TNAG-1144-FCO40-1424-Hong-Kong-and-the-Falkland-Islands-crisis-1982 — Page 11

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22 NOVEMBER 1982

329

Written Answers

Offences alleged to have been committed by persons entitled to

diplomatic immunity: 1 January 1982 to 17 November 1982

Other offences

*

Excluding those dealt with by fixed penalty notices.

Departmental Officers

8

166

Mr. Eggar asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the professional and other qualifications of the principal finance officer and principal establishment officer for his Department.

Mr. Whitelaw: Both are university graduates. They have been appointed to their present offices in the light of their general ability, their previous performance, and their experience of management and the administrative posts in the Department. They have received the appropriate training.

Departmental Efficiency

Mr. Eggar asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list and describe the studies from within or without his Department relating to the effectiveness and efficiency of his Department together with the recommendations and action taken on those recommendations.

Mr. Whitelaw: My Department has conducted and continues to conduct a wide range of studies related to the effectiveness and efficiency of its business. These include policy reviews, consultancies Rayner scrutinies, and centrally co-ordinated multi-Department reviews, as well as the day-to-day work of staff inspectors, management services and internal audit staff.

Such studies are all part of good management, which is so intrinsic to the task of the Department that it is not practicable to set out all that is undertaken under this heading. Recent measures include Rayner scrutinies into the work of the radio regulatory department, the nationality division, the forensic science service and the criminal injuries compensation board; multi-departmental reviews of statistical services, support services in research and development establishments, personnel management and administrative forms, and a resource control review of the prison services in Great Britain.

We are also undertaking work on extending the application of investment appraisal techniques within the Department, and introducing a computerised functional costing system for the prison service and schemes for accountable management in prisons. Internal audit and research and planning functions within the Department have been re-structured and rationalised, and other steps are being taken to improve resource management generally.

We

are preparing our plans under the financial management initiative announced in Cmnd. 8616-"Efficiency and Effectiveness in the Civil Service". We have introduced a programme of annual performance reviews which will provide systematic information about the Department's functions and their associated costs and will enable progress in key areas to be critically appraised and priority objectives to be readily identified.

166

Written Answers

330

My Department is also subject to the full range of examinations carried out by the Exchequer and Audit Department, the results of which are reported to the Public Accounts Committee of the House.

Poles (United Kingdom Visits)

Mr. Dubs asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why it is considered necessary for all Poles wishing to visit the United Kingdom to be interviewed at the British embassy in Warsaw; and when this requirement was first introduced.

Mr. Raison: Following the imposition of martial law in Poland the Government announced that no, Pole would be returned to Poland against his or her will. Applications from Poles for visit visas had to be carefully scrutinised to ensure that the applicant intended to return at the end of the visit as required by the Immigration Rules and an interview requirement was introduced. This requirement has now been relaxed for some categories of visitors and the situation is being kept under review.

Hendon Police Training School

Mrs. Renée Short asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes are being made to the multi-cultural studies curriculum for police cadets at the Hendon police training school; and if he will make a

statement.

Mr. Mayhew: We understand from the Commissioner that the multi-cultural studies course has not been dropped, as some reports have suggested. A small part of the course, which was not part of the original programme, has been changed to make way for training, which aims to teach the importance of basing opinions and decisions on evidence rather than on rumour and prejudice. The civilian and police teaching staff responsible for multi-cultural studies has been increased from 12 to 15.

Mrs. Renée Short asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the curriculum is devoted to racial prejudice in British culture and society at the Hendon police training school.

Mr. Mayhew: The cadets' time is divided between academic training-50 per cent.--physical education 40 per cent.-and vocational training-10 per cent.

Although multi-cultural studies, which form part of the vocational training, occupy only one or two lessons a week, the development of social awareness in the cadets is a principal aim of the cadet courses and is a continually recurring theme throughout their training.

Hong Kong Seamen

Mr. Parry asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Hong Kong seamen who had served in the Falkland Islands

were detained by immigration officers after they arrived in the United Kingdom; for how long the detention lasted; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Raison: None. Hong Kong seamen employed on board ships of the Royal Navy are subject to control under the Immigration Act 1971 but when 87 seamen arrived at RAF Brize Norton on 24 June 1982 they were given leave to enter the country without individual examination by

Date 22/11/82

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330-331

VOL 32