To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are in place to ensure that UK resident citizens detained at Guantanamo Bay receive regular health checks; and if he will make a statement. (146596)

There are no longer any British nationals detained in Guantanamo Bay. However, we continue to raise humanitarian and human rights concerns about those other nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay with the US authorities, including issues relating to detainees who were formerly resident in the UK. In this context, we have recently been told that all detainees at Guantanamo Bay have regular access to medical professionals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the US authorities on securing independent investigations into the allegations of torture and ill-treatment of UK citizens while detained at Guantanamo Bay; and if he will make a statement. (146597)

We take all allegations of mistreatment of British nationals abroad very seriously and unreservedly condemn the use of torture.

There are no longer any British nationals detained in Guantanamo Bay. However, we did pursue all credible allegations of abuse regarding those British detainees who were detained there and subsequently released in 2004 and 2005. We pressed the US to examine the allegations. We also raised concerns about issues including isolation, lack of access to daylight and lack of exercise with respect to the British detainees, and secured a number of improvements to their physical conditions of detention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to establish an international treaty to prohibit the sale of small arms. (146613)

The Government are committed to leading work to secure a legally binding treaty to set standards for the international trade in conventional arms, including small arms. On 6 December 2006 we secured agreement to start a UN process to take forward this work, with the backing of 153 states. In March we submitted to the UN the United Kingdom's views on the initiative, making clear we envisage a treaty which will allow the responsible sale of small arms but will prohibit their sale in certain cases, including where they will be used in the commission of serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law, or to provoke or exacerbate internal or regional conflict.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he expects the President of the host country for the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kampala to exercise the prerogative to extend invitations outside designated member states; and if he will make a statement. (147186)

The host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) may extend invitations to non-member states in consultation with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and on this basis the Government of Uganda has invited two members of the East Africa Community, Rwanda and Burundi, to the CHOGM in Kampala this November. The Commonwealth Secretary-General is responsible for extending invitations to other international organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2007, Official Report, column 1216W, on Departments: advertising, what terms and conditions apply to membership of the Know Before You Go campaign and the granting of an entry and logo display on the list of the Department’s campaign partners on its website. (145987)

The following terms and conditions apply to becoming a member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Know Before You Go (KBYG) campaign and having an entry and logo display on the FCO website:

www.fco.gov.uk/travel

A potential partner is required to complete an ‘information form’ which the KBYG team uses to assess the applicant’s suitability. The applicant is asked to provide details of the reach of the organisation and relevant customer base; their media spend, the number of communication channels they use and what is their association with one or more of a list of KBYG recognised high risk groups.

If suitable, a potential partner is sent a Partner Framework and Agreement to sign which sets out the following requirements: promoting key messages of the campaign including FCO Travel Advice; encouraging travellers to get adequate and comprehensive travel insurance; informing travellers about preparations they need to make before travelling; informing travellers about the consular assistance they can and cannot receive once abroad.

Furthermore, a partner will have the responsibility wherever possible to promote the campaign to its customers through its own communications initiatives and distribute marketing materials. The partner will also need to have a secure and established website or newsletter, which hosts the KBYG logo and link to the FCO website in a prominent position. We also expect where possible the partner to work together with other partners and the FCO on a strategic level to leverage the campaign and where appropriate offer feedback and case studies of campaign activity.

We also request that the applicant operates in accordance with best practice guidelines or codes of conduct, as outlined by relevant industry bodies, trade associations or professional institutions. The terms and conditions make clear that being part of this campaign by no means entitles partners to claim that the FCO endorses their product or services in any way.

Partners are expected not in any way to bring the campaign into disrepute and at the absolute discretion of the FCO partner status can be immediately withdrawn. In such instances the partner agrees to remove immediately all references to the KBYG campaign from its website and literature.

Being a partner in the campaign does not give rise to any payment from the FCO, except where the FCO decides to co-sponsor specific communications activities with particularly relevant partners, for example, the co-funding of a guide to travel safety produced by “Lonely Planet” books and distributed free to younger independent travellers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many foreign diplomats were asked to leave their posts by the Government in each of the last 10 years; what the reasons were for the request; and from which countries' embassies each was expelled. (146121)

Information on the number of diplomats that have left their post as a result of a specific request by the Government could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, information held centrally indicates that, from the community of about 24,000 individuals entitled to diplomatic immunity, 28 foreign diplomats have been withdrawn from the UK in the last 10 years after some form of representation from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Details of the missions at which they served and the reasons for their withdrawals are as follows:

1997

Kuwait—alleged serious criminal offence (assault/domestic violence)

Belgium—alleged serious criminal offence (drink driving)

1998

Morocco—alleged serious criminal offence (assault)

Saudi Arabia—alleged serious criminal offence (drink driving)

1999

Zimbabwe—alleged serious criminal offence (driving without insurance)

Saudi Arabia—alleged serious criminal offence (drink driving)

Italy—alleged serious criminal offence (shoplifting)

Romania—alleged serious criminal offence (shoplifting)

Other (disclosure of the details of this case may identify the individual)

2000

South Africa—alleged serious criminal offence (indecent assault)

Saudi Arabia—alleged serious criminal offence (drink driving)

Cameroon—alleged serious criminal offence (driving without a licence/insurance)

2001

Germany—alleged serious criminal offence (assault of a police officer)

France—alleged serious criminal offence (assault/actual bodily harm)

Belize—alleged serious criminal offence (assault/grievous bodily harm)

Mongolia—alleged serious criminal offence (cigarette smuggling)

Saudi Arabia—alleged serious criminal offence (possession of a class B drug with intent to supply)

2002

Germany—alleged serious criminal offence (drink driving)

Russia—alleged serious criminal offence (drink driving)

Ukraine—alleged serious criminal offence (drink driving)

Morocco—alleged serious criminal offence (rape)

2003

Rwanda—alleged serious criminal offence (drink driving)

2004

Saudi Arabia—alleged serious criminal offence (indecent assault)

Saudi Arabia—alleged serious criminal offence (indecent assault on a child)

2005

Saudi Arabia—alleged serious criminal offence (assault/domestic violence)

Angola—alleged serious criminal offence (drink driving)

2006

South Africa—alleged serious criminal offence (attempted robbery)

South Africa—alleged serious criminal offence (robbery).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with his Polish counterpart during the recent conference in Brussels to discuss the new EU constitutional treaty. (146996)

My right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett), the former Foreign Secretary had discussions with counterparts from a number of EU partners during the European Council in Brussels, including the Polish Foreign Minister.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a White Paper when the new European Union treaty is available, setting out side by side what the original constitution said and what the new treaty proposes. (147179)

The Government will present to Parliament a White Paper setting out their approach to the Intergovernmental Conference.

