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Government Documents
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any government files or records were destroyed in the fire on the 13th and 14th July at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, Bow, London; and, if so, what those files or records contained. [HL7177]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The National Archives (TNA) did not store any files or other records at the paper warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, Bow, London. We are asking government departments if they have lost records. I will write to the noble Lord with this information shortly.
Gulf War Illnesses
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any research funded by the Ministry of Defence into the illnesses of veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War has caused the Ministry to question the findings of research funded by the Government of the United States into the number of troops exposed to fall-out from the demolition by United States forces of the Iraqi chemical arms stored at Khamisiyah and elsewhere in southern Iraq in March 1991; and what is their estimate of the number of British troops exposed to the fall-out.[HL7283]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): The key finding of epidemiological studies by US authorities into the demolitions carried out at Khamisiyah in March 1991 was that there was no evidence of significant health differences between exposed and non-exposed servicemen. Research funded by the Ministry of Defence into the ill health reported by UK veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf conflict has given us no reason to question the basic findings of this or other related research by US authorities. We published a Written Statement on 27 January 2005 (Official Report, column WS58) setting out the estimated number of UK service personnel who may have been within the area of possible exposure (with the closest some 130 kilometres from Khamisiyah). A copy of our paper Review of Modelling of the Demolitions at Khamisiyah in March 1991 and Implications for UK personnel is available in the Library of the House and on the Ministry of Defence website at www.mod.uk.
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the total funding to date on research into the illnesses of veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War; and whether they have received information on the cost to date of similar research funded by the Government of the United States and on any projected increases in such funding.[HL7284]
Lord Drayson: I refer my noble friend to the answer I gave on 22 June (Official Report, col. WA 99).
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they have taken to ensure that British veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War are kept informed of research into Gulf War illnesses funded by the Government of the United States; and what was the most recent date on which veterans were updated on its findings.[HL7285]
Lord Drayson: The Government does not routinely publicise the findings of research into Gulf veterans' illnesses sponsored by other nations because, in common with other scientific research, findings are generally published by the authors. In the case of US Government funded research, the findings are accessible on the Department of Veterans Affairs' website. The research in question is therefore already publicly accessible.
Food Safety: Ports
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the duties of local authorities with regard to food cover airports and airfields within their jurisdiction; and, if so, why ports have separate health authorities as indicated in the Contaminants in Food (England) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/1464).[HL6976]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): We have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that local authorities are responsible for enforcement of food safety legislation at airports and airfields and seaports within their jurisdiction under Section 6(2) of the Food Safety Act 1990.
Port health authorities (PHAs) are designated by the Department of Health for the purposes of administering a range of environmental health functions at docks and seaports. PHAs can comprise single local authorities or joint boards, covering more than one local authority. PHAs cannot be constituted at airports as airports do not fall within the definition of a port in the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.
The Food Safety Act 1990, at Section 5(3)(a), stipulates that where functions under the Act have been assigned by other legislation to a PHA, references in the Act to a food authority are to be read as references to a PHA. That division of responsibilities is preserved in regulations made under the Act (such as the Contaminants in Food (England) Regulations 2006).
Home Office: Deportations
Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 26 June (WA 131—32), whether any update to the House on the organisational failings of the Home Office will include an answer to the question of what action has been taken against those who have failed to effect lawful deportations of convicted foreign nationals.[HL6664]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The Secretary of State for the Home Department has asked the director-general of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to oversee a specific review of the failings which led to the release of 1,013 foreign national prisoners without deportation consideration. The review will commence once the Immigration and Nationality Directorate has addressed our main priority of dealing fully with all these 1,013 cases.
Home Office: Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many persons are currently employed by the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate; and, of these, how many are United Kingdom nationals. [HL7207]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The number of persons currently employed by the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate on 30 June 2006 was 18,248, which amounts to 17,380 full-time equivalents. The Home Office does not centrally record information on the nationality of employees who fulfil our nationality entry requirements, so this information could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The only exceptions are records of those foreign nationals who are employed under the exceptional circumstances set out in the Aliens' Employment Act 1955. The Immigration and Nationality Directorate currently employs no foreign nationals under the terms of that Act.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
What vetting procedures are currently applied to staff recruited to the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate; and whether existing staff who have not been subjected to the current procedures will be re-vetted. [HL7208]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: It is longstanding procedure that all staff are required to have a national security clearance to the appropriate level commensurate to the duties they will be undertaking. Security clearance is valid for a maximum period of 10 years, depending on the level, and requires renewal or upgrading if the individual moves to a post which requires a higher level.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
What government authority is responsible for (a) scrutinising, and (b) investigating the propriety and trustworthiness of the staff of the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [HL7211]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Home Office is responsible for the conduct of its own staff and deals with matters relating to this in accordance with internal policies and procedures.
