---

6 Feb 2001 : Column WA93

Written Answers

Tuesday, 6th February 2001.

Protocol on the Position of the UK and Ireland

Lord Shore of Stepney asked Her Majesty's Government:

On what occasions since the Treaty of Amsterdam was signed has the United Kingdom under Article 44 of the Protocol on the Position of the United Kingdom and Ireland notified the European Community that it wished to accept a measure of the Council pursuant to Title IV (formerly iii a) of the European Community Treaty. [HL332]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton): The Protocol on the Position of the United Kingdom and Ireland consists of eight articles and it is assumed that the noble Lord intended to refer to Article 4 rather than Article 44 of the Protocol. The United Kingdom has never notified the Council and Commission under Article 4 of the Protocol on the Position of the United Kingdom and Ireland that it wishes to accept a measure previously adopted by the Council pursuant to Title IV of the European Community Treaty.

The UK has, however, notified its intention, in accordance with Article 3 of the Protocol, to participate in the adoption and application of a number of proposals under Title IV in the areas of asylum, combating illegal immigration and civil law, in accordance with the Government's general policy on Title IV.

National Asylum Support Service

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many staff are employed by the National Asylum Support Service; and of these how many are employed centrally and how many in each region of England, in Scotland and in Wales. [HL527]

Lord Bassam of Brighton: As at the end of December 2000, there were 492 staff employed by the Home Office in the NASS. In addition there were 42 agency staff.

Of the total of 534, 523 are employed centrally and 11 in the regions; one in each of the following areas: Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the North West, Yorkshire/Humberside, the West Midlands, the North East, the East Midlands, the East of England, the South West, the South Central/East.

6 Feb 2001 : Column WA94

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proportion of employees in the National Asylum Support Service are full-time and on permanent contracts, full-time and on temporary contracts, part-time and on permanent contracts, and part-time and on temporary contracts.[HL528]

Lord Bassam of Brighton: All of the staff currently employed by the Home Office in the NASS are on permanent contracts, almost 18 per cent of whom are part time.

A further 8 per cent of staff in NASS are employed by agencies. These staff are not contractually bound to the Home Office.

In addition, there is a small number of contractors and secondees (about eight at present) whose contracts are with their agencies and original departments respectively.

Asylum Seekers Detained in Prison:Language Facilities

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

What language support and training are provided to prison officers in prisons that are used to detain asylum seekers; and what translating and interpreting services are provided to such asylum seekers.[HL529]

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Prison Service has recently re-negotiated its contract with Language Line, a 24-hour telephone interpreting service available to all prison establishments. A training day for staff on the use of the service was held at the Prison Service College in September 2000 and further sessions at the Race Relations Liaison Officers National Conference in November 2000. The Prisoners' Information Book, jointly produced with the Prison Reform Trust, is available in 21 languages.

Establishments have access to an Interpreters' Directory which gives details of interpreters registered to immigration ports in England and Wales. Immigration staff--who hold "surgeries" for immigration detainees--have access to a database of 3,000 interpreters in over 200 different languages.

The Prison Service will continue to work in partnership with the Immigration Service and other agencies to minimise any language or cultural difficulties experienced by foreign nationals, including asylum seekers, detained in prison.

Air Weapons: Permit Requirement

Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 15 January (WA 99), whether for the avoidance of confusion and doubt they will list the categories of air rifles and air pistols for which permits are required.[HL615]

6 Feb 2001 : Column WA95

Lord Bassam of Brighton: I understand that air weapons of the type used in competitive target shooting such as the Commonwealth Games shooting events are restricted in power to give muzzle energies of less than 12 foot pounds for rifles and 6 foot pounds for pistols. They are classed as low powered air weapons and do not require any form of certification.

High powered air rifles with muzzle energies greater than 12 foot pounds and air pistols with muzzle energies of greater than 6 foot pounds are classed as being of a type declared by the Secretary of State to be specially dangerous, and this moves them into the same classification as conventional cartridge firing weapons. This means that high powered air rifles come under the control of Section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended) and must be kept on a police-issued firearm certificate or visitor's permit. High powered air pistols are prohibited under the terms of Section 5(1)(aba) of the Act and may not be possessed without the express authority of the Secretary of State. In addition, they would also need to be kept on a firearm certificate or visitor's permit.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate: Casework Programme

Lord Rea asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress has been made on the introduction of the casework programme of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.[HL640]

Lord Bassam of Brighton: In 1996 Siemens Business Services Ltd and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) of the Home Office agreed a specification and contract for the development and operation of an integrated casework system. For a number of reasons delivery in the timescale originally anticipated did not occur.

