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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 2 July 1990
HOME DEPARTMENT
Football Licensing Authority
86. Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recruitment procedure to be followed for the chief executive and other staff of the Football Licensing Authority.
Mr Waddington : This will be a matter for the Football Licensing Authority but we expect that the chief executive and other executive staff will be seconded from the civil service, and that other staff will be recruited by the authority locally or by competition as appropriate.
Women Prisoners
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women currently held at Her Majesty's pleasure are allowed to keep their children with them during their detention.
Mr. Mellor : There are no women detained during Her Majesty's pleasure, under section 53(1) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, or serving life sentences, who currently have their children with them in prison. If the mother of a baby receives a custodial sentence of any length, she may apply to be admitted with her child to a prison mother and baby unit. Approval of such an application depends upon there being an available place and upon the mother's admission being considered to be in the best interests of the child. A child is not normally allowed to remain with its mother in prison beyond the age of 18 months.
Blundeston Prison, Suffolk
Mr David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about staffing levels and industrial relations at Blundeston prison, Suffolk in the light of the present dispute in the prison service.
Mr. Mellor : At present there are 240.5 staff in post at Her Majesty's prison Blundeston. Of these, 149 are officers, including principal and senior officers, compared with the target officer in post figure set for 31 March 1991 of 148.
The Prison Officers Association has not declared a dispute at the prison.
Prison officers voted in June to take national industrial action. A majority of POA members at Blundeston voted in favour of national industrial action.
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West Yorkshire Police
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Yorkshire on the full cost of the police operation at Millfield quarry lagoon, Hurbury, Wakefield on Sunday 17 June.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand from the chief constable of West Yorkshire police that the full additional cost of the police operation at Hurbury was £10,073.
Correspondence
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 24 May from the hon. Member for South Hams concerning the transfer to Dartmoor prison for Mr. Willcox, currently a prison officer at Ford open prison, west Sussex.
Mr. Mellor : I have written to my hon. Friend today.
Offences
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any proposals to introduce legislation to make any class of person responsible in law for an offence of which he had no prior knowledge.
Mr. Waddington : The criminal law contains a range of provisions establishing liability, from knowing of and intending to commit an offence, to offences of strict liability not requiring conscious knowledge, for instance those involving motor vehicle defects. If the hon. Gentleman has a particular legislative proposal in mind perhaps he would let me know of his precise concern.
TVS Entertainment Ltd.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to whether he intends to investigate allegations of forged documents relating to TVS Entertainment Ltd.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis this matter is now the subject of a police investigation.
Football Match Tickets (Sales)
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department intends to implement the recommendation contained in Lord Justice Taylor's final report into the Hillsborough disaster that it should be made an offence to sell tickets on the day of a football match without authority from the home club to do so ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We hope to reach a conclusion shortly on whether to create such an offence.
Documents
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria he uses when deciding which documents to pass on to the Public Record Office.
Mr. Waddington : The Department complies with the guidelines issued by the Public Record Office on the
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selection of documents for permanent preservation. Decisions on which documents are transferred to the Public Record Office for this purpose are taken in consultation with Public Record Office inspecting officers.Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what system he employs to classify, log and otherwise record each document generated by his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waddington : Documents originating from the Home Office are recorded on official files which are indexed according to standard subject headings.
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of, and how many documents in 1989 he estimates were (a) passed on to the Public Record Office intact, (b) passed on to the Public Record Office in censored form, (c) retained by his Department in full, (d) retained by his Department in part, (e) destroyed, (f) otherwise disposed of and (g) otherwise unaccounted for.
Mr. Waddington : No document falls due for selection and transfer to the Public Record Office until it is at least 30 years old. A document's suitability for permanent preservation under the terms of the Public Records Act 1958 will be reviewed during that period. The Act does not require statistics to be kept in the form requested and to do so would inevitably incur disproportionate cost. However, in order to comply with its duties under the Act, the Department ensures that all documentary records are properly preserved with a view to possible transfer to the Public Record Office and eventual release to the public. The general criteria under which the Department may retain documents over 30 years old are set out in section 3(4) of the Public Records Act.
