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12 July 2006 : Column WA117
Written Answers
Wednesday 12 July 2006
Asylum Seekers: Support Service
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action they
are taking in view of recent criticisms of the National Asylum Support
Service by the Citizens Advice Bureaux concerning Section 4 support for
asylum applicants who are unable to leave the United Kingdom for
reasons beyond their
control.[HL6639]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The Government are already implementing a range of initiatives to improve the administration of Section 4 support. As a result, the time taken for initial decisions has been reduced to less than five days, dedicated helpline numbers and an e-mail inquiry point have been established, and housing inspections are taking place on properties occupied by those on Section 4 support. We will continue to liaise with external stakeholders, including the Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB), on administrative issues that are identified.
While the Government have made clear that they do not intend to provide Section 4 support in cash, we have already been reviewing a number of the areas where the CAB has criticised the current arrangements. This includes ensuring that the handling of cases by the new asylum model supports the transition to Section 4 support in appropriate cases, and also maternity and healthcare provision. We will continue to engage with stakeholders on matters relating to Section 4.
Autism
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the
Written Answers by the Lord Rooker on 14 June 2005 (WA 119) and
20 June 2006 (WA 67), whether there has been a shortfall in
achieving the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services
and Public Safety's 2004-05 priorities for action which required boards
and trusts to establish multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment and
early intervention
teams.[HL6620]
Lord Rooker: Boards and trusts were required to establish multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment and early intervention teams to improve the life outcome for an additional 200 children and young people with autism across Northern Ireland. This target was achieved by the boards and trusts by September 2005.
12 July 2006 : Column WA118
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the
Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 20 June (WA 68), whether
the multi-disciplinary early intervention team from the Foyle Health
and Social Services Trust, which works in collaboration with the
Sperrin Lakeland Trust, has the full-time services of a consultant
paediatrician; and how many full-time speech therapists are currently
working with autistic children in these two
trusts.[HL6621]
Lord Rooker: There are approximately 42.8 whole-time equivalent (WTE) speech and language therapists working within Foyle and Sperrin Lakeland health and social services trusts. However, one of these therapists provides exclusively an early intervention service for children with autism. The other therapists work with a range of children with speech problems, including those with autism in special care schools, learning support units and community clinics. There is no full-time consultant paediatrician for children with autism, although one further WTE paediatrician is employed in collaboration with Autism NI.
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further
to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 20 June (WA 67),
whether the multi-disciplinary early intervention team from the Newry
and Mourne Trust that provides early intervention services in the
Armagh and Dungannon Trust has the full-time services of a consultant
paediatrician; and how many full-time speech therapists are currently
working with autistic children in these two
trusts.[HL6622]
Lord Rooker: At present a locum is acting into the position of consultant community paediatrician while a recruitment exercise is taking place to fill the post substantively.
There are approximately six whole-time equivalent speech and language therapists working within Newry and Mourne Trust and Armagh and Dungannon Trust, these posts do not work exclusively with children with autistic spectrum disorder, but do provide support for children with autism in special care schools, learning support units and community clinics.
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the
Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 20 June (WA 67), who is the
team leader for each of the seven multi-disciplinary early intervention
teams operating within Northern Ireland; whether team leaders are
dedicated to managing their teams full-time; what is the specific
discipline of each team leader; and whether there is an overall
Northern Ireland co-ordinator for autistic spectrum
disorder.[HL6625]
12 July 2006 : Column WA119
Lord Rooker: Healthcare professionals from a range of backgrounds provide early diagnosis, assessment and intervention services for children with autism, within the boards and trusts.
12 July 2006 : Column WA120
The lead individuals responsible for autism services at board/trust level are as follows.
Team leaders are generally not dedicated to managing their team full-time. However, Ms Lorraine Scott is specifically dedicated to managing autism services in the Southern Health & Social Services Board area.
Northern Ireland does not have a full-time co-ordinator for autistic spectrum disorders.