Officials have however worked closely with Siemens to ensure that the Information Technology (IT) provided by it supports the expansion of immigration casework and current priorities. The systems already operating as an interim solution, with which the directorate has achieved 110,000 asylum decisions this year, provide the practical support needed. The original full casework application now seems over-complex and out of touch with current working practices. IND has accordingly agreed with Siemens that it should stand down the resources it is using to develop the full casework application.

Siemens continues to work actively in partnership with IND on a programme of further improvements to IND's current IT, to be completed over the next year.

6 Feb 2001 : Column WA96

IND and Siemens will together work through the consequent changes to the contract and payment schedule. At present, there is no change to the current contract, which runs to October 2003.

Clandestine Entrants: Rail Freight Regulations

Lord Rea asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the application of the civil penalty for carrying clandestine entrants to rail freight trains will be extended; when the amount of such a penalty will be set; when a code of practice for rail freight will be brought into operation; and whether a report on the consultation process will be published.[HL641]

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Following a formal consultation period, which ran from 13 November to 25 December 2000, the main set of regulations extending the civil penalty to rail freight (the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants) (Application to Rail Freight) Regulations 2001) has been laid before Parliament today, along with a draft code of practice. The main regulations come into force, for the purposes of making and laying two related instruments--namely the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 and the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants) (Code of Practice for Rail Freight) Order 2001--on 7 February 2001. The remaining provisions of the main regulations and the two related instruments will come into force on 1 March 2001.

The purpose of the main regulations is to enable penalties to be imposed in respect of clandestine entrants who arrive in the United Kingdom concealed in a rail freight wagon. The other two instruments provide respectively for the amount of the penalty (and certain procedural matters), and for the coming into operation of the Code of Practice.

A copy of the report, summarising the main responses to the consultation process, has been placed in the Library. Copies are also available on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website at www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk.

CCFs

Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list, for each school, college or university having a combined cadet force (CCF), (a) its name, (b) its postcode, (c) the services with which it has connections, and (d) the number of cadets linked with each service; and what is the total annual cost to the Government of maintaining such CCFs.[HL464]

The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): The details requested are in the following table.