The White Paper will set out in detail the changes to be introduced by the proposed “reform treaty”. Once published, copies of the White Paper will be available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on protests by Maoist rebels against the Indian Government in the districts of Bihar, Purlieu, Jharkhand and West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra; and what assessment he has made of the scale of those protests and numbers of fatalities. (146936)

Our high commission in New Delhi and the deputy high commission in Kolkata regularly monitor the situation in respect of the Maoist (Naxal) protests in India.

We are concerned about continuing reports in the media of violence and fatalities, but this remains an internal matter for the Indian Government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described Naxalism as the ‘single biggest’ threat to the country's internal security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Kingdom will support the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry into violations of international human rights and humanitarian law by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir; and if she will make a statement. (146110)

We remain concerned about all reports of human rights abuses in Kashmir, including allegations of violations perpetrated by the Indian security forces and militant groups. We have welcomed Indian commitments to investigate and curb violations and will continue to call for an improvement in the human rights situation in Kashmir.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the future of Anglo-Saudi relations. (147002)

My right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett), the former Foreign Secretary met with His Royal Highness Prince Saud Al Faisal at the Lebanon Donor Conference in January and at the Iraq Compact Group in May. Their discussions concerned the continuing close UK/Saudi bilateral relationship, as well as other key regional issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of India on that country's role in peacekeeping in Somalia. (146860)

My right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett), the former Foreign Secretary did not made any representations to the Government of India on that country's role in peacekeeping in Somalia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the government of Vietnam on the persecution of Christians in that country, with particular reference to (a) Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, (b) Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly and (c) the Hmong people; and if she will make a statement. (146501)

We, along with our EU partners have made numerous representations to the Vietnamese government on the arrest and sentencing of Lawyers Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan and Father Nguyen Van Ly.

Most recently, on 15 May, the EU issued a statement expressing its concern about the recent arrests and calling on the Vietnamese government to release all non-violent political activists who have exercised their rights to freedom of expression and association.

My right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney), the then Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs raised human rights issues at a meeting with Vietnamese Vice Minister Le Cung Phung during the EU/Association of South East Asian Nations Foreign Ministers Meeting on 14 and 15 March and again with the Vietnamese Ambassador on 10 May.

We continue to monitor the situation of ethnic minorities in Vietnam, including the Hmong people, through regular field missions. EU officials, including the UK, raise our concerns about religious freedoms and restrictions with the Vietnamese on a regular basis. Most recently during the EU/Vietnam human rights dialogue on 28 June.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at his Department and its agencies in each year between 1997 and 2006; and what the total cost of those bonuses was. (146420)

The number of senior civil servants in the Cabinet Office awarded bonuses and the total cost of these bonuses, since the bonus pot was introduced in 2002, are as follows:

Bonuses were not awarded to senior civil servants prior to 2002.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of staff in his Office in the last three years; and at what total cost. (146981)

The number of civil servants (including senior civil servants) in the Cabinet Office awarded end of year bonuses and the total cost of these bonuses over the past three years are as follows:

There is also a small number of staff receiving in-year bonuses. The total cost is not held centrally and would only be available at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department spent on away days located outside his Department's buildings in the last 12 months for which figures are available. (146863)

It is not possible to readily identify from the Department's accounting system how much the Cabinet Office spent on away days located outside the Department's buildings. This information is available only at disproportionate cost.

All Cabinet Office expenditure on away days is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting and other HM Treasury guidance.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much public expenditure was incurred by Directgov for paying to send staff to attend the Good Communication Awards on 30 May 2007 held at the Marriott Grosvenor Hotel, London. (146864)

Directgov were nominated for, and won, the Good Communications Mobile Technology Award 2007 and received a commendation for the Central Government Website of the Year Award. The only costs incurred by Directgov were for the purchase of two tickets for the awards at a cost of £50 per ticket (£100 in total).

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for what reason the vacancies published on the Government Communication Network public website will no longer be advertised to the public. (146866)

The Government Communication Network (GCN) website (www.comms.gov.uk) is now a password-protected site for Government communicators and other civil servants. The new GCN site has been made into a more practical and interactive resource to support the professional development of Government communicators.

All job vacancies which are open to the public are now advertised on the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway and through other public media such as newspapers and specialist magazines.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much the Cabinet Office received from the Deputy Prime Minister's Office for the official residence of the Deputy Prime Minister in Admiralty House (a) in total and (b) to cover the cost of (i) rent, (ii) security, (iii) utilities, (iv) facilities management and (v) general maintenance in 2006-07. (147196)

The Cabinet Office received a total of £173,000 from the Deputy Prime Minister's Office in 2006-07 in relation to the Deputy Prime Minister's official residence at Admiralty House.