Civil Service: Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How
many whole-time equivalent posts there are in the Northern Ireland
Civil Service; how many there were in each of the past three years, and
how many of the current employees are (a) seconded; (b) temporary; (c)
casual; and (d) employed by the Northern Ireland
Assembly.[HL6549]
Lord Rooker: The numbers of whole-time equivalent posts in the 11 Northern Ireland departments and the NIO, including their agencies, for each of the past three years are as follows:
| Year | 11 Departments | Northern Ireland Office ** | Total |
| * The 2004 and 2005 figures are based on information held by departments at April or September each year. | |||
| ** NIO figures exclude Home Civil Service staff, PSNI, Youth Justice Agency non-administrative staff, and uniformed Prison Service staff. |
The number of employees, as at 1 April 2006, (a) seconded; (b) temporary; (c) casual; and (d) employed by the Northern Ireland Assembly are as follows.
| 11 Departments | Northern Ireland Office | Total | |
For the purpose of this Question: “seconded” means staff seconded to other NICS departments and the Northern Ireland Office, including agencies, as well as to external organisations, but excluding those seconded to the Northern Ireland Assembly. “Temporary” refers to NICS staff employed on fixed-term contracts for a specified duration, and “casual staff” is defined as, “a short-term contract lasting no more than 51 weeks”. NICS employees employed by the Northern Ireland Assembly include only those on secondment from the departments/NIO to the Assembly.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which major
public sector employers in Northern Ireland have imposed a recruitment
and promotion freeze pending implementation of the changes proposed in
the Review of Public Administration; and why the Northern Ireland Civil
Service is exempt from that
freeze.[HL6550]
Lord Rooker: All health and social services boards, trusts and agencies have currently imposed vacancy controls on recruitment of senior executive, general administration, HR, finance, IT, estates, planning and public relations staff. In addition, Enterprise Ulster is in the process of managing a redundancy situation, which includes a freeze on recruitment.
Other major employers are considering the need for vacancy control arrangements to the extent that they are affected by RPA decisions.
The 11 departments of the Northern Ireland Civil Service have been operating vacancy control since the publication of Fit for Purpose in order to implement required reductions in staff numbers without the need for redundancies. These arrangements will also take into account RPA implementation.
12 July 2006 : Column WA121
Crime: Diminished Responsibility
Lord Jones of Cheltenham asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in
order to protect the public from repeat offences, they will increase
the flexibility given to judges sentencing those with a mental illness
found guilty of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility,
attempted murder and other violent
offences.[HL6419]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The courts already have wide-ranging powers to divert mentally disordered offenders to hospital for treatment for their mental disorder. These powers apply to offenders convicted of any imprisonable offence and similar powers are also available for persons found unfit to plead or not guilty by virtue of insanity.
These powers have proved effective in protecting the public from repeat offences.
Crime: Knives
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many weapons
were handed in to the police during the five-week national knife
amnesty in May and June; whether these have been categorised by type;
if so, how many of each type were handed in; and how many were handed
in in each of the 51 police areas of England, Wales and
Scotland.[HL6737]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Figures for the number of items handed into the police during the knife amnesty in England and Wales are currently being gathered from forces and collated. The figures will be released later this month. Figures for the number of items handed in under the knife amnesty in Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Executive.
The amnesty was one part of our wider strategy to tackle knife crime. Provisions have also been introduced in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill to tighten legislation, including raising the age at which someone can be sold a knife to 18, introducing a new offence of using someone to mind a weapon and new powers for head teachers to search pupils for knives.
The Home Secretary announced on 19 June that he was giving very serious consideration to the suggestion that the maximum sentence for having a knife or blade in a public place should be increased from the current sentence of 2 years. We are also supporting education and prevention projects aimed at highlighting to young people the risks of carrying knives. Following on from the amnesty, many forces will now focus enforcement effort on knife possession to ensure that those carrying knives are brought to justice.
12 July 2006 : Column WA122
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What
is their assessment of the research by the Press Association which
showed that there were 91 serious knife attacks in England
and Wales from 24 May to 30 June, 19 of which were fatal
stabbings.[HL6738]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government are aware that there have been a number of knife-related incidents during the period of the knife amnesty—some of which have been fatal. The knife amnesty is one element in our overall strategy to tackle knife crime and has served to highlight the importance of this issue as well as removing dangerous weapons from circulation.
We are also tightening legislation. Provisions have been introduced in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill to tighten legislation, including raising the age at which someone can be sold a knife to 18, introducing a new offence of using someone to mind a weapon, and new powers for head teachers to search pupils for knives. The Home Secretary announced on 19 June that he was giving very serious consideration to the suggestion that the maximum sentence for having a knife or blade in a public place should be increased from the current sentence of two years.
We are also supporting education and prevention projects aimed at highlighting to young people the risks of carrying knives. Following on from the amnesty, many forces will focus enforcement effort on knife possession to ensure that those carrying knives are brought to justice.
