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11 Dec 2006 : Column WA171
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The director-general of HM Prison Service has no direct operational responsibility for contracted-sector prisons, although some elements of policy work from HMPS directly impact on the contracted sector.
Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005: Designation of Land
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What area of land has so far been designated or protected under Sections 128 to 138 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.[HL518]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): On 1 April 2006, a designation order (SI 2005/3447) made on behalf of the Secretary of State for Defence came into effect designating the following MoD sites as protected sites under Sections 128 and 129 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005: Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, Royal Naval Armaments Depot Coulport, Northwood Headquarters, RAF Fylingdales, RAF Menwith Hill, RAF Croughton, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Feltwell, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Brize Norton, Sea Mounting Centre Marchwood, RAF Fairford and RAF Welford.
On 13 April 2006, following amendments made to Sections 128 and 129 by Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2006, all licensed nuclear sites also became protected sites. An order defining a designated area under Section 138 was laid before Parliament on 10 June 2005 (SI 2005/1537). A map is available at http://www.met.police.uk/publicorder/protest_march.htm.
Sport: Anti-doping
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
Who are the members of the security panel responsible for monitoring UK Sport's national anti-doping organisation for elite sport; on which dates they have met; and when their reports are due to be placed in the Library of the House. [HL433]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Independent Anti-Doping Scrutiny Panel was set up in September 2005 and is focused specifically on scrutinising the potential for conflicts of interest in relation to the performance of the anti-doping function within UK Sport. The panel is chaired by David Kenworthy, the former chief constable of North Yorkshire Police. The other members of the panel are:
Nerys Williams, head of the Health and Safety Executive's Employment Medical Advisory Service;Mark Emerton, former Royal Navy commander and member of the Criminal Cases Review Commission;Trevor Rothwell, former director of Huntingdon Forensic Science Service laboratory; andGillian Ekins, solicitor.11 Dec 2006 : Column WA172
Under its terms of reference, the scrutiny panel will produce an annual report, which will be sent to the Minister for Sport and the chair of UK Sport. The panel expects to produce its first report in December 2006 and copies of this document will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Sport: English Institute of Sport
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have agreed performance measures for the English Institute of Sport; if so, when these were last reviewed; and whether they will place a copy of their findings in the Library of the House. [HL432]
Lord Davies of Oldham: UK Sport assumed responsibility from Sport England for the English Institute of Sport (EIS) on 1 April 2006. To date, performance measures for the EIS have not been agreed between DCMS and UK Sport. However, in line with the funding agreement 2005-08, target outcomes and performance measures for EIS will be determined by the end of this calendar year.
Sport: UK Sport Performance Targets
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the annual performance targets set out in the funding agreement between UK Sport and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; when these targets were last reviewed; and when they expect to publish the results achieved by UK Sport. [HL431]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The funding agreement for the period 2005-08 between UK Sport and DCMS is available on UK Sport's website at www.uksport.gov.uk/pages/corporate_publications/. DCMS and UK Sport meet on a quarterly basis primarily to measure progress against the targets set out in the agreement. The most recent meeting took place on 17 October. Details of UK Sport's annual performance against the funding agreement targets will be published in UK Sport's annual review, which is required to be laid before Parliament before the end of October 2007.
11 Dec 2006 : Column WA173
Stone of Destiny
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
In what circumstances the Stone of Destiny would return to London for ceremonial purposes; and whether there are any plans for such a return.[HL442]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Stone of Destiny will return to London for the next coronation, after which it will be returned to Scotland.
Tourism: Indian Visitors
Lord Rana asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many tourists with Indian passports visited the United Kingdom in 2005; and how many tourists from India visited Northern Ireland in this period. [HL427]
Lord Davies of Oldham: There were 332,000 tourist visits by Indian passport holders and 272,000 tourist visits by Indian residents to the UK in 2005. The data were obtained from the International Passenger Survey, which is a sample survey, so the results are subject to sampling error. Data for Northern Ireland have not been provided, because sample sizes are too small. VisitBritain expects visits from India to increase significantly in future years and regards India as a priority emerging market for its overseas activities in promoting inbound tourism to the UK.
Vehicles: Weight Restrictions
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 23 November (WA 19), what evidence the fixed penalty procedures working group has taken on (a) the number and frequency of, and (b) the cost of enforcement of, weight restrictions offences; and what comparison the working group has made of the fixed penalty for ignoring weight restrictions with more recent fixed penalties such as the £80 fixed penalty for anti-social behaviour. [HL402]
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The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The fixed-penalty procedures working group has not taken such evidence. In reviewing the level of fixed penalties, the group normally considers relevant factors that might justify an across-the-board increase in the level of the standard fixed penalties and the small number of non-standard fixed penalties. It would not be practical to review individually the level of every fixed penalty.
The group has to date received no representation proposing an increase in the fixed-penalty level for failing to comply with a statutory weight restriction.
Young Offender Institutions: Ashfield
Lord Carlile of Berriew asked Her Majesty's Government:
On how many occasions physical restraint was used at Ashfield young offender institution on, respectively, male and female clients during each of the 12 months prior to 1 November; and [HL485]
On how many occasions physical restraint occurred at Ashfield young offender institution in relation to, respectively, male and female black and ethnic- minority clients during each of the 12 months prior to 1 November; and [HL486]
On how many occasions strip-searching involving physical restraint occurred at Ashfield young offender institution in relation to, respectively, male and female clients during each of the 12 months prior to 1 November.[HL487]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The attached table lists the number of incidents where physical restraint was used at HMP & YOI Ashfield during the months November 2005 through to October 2006. Also included are figures for the number of black and minority-ethnic (BME) boys subject to physical restraint. The prison does not strip-search boys under physical restraint. Ashfield is a juvenile establishment that accommodates only males.
Lord Ramsbotham asked Her Majesty's Government:
Following the abolition of the Office for Contracted Prisons, who is responsible for the direct operational management of the juveniles and young offenders in HM Young Offender Institution Ashfield. [HL588]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The operational management of HMP & YOI Ashfield has always been the responsibility of Serco, the company holding the contract. This has been the situation both prior to and following the closure of the Office for Contracted Prisons at the end of March 2006. The Home Office is responsible for contractual management, ensuring that Serco delivers the service as set out in the contract. The chief executive of the National Offender Management Service is the ultimate authority for the contract. For HMP & YOI Ashfield, this is delegated to the head of the commissioner's support bureau, which is part of NOMS. In fulfilling this task, the bureau works closely with the Youth Justice Board in identifying its requirements as the customer for Ashfield's services.
As with all contracted establishments, there is a Home Office controller at Ashfield whose role is to ensure adherence to the contract on a day-to-day basis and to take remedial action in the event of non-compliance. The Home Office controller at Ashfield is line-managed through the head of the commissioner's support bureau.
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