The operation of Admiralty House is covered by a single facilities management contract which covers maintenance, renovation, security and running costs. It is not possible, within the overall total, to separately identify the costs that arise from the three flats in Admiralty House. However, for internal accounting purposes the Deputy Prime Minister's Office meets 20.7 per cent. of the costs of the operation of the entire building. This is calculated on the basis of the floor area of the flat as a proportion of the total floor area of Admiralty House.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what requests have been made to his Department under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000; and what the (a) FOI case reference number, (b) request summary, (c) request outcome and (d) reason for exemption was in each case where appropriate. (146843)

Since 1 January 2005, DFID has received 589 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests covering a very broad range of subjects. Each case is logged and given a reference number. DFID is committed to openness and transparency in accordance with the spirit of the FOI Act, and the presumption is always in favour of disclosure unless exemptions are found to apply. For example, in 2006, 80 per cent. of FOI requests received by DFID were answered in full without the withholding of any information. Only in 7 per cent. of cases was information fully withheld under permissible exemptions, often after consultation with other Government Departments such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence.

To provide a summary of each of the 589 requests, the request outcome, and any exemptions used could be done only at disproportionate cost. Summary statistical information on the outcomes of FOI requests and exemptions used are reported by DFID to the Ministry of Justice every quarter and can be accessed on the Ministry of Justice website at:

www.justice.gov.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answers of 24 April 2007, Official Report, column 1013W, on armed forces: mass media, 2 May 2007, Official Report, column 1665W, on service personnel: media and 8 May 2007, on detainees: Iran, and following the publication of the Fulton and Hall reports, whether he is now in a position to identify any instance of a second-hand account of military experiences being sold to the media by relatives of service personnel who have been refused permission to sell them directly. (145147)

[holding answer 27 June 2007]: I have nothing further to add. It remains impossible for the MOD to determine whether relatives of service personnel have sold to the media second-hand accounts of their relative’s military experiences. Any such transactions would be a private matter between the media organisation and the individuals concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contacts his Department has had with anti-corruption investigators from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in relation to defence orders with Saudi Arabia since January 2006; and if he will make a statement. (143092)

No one in the Department has had any contact with anti-corruption investigators from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in relation to defence orders with Saudi Arabia since January 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there have been revisions of and amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding between the US Government European Command and the Ministry of Defence Police 1989; and if he will place a copy in the Library. (146742)

[holding answer 29 June 2007]: To date, there has been no revision or amendment to the 1989 memorandum of understanding between the US Government European Command and the Ministry of Defence police.

Negotiations are currently being held with the US authorities to review the policing and guarding services provided by the Ministry of Defence police.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely impact of a boycott of Israeli universities and academics by British universities, colleges and academics, as proposed by the Universities and Colleges Union, upon Jewish students studying in Britain. (146236)

[holding answer 28 June 2007]: The Government fully support academic freedom and are firmly against any academic boycotts of Israel or Israeli academics. The Government have demonstrated their clear commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity in higher education and more broadly in British society. Universities as independent, autonomous bodies are responsible themselves for complying with legislation and fulfilling their statutory duties. Under the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000) university governing bodies are also responsible for assessing the impact of their policies on student and staff of different racial groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students have brought complaints to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator in each month since it was established; and if he will make a statement. (146398)

The following table shows the latest available information on the number of student complaints handled by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator Scheme, since its inception in 2004.

21. To ask the Leader of the House when she will bring forward plans to modernise further the House of Commons. (146367)

As I have indicated in my earlier response to the hon. Member for Cardiff, North (Julie Morgan) the Government are considering their response to the Modernisation Committee's recent report on “Revitalising the Chamber”. We hope to bring forward specific proposals for the House's consideration as soon as reasonably possible. I remain open to representations on matters for reform.

22. To ask the Leader of the House if she will consider extending the amount of time allocated to Westminster Hall debates. (146368)

I have no plans to do so. The present sitting times for Westminster Hall were set in January 2005 to complement the revised sitting hours agreed at the same time for the main Chamber.

23. To ask the Leader of the House what assessment she has made of the effect on debates of the length of Front-Bench speeches. (146369)

I have made no such specific assessment. As the hon. Member is aware, the issue of Front-Bench speaking times was discussed in the recent report of the Modernisation Committee on “Revitalising the Chamber: the role of the back bench Member”. The Committee recommended the extension to Front-Bench speeches of the power to impose speaking limits, with certain safeguards.

24. To ask the Leader of the House what steps she is taking to ensure effective scrutiny of European legislation; and if she will make a statement. (146370)

The Government are considering possible measures for the reform of the scrutiny of European legislation and hopes to bring forward proposals in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 25 June to Question 145649, on fast link trains, what the anticipated frequency is of the one hour and 25 minute fast trains from St. Pancras to Ramsgate; and on what date this service is likely to commence. (146654)

It is anticipated that the fast services from St. Pancras to Ramsgate will operate on a one train per hour frequency during the main part of the day, seven days a week. These services are scheduled to be introduced from 13 December 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will examine the feasibility of bringing the hard shoulder into use as a carriageway on the M1 motorway in the vicinity of junction 24 during large-scale events likely to lead to congestion at Donington Park circuit at Castle Donington; and if she will make a statement. (146725)

There are no plans to introduce hard shoulder running on the M1 motorway in the vicinity of Junction 24 at present.

The Highways Agency is currently evaluating an active traffic management pilot project on a heavily used length of the M42 south east of Birmingham, which includes hard shoulder running. This became fully operational in September 2006 but it is too early to draw definite conclusions at this point.

The Agency expects to produce an evaluation later this year and is continuing a thorough review of the strategic roads network to identify potential locations that might benefit.

The majority of major events at the Donington Park Circuit take place at weekends when traffic flows are lighter. The Highways Agency liaises regularly with the management of Donington Park to plan for events. The Agency has received no reports of any significant traffic problems for this length of the M1 when events are taking place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for how long the slip road at junction 25 of the M1 motorway towards Nottingham is likely to remain closed; what the reason is for the closure; and if she will make a statement. (146726)

The A52 slip road at Junction 25 of the M1 motorway is closed while the A52 Bardill’s improvement scheme is under construction.

Forecasts from traffic flow figures show that if the slip road was left open there was a real risk of traffic forming queues from Bardill’s roundabout back to Junction 25 and onto the M1 motorway. Therefore, for safety reasons, this slip road is to remain closed until the scheme is completed, which is scheduled for 11 August this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to require new cars sold in the UK to be fitted with electronic stability control. (146728)

As a member of the European Community we accept all cars constructed/approved to a scheme known as European Community whole vehicle type approval. Currently this does not include electronic stability control (ESC) and the UK could not mandate such fitment unilaterally. However, the Government appreciate the potential benefit of ESC and urges anyone buying a new car to give serious consideration to choosing one with ESC fitted.

It is anticipated that the European Commission will bring forward proposals for mandating ESC for cars, once a technical specification and a test method for ESC systems have been agreed. The UK is contributing to the development of both.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the deadline is for authorities to sign up to the proposed regional fire and rescue control centre to be located in Cambridge. (146651)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 9 May 2007, Official Report, column 205W, to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell).

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the merits of requiring the Ordnance Survey to make licensable or copyright material available to schools and other public educational establishments free of charge; and if she will make a statement. (146016)

[holding answer 29 June 2007]: In its role as the national mapping agency of Great Britain, Ordnance Survey places great importance on supporting education and learning at all levels, and in responding to its unique position as the only organisation whose products are specifically identified for study within the national curricula.

In addition to the well publicised “Free Maps for 11-Year-Olds” scheme, Ordnance Survey offers a wide range of other opportunities for schools and other public educational establishments to access its licensable and copyright material, much of it free of charge.

Under the “Free Maps for 11-Year-Olds” initiative Ordnance Survey has provided over 3.8 million OS explorer maps free to primary seven pupils in Scotland and year seven pupils in rest of Great Britain through their schools, with a further distribution planned for autumn 2007. All 11-year-old pupils are eligible regardless of the school they attend.

Ordnance Survey provides an educational copyright licence to any school, college or university wishing to copy Ordnance Survey paper mapping or use Ordnance Survey digital map data for educational, research or teaching purposes. The licence is available free to schools for students up to 16-years-old. In addition, individual students may obtain copies of extracts of in-copyright Ordnance Survey mapping from libraries under the terms of exceptions to the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, for their private study, research, criticism or review purposes.

Digital map data are also freely available to LEA-funded schools from their parent local authority under the terms of the Local Authority Mapping Services Agreement. In order to ensure that LEA schools are technically able to access this data, Ordnance Survey has been working closely with the British Education Communications Technology Agency (Becta) to trial an on-line mechanism for the delivery of map data to schools and their suppliers. The 18 month ‘MapPilot’ project will report in summer 2008.

To further support the educational use of geographic information within schools Ordnance Survey operates a specialist on-line service within its web site. ‘MapZone’ is an award-winning free resource for school use, available 24 x 7 for teachers and pupils. It contains all the map reading skills required within the national curricula. The latest mapping is also available free of charge to schools and pupils (and the public) through the Ordnance Survey on-line ‘Get-a-Map’ service from which extracts may be downloaded or printed for a wide range of personal or learning uses.

Ordnance Survey supports teacher training by supplying all tutors of Post Graduate Certificate of Education geography courses across Great Britain with free OS Explorer and OS Landranger maps to aid with training of secondary school teachers. Through sponsorship arrangements with the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and the teachers’ professional body. The Geography Association (GA), Ordnance Survey also supports the provision of free geography teaching materials and teacher in service training (INSET).

Further and higher education needs are served through a collective purchasing agreement between Ordnance Survey and the Higher Education Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC). A basket of Ordnance Survey digital mapping products is available for use for teaching and non-commercial research use within higher and further education establishments—each establishment pays a single annual subscription for all agreed use by staff and students.

The value of providing further services for free is continually held under review. The Government published their response to an independent review by Ed Mayo and Tom Steinberg, “The Power of Information” on 25 June 2007. This made clear that Ordnance Survey will look very seriously at launching Open Space, a project which would allow non-commercial experimentation with mapping data.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions his Department has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the establishment of a Community Legal Services Strategy for Wales; and if he will make a statement. (147015)

In December 2006, the Legal Services Commission (LSC) and Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) issued a joint consultation paper; Making Rights a Reality in Wales. The consultation closed on 2 March 2007 and the responses have all been analysed. A response to the consultation will be published in late summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials in his Department are (a) involved in assisting European Council negotiations, (b) involved in assisting and advising the European Commission, (c) seconded to the European Commission, (d) involved in monitoring EU decisions, communications, regulations and directives, (e) involved in enforcing compliance with EU decisions, communications, regulations and directives and (f) involved in other work related to the European Council, Commission or Court of Justice. (146092)

Officials throughout the Ministry of Justice are involved in a full range of EU business. Those working specifically on EU business in the European and International Division total six. A breakdown of the figures as requested would incur disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of (a) his Department’s and (b) courts service staff in Newcastle-upon-Tyne are in each of the five new area related paybands; and how many are at, or above, the top of the new area related payband scales. (146225)

All staff employed by Ministry of Justice from the former DCA (including HMCS and Tribunals Service staff) who are based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne have been allocated to the same pay range (within the five available pay ranges).

302 members of staff are employed by HMCS and the Tribunals Service in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and of these, 13 are currently paid salaries at, or above, the top of the payband relevant to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Of the 302, 216 members of staff are employed by HMCS, of whom four are paid at, or above, the top of the payband relevant to Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

These arrangements do not apply to staff employed by the Home Office or its agencies prior who transferred to the Ministry of Justice on 9 May 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at his Department and its agencies in each year between 1997 and 2006; and what the total cost of those bonuses was. (146424)

The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007. The information provided relates to former DCA Senior Civil Service (SCS). It excludes those staff in the Tribunals Service and who joined former DCA on 1 April 2006 and those who joined the new Ministry from the Home Office for whom information is not currently available. As the SCS bonus scheme only came into being in 2002, information is provided from this point forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the measures put in place by Barnet council to ensure the electoral register for Grahame Park, Colindale is properly compiled; and if he will make a statement. (146786)

The Department has not made an assessment of the measures put in place by Barnet council but I understand the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) has been conducting a canvass of properties in Grahame Park, Colindale in an effort to maintain an accurate register and to raise registration levels.

Section 9 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 sets out the necessary steps that all EROs must take to maintain the register. These include sending the canvass form more than once to any address, conducting house to house enquiries and making contact by such means as appropriate.

It is for the ERO to decide on the best steps to use in conjunction with their local knowledge to ensure that requirements for making contact with persons and maintaining the register are complied with.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convicted criminals were returned to prison for breaking home detention curfews in the last three years for which figures are available. (146061)

The number of prisoners recalled for breaching their HDC conditions were 1,470 in 2003, 1,710 in 2004 and 1,722 in 2005, the latest year for which published figures are available.

These figures are taken from Table 10.7 of Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005, a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library and which can also be found online at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1806section10.xls.

These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of magistrates expected to be recruited for Welsh courts in financial year 2007-08. (146270)

During the financial year 2007-08, it is expected that 82 magistrates will be recruited throughout Wales. This is based on predicted business need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of magistrates expected to leave the magistracy in Wales in financial year 2007-08. (146271)

During the financial year 2007-08, 50 magistrates are due to retire throughout Wales. An unknown number of magistrates may leave due to other reasons such as illness, transfer etc.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many magistrates are employed in courts in Wales. (146272)

At the financial year ending 31 March 2007, there were 1,949 serving magistrates throughout Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many (a) men and (b) women are being held in (i) each prison and (ii) police cell accommodation in Wales; (146274)

The latest information available on prisoners held in accommodation in Wales, for the end of May 2007, is provided in the following table.

The reported prison population also includes prisoners on authorised absence from the prison.

There are 28 places available in Wales under Operation Safeguard, which are used when there is a shortage of prison places. The use of Operation Safeguard in individual police force areas is held for use as management information only.

The latest information available on Operational Capacity, for the end of May 2007, is provided in the following table.

The maximum number of prisoners that an establishment can hold is the Operational Capacity. This is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime. It is determined by senior operational managers on the basis of operational judgement and experience.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what arrangements have been made for providing food to prisoners held in (a) court cells and (b) police cells since January 2006; (146055)

All efforts are being made to avoid vulnerable prisoners being held in police or court cells. Prisoners previously held in prison accommodation will have been assessed on their reception for drugs treatment, detox and wider health needs. Invoices, including medical and food expenses are submitted in arrears. The total cost of food and average cost per prisoner per meal is not centrally available. Estimated costs, on average, are around £385 per place per night to hold a prisoner in a police cell, and around £300 for every place in a court cell.

Under the terms of Operation Safeguard, police forces can be reimbursed by NOMS up to a ceiling of £12 for the costs of food for each prisoner over a 24-hour period.

Responsibility for the care and lawful custody of prisoners held in police accommodation rests with the police. Medical care afforded to Safeguard prisoners is in accordance with PACE Code C s9.

Prisoners have access to sanitary facilities within the custody area. Forces that provide cells under Operation Safeguard arrangements have shower facilities which are available for use. Every effort is made to ensure that prisoners are not held for more than one or two nights in succession.

Evening meals and breakfast are available for prisoners held overnight in court cells. For one contractor, figures for prisoners' food per night are around £15 per prisoner.

All prisoners held in court cells, whether or not previously held in custody, have a ‘prisoner escort record’ (PER) form, on which issues giving rise to concern are noted. Contractor staff and the on-site constables are able to take management action as appropriate, up to and including a hospital bed watch (where a minimum of two officers are to be present throughout the hospital stay). At each court a clinic is held each night by a qualified health care professional to identify and help address any health issues.

Prisoners have access to sanitary facilities within the custody area. Showers are not generally available, but other than in wholly exceptional circumstances prisoners are only held in court cells for one night.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2007, Official Report, column 1727W, on prisoners: transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that prisoners are not detained in prisoner transport vehicles when awaiting or following court hearings. (146594)

The contractors responsible for the escort of prisoners are fully aware that vehicles are not to be used to hold prisoners either before or after their court appearance. The National Offender Management Service have to date received no reports of prisoners being held on vehicles because cells are not available in courts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2007, Official Report, column 2129W, on prisoners: young offender institutions, what the average (a) male and (b) female population was in young offender institutions in England and Wales in each year since 1997. (146153)

The average male and female population in Young Offender Institutions in England and Wales in each year from 1997 to 2005 is shown in the following table:

The figures have been taken from web table 8.10 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005. This can be found at:

http://www.homeoffice. gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1806section8.xls.

These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to introduce further mediation services for separating couples with children. (146343)

We have established the Family Mediation helpline and supporting website; sponsored a public awareness campaign; and are facilitating judicial awareness seminars and supporting in-court referral schemes.

Provisions of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 will enable the court to direct parties in child contact disputes to attend a meeting about mediation. Referrals will also be encouraged through changes to court rules and court forms, particularly in relation to disputes over children.

Finally, the Legal Services Commission’s revised Family Fee scheme will remove the financial disincentives for solicitors to make referrals to mediation. Under the scheme, it will be in the interests of the solicitor to make a referral to mediation and to do so, at an earlier stage.

Therefore, the Government have no plans to introduce further mediation services but remain committed to encouraging greater use of existing provisions for family mediation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation controls the (a) ownership and (b) use of airguns; and if she will make a statement. (146482)

[holding answer 29 June 2007]: There is a range of controls in the Firearms Act 1968 and related statutes controlling the possession and use of airguns. For example, a person must be aged 17 or over before they can buy an airgun or receive one as a gift. Anyone under 17 must normally be supervised by an adult when in possession of an airgun. It is an offence to carry an airgun in public without reasonable excuse. Other offences include possession with intent to injure, possession with intent to cause fear of violence and trespass with an airgun. Persons sentenced to three years imprisonment or longer for any offence are prohibited for life from possessing an airgun, and those sentenced to three months or more are prohibited for five years. High powered airguns are subject to certification and some are prohibited.

