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Depleted Uranium Ammunition: 14th/20th King's Hussars
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many rounds of depleted uranium ammunition was issued to the 14th/20th King's Hussars during Operation Granby, and how many of those rounds were returned unused.[HL837]
Lord Gilbert: A search of surviving contemporary departmental records has not found any information on the number of 120mm depleted uranium tank rounds issued to, or returned from, the 14th/20th King's Hussars during Operation Granby. We will continue to investigate these matters further.
Embarkation Control
Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the role of the embarkation control in the immigration control process.[HL1070]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn): We have undertaken a detailed study of the residual embarkation control over persons leaving the United Kingdom. We have concluded, in the light of this, that the present arrangements are an inefficient use of resources and that they contribute little to the integrity of the immigration
control. They will be replaced by a targeted, intelligence-led approach creating a more efficient and effective control.The revised and improved arrangements will be brought into operation as soon as practicable. We will employ appropriate technology and will build upon the existing co-operation between the border agencies, port operators and carriers.
We conducted this study against the background of the decision, in 1994, by the previous administration to scrap the embarkation checks for passengers travelling from ferry ports and small ports to destinations within the European Union; so, for four years, 40 per cent. of departing passengers have not been seen by an immigration officer.
In common with most comparable countries, the United Kingdom has never had a comprehensive check-out system because experience has shown that the use of intelligence and denunciatory information is the most effective tool against illegal immigration. This approach will continue and will be developed.
Although it does not contribute to the overall effectiveness of the immigration control, the residual embarkation control is resource intensive. In 1997, 7 per cent. of the Immigration Service's operational duties were deployed on the embarkation control, compared with 11 per cent. on asylum related work. Estimated staffing costs were over £3 million.
We inherited an embarkation control which serves little purpose in the tracking down of immigration offenders. Enhanced technology, such as closed circuit television, combined with close liaison between the border agencies, port operators and airlines, will create a stronger deterrent than the current immigration departure checks. We will also ensure that systems will be in place to mount comprehensive embarkation checks when required in the interests of national security. We are committed to the continued operation of the All Ports Warning System for child abduction cases.
Finally, by better use of technology and liaison, we will release Immigration Service resources to be redeployed on more effective elements of the control. We will keep the revised arrangements under review.
Gambling among 16-18 Year-olds
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the rate of problem gambling among those aged 16-18 in respect of:
(a) fruit machines;
(b) scratchcards;
(c) the National Lottery; and
(d) Pronto.[HL956]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: We understand that no empirical research into problem gambling has been undertaken in relation to this age group.
I understand that a survey undertaken for OFLOT last year showed that about 8 per cent. of 16-18 year-olds
Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: We are currently looking at ways of tackling the backlog of undecided cases without allowing newer cases to create further backlogs.
Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there are any cases of applicants for asylum who made application prior to 1988 and who have not yet received an initial decision, and, if so, how many.[HL965]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: A breakdown, by year of application, of those asylum applicants awaiting an initial decision which date from 1994 onwards (following the introduction of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993) can be estimated from centrally recorded information but, regrettably, the same source does not provide reliable data for earlier cases. This is due to the low level of recording of initial decisions made during the early 1990s, which results in an over-stating of the number of such applications yet to be decided. Although the overall number of outstanding cases which pre-date 1994 can be estimated (around 10,000 at the end of 1997), an accurate breakdown, by year of application, could only be achieved at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files. For these reasons, it is also not possible to establish accurately the number of undecided applications, if any, which were lodged prior to 1988.
There are no plans to carry out a detailed breakdown of outstanding asylum applications in advance of the computerisation project being implemented in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, which will eventually supply a centralised computer record for each asylum application.
Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will give some degree of priority in the processing of asylum applications to those applicants of five or more years' standing who have not yet received an initial decision.[HL964]
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 26 February (WA 114), why they are unable to provide year-by-year statistics of applicants seeking asylum prior to 1993; and whether they will now take steps to ascertain how many applicants are still awaiting initial decision who applied in each specific year prior to 1994; and[HL962]
How they can conduct their current review of the asylum system and the processing of asylum
16 Mar 1998 : Column WA103
- applications, or evaluate its efficiency, without a detailed breakdown by year of application of the progress of all cases; and what progress has been made towards the development of a central computerised record for asylum applications and decisions.[HL963]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The procedures which are being reviewed, including how undecided asylum applications are recorded and monitored, are those which we inherited from our predecessors. The key issue is how to speed up consideration of all asylum applications whilst tackling the root causes of delays in the system as a whole. A detailed breakdown by year of application, although not essential, would have been helpful to our consideration, but is not provided for at present. A centralised computerised record for asylum applications and decisions will be an eventual product of the computerisation project being implemented in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.