Trafalgar Square (Incidents)
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 25 June, Official Report, column 35, if he is able to provide the details of age, sex, offence, last known address and prison or place of confinement of those people who were remanded and are still remaining in custody following the incidents in Trafalgar square on 31 March.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Birmingham Six
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers of the Devon and Cornwall police are working on the inquiry into the Birmingham pub-bombing cases.
Mr. Waddington : I understand from the chief constable of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary that 45 police officers from that force are currently engaged in carrying out inquiries into various matters which have been raised about the safety of the convictions of the Birmingham Six.
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the trial Judge, Lord Bridge, has been consulted either by his Department or by any of the various inquiries since 1986 into the safety of the Birmingham pub-bombing convictions.
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Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the terms of reference of the inquiry by the Devon and Cornwall police into the Birmingham pub-bombing convictions ; and if they have been amended since the inquiry was first commissioned.
Mr. Waddington : In March 1990, I asked the chief constable of the West Midlands police for a report on a number of matters arising out of representations made by the solicitor acting on behalf of the Birmingham Six. Since then, I have asked the chief constable for a report on a number of further matters which have been raised with him about the safety of the convictions of the Birmingham Six. The chief constable has asked the Devon and Cornwall constabulary to undertake inquiries on my behalf.
Animal Experiments
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps the Home Office has taken to satisfy itself that the named day-to-day care person, with a statutory responsibility under the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, within the National Institute for Medical Research, carried out his or her duties to the full, relating to Professor Feldberg's experiments ;
(2) what steps the Home Office has taken to satisfy itself that the named veterinarian, with a statutory responsibility under the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, within the National Institute for Medical Research, carried out his or her duties to the full relating to Professor Feldberg's experiments.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : It would not be right to make any comment on matters such as these while the Medical Research Council is conducting an inquiry into the circumstances which gave rise to the allegations about the work carried out by Professor Feldberg.
Homosexuals
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Government policy on the treatment of lesbians and gay men under the law.
Mr. John Patten : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Strang) on 1 February 1990 at columns 304-6, and to my letter to him of 1 June 1990, a copy of which is in the Library.
The Sentence of the Court"
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to publish a new edition of the handbook, "The Sentence of the Court".
Mr. Waddington : I am glad to say that a new edition is published today and is being distributed to all judges and magistrates. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library.
Animal Procedures Committee
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to announce any further appointments to the Animal Procedures Committee.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : I am pleased to be able to announce the appointment to the Animal Procedures Committee of Professor Margaret Brazier, of the department of law, university of Manchester and Professor Onora O'Neill, of the department of philosophy, university of Essex. I am grateful to Professor Brazier and Professor O'Neill for agreeing to serve on this committee.Immigration
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outstanding applications for (a) registration and (b) naturalisation are awaiting
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decision at the latest available date and at each quarter since 31 December 1987 ; what is the average time taken from receipt of application to taking a decision on each application ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 26 June 1990] : The available information about outstanding cases relates to applications in the nationality division caseworking groups and is in the table. In addition, on 31 December 1987, there were an estimated 210,000 applications in Lunar house that had not reached caseworking groups, and these were transferred to the nationality division over the course of the next 18 months.
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Citizenship applications outstanding in caseworking groups
|Registration |Naturalisation|Total
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 1987 |n/a |n/a |55,374
March 1988 |45,723 |28,674 |74,397
June 1988 |n/a |n/a |79,143
September 1988 |n/a |n/a |95,971
December 1988 |n/a |n/a |119,276
March 1989 |84,438 |41,154 |125,592
June 1989 |86,452 |52,318 |138,770
September 1989 |70,858 |63,877 |134,735
December 1989 |55,239 |64,930 |120,169
March 1990 |38,832 |65,050 |103,882
May 1990 |33,755 |64,273 |98,028
n/a = not available
The average processing times for cases completed in May 1990 was 24 months for registrations and 29 months for naturalisations. We aim to reduce these waiting times as soon as practicable.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Taxpayers
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been taken out of tax over the past 11 years ; if he has any plans to take more people out of tax ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lilley : If the 1978-79 income tax regime were reintroduced after indexation