HC Deb 06 February 1985 vol 72 cc572-3W
Mr. Eggar

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all the nationalised industries, non-governmental organisations and agencies for which his Department either has responsibility or provides funding, as well as those sections of his Department, which provide services to the general public or to private organisations; and if he will indicate separately those which at present (a) charge no fees, (b) charge fees which do not fully cover the costs of providing those services, (c) charge fees which exactly cover the costs of providing those services and (d) charge fees which more than cover the costs of providing those services.

Mr. Brittan:

The Management and Personnel Office publication "Public Bodies 1984" lists the non-governmental organisations for which I have responsibilities. The grants made to voluntary bodies by my Department in 1983–84 were listed in the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) on 4 December 1984 at columns 129–31.

Comprehensive information about charges which may be made by all these bodies is not immediately available. The following information pertains to those services costing over £100,000 a year for which I am directly responsible, or for which I approve fees:

(a) Services costing over £100,000 a year where fees or charges did not cover costs in 1983–84:

  1. i. Licensing of firearms by police authorities (fees for which are currently under review);
  2. ii. issue of travel document by the Home Office for stateless persons (the charge for which is limited by international convention to that for a passport); and
  3. iii. clamping and removal of illegally parked vehicles by the metropolitan police (charges for which are currently under review).

(b) Services costing over £100,000 a year where fees or charges are known, or estimated, to have covered costs in 1983–84:

  1. i. Dealing with nationality applications in the Home Office;
  2. ii. inspection of premises under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971;
  3. iii. accommodation of passengers refused entry under the Immigration Act 1971 (where charges are made to the carrying companies);
  4. iv. issue of liquor licences by magistrates' courts;
  5. v. issue of gaming and betting licences by the Gaming Board for Great Britain and magistrates' courts;
  6. vi. issue of aliens' registration certificates;
  7. vii. issue of police reports on road traffic accidents; and
  8. viii. issue of passports.