Data Protection Act 1984 and Confessions to Crime
Lord Hardy of Wath asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they consider it acceptable for the Data Protection Act 1984 to provide protection when an imprisoned offender confesses to other crimes and can then neither be named nor pursued for compensation.[HL1004]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Data Protection Act 1984 applies only to computerised personal information. It does not necessarily prohibit the disclosure of such information, but regulates the circumstances in which it may be disclosed. Those wishing to hold personal data must register the relevant details with the Data Protection Registrar and comply with the Act's data protection principles. Provided these requirements are addressed, a disclosure of personal data would not be prohibited.
The Registrar is responsible for supervising and enforcing the 1984 Act. If a concern with its operation in a particular case has been identified, the matter should be brought to her attention so that she may provide detailed advice. Her address is Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Associations of Chief Police Officers
The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which grades within the uniformed police or civilian police service make up the membership of the Association of Chief Police Officers in England and Wales and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland; and [HL941]
Which grades or individuals so entitled within the uniformed police or civilian police service have refused to join the Association of Chief Police Officers in England and Wales and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland; and [HL942]
What funds or assistance the Association of Chief Police Officers in England and Wales and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland receive from the Home Office or other government departments; and what is the contribution from each police authority or committee and each individual constituent member.[HL943]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The membership of the Association of Chief Police Officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland comprises:
- the chief constables, and assistant chief constables, including assistant chief constables (designated), of the forces in the police areas listed in Schedule 1 to the Police Act 1996 (full members);
the commissioners, assistant commissioners and commanders of the Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police (full members);
the chief constable, deputy chief constable and assistant chief constables of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (full members);
the chief police officers appointed/seconded to the National Criminal Intelligence Service and National Crime Squad (full members);
senior civilian staff of the forces and organisations listed above who are deemed by the association to hold a post equivalent to that at least of an assistant chief constable (associate members); and
those chief police officers of other police forces who accept the association's invitation to become members (associate members).
None of those entitled or invited to join have refused to join the Association of Chief Police Officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We are not aware of any eligible grades or individuals who have refused to join ACPOS (this is, in any event, not a matter for Ministers).
In respect of the Association of Chief Police Officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Home Office has contributed £458,000 in respect of staff salaries and administrative costs in the current financial year (1997-98). Contributions from police authorities are listed in the table shown below. Each full member of the association pays £70 per annum and each associate member pays £60 per annum.
In 1997-98, £141,000 was made available to ACPOS by the Scottish Office Home Department in respect of staff salaries and administrative costs.
| Force | Police authority contribution £ |
| Avon and Somerset | 14,792.22 |
| Bedfordshire | 5,456.95 |
| Cambridgeshire | 6,353.12 |
| Cheshire | 9,451.31 |
| City of London | 5,284.64 |
| Cleveland | 7,109.47 |
| Cumbria | 5,393.29 |
| Derbyshire | 8,808.48 |
| Devon and Cornwall | 15,014.00 |
| Dorset | 6,151.13 |
| Durham | 6,922.83 |
| Dyfed Powys | 4,563.41 |
| Essex | 14,287.26 |
| Gloucestershire | 5,567.67 |
| Greater Manchester | 33,020.60 |
| Gwent | 5,962.97 |
| Hampshire | 16,876.94 |
| Hertfordshire | 8,478.17 |
| Humberside | 9,943.65 |
| Kent | 12,689.32 |
| Lancashire | 15,800.42 |
| Leicestershire | 8,971.59 |
| Lincolnshire | 5,441.39 |
| Merseyside | 21,382.39 |
| Metropolitan | 139,033.22 |
| Norfolk | 7,370.29 |
| North Wales | 6,640.81 |
| North Yorkshire | 6,792.39 |
| Northamptonshire | 5,608.91 |
| Northumbria | 18,271.40 |
| Nottinghamshire | 11,252.53 |
| Royal Ulster Constabulary | 54,322.10 |
| South Wales | 14,339.69 |
| South Yorkshire | 14,942.69 |
| Staffordshire | 10,267.55 |
| Suffolk | 5,962.47 |
| Surrey | 7,486.28 |
| Sussex | 14,429.38 |
| Thames Valley | 19,491.84 |
| Warwickshire | 4,656.28 |
| West Mercia | 9,831.60 |
| West Midlands | 33,486.12 |
| West Yorkshire | 25,293.17 |
| Wiltshire | 5,857.04 |
| Total | 669,048.98 |
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