| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Epsom Police Station
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to relocate the command, control and management functions currently located at Epsom Police Station to within the Greater London boundary. [45212]
Mr. Michael: The Commissioner tells me that a new station for Epsom and Sutton Division of 4 Area is planned at Sutton. It will be funded through the private finance initiative. It is planned that the divisional headquarters staff and the command and control suite currently based at Epsom Police station will be relocated to the new Sutton police station.
Animal Rights Activists
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the letter of 12 January from the Under-Secretary of State, Lord Williams of Mostyn, to Dr George Poste of Smith Kline Beecham, what monitoring he has conducted of the efficacy of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in relation to violence by animal rights activists. [44067]
Mr. George Howarth: We have undertaken to review the use of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and to report our findings. The review will cover all types of cases brought under the Act and will start later this year.
Immigration Service
Sir Norman Fowler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration service staff are currently employed for on-entry control duties at ports; and if he will make a statement. [45186]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: On 1 June 1998, the Immigration Service Ports Directorate employed a total of 2,343 staff at ports, of whom 2,172 were operational grades of Inspector, Chief Immigration Officer, Immigration Officer and Assistant Immigration Officer.
Police Service Budget
Sir Norman Fowler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the real term increase in the budget for the police service for the current year; and if he will make a statement. [45184]
Mr. Michael: The revenue budgets of police authorities in England and Wales rose by £255 million in 1998/99. This represents an increase of 3.7 per cent. over 1997/98.
Port Arrivals
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of arrivals at ports, in the last 12 months, broken down to show (a) EC and (b) other arrivals; and if he will make a statement. [45187]
11 Jun 1998 : Column: 647
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Provisional data for the 12 months April 1997 to March 1998 are given in the table.
| Million | |
|---|---|
| Total passenger arrivals | 80.1 |
| of which British citizens(4) | (5)52.4 |
| other nationals of countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) | (5)16.7 |
| non-EEA nationals | 11.0 |
(4) Including residents of the Irish Republic and passengers of all nationalities in direct transit who did not pass through immigration control
(5) Estimated
Embarkation Controls
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what embarkation controls he has removed or reduced at which airports and ports; and what protection he has put in place at those ports and airports for children who are victims of attempted abduction from Britain. [44908]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The previous administration had already removed, in 1994, embarkation checks for passengers departing from ferry ports and small airports for destinations within the European Union/European Economic Area, with the consequence that some 40 per cent. of all departing passengers were not seen by an immigration officer. This meant that those seeking to evade embarkation controls could do so by using these ports.
Implementation of the new embarkation arrangements, which I announced on 16 March 1998, Official Report, columns 506-07, commenced on 14 April at Heathrow Terminal 3, Gatwick North and Stansted. Gatwick South started on 7 June. These arrangements are due to come into place at the remaining major ports--Heathrow Terminals 1, 2 and 4, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester--on 1 July, or as soon as possible thereafter.
These intelligence-led embarkation checks are more effective than those which existed before; they include the increased use of Closed Circuit Television and enhanced co-operation between border agencies, port operators, and airlines. An important part of this liaison is the operation by the police of the All Ports Warning System in order to frustrate child abduction.
Sir John Stanley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 24 April 1998, Official Report, column 722, on human rights, if he will state which aspects of the Government's human rights policy are his Department's responsibilities. [44877]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Home Office is responsible for the Human Rights Bill [Lords]. We also work with other Departments on the operation and application of international mechanisms for protecting human rights, with a particularly strong interest in the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European and United Nations Conventions against torture.
11 Jun 1998 : Column: 648
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria will be used in evaluating bids by companies to manage electronic monitoring arrangements for home detention and community orders. [43877]
Ms Quin:
The main criteria used in elevating bids both technically and commercially concern:
the deliverability of the whole project;
the quality and reliability of the service;
the ability of the proposed equipment to meet the required standards; and
the price.
South Africa
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide help to the Republic of South Africa in the form of secondments of academic staff and administrators to South Africa. [44047]
Clare Short: There are in fact already extensive academic links between British and South African universities arranged under the Higher Education Links programme funded by my Department and managed by the British Council. 26 such links have been established.
Iwokrama International Rainforest Centre
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the letter of 17 June 1997 from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, what support her Department has given to the Iwokrama International Rainforest Centre to provide forest research capacity for the Guyana Shield. [44066]
Clare Short: My Department has committed £3 million to the Centre's Sustainable Human Development Project in order to develop sustainable forest management approaches which will benefit forest-dependent communities living in the Iwokrama Rainforest. It will include support for applied research and capacity building. The European Commission is appraising for EU funding a complementary project on the sustainable and equitable use of biodiversity in the Forest.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is committing £100,000 to the Centre's research programme which is also being assisted by Canada and which will benefit from close association with the Guyana Forestry Commission, also supported by DFID. Some of the Centre's research will be conducted in collaboration with the Tropenbos Foundation.
Annual Policy Forum
Mr. Heppell:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on progress in setting up the annual policy forum proposed in the Government's White Paper on International Development. [45990]
11 Jun 1998 : Column: 649
Clare Short:
The National Development Policy Forum will take place in Birmingham on 9 November. This will be preceded by a series of regional forums in ten locations around the UK. The dates and locations are as follows:
| Date | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 7 September | Norwich |
| Wednesday | 9 September | Birmingham |
| Monday | 14 September | Bristol |
| Wednesday | 16 September | Portsmouth |
| Monday | 21 September | York |
| Thursday | 24 September | Cardiff |
| Monday | 5 October | Manchester |
| Wednesday | 7 October | Edinburgh |
| Tuesday | 13 October | Belfast |
| Friday | 16 October | London |
The Forum is one of a number of ways in which we are seeking to share experience and strengthen analysis of development issues across different sectors of society, and to broaden public awareness. This will be an annual process and full reports of the outcome will be available.
Our current estimate of the cost is between £200,000 and £300,000.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |