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House of Lords: Smoking
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked the Chairman of Committees:
What arrangements are being made within the precincts of the House of Lords to enable Members and staff to continue to smoke in premises which comply with the smoking provisions of the Health Act 2006. [HL3250]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): The Administration and Works Committee published a report on 21 March recommending to the House that smoking should be prohibited in all parts of the parliamentary estate occupied by the House of Lords except within specified locations in Black Rod’s Garden, State Officers’ Court and Peers’ Inner Court, and in an area at the end of the Lords Terrace abutting the Commons Terrace.
The committee recognises that such a significant change in smoking policy should be a matter for the whole House. Accordingly, the report will be debated in the House in due course.
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Immigration: Detainees
The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty’s Government:
How many asylum seekers are currently detained (a) in the immigration detention estate, and (b) in HM prisons; and what progress they have made in honouring commitments made in 1998 and 2002 to phase out the use of prison accommodation for asylum seekers. [HL2942]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): As at 30 December 2006, there were 1,320 asylum applicants, including dependants, detained solely under Immigration Act powers. This figure is rounded to the nearest five and excludes persons detained in Prison Service establishments, police cells and those detained under both criminal and immigration powers.
As a result of a change in working practices in IND, statistics on persons detained in Prison Service establishments solely under Immigration Act powers have not been available since the second quarter of 2006. Currently and over forthcoming months, we are working on analysis of data sources held by IND and the National Offender Management Service to formulate a robust collation method for production of these statistics in future.
The routine use of Prison Service accommodation for detaining asylum seekers for immigration purposes ceased in January 2002. It was also made clear in 2002 that there would continue to be a need to use Prison Service accommodation for individual detainees where this was necessary for reasons of security or control. That position remains and where necessary it will apply to those who may have applied for asylum at some time, especially where an asylum seeker has committed a criminal offence and is subject to deportation action.
Statistics on the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter is published in the quarterly asylum bulletins. The latest published information pertains to people detained as at 30 December 2006 and is published on the Home Office’s Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Immigration: Removal
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What instructions are given to immigration officers, police and other persons in official capacities to ensure, following the forcible removal from their homes of families of failed asylum seekers, that the property is secured and that they are able to take with them to the place of detention items such as medicines, toiletries, baby food and feeding items, children’s personal belongings and mobile phones. [HL3018]
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The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Chapter 58 of the Operational Enforcement Manual (OEM), which is publicly available on the IND website www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/lawandpolicy/policyinstructions/oem, instructs officers to allow the family sufficient time to dress, pack, use bathroom facilities and feed very young children.
On-site healthcare is available at every removal centre and it is a matter for the healthcare team to judge whether it is appropriate for detainees to keep medication in their possession. Detainees must be allowed to keep other items in their possession save where it is contrary to the interests of safety or security or is incompatible with the personal storage facilities provided. Detainees must also be allowed to retain mobile phones provided that they do not have photo or global positioning roaming satellite facilities. The centre also holds property on behalf of detainees and this is returned when they leave the centre.
Families with children are accommodated in family units. Parents with young children are supplied with essential items for their care, including toiletries, bottle-warming and sterilising equipment.
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What instructions are given to immigration officers, police and other persons in official capacities to ensure, following the forcible removal from their homes of families of failed asylum seekers, that they are able to take all their belongings with them to the country to which they are being deported. [HL3019]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Chapter 41 of the Operational Enforcement Manual (OEM), which is publicly available on the IND website, www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/lawandpolicy/policyinstructions/oem, provides information on the retrieval of personal effects, including baggage allowances.
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What instructions are given to immigration officers, police and other persons in official capacities to ensure, following the forcible removal from their homes of families of failed asylum seekers, that their friends, relatives and legal representatives in the United Kingdom have information at all times on where they are being held and how they can be contacted by letter and telephone. [HL3020]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: When a family detention visit takes place, officers inform that family that they can contact legal representatives, friends or relatives once they are at the detention centre.
Detainees are advised of their right to legal representation, and how they can obtain such representation, within 24 hours of arrival at a removal centre. It is a matter for the detainee to contact his legal representative, relatives or friends about his whereabouts or any other matter. Where a detainee has no funds to allow him to correspond or phone his legal representative, family or friends, he will be given the funds to do so.
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Information Systems: Home Office
Lord Harris of Haringey asked Her Majesty’s Government:
In respect of the Home Office, (a) on how many occasions in the last year malicious programs have compromised departmental computer systems; and, for each occasion, how many machines were affected; how long it took to remove the programs from the system; and what was the impact on the department’s activities; (b) what penetration tests of information systems have been carried out over the last year and what were the results, indicating in each instance whether the tests were carried out independently of the providers of the system concerned; and (c) on how many occasions in the last year the departmental management team has considered information risk. [HL2476]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): In the last year there have been two recorded instances of malicious programs compromising Home Office computer systems. On both occasions, only a single machine was affected. The record does not state how long it took to remove in either case. As only individual machines were affected, the impact on the department’s activities was minimal.
As part of the continuing development and maintenance of our systems, a number of penetration tests and health checks are carried out by our IT service providers and by independent third parties. This testing is focused both on areas where changes are being implemented and on existing systems that are in maintenance.
Information risk is constantly being considered by Home Office management. The department has a senior information risk owner, who sits on the Home Office board, a team of IT accreditors and an information and records management team, all of whom monitor and manage information risks.