The Government are further strengthening the controls on airguns through measures contained in the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. It will soon become an offence for businesses to sell airguns unless they register with the police as firearms dealers. To guard against under-age sales, transactions by dealers will have to be completed in person. The Act will also increase to 18, the age limit for buying and possessing an airgun and will make it an offence for anyone of any age to fire an airgun beyond the boundary of premises.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what antisocial behaviour initiatives her Department has funded in Blackpool since 1997. (146516)

In 2005-06, Blackpool received £238,639 revenue and £54,453 Safer Stronger Communities Fund grant from the Home Office. This included £25,000 for a local antisocial behaviour co-ordinator, to prioritise and drive forward action on local issues.

Since 2006-07, Blackpool has received centrally pooled Safer Stronger Communities (SSC) funding from Communities and Local Government—£776,950 revenue and £1,027,031 capital in 2006-07; and £1,104,893 revenue and £1,199,033 capital in 2007-08. Through its Local Area Agreement, Blackpool has agreed to deliver a range of outcomes using this funding, including reductions in community perceptions of antisocial behaviour.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has said that, as a Respect Area, Blackpool has been allocated funding of up to £50,000 to appoint an expert parenting practitioner to work closely with antisocial behaviour teams, £125,000 from the Department for Children, Schools and Families for parenting interventions and an additional pump priming fund of £15,000 to cover costs related to delivering of parenting support training. A further £215,000 over two years has been allocated to Blackpool by the Respect Task Force to establish a Family Intervention Project.

Blackpool is also one of 20 Respect Areas which recently submitted proposals for ‘Talking CCTV’ as part of their wider campaign to tackle antisocial behaviour. Blackpool received £25,000 to set up and promote ‘Talking CCTV’.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of claims for asylum were dealt with within the eight week target time period in each of the last 12 months. (126948)

Information on the timeliness of initial decisions is published quarterly and annually. Information up to March 2007 will be available on 21 August 2007 in the quarterly publication. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases were referred to Ministers for review of the continued detention of children on immigration grounds beyond 28 days in each of the last three years; and in how many of those cases was detention not extended beyond 28 days. (146166)

The information requested on referrals is not centrally collated and could be provided only by examining individual cases at disproportionate cost.

Quarterly snapshots are published in the quarterly asylum bulletin, showing the number of people detained under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter. Statistics on the total number of persons leaving detention each quarter are also published in the quarterly asylum bulletin.

Published information on immigration and asylum is available on the Home Office's Research Development and Statistics web site at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the section 9 pilot on removal of support to refused asylum seeker families was concluded; when the evaluation of the pilot was (a) conducted and (b) provided to Ministers; when she expects to publish the evaluation; and if she will make a statement. (146162)

The section 9 implementation pilot concluded in December 2005.

The evaluation of the pilot was conducted between January 2006 and June 2007. Ministers were presented with the findings of the evaluation in June 2007.

A written ministerial statement was published on 25 June 2007, Official Report, column 9WS.

The evaluation of the section 9 pilot is available on the Border and Immigration Agency website.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people attending hearings before the Asylum Support Adjudicator were provided with overnight accommodation in each of the last three years. (146163)

Management information records the following numbers of people provided with overnight accommodation to attend hearings before the Asylum Support Adjudicators (now the Asylum Support Tribunal): 521 in 2005; 661 in 2006; and 350 in 2007 (January to May).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of complaints about poor accommodation provided under (a) section 95 and (b) section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 have been (i) made, (ii) investigated and (iii) upheld since its introduction. (146164)

The information requested in respect of complaints about s4 and s95 accommodation is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many accommodation providers under section (a) 95 and (b) 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 have been subjected to financial sanctions in each of the last three years. (146165)

25 regional accommodation contracts for s4 and s95 have had financial sanctions applied since the award of new contracts in April 2006.

Prior to the award of these new contracts financial sanctions were not applied. However, accommodation providers were expected to remedy any shortfalls identified or provide alternative accommodation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the criteria for considering applications for asylum from Iraqi citizens differ from those applying to other countries. (146745)

[holding answer 29 June 2007]: The United Kingdom considers all asylum and human rights claims, including those from Iraqi nationals, on their individual merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) against the background of the latest available country information. How other countries handle asylum claims is a matter for those countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the reliability of automatic number plate recognition technology. (146483)

[holding answer 29 June 2007]: Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is a well-established technology that allows vehicles observed by camera to have their vehicle registration mark ‘read’ using pattern recognition software.

It is not possible to assess the reliability of ANPR technology as this information is not collated centrally. ANPR is operationally independent in each police force and is structured and maintained in a variety of ways. There is however, an established, collaborative working arrangement between police forces at the local, regional and national level that allows for the exchange of good practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department has had with the Romanian National Agency for the Protection of Minors on unaccompanied Romany minors entering the United Kingdom. (146195)

Discussions have been held at a number of levels with the Romanian authorities about accompanied and unaccompanied Roma children from Romania who have entered the United Kingdom. These discussions are continuing.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding was made available by her Department for neighbourhood policing initiatives in Blackpool in (a) 1997, (b) 2005 and (c) 2007. (146515)

Before 2002-03, when the Home Office introduced funding specifically for police community support officers (PCSOs), the cost of funding any neighbourhood policing initiatives was met by police authorities from the general police grant and local resources. In November 2004, the Home Office launched the Neighbourhood Policing Fund and significantly increased investment in PCSOs and the wider aspects of neighbourhood policing. We have allocated the amounts shown in the following table to Lancashire constabulary. It is for the local police authority and the chief constable to determine the most appropriate distribution of resources to Blackpool and other parts of the force area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans her Department has to provide further funding to Blackpool as part of the town's award of Respect Area status. (146517)

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has said that, in return for securing Respect Area status, Blackpool has been allocated £125,000 for 2007-08 from the Department for Children, Schools and Families to help improve parenting programmes linked to tackling antisocial behaviour.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there have been under the (a) Licensing Act 2003, (b) Knives Act 1997 and (c) Drugs Act 2005. (145989)

Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for offences under the Licensing Act 2003 and the Knives Act 1997 are shown in the following tables.

