended racially aggravated offences to include religious aggravation; we have reviewed the whole of the sentencing framework for adults and introduced new arrangements in the Criminal Justice Act 2003; the youth justice arrangements have also been reviewed and proposals for change published in March 2004; and we have reviewed the partnership arrangements, with proposals for change being introduced in the Police and Justice Bill while others are subject to further consultation. The Government attaches a very high priority to public protection, the reduction of crime and to ensuring that the criminal justice system works effectively. We set out, in our document ‘Rebalancing the Criminal Justice System in favour of the Law Abiding Majority’, which we published on 20 July, further proposals for improvements across a range of areas. Representations are made from time to time in relation to individual provisions in the Act. The statutory instruments made under the Act are in the following list.
Orders made under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998
Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (Responsible Authorities) Order 2005, SI 2005/1789.
Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (Responsible Authorities) (No 2) Order 2005, SI 2005/3343
Crime and Disorder Strategies (Prescribed Descriptions) (England) Order 2004, SI 2004/118, as amended by SI 2004/696, SI 2004/865
Crime and Disorder Strategies (Prescribed Descriptions) Order 1998, SI 1998/2452, as amended by SI 1998/2513. SI 1999/483, SI 2000/300, SI 2004/118 (revoking the Order in relation to England), SI 2005/617
Youth Justice Board for England and Wales Order 2000, SI 2000/1160.
Secure Training Order (Transitory Provisions) Order 1998, SI 1998/1928.
Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (Commencement No 1) Order 1998, SI 1998/1883.
Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (Commencement No 2 and Transitional Provisions) Order 1998, SI 1998/2327.
Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (Commencement No 2 and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Order 1998, SI 1998/2412.
Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (Commencement No 2 and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) (No 2) Order 1998, SI 1998/2906.
Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (Commencement No 3 and Appointed Day) Order 1998, SI 1998/3263.
Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (Commencement No 4) Order 1999, SI 1999/1279.
Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (Commencement No 5) Order 1999, SI 1999/2976.
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