asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list the computers owned by or planned for the Immigration and Nationality Department of the Home Office; where each of them is or will be treated; and which of them will be linked, under INDECS (Immigration and Nationality Department Electronic Computer Systems) or otherwise, to the system owned by the Immigration Service Intelligence Unit at Harmondsworth.

The Home Office Immigration and Nationality Department uses two computer systems. Phase I of the INDECS system, which is used to match the landing and embarkation cards completed by passengers subject to immigration control, is located at Bootle. The Immigration Service Intelligence Unit system is located at Harmondsworth. The two systems are not linked. Experiments with terminals for reading machine readable passports in conjunction with a computerised warning list have begun at Terminal 3 Heathrow.Planning for a computer system in support of the processing of applications to the Nationality Division is at an advanced stage. The equipment will be installed at the Immigration and Nationality Department headquarters at Croydon. There are no plans to link this system with the Immigration Service Intelligence Unit Computer.A review of the Immigration and Nationality Department's future computer requirements in support of the on entry and after entry immigration control was initiated recently and further progress in the use of computer systems will depend on the outcome of this review. Any systems in operation in the Immigration and Nationality Department will conform with the requirements of data protection legislation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list the "clearly defined categories" of persons where particulars are or will be entered in to the Immigration Service Intelligence Unit Computer; what is the nature of the "careful checks" made with a view to ensuring that information entered in this computer is accurate; under what conditions particulars entered in this computer will be deleted, and whether a person who had been suspected of involvement in abuse or attempted abuse of the immigration laws would have his particulars removed when the suspicions were dispelled; in what form information relating to overstayers is transferred from the Immigration and Nationality Department Computer at Bootle to this computer, and how many persons' records were transferred in 1982, and what evidence would be required of abuse or attempted abuse of the immigration laws before a person suspected of those actions would have his particulars entered in the computer.

The "clearly defined categories" of persons whose particulars are entered on the Immigration Service Intelligence Unit computer are those served with notice of further examination who leave the United Kingdom before consideration of their case is complete; those removed from the United Kingdom as illegal entrants, or as seamen deserters, or following refusal of leave to enter (unless entry of the record is inappropriate, for example because refusal was due to the lack of a required visa); those refused entry clearances; and those who abscond before completion of their examination. Details of persons deported from the United Kingdom are entered unless they are included in the Warning List held by immigration officers at ports. Reports submitted to the Immigration Service Intelligence Unit on persons in these categories will indicate how the information in them has been verified by the writer, but, with a view to ensuring that data included on the computer are accurate, all items are scrutinised locally by an immigration officer or, in appropriate cases, by a senior officer.All data are cancelled after seven years unless further information has come to light since its entry, and an entry is deleted if suspicions about the subject's involvement in abuse of the immigration laws have been dispelled. Details are entered on the computer if an overstayer comes to light during a joint immigration service and police inquiry, but no records relating to overstayers were transferred from the Immigration and Nationality Department computer at Bootle during 1982.It is not possible to state precisely what evidence is required of abuse or attempted abuse of the immigration laws before a person suspected of those actions has his particulars entered on the computer. Much depends upon the source and apparent reliability of the information.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information about individual parole decisions on prisoners in England and Wales is held by the Home Office on computer; whether, in particular, a decision by the court to recommend deportation is recorded; from what date the file begins, and on what computer it is held.

Information about parole decisions is recorded by the Home Office on a computer for statistical purposes only and is published each year in the Report of the Parole Board. The computer entry begins after the prisoner's first statutory parole review has been held at the prison. A decision by the court to recommend deportation is not recorded on the computer which is at Bootle.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will arrange for British subjects resident overseas to vote in the 1984 elections to the European Parliament.

Under existing law, a person resident overseas will be able to vote at the 1984 European Parliament election if he or she is registered as an elector for a qualifying address in the United Kingdom. The possibility of widening the franchise at European Parliament elections is under discussion in the Council of Ministers of the European Community. In the United Kingdom, it would require primary legislation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they take to encourage British applicants from outside the Civil Service for posts in the Institutions of the European Communities.

Her Majesty's Government give every encouragement to applicants from both inside and outside the Civil Service for posts in the Institutions of the European Communities. To that end, a seminar was held prior to the most recent competition for entry to the A6/A7 grades in the European Commission in order to give practical advice on the way in which such competitions are conducted. All applicants, including non-civil servants, were invited. Similar Seminars will be held before future competitions. Following the announcement of the results of the recent competition, in which there were a higher number of successes from the United Kingdom than from any other member state, the Permanent Representation in Brussels offered support and advice to successful applicants. For more senior posts in the EC Institutions we encourage applicants from outside the Civil Service directly and through appropriate organisations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many British candidates from outside the Civil Service have entered the institutions of the European Communities at the level of A1, A2, A3, A5, A6–7 and A8 in each of the last five years.

Recruitment to the Institutions of the European Communities is the responsibility of those Institutions and Her Majesty's Government do not possess the information required. However, it is our hope that interest in careers with the Communities will not be confined to civil servants, and we encourage applications from others.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they take to make institutions of higher education, appointment boards and careers advisers aware of the opportunities of the jobs in the institutions of the European Communities.

Her Majesty's Government believe that it is in the interests of all concerned that United Kingdom nationals are adequately represented in the Institutions of the European Communities. To that end, the Civil Service Commission have made available the good offices of their liaison officers with institutions of higher education and career advisory services to publicise the opportunities of employment in EC Institutions. We also have in preparation a leaflet further describing these careers, which offer the prospect of challenging and rewarding work in the service of all the ten member states of the Communities.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How often officials in Whitehall responsible for recruitment to the institutions of the European Communities visit the institutions.

Responsibility for recruitment to the Institutions of the European Communities is vested in the Institutions themselves. Her Majesty's Government, however, believe that it is in the interests of all concerned that United Kingdom nationals are adequately represented in the Institutions, and United Kingdom officials with responsibility for furthering this aim are in regular and frequent contact with those concerned in the Institutions.