National Parks: Gas Pipelines
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Whether they will take steps to enable an inquiry to be held into the need for a major gas pipeline to cross the Brecon Beacons National Park. [HL3211]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): Approval for the natural gas pipeline from Filindre to Tirley was given on 7 February 2007 and work has started. Before giving approval, the Secretary of State took into account the environmental and other aspects of the pipeline, including the impact on the Brecon Beacons National Park. Our consideration identified no reason to refuse to give approval for the construction of the pipeline or to hold an inquiry before doing so.
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Olympic Games 2012: Costs
Lord James of Blackheath asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the answer by Lord Davies of Oldham on 22 March, how they are able to provide precise estimates of construction costs for the various Olympic stadia without completed architects' designs and quantity surveyors' estimates; and when such designs and estimates will be available. [HL2959]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The funding for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games announced on 15 March was based on a rigorous review of costs, which included analysis of the costs of individual venues based on detailed quantity surveyor's estimates drawn from design commitments and capacities stipulated in the candidature file. All initial estimates included contingency to allow for the impact of potential design changes.
In some cases, the procurement process has already commenced and it has been possible to corroborate those estimates. As a result, some venues have more detailed designs and cost estimates than those which will be procured later in the process.
Further design details will be made available as plans develop, although final cost estimates for each venue will not be published as this could prejudice current and future commercial negotiations.
Parliament Square: Tents
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 14 March (WA 136), what steps are being taken to remove from the grass area of Parliament Square Garden the tents which have been erected without the permission required under the Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square Garden By-laws 1999; and what action is to be taken to prevent the erection of additional tents. [HL2933]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Removal of the tents from the grass area of Parliament Square Garden and the prevention of the erection of additional tents are matters for the Greater London Authority, which manages Parliament Square Garden under the GLA Act 1999.
Parliament Square: Toilets
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Whether there are adequate toilet facilities for the occupants of the tents erected on the grass area of Parliament Square Garden; and [HL3085]
What proportion of the grass area of Parliament Square Garden is now unavailable to the general public as a result of the tents erected on that site. [HL3086]
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The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Parliament Square Garden is managed by the Greater London Authority (GLA) under the GLA Act 1999. I understand that the tents erected on Parliament Square Garden without the permission that is required under the Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square Garden by-laws occupy approximately 25 square metres of the grass area of the square, which equates to approximately 1 per cent of the total grass area unavailable to the general public.
I further understand that, in any event, finding proper toilet facilities is a matter for those demonstrating.
Passports
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether steps are being taken to eliminate the loss of United Kingdom passports delivered by Secure Mail Services, which reported 740 such losses during 2006. [HL2929]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The nature of the current arrangements made for the delivery of passports with Secure Mail Services allows the Identity and Passport Service to investigate the audit trail for each instance of loss. Where appropriate, procedures are improved following investigation.
Various technology and process improvement solutions are being considered to ensure that deliveries are made to the correct address as well as capturing data on delivery details at the time of delivery, thus ensuring a further reduction in losses by misposting. Further initiatives are also being prepared to reduce errors in the captive of address data from passport application forms.
To reduce losses by theft from couriers and their vehicles, courier routes are varied and additional security for vehicles, including double manning where required, is employed.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether a new passport delivered by Secure Mail Services has to be handed to the person to whom it is addressed; and, if so, what checks are carried out to confirm the identity of that person prior to the passport being handed over to the person in question. [HL2930]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The current delivery arrangements for passports do not require that the passport be handed to the addressee. Most first-time deliveries are made without a signature being obtained, but where one is required it does not need to be that of the addressee.
Signatures are required for deliveries to certain postcodes where there is a known risk of loss or fraud. In other areas couriers will usually try to obtain a signature if someone is at home, but this is not mandatory. Where there are concerns on the part
20 Apr 2007 : Column WA105
Evidence of identity is required for a redelivery. While the addressee is not required to be present, the recipient of the package needs to provide evidence of the addressee's residence at the address, such as a utility bill or driving licence. Signatures are always required for redeliveries.
In delivering passports, the Identity and Passport Service attempts to balance the requirements for high levels of security, affordability/value for money and customer service. The current arrangements strike a balance between these demands and have seen an 80 per cent reduction in passport losses in the delivery process compared to the previous arrangements, which utilised first-class mail. The IPS continues to work closely with SMS to further reduce losses and improve quality of service.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether a person who is found to have applied for or obtained a United Kingdom passport by fraud or under false pretences is prevented from obtaining a United Kingdom passport thereafter. [HL2931]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: This depends on the circumstances of the fraud or false pretences. Prior criminal activity is not a bar to a British citizen holding a passport in their true identity, but a person who had falsified a claim to British citizenship would not be eligible for a British passport.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many prosecutions have taken place in each of the last five years for offences relating to the obtaining of United Kingdom passports by false pretences; and in how many of these cases a conviction was secured. [HL2932]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The figures recorded by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) for the number of prosecutions known to have been made against individuals who have fraudulently applied for passports, and convictions secured as a result of those prosecutions, are given below.
Convictions20025-200316-200454-2005-062212-2006-07755520 Apr 2007 : Column WA106
It should be noted that the IPS does not routinely receive feedback from the police or prosecution authorities on cases of passport fraud which are referred to them. The figures given above are therefore likely to be a significant under-representation of the number of prosecutions brought and convictions secured. The IPS is working with the police and prosecution authorities to develop a more effective feedback mechanism. The figures collated by the IPS prior to 2005 do not distinguish between successful and unsuccessful prosecutions.
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