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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 17 December 1997
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Marriage
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what research his Department is undertaking into marriage. [20141]
Mr. Hoon: The Department has commissioned two research projects on marriage which began in April 1997. The first, which looks at individuals' views of marriage over two generations, is being undertaken by Professor Jane Lewis of All Souls College, Oxford and will be completed in March 1999. The second, by One plus One, is the preparation of a series of review papers on the causes, and ways of preventing, marital breakdown. This is due to be completed in March 1998.
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what criteria will be applied in (a) assessing the success and value for money of the 13 projects being financed in 1997-98 in support of marriage and (b) determining whether to renew funding for 1998-99 and beyond for each project. [20142]
Mr. Hoon: The aims of the programme are (i) to identify the types of service which support marriage most effectively; (ii) to increase public awareness of marriage support services; and (iii) to improve access to existing services. The Department will assess the effectiveness of each project in terms of the achievement of its specific aims and objectives and its cost effectiveness.
Whether or not the Department decides to continue funding any of the projects will depend on the results of evaluation and the availability of further resources.
Justices of the Peace
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many justices of the peace there are in (a) England and (b) Wales. [20303]
Mr. Hoon: As at 1 January 1997, the number of Justices of the Peace in England and Wales was as follows:
- (a) England: 28,324
(b) Wales: 2,050.
Legal Aid
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will publish his analysis of means testing to determine eligibility for legal aid in the Youth Court when the analysis is completed. [20293]
Mr. Hoon:
I will place a summary of the findings of the analysis and of the conclusions in the Library.
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Committee on Standards in Public Life
Mr. Bruce George: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about the appointments to the Committee on Standards in Public Life. [21802]
The Prime Minister: I am pleased to announce four new appointments to the Committee on Standards in Public Life: Sir Anthony Cleaver, Lord Goodhart, Mrs. Frances Heaton and the right hon. John MacGregor. I have consulted the Leader of the Opposition and the right hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown) before making those appointments.
The following existing members of the Committee have been reappointed for a second term: Sir Clifford Boulton, Professor Anthony King, the right hon. The Lord Shore of Stepney, Sir William Utting and Ms Diana Warwick.
I should like to take this opportunity to thank Lord Nolan and those members of the Committee who are leaving after serving their three-year term: Sir Martin Jacomb; the right hon. Member for Bridgwater (Mr. King); the right hon. The Lord Thomson of Monifieth and Dame Anne Warburton. I am grateful for the valuable work they and other members of the Committee have undertaken over the last three years. The Government intend to build on the excellent work they started, with the help of Lord Neill and the new Committee.
"Getting to Grips with Crime"
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many responses to "Getting to Grips with Crime: A New Framework for Local Action" were received during the consultation period; and if he will make a statement. [21557]
Mr. Straw: Some 545 responses were received, most of them warmly supportive of the Government's proposals. A summary of the main points raised can be found in the Library.
Community Safety Orders
Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many responses to the consultation paper "Community Safety Orders" were received during the consultation period; and if he will make a statement. [21488]
Mr. Straw: Some 185 responses were received. A list of the respondents and a summary of the main points raised can be found in the Library in a document entitled "Responses to the Home Office Consultation Document on Community Safety Orders".
Departmental Recruitment
Mr. Watts:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information on recruitment his Department is required to publish; and if he will make this information available for the Home Office for 1996. [21619]
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Mr. Straw:
The Civil Service Order in Council 1995 authorises the Civil Service Commissioners to require Departments and agencies to publish summary information about their recruitment and the use of permitted exceptions to the principles of fair and open competition and selection on merit.
| Number of appointments | Number of women appointed | Number appointed from ethnic minorities | Number of disabled staff appointed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Civil Service(1) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-industrial grades | 388 | 211 | 68 | 14 |
| Industrial grades | 3 | 1 | (2)-- | 0 |
(1) All recruitment to the Senior Civil Service throughout the Home Office is carried out by the Central Personnel Management Unit.
(2) Below five.
| Number of appointments | Number of women appointed | Number appointed from ethnic minorities | Number of disabled staff appointed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-industrial grades | 2,246 | 915 | 94 | 7 |
| Industrial grades | 191 | 38 | (4)-- | 1 |
(3) As the Prison Service is in the process of transferring over to a new computerised personnel system, there may be inaccuracies in the information provided.
(4) Below 5.
| Number of appointments | Number of women appointed | Number appointed from ethnic minorities | Number of disabled staff appointed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-industrial grades | 297 | 209 | 15 | 0 |
| Industrial grades | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Number of appointments | Number of women appointed | Number appointed from ethnic minorities | Number of disabled staff appointed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-industrial grades | 32 | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| Industrial grades | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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| Number of appointments | Number of women appointed | Number appointed from ethnic minorities | Number of disabled staff appointed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-industrial grades | 186 | 103 | 29 | 3 |
| Industrial grades | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
"In Excelsis"
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors underlie his Department's retention of the manuscript of "In Excelsis" containing writings by Lord Alfred Douglas. [21334]
Mr. Straw: The manuscript of the poem "In Excelsis" is contained in a notebook which was issued by the Governor of Wormwood Scrubs prison to Lord Alfred Douglas while he was in custody there in 1924. The notebook was then, and is now, owned by the Crown. It has not been retained by my Department, but is held at the Public Record Office at Kew, where it is open for public inspection.
EU Convention (Criminal Matters)
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure there is parliamentary scrutiny of proposals in respect of the EU Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters. [21335]
Mr. Michael: My hon. Friend the Minister of State, the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin), deposited the draft convention for scrutiny on 24 July and made a revised text available on 1 December. She will today give oral evidence about the draft convention to the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities (Sub-Committee E).
Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the nationalities of the people at present being held in the Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre; [20590]
- (2) if he will list the periods of time that the people at present detained at the Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre have been held in detention either at this establishment or at other establishments while their cases are being considered; [20591]
(3) how many people were detained at the Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre on 1 December. [20589]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: A total of 91 persons were detained at Harmondsworth immigration detention centre as at 1 December 1997.
Information on the duration of current continuous detention, solely under Immigration Act powers, of those persons detained at Harmondsworth immigration detention centre as at 10 December 1997, the latest available date, is given in table 1. Reliable information
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about previous periods of detention, if any, of those persons can be obtained only through examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
| Length of current detention | Number of detainees |
|---|---|
| 0-1 month | 44 |
| 1-2 months | 17 |
| 2-6 months | 20 |
| 6-12 months | 10 |
| Total | 91 |
(5) Figures represent continuous detention, solely under Immigration Act powers, and may include detention at other locations prior to 10 December 1997.
| Nationalities | Number of detainees |
|---|---|
| Algeria | 5 |
| Angola | 2 |
| Bangladesh | 2 |
| Bulgaria | 2 |
| Cyprus | 3 |
| Czech Republic(6) | 3 |
| Democratic Republic of Congo(7) | 2 |
| Gambia | 2 |
| Ghana | 3 |
| India | 10 |
| Ivory Coast | 2 |
| Jamaica | 2 |
| Lebanon | 2 |
| Lithuania | 2 |
| Morocco | 2 |
| Nigeria | 18 |
| Pakistan | 7 |
| Romania | 4 |
| Turkey | 2 |
| Nationality doubtful | 3 |
| Other | 13 |
| Total | 91 |
(6) May include persons holding documents issued by the former Czechoslovakia.
(7) Formerly Zaire.
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