6 Feb 2001 : Column WA97

School or College (a)	Post Code (b)	No of cadets by service section as at 1 April 2000 (c), (d)			RN/RM	Army	RAF
Abingdon School	O14 1DE	--	75	50
Adams' Grammar School	TF10 7BD	--	110	55
Alleyn's School	SE22 8SU	22	84	64
Ampleforth College	YO6 4EY	--	173	27
Ardingly College	RH17 6SQ	--	105	--
Arnold School	FY4 1JG	119	164	119
Audenshaw High School	M34 5NB	--	27	32
Bancroft's School	IG8 0RF	--	87	50
Bangor Grammar School	BT20 5HJ	70	107	--
Barnard Castle School	DL12 8UN	--	98	58
Batley Grammar School	WF17 0AD	29	46	63
Bearwood College	RG41 5BG	--	120	--
Bedford School	MK40 2TU	42	77	83
Bedford Modern School	MK41 7NT	51	72	31
Berkhamsted Collegiate School	HP4 2BB	25	132	42
Birkenhead School	CH43 2JD	30	90	72
Bloxham School	OX15 4PE	--	75	--
Blundells School	EX16 4DN	--	146	--
Bournemouth School	BH8 9PY	33	80	85
Bradfield College	RG7 6AU	49	167	30
Bradford Grammar School	BD9 4JP	--	58	--
Brentwood School	CM15 8AS	40	292	71
Bridlington School	YO16 4QU	21	49	41
Brighton College	BN2 2AL	54	119	76
Bromsgrove School	B61 7DU	--	179	37
Bury Grammar School	BL9 0HN	--	139	--
Calday Grange Grammar School	CH48 8GG	31	50	38
Campbell College	BT4 2ND	120	309	71
Canford School	BH21 3AD	67	143	--
Caterham School	CR3 6YA	--	58	51
Charterhouse School	GU7 2DJ	49	59	45
Cheltenham College	GL53 7LD	23	146	33
Chichester High School	PO19 2AE	--	60	59
Christ College, Brecon	LD3 8AG	23	103	22
Christ's College, Finchley	N2 0SE	--	112	--
Christ's Hospital	RH13 7LS	20	101	45
Churcher's College	GU31 4AS	35	60	50
Churston Grammar School	TQ5 0LN	--	50	--
City of London School	EC4V 3AL	36	121	34
Clayesmore School	DT11 8LL	--	105	55
Clifton College	BS8 3JH	70	112	89
Colfe's School	SE12 8AW	--	44	21
College of Richard Collyer	RH12 2EJ	--	71	--
Colston's Collegiate School	BS16 1BJ	24	90	25
Cowes High School	PO31 8HB	--	44	20
Cranbrook School	TN17 3JD	--	45	30
Cranleigh School	GU6 8QQ	--	117	--
Daniel Stewart's & Melville College	EH4 3EZ	--	202	91
Dean Close School	GL51 6HE	42	283	64
Denstone College	ST14 5HN	--	45	34
Dollar Academy	FK14 7DU	18	145	27
Dover Grammar School	CT17 0DQ	--	45	50
Downside School	BA3 4RJ	45	126	--
Duke of York's Royal Military School	CT15 5EQ	--	293	34
Dulwich College	SE21 7LD	22	60	65
Dundee High School	DD1 1HU	22	146	--
Durham School	DH1 4SZ	20	105	36
Eastbourne College	BN21 4JY	19	251	20
Edinburgh Academy	EH3 5BL	23	105	61
Elizabeth College	GY1 2PY	19	35	28
Ellesmere College	SY12 9AB	29	130	37
Epsom College	KT17 4JQ	42	283	98
Eton College	SL4 6DW	--	176	21
Exeter School	EX2 4NS	92	142	96
Felsted School	CM6 3LL	--	99	16
Fettes College	EH4 1QX	40	180	47
Forest School	E17 3PY	--	42	--
Framlingham College	IP13 9EY	44	114	52
George Heriots School	EH3 9EQ	30	50	65
Giggleswick School	BD24 0DE	24	102	23
Glasgow Academy	G12 8HE	36	82	60
Glenalmond College	PH1 3RY	--	167	43
Godolphin School	SP1 2RA	--	55	--
Gordon's School	GU24 9PT	33	267	48
Gresham's School	NR25 6EA	--	274	98
Haberdashers' Aske's School	WD6 3AF	86	87	96
Haileybury College	SG13 7NU	45	150	50
Hampton School	TW12 3HD	--	85	75
Harrow School	HA1 3HP	107	283	40
Hele's School	PL7 4LT	37	100	36
Hereford Cathedral School	HR1 2NG	17	110	79
Highgate School	N6 4AY	--	62	--
Howard School	ME8 0BX	--	92	6
Hulme Grammar School	OL8 4BX	--	49	37
Hurstpierpoint College	BN6 9JS	--	57	57
Ipswich School	IP1 3SG	--	52	35
Judd School	TN9 2PN	--	45	78
Kelly College	PL19 0HZ	131	73	--
Kelvinside Academy	G12 0SW	36	57	26
Kimbolton School	PE18 0EA	31	106	80
King Charles I High School	DY10 1XA	--	45	--
King Edward's School, Bath	BA2 6HU	--	114	--
King Edward's School, Birmingham	B15 2UA	16	82	52
King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford	CM1 3SX	--	80	--
King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth	LN11 9LL	--	--	--
King William's College	IM9 1TP	31	102	49
King's College, Taunton	TA1 3DX	53	148	--
King's College School	SW19 4TT	61	109	77
King's School, Bruton	BA10 0ED	9	225	34
King's School, Canterbury	CT1 2ES	25	80	35
King's School, Chester	CH4 7QL	--	76	54
King's School, Grantham	NG31 6RP	--	110	34
King's School, Rochester	ME1 1TE	45	68	39
King's School, Worcester	WR1 2LH	--	44	60
Kingham Hill School	OX7 6TH	--	88	32
Kingston Grammar School	KT2 6PY	--	21	27
Kirkham Grammar School	PR4 2BH	--	133	76
Knox Academy	EH41 4EW	--	56	--
Lancing College	BN15 0RW	28	32	38
Langley School	NR14 6BJ	21	102	22
Leeds Grammar School	LS17 8GS	--	31	62
Leys School	CB2 2AD	--	62	--
Liverpool College	L18 8BG	40	226	58
Llandovery College	SA20 0EE	--	118	--
London Oratory School	SW6 1RX	--	55	61
Longhill School	BN2 7FR	--	75	--
Lordswood Boys' School	B17 8BJ	--	--	--
Lord Wandsworth College	RG29 1TB	--	117	29
Loretto School	EH21 7AF	50	131	--
Loughborough Grammar School	LE11 2DU	26	165	110
Magdalen College School	OX4 1DX	36	109	61
Maidstone Grammar School	ME15 7BT	26	82	58
Malvern College	WR14 3DF	50	68	14
Marlborough College	SN8 1PA	--	274	--
Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby	L23 0PO	32	181	38
Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood	HA6 2HT	89	195	83
Merchiston Castle School	EH13 0PU	--	212	--
Merrill College	DE24 9FE	--	80	--
Mill Hill School	NW7 1QS	49	154	17
Milton Abbey School	DT11 0BZ	40	88	35
Monkton Combe School	BA2 7HG	44	110	43
Monmouth School	NP5 3XP	--	123	32
Morrison's Academy	PH7 3AN	--	111	--
Mount St Mary's College	S21 3YL	--	129	50
Newcastle under Lyme School	ST5 1DB	28	80	61
Northolt High School	UB5 4HP	--	55	35
Nottingham High School	NG7 4ED	31	93	76
Oakham School	LE15 6QG	--	96	86
Old Swinford Hospital	DY8 1QX	--	160	63
Oratory School	RG8 0PJ	29	121	39
Oswestry School	SY11 2TL	--	109	--
Oundle School	PE8 4EN	29	340	79
Pangbourne College	RG8 8LA	93	32	--
Pate's Grammar School	GL51 0HG	--	119	73
Perse School	CB2 2QF	23	95	60
Plymouth College	PL4 6RN	40	65	36
Pocklington School	YO4 2NJ	--	122	51
Portsmouth Grammar School	PO1 2LN	57	74	56
Presentation College	RG30 2BB	--	53	35
Prior Park College	BA2 5AH	44	50	18
Queen Elizabeth's College	EN5 4DQ	--	60	--
Queen Mary's Grammar School	WS1 2PG	--	137	115
Queen Mary's, The Vyne School	RG21 2PB	--	31	37
Queen Victoria School	FK15 0JY	22	77	58
Radley College	OX14 2HR	45	135	53
Ratcliffe College	LE7 4SG	--	55	25
Read School	YO8 8NL	--	84	36
Reading School	RG1 5LW	--	55	66
Reading Blue Coat School	RG4 0SU	28	116	39
Reed's School	KT11 2ES	--	67	31
Reigate Grammar School	RH2 0QS	21	39	53
Repton School	DE6 6GG	--	249	36
Robert Gordon College	B9 1FR	--	76	54
Rossall School	FY7 8JW	35	85	--
Royal Belfast Academical Institute	BT1 6DL	--	140	111
Royal School Armagh	BT61 9DH	--	84	37
Royal Grammar School, Guildford	GU1 3BB	--	187	--
Royal Grammar School High Wycombe	HP13 6QT	42	79	88