In addition, since 1994, the Independent Complaints Audit Commission has been in place in order to monitor the procedures for investigating complaints about the conduct and efficiency of IND staff and increase public confidence in IND’s complaints system.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which members of the senior management of the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate have been relieved of their posts or responsibilities since the beginning of 2006. [HL7212]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): One senior civil servant was removed from his current duties pending an investigation into how incorrect information had been provided to the Home Secretary. The investigating officer concluded that there were not grounds for disciplinary action in connection with this investigation.
Baroness Sharples asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their policy on the recruitment of non-British nationals to the staff of the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [HL7213]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The majority of posts in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate are open to European Economic Area nationals or Commonwealth citizens with no employment restriction or time limit on their stay in the United Kingdom, as well as to British citizens. Other foreign nationals may be employed only in very exceptional circumstances, as set out in the Aliens' Employment Act 1955. Reserved posts in the Immigration Service (including immigration officers and assistant immigration officers) are open only to UK nationals.
House of Lords: Statements
Lord Wedderburn of Charlton asked the Leader of the House:
Why the statement on the war in Lebanon made to the House of Commons during an adjournment debate on 20 July (HC Deb, col. 510) by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs was not also made in the House of Lords.[HL7366]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): Adjournment debates in the House of Commons are not repeated in this House. A Statement on the situation in Lebanon was made to the House of Commons on 17 July, and repeated in this House. The Statement by the Prime Minister on the G8 Summit on 18 July also addressed events in the Middle East, and was repeated in this House.
Houses of Parliament: Disposal of Computer Equipment
Baroness Boothroyd asked the Chairman of Committees:
How many computers and printers from the Parliamentary Estate will be disposed of within the next twelve months; what is the cost of their disposal; and what is the cost of replacement.[HL7241]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): During the next 12 months, Members of the House of Lords with older equipment will be able to replace their equipment, if they wish. If all Members of the House of Lords choose to do so, 238 computers and 201 printers will be replaced. The cost of their disposal will be £6,391 and the cost of their replacement £157,755.
Both Houses will also be upgrading the computer equipment used by their staff in the next 12 months. It is estimated that the cost of replacement will be in the region of £625,000.
Identity: Name Changes
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many United Kingdom citizens have registered a change of name with the Registrar General in each of the last five years; and whether arrangements are made to alert all appropriate government departments of such name changes.[HL7265]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from the Director of Macroeconomics and Labour Market at the General Register Office, Colin Mowl, to the Lord Marlesford, dated 31 July 2006.
The Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many United Kingdom citizens have registered a change of name with the Registrar General in each of the last five years; and whether arrangements are made to alert all appropriate Government departments to such name changes. I am replying in her absence. (HL7265)
There is no provision for United Kingdom citizens to register a change of name with the Registrar General for England and Wales. The only name changes that may be recorded in the birth register are those given to infants within 12 months of birth registration. There are different provisions in force for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
There is no legal requirement for individuals to register a change of name. There is however a facility to make a deed poll and enrol the change with the Royal Courts of Justice. After 5 years, deed polls that have been recorded in this way are deposited with the National Archive at Kew.
Immigration: Deportation
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they have taken following the Statement by the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality on 19 July (HC Deb, col. 28WS) that the police, Crown Prosecution Service, courts and prisons depend on self-declaration of nationality to ensure that United Kingdom citizens and other persons exempted from deportation are not deported or detained (under Immigration Act powers while deportation is considered), whether immediately after the end of their imprisonment following conviction for a crime, or through re-detention after release.[HL7268]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: As the Statement of 19 July indicated, the Home Secretary has identified eight priority areas to be addressed in order to improve the effectiveness of arrangements for deporting foreign national prisoners. The second of these priority areas is that there is currently no legal requirement for prisoners to provide evidence of their nationality, or consistent processes for nationality to be recorded. Before the summer, staff in IND and the criminal justice agencies worked together to design possible ways of addressing this gap, including a new legal requirement. A programme of activities is currently in hand, managed through the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, to test the options with frontline staff across the criminal justice system and to examine their feasibility and relative merits, in order for recommendations to be produced by the end of October.
Immigration: Illegal Workers
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
In each of the last five years, how many employers have been prosecuted under the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 for employing illegal immigrants; how many of these prosecutions were successful; and what sentences were given.[HL6883]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Data held on the court proceedings database on the number of defendants prosecuted at magistrates’ court, found guilty at all courts and sentenced for employing illegal immigrants in England and Wales for the period 2000 to 2004 can be found in the attached table.
Prosecutions should not be seen as the sole indicator of the enforcement activity carried out to tackle illegal working. The Immigration Service regularly disrupts illegal working activity and will continue to do so, even where there is not a case for prosecution against an employer. Removing their illegal workers results in additional recruitment and training costs for employers as well as potential loss of contracts and orders and bad publicity.
Information for Scotland is a matter for the Scotland Office and that for Northern Ireland for the Northern Ireland Office. Court proceedings data for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006.
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