Exports: Northern Ireland
Lord Rana asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they
will consider the creation of an enterprise zone for export-focused
companies in Northern Ireland with special rates and tax
incentives.[HL6715]
Lord Rooker: Two enterprise zones were established in Belfast and Londonderry in the 1980s as a possible solution to economic decline.
However, an evaluation of enterprise zones in 1987 concluded that they were only a partial success, resulting in some cases in displacement of economic activity from one area to another without necessarily increasing economic activity. It was therefore decided by the UK Government that enterprise zones should be created or extended only in exceptional circumstances and there are no plans to revive them.
It is the role of Invest NI to increase the wealth and prosperity of Northern Ireland by delivering expertise and resources to accelerate the creation and growth of businesses. Through this portfolio, known as Business Development Solutions, the agency focuses on businesses from the manufacturing or international tradeable services sectors that have the commitment and capability to grow in export markets.
12 July 2006 : Column WA123
Support is provided through six core areas; namely, strategic development, people development, technology and process development, export focus, research and development, and technical and sustainable development.
Extradition
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they
will suspend the operation of the United Kingdom/United States
extradition treaty until the United States Senate approves the treaty
so as to ensure reciprocity and equality of treatment; and, if not,
what are their reasons for not doing
so.[HL6651]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Extradition to the United States is governed by Statutory Instrument 2003, No. 3334, which designates the US as a territory not required to provide prima facie evidence in support of extradition requests made to the UK. The Government have no intention of removing the US from this order. The decision to remove the prima facie requirement from the US addressed a previous imbalance in that the UK required a higher standard of evidence than the US.
The US was required to present a prima facie evidential case in support of extradition requests made to the UK, whereas the UK only had to demonstrate “probable cause”. Probable cause is a requirement of the US Bill of Rights, which it cannot amend. The Government are happy to respect that requirement. Total reciprocity in extradition relations is not possible because of the differences between separate legal systems, rules of evidence and case law. However, the new treaty and the Extradition Act 2003 have improved the balance in extradition relations between the UK and the US.
The “probable cause” test is broadly comparable to the requirement under Section 71 of the Extradition Act 2003 for,
- “information that
would justify the issue of a warrant for the arrest of a person accused
(or convicted) of the offence within the judge's
jurisdiction”,
Fire Service: Bin Burning
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- On how many
occasions the Lisburn Road fire station in Belfast has been called to
deal with bin burning and related arson incidents in alleys in the last
12 months; and whether the local police have consequently been involved
in investigations relating to such arson and in developing an approach
to curb the number of these fires and to deal with those
responsible.[HL6746]
12 July 2006 : Column WA124
Lord Rooker: During the period from 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006, the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) dealt with 866 arson-related incidents in the Cadogan fire station area on Belfast's Lisburn Road, of which 388 involved deliberate ignition of rubbish, skips and bins. The NIFRS has an ongoing arson reduction programme as part of an educational package for primary and secondary schools.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has advised that figures are not available on the numbers of recorded incidents of arson, as these are recorded against the owner’s address rather than as an “alleyway incident”. “Alleygating”, whereby locked gates are placed at both ends of an alley, thus making it a private space to which residents have a key, is being rolled out across Belfast. This citywide initiative is being co-ordinated by Belfast City Council Community Safety Unit. Initial pilots have seen a remarkable reduction in levels of anti-social behaviour in those areas. The community safety wardens scheme in the Holylands area has improved the local environment and should reduce bin burning in the area.
Gulf War: Pensions
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their
response to the statement by the president of the Pensions Appeal
Tribunal in his letter to the Ministry of Defence of 4 April that,
following the hope expressed by the Minister for veterans' affairs in
October 2005 that the tribunal's decision in the Martin case had
achieved closure of the Gulf War syndrome issue, the subsequent
decisions of the agency and the ministry in the McGreevy case appeared
“designed to undermine any such
closure”.[HL6603]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): Copies of the president's letter and the response from the Ministry of Defence were placed in the Library of the House in response to an earlier Question from the noble Lord on 26 June (Official Report, col. WA 126).
Immigration: Hunger Strikes
Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many
incidents of hunger strikes have been recorded during the past 12
months at immigration detention centres; how many individuals have been
involved; how long such incidents have lasted on average; and where
those incidents have
occurred.[HL6596]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): We record detainees who refuse to eat the meals provided after three days. Since 1 May 2006, from when numbers were fully recorded, the number of detainees refusing food for three days or more by removal centre was as follows.
12 July 2006 : Column WA125
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