Royal Grammar School, Lancaster	LA1 3EF	18	62	57
Royal Grammar School, Newcastle	NE2 4DX	22	108	--
Royal Grammar School, Worcester	WR1 1HP	54	62	112
Royal Hospital School	IP9 2RX	190	137	102
Royal Russell School	CR9 5BX	--	83	18
Royal Wolverhampton School	WV3 0EG	--	46	35
Rugby School	CV22 5EG	28	201	40
Ruthin School	LL15 1EE	33	76	--
Rutlish School	SW20 9AD	--	59	48
Ryde School	PO33 3BE	62	--	62
St. Albans School	AL3 4HB	--	136	36
St. Bartholomew's School	RG14 6JP	110	191	101
St. Bees School	CA27 0AD	--	133	37
St. Benedict's School	W5 2ES	--	72	--
St. Brigid's School	LL16 4BH	--	--	--
St. Columba's College	AL3 4AW	--	34	24
St. Dunstan's College	SE6 4TY	25	39	--
St. Edmund's College	SG11 1DS	--	51	46
St. Edmund's School	CT2 8HU	--	115	--
St. Edward's School	OX2 7NN	33	90	33
St. Ignatius College	EN1 4NP	--	70	70
St. John's School	KT22 8SP	58	126	73
St. Joseph's College	IP2 9DR	--	103	24
St. Lawrence College	CT11 7AE	32	74	31
St. Mary's College	L23 3AB	--	78	53
St. Peter's Church of Engand High School	EX2 5AP	51	56	62
St. Peter's School	YO3 6AB	--	85	35
Sandbach School	CW11 3NS	24	91	41
Scarborough College	YO11 3BA	20	149	--
Seaford College	GU28 0NB	31	98	37
Sedbergh School	LA10 5TJ	25	162	20
Sevenoaks School	TN13 1HU	50	157	59
Sherborne School	DT9 3AP	77	85	--
Shiplake College	RG9 4BW	37	77	32
Shoreham College	BN43 6YW	--	65	--
Shrewsbury School	SY3 7AR	46	121	46
Sir Roger Manwood's School	CT13 9JX	--	135	--
Skinner's School	TN4 9PG	--	186	--
Solihull School	B91 3DJ	31	139	99
Stamford School	PE9 2BO	20	170	95
Stonyhurst College	BB7 9PZ	--	150	--
Stowe School	MK18 5EH	32	125	40
Stathallan School	PH2 9EG	63	25	--
Sutton Grammar School	SM1 4AS	--	74	43
Sutton Valence School	ME17 3HN	41	121	33
Taunton School	TA2 6AD	38	69	37
The Priory LSST	LN5 8PW	--	45	32
Thomas Hardye School	DT1 2ET	--	44	22
Tonbridge School	TN9 1JP	26	79	50
Trent College	NG10 4AD	--	125	60
Trinity School, Croydon	CR9 7AT	41	91	112
Trinity School, Teignmouth	TQ14 8LY	--	88	--
Uppingham School	LE15 9UD	68	137	27
Victoria College	JE1 4HT	42	64	83
Warminster School	BA12 8PJ	--	88	--
Warwick School	CV34 6PP	--	115	25
Welbeck College	S80 3LN	--	185	--
Wellingborough School	NN8 2BX	34	152	43
Wellington College	RG45 7PU	99	293	64
Wellington School	TA21 9NT	47	203	--
Wells Cathedral School	BA5 2ST	--	64	30
West Buckland School	EX32 0SX	19	119	69
Whitgift School	CR2 6YT	26	206	75
William Hulme's Grammar School	M16 8PR	--	109	58
William Parker School	TN34 2NS	--	50	50
Wilson's School	SM6 9JW	--	51	52
Winchester College	SO23 9PF	80	46	72
Woodbridge School	IP12 4JH	63	89	38
Woodroffe School	DT7 3LS	--	48	24
Worksop College	S80 3AP	40	135	40
Wrekin College	TF1 3BH	--	89	36
Wycliffe College	GL10 2JQ	--	100	--
Wymondham College	NR18 9SZ	--	40	25
Yarm School	TS15 9EJ	--	69	--

Contingent strengths are reported annually. This means that contingents that have opened since 1 April 2000 have no strength recorded in this table.

6 Feb 2001 : Column WA103

Funding for the CCF is provided through single service budget holders. During the financial year 1999-2000 over £7 million was spent in direct support of the CCF. This does not, however, represent the total cost to the MoD. There are a number of costs that cannot be separately identified, associated with accommodation, equipment, the running and maintenance of CCF camps and training activities.

---