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18 Oct 2006 : Column WA185
Written Answers
Wednesday 18 October 2006
Asylum Seekers: Lancashire
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many properties are currently provided by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) in (a) Blackburn; (b) Hyndburn; (c) Burnley; and (d) Pendle (Nelson); how many asylum seekers are being housed in each of these local authority areas; and whether there are any empty properties still under NASS contracts in these areas.[HL7511]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) does not directly provide accommodation. Instead, it has contracts with accommodation providers that supply accommodation for asylum seekers.. The new “Target Contracts” entered into earlier this year mean that the IND only pays for those asylum seekers who are actually accommodated and not for properties.
The IND, through its accommodation contracts, currently has 157 properties in Blackburn with Darwen and five properties in Hyndburn. There are no asylum seekers being housed in either Burnley or Pendle.
The number of asylum seekers supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) is published on a quarterly and annual basis, broken down by government office region and local authority. The next publication covering the third quarter of 2006 will be available on the 21 November 2006, on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html. Data on asylum seekers supported by NASS broken down by parliamentary constituency are also available from the Library of the House.
Bankruptcy
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many bankruptcy restriction orders (BROs) have been made under the personal insolvency provisions introduced by the Enterprise Act in April 2004; what proportion of total bankruptcy cases over the same period BROs represent; and what proportion of BROs were projected by the Insolvency Service from the introduction of the Act to date.[HL7570]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): From 1 April 2004 to 30 September 2006, a total of 1,609 bankruptcy restrictions orders (or undertakings) have been made. This represents 1.3 per cent of all bankruptcy orders made over the same period (the total number of bankruptcy orders made in this period is 121,648).
The Insolvency Service has not predicted the proportion of bankruptcy cases that BROs will represent but looks to obtain a BRO in all of those cases where the individual's conduct makes it appropriate to do so.
The bankruptcy restriction order provisionsapply only to misconduct which takes place after1 April 2004.
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts asked Her Majesty's Government:
What additional resources, including staff, have been provided to the Insolvency Service to administer the bankruptcy restriction order regime since the introduction of the Enterprise Act 2002.[HL7571]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: From 1 April 2004 additional resources have been provided to the Insolvency Service by way of its enforcement programme, which includes the application of the bankruptcy restriction order (BRO) regime. Expenditure on BROs amounted to some £863,000 in 2004-05 and £5,990,000 in 2005-06. Insolvency Service staff carry out a range of duties and it would be disproportionately costly to seek to calculate the level of additional staff resource attributable to that expenditure.
British Citizenship
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
To whom persons should write if the Home Office has issued to them a British citizenship certificate containing mistakes which they wish to have corrected, if they are (a) resident in the United Kingdom; and (b) resident outside the United Kingdom.[HL7528]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): In the rare event that a citizenship certificate contains a mistake, it should be returned to
Managed MigrationQuality and Correspondence TeamDepartment 2PO Box 306LIVERPOOLL2 OQNThose from people living overseas should be referred through the nearest consul general.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will update section 8 of the British citizenship application form B(OS) and part 8 of guide B(OS) to explain how an applicant who became a British Overseas citizen ipso jure under Article 6(1) of the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 should complete the application form.[HL7529]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: An update to the application form will not be necessary, since an applicant who became a British overseas citizen by virtue of Article 6(1) will be so effectively by birth. A note clarifying the information included in section 8 of guide B(OS) will be added during the next revision.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will place in the Library of the House any documents pertaining to the discussions between the United Kingdom and the Government of India referred to by the Indian Minister of External Affairs in the Lok Sabha on 25 July 1991, concerning the future of British passport holders of Indian origin in Hong Kong.[HL7550]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): We have initiated a file search for documents on the issues to which the noble Lord refers. We will take a decision on what information might be placed in the Library of the House when that process is complete.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of the representations received, and any other documents pertaining to those representations, from the former Governor of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Legislative Councillors concerning the future of the solely British ethnic minorities of Hong Kong, in the 18 months prior to 4 February 1997.[HL7551]
Lord Triesman: We have initiated a file search for documents on the issues to which the noble Lord refers. We will take a decision on what information might be placed in the Library of the House when that process is complete.
Cabinet Office: 67 Tufton Street
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Cabinet Office's lease of the property at 67 Tufton Street is on full repairing and insuring terms; what are the start and finish dates of the lease; whether the lease is subject to break clauses; what is the current rent payable; on what dates it is subject to review; whether the rent is reviewed to open market value or with fixed increases; and what deduction is made from the rent actually paid because the property is owned by a company registered offshore.[HL7496]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Cabinet Office lease of the property at 67 Tufton Street is on full repairing and insuring terms. The start date of the lease was 24 June 2001 and it expires on 3 February 2027. The lease is subject to break clauses. The rent payable is £869,268 per annum. The rent was subject to review on 24 June 2006 and will be reviewed every fifth anniversary thereof until June 24 2021. The rent is reviewed to open market value. No deduction is made from the rent actually paid because the property is owned by a company registered offshore.
Cluster Bombs
Baroness Northover asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): Cluster munitions provide a unique capability for use against area or dispersed targets. They are permitted under International Humanitarian Law, and UK forces use them strictly in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Consultation: Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Regarding Section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, how many consultations the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland has arranged in each year since 1999; what those consultations were; and what groups they consulted; and [HL7548]
Regarding Section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, whether the groups consulted by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland responded to any consultation; to what extent and in what form they addressed equality of opportunity issues; and whether any suggestions were made leading to a change in proposed policies.[HL7549]
Lord Rooker: Equality-related consultations arising from Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 did not begin to take place in departments until after equality schemes approved by the Equality Commission were in place, around mid 2001. Between 2001 and 2006 in the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland there were eight equality-related consultations undertaken. Further details can be found in the department's statutory five-year review of its equality scheme which is publicly available on its website at www.dardni.gov.uk/index/publications/pubs-dard-strategies-reports-and-accounts/five-year-review-of-equality-scheme.htm.
For each consultation DARD consults with groups and individuals who have requested that they be included on its Section 75 consultation list (a copy is attached at Annexe B), which was established as part of its equality scheme for these purposes. This list is updated on request during the year. Backdated lists are not kept.
The noble Lord may wish to be aware that in addition to equality-related consultations, the department consults with key stakeholders as part of good policy-making practices generally, and because one must consult on legislation, even where no adverse equality impacts have been identified.
With regard to the noble Lord's second Question, the information requested is not readily available in the form requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, for every equality-related consultation issued, policy makers record to whom consultations were issued, who responded and what was said. At least a summary of consultation responses received is published (usually on the department's website). All of this information is or has been publicly available.
It is difficult to identify specific changes that have occurred to a policy as a result of consultation alone. This is because, when equality is mainstreamed effectively into decision-making throughout the policy development cycle—through, for example, having advisory fora, pre-consultation or informal consultation—there will be no negative equality impacts evident.
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