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Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Clinton-Davis): The Government are aware of the severe strains that the financial crisis in South East Asia has imposed on the Indonesian economy. However, all payments due in respect of contracts for defence related equipment which are supported by ECGD facilities have been made on time. The expectation remains that, within the framework of support packages from the International Financial Institutions and other donors, the Indonesian Government will fulfil their obligations.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The trial interrupted arrangements for the removal of those who had no claim to remain in the United Kingdom. As the trial had been concluded, arrangements will proceed for the removal of those who have no claim to remain here. It would not be appropriate to make preferential arrangements for those who were acquitted on 17 June but who then remained in detention under Immigration Act powers when the cases of others who were present at Campsfield House on 20 August 1997, but who were not prosecuted, have since followed the normal, established procedures. However, one of the detainees
concerned was given bail on 26 June and another has a bail hearing listed for 2 July. Another of the detainees was granted temporary admission to hospital on 26 June.
Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: I understand from the commission that the approximate numbers attending the meetings were as follows:
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Mr. Esemuze was being held at Bullingdon prison on remand awaiting trial on charges arising from the disturbance which occurred at Campsfield House Detention Centre. He was taken to court on 17 June 1998, on which date the trial collapsed, resulting in Mr. Esemuze being effectively discharged from prison as he was acquitted of the charges on which he was being held. In fact, he was taken back into custody under Immigration Act powers and taken to Harmondsworth Detention Centre. He was then transferred from Harmondsworth to Rochester Prison on 18 June 1998, where he continues to be held as an Immigration Act detainee.
Prisoners' movements within the prison system are recorded on the Local Inmate Database System (LIDS). The LIDS system does not record disposals of prisoners from court. The LIDS system did not record the details of Mr. Esemuze's movements between prison custody and immigration detention and only recorded him as being discharged from court. Bullingdon prison received
your letter after Mr. Esemuze had been recorded as being discharged, and therefore returned it.It is regrettable that this process of events has resulted in a signficant delay in the delivery of your letter. However, I understand that the Prison Service has now forwarded the letter to Mr. Esemuze at Rochester Prison.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Prisoners serving a punishment of cellular confinement are allowed all normal privileges except for those which are incompatible with cellular confinement. Prisoners retain access to a range of reading material unless, exceptionally, anything is withdrawn by a concurrent punishment of forfeiture of privileges.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The incentives and earned privileges scheme allows prisoners to spend more of their own money on personal items, including books, when they move to higher privilege levels. But prisoners, including life sentence prisoners, have access to a wide range of books and other reading material from a variety of sources and local incentives and earned privileges schemes would not normally restrict this significantly.
The national framework for incentives and earned privileges aims to:
Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Richard): Yesterday the Prime Minister published the Government's conclusions on the second report of the Social Exclusion Unit on rough sleeping. The report sets out a new strategy to cut the numbers of people sleeping rough by two-thirds within three years.
A new ministerial committee, led by the Minister for Local Government and Housing, will be responsible for co-ordinating the policy across government.
The committee will lead a programme of prevention to ensure that the most vulnerable, often from institutional backgrounds, are better equipped to live on their own.
In London, where the problem is most acute, the Government will consult on setting up a new body to take over all the different programmes currently targeted on rough sleepers. Outside London, local authorities will be helped to co-ordinate activity better.
The rules of the New Deal will be changed to mean rough sleepers can qualify for the intensive help available under the scheme from the moment they sign on for benefit. This is a tremendous opportunity to break the "no home, no job" cycle. Finally, there will be a programme to challenge the business and voluntary sectors and the worlds of art and sports to make their own commitment to help rough sleepers. The Government will support a rough sleeper mentoring initiative if a suitable proposal is made.
Copies of the report are available in the Libraries of both Houses.
Baroness Jeger asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: My department is considering the options for the future of the land adjacent the British Library, bearing in mind the requirement to enable the development of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link terminus at St. Pancras, which will
also include an underground station for the Thameslink 2000 project. The Library has expressed an interest in acquiring and developing the site, and has been invited to submit a business case setting out its detailed proposals.
Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Applications for the post of Chairman of the Arts Council were sought through advertisement in the national press; and through the services of a firm of executive search consultants.
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