As offences of failing to attend drug assessments under the Drugs Act 2005 came into force late in 2005, there have been no offenders found guilty, up to the end of 2005. Data for 2006 will be available in the autumn of 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the cost has been to public funds of keeping dogs held by the Metropolitan Police Service under the provisions of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991; (145558)

The number of dogs held by the Metropolitan Police Service under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and the associated cost to public funds is an operational matter for the commissioner; such information is not collected by the Home Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of staff in her Department were over 60 years of age in each of the last three years. (145683)

The percentage of staff who were 60 years of age in each of the last three years is in the table.

The Criminal Record Bureau has been unable to provide data. The information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Figures are taken from the Home Office personnel system called ADELPHI for 31 March for each year. They cover permanent and casual employees but exclude agency staff and contractors.

It is possible that 31 March 2005 figure may be inflated by some staff whose employment status was in the process of being updated as data was transferred to ADELPHI from the preceding Home Office personnel system.

The information has been derived from the Personnel Corporate Database and Oracle HRMS. These systems are subject to the marginal inaccuracies associated with any large-scale reporting systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals her Department has made to change the rights to legal protection of domestic workers from overseas; and if she will make a statement. (125426)

I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 25 June 2007, Official Report, column 301W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists in (a) the area of North Wales police and (b) England and Wales were wrongly identified as driving while uninsured as a result of information obtained from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau Police Helpline in the last year for which figures are available. (146234)

[holding answer 28 June 2007]: This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has held on the implementation of tetra based trunk radio, with particular reference to the Airwave system; and if she will make a statement. (146577)

Airwave—the national digital trunked radio communication system—will shortly complete its roll out in London, completing the UK roll out to all forces. Airwave is also rolling out to fire and ambulance services. The service is managed by the National Policing Improvement Agency on behalf of the police service.

The Airwave contract is managed by the NPIA. The Minister has not held discussions on the implementation of Airwave or any other tetra based trunk radio communication system recently.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what grounds a refusal stamp for a visa application to live in the UK made by a US citizen can be removed from a person's passport. (144314)

A visa refusal stamp cannot be removed from an applicant's passport. In the event of a successful appeal against refusal, were an administrative error to be made or a subsequent application approved, a visa vignette inserted into the passport would supersede the refusal stamp.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what recent estimate she has made of the incidence of (a) cheque and (b) plastic card fraud; (146767)

Cheque and plastic card fraud are not separately identifiable in Home Office crime statistics. For the year 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 there were 87,860 cases of cheque and plastic card fraud recorded by the police. Figures for the year 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 will be released on 19 July 2007.

APACS (the UK Payment Association) records information on the financial losses resulting from plastic card fraud in the UK. The total losses reported by APACS in 2005 were £439.4 million.

Prior to 1 April 2007, Home Office officials consulted with the Attorney General's Fraud Review Steering Group on 30 March 2006, where a presentation on proposed changes to the reporting and recording of cheque and plastic card fraud offences was made.

The Fraud Review published on 24 July 2006 mentions proposed changes to the Home Office Counting Rules under paragraph 2.17 and states

“Changes to the counting rules centre on rationalising responsibility for recording the crime and using statistics collated by APACS to supplement crime statistics".

Under paragraph 2.18 it states

“These changes to the fraud statistics, following on from the Fraud Bill, are welcome”.

Home Office officials have not held any direct discussions with Trade and Industry officials on changes to the reporting and recording of cheque and plastic card offences introduced on 1 April 2007.

Prior to 1 April 2007, Home Office officials have discussed changes to the reporting of cheque and plastic card offences with APACS (UK Payments Association), ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) and Attorney General's Office officials.

Home Office officials are integral members of the Economic Crime Portfolio Group which is chaired by the commissioner of the city of London police. The Commissioner is also the ACPO lead on all fraud matters. Home Office officials have made presentations to the group and kept them updated on the changes to reporting and recording of cheque and plastic card fraud by police introduced on 1 April 2007. The FSA are also represented at the ECP meetings, together with a range of other stakeholders in fraud.

From 1 April 2007 each police force now has a single point of contact (SPOC) that has been set up to receive reports of cheque and plastic card crime direct from financial institutions. It is a matter for the financial institutions which crimes they decide to refer to the police for recording. It is then a matter for individual chief officers to decide which crimes will be investigated.

The Home Office has been making greater use of APACS (UK Payments Association) figures to provide a better indication of the extent and trends in cheque and plastic card fraud.

Home Office officials will remain engaged with the UK Payments Association (APACS) and the Association of Chief Police Officers to continually assess the effectiveness of new arrangements for reporting and recording of cheque and plastic card fraud introduced on 1 April 2007.

Financial institutions now have a network of single points of contact within each police force where they can report cheque and plastic card fraud. Guidance issued to both police and financial institutions and contained within the Home Office Counting Rules for Recorded Crime, (which is a public document available online at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/countrules.html) states the following:

The financial institution wishing to report fraud will give the case or cases to the force area based on the following set of principles. The principles are listed in order of priority and it is only when a principle cannot be achieved or is not known that the next principle will apply:

1^st—The police force area covering the location of the fraudulent operation.

2^nd—The police force area with the greatest number of individual usages.

3^rd—The police force area where the first offence was committed.

4^th—The police force area where the victim is located.

The Rules make it clear that where the trader or account holder is the victim (i.e. they suffer the financial loss) they can report this to the police who have to record this as a crime and not refer them back to the financial institution. It is then a matter for the police to decide which force is responsible for recording this matter as a crime based on the above criteria.

Where an account holder does contact the police to report this matter without having first spoken to their financial institution, a crime related incident will be recorded and the account holder will be referred to their financial institution.

APACS put out a press release to this effect on 30 March 2007.

A series of questions and answers for all police staff was circulated to all police forces in January 2007 on the changes to the reporting and recording arrangements for cheque and plastic card fraud offences. This additionally appeared in Police Review on 19 January 2007 as a two page article.

In addition the Home Office Counting Rules for Recorded Crime contain more extensive details. This is a publicly available document available on the Home office website at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/countrules.html.

Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and individual forces have been fully consulted on these proposed changes throughout the course of 2006-07 through the National Crime Recording Steering Group and also its fraud sub-group.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2007, Official Report, column 1958W, on the Fullbright Fellowship in Police Studies scheme, what further steps she is taking to promote and enhance the skills of police officers and police staff in co-operation with other countries. (146487)

The Fulbright Fellowship is one of six programmes which the NPIA is responsible for that helps to promote and enhance the skills of police officers and staff. Additional programmes include an exchange with the John Jay College in New York, the French Gendarmerie Exchange in Paris, the Hong Kong Police, the Chevening Scholarships and the Australian Institute of Police Management.

NPIA also hosts the European Police College (CEPOL) which has been developing a common curriculum for key areas of European policing. CEPOL provides around 100 training programmes across Europe which UK officers are encouraged through NPIA to access.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2007, Official Report, column 1958W, on the Fullbright Fellowship in Police Studies scheme, when she expects the National Policing Improvements Agency to ensure that a mechanism is put in place to assess the effectiveness of the scheme for both police officers and police staff. (146488)

Policy and practice in respect of the Fulbright Programme is now a matter for the NPIA. I understand from the NPIA chief executive that he will be arranging a meeting shortly with the executive director of the Fulbright Fellowship to discuss how the programme is operating and to help maximise its use among police officers and police staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences recorded as homicide by sharp instrument were recorded by Wiltshire Constabulary in each year from 1997-98 to 2005-06. (147090)

The information requested is set out in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the accuracy of information provided by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau Police Helpline. (146233)

[holding answer 28 June 2007]: The helpline has been in service since April. Its accuracy is the responsibility of the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. The police make extensive use of insurance data made available through the bureau to tackle the serious problem of uninsured driving. The latest figures, to mid June, indicate that 94.4 per cent. of all appropriate records are provided to the Motor Insurance Database (MID) within seven days. This is in line with a target of 95 per cent. of all appropriate records being provided within seven days by 1 January 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelan activists in (a) London and (b) the UK. (146130)

[holding answer 28 June 2007]: The Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) is listed as proscribed as a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000. It is a criminal offence for a person to belong to or encourage support for the LTTE in the UK. It is also a criminal offence to arrange a meeting in support of it or to wear clothing or to carry articles in public which arouse reasonable suspicion that a person is a member or supporter. The arrest and prosecution of offences under the Terrorism Act 2000 is a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on recent arrests of the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelan activists under counter terrorism legislation. (146131)

[holding answer 28 June 2007]: The arrest and prosecution of offences under the Terrorism Act 2000 is a matter for the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service respectively. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on such matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will declassify MI5 file series PF600, 439 to 610 and 109. (146788)

[holding answer 29 June 2007]: The Security Service transfers records to the National Archive for public access in accordance both with the selection criteria recommended by the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Public Records and with the Public Record Act 1958.

Some records in the Service’s Personal File (PF) series have already been transferred to the National Archive. Those that remain will be considered in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will answer Question 115828, on indefinite leave to remain, tabled by the hon. Member for Hertsmere on 10 January 2007. (117678)

I replied to the hon. Member on 27 June 2007, Official Report column 769W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual cost was in the last three years of each mounted police section. (146683)

The Government allocate funding to police authorities. The allocation of resources within each force is a matter for the chief officer and the police authority. We do not hold information centrally on resources for mounted police sections.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2007, Official Report, column 2078W, on Police: protective clothing, what guidelines her Department issues to chief officers of police on the selection, purchase and issue of body armour for on-duty police officers. (146105)

Decisions about the selection, purchase and issue of body armour are for chief officers of police. All officers should have access to a range of body armour, either on an individual or shared basis, dependant on their role. In reaching decisions about what protective equipment to issue, chief officers have the benefit of expert advice provided by the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) and the standards they produce. Body armour supplied to the vast majority of police officers in the UK now offers a dual protection level of knife and ballistic resistance as detailed in the HOSDB Standard.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what risk assessment she has commissioned on the health and safety of police officers during a (a) chemical, (b) biological, (c) radiological and (d) nuclear incident. (146627)

Such risk assessments are an operational matter for the police and are not commissioned by the Home Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) injured and (b) killed due to the firing of a stun gun by the police since April 2003; and during what type of operations. (146553)

There have been no deaths in the UK directly attributable to police use of Taser. There have been no injuries directly attributable to police use of Taser beyond the expected injury caused by Taser barbs penetrating or puncturing the skin on impact.

Independent medical advice from the Defence Scientific Advisory Council's Sub-Committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons (DOMILL) examine all the available medical reports where Taser has been used and are content that the medical issues attributable directly or indirectly to Taser use are not unexpected and are addressed by their statements to Ministers. DOMILL has issued three statements on the medical implications of the use of the Taser. Its view is that the risk of death from primary injury with high power laser is low and certainly very much lower than that from conventional firearms.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions Taser stun guns have been used by each police force since April 2003; and in what type of operation they were used. (146559)

Taser is currently available to authorised firearms officers as a less lethal alternative for use in situations where a firearms authority has been granted in accordance with criteria laid down in the ACPO Manual of Guidance on Police Use of Firearms. Taser is deployed alongside conventional weapons providing the police with an additional tactical option that is less lethal than conventional firearms.

Information on the occasions when Taser has been used is set out in the following tables.

Since April 2003, there have been 619 incidents at which the device has been used operationally. This can be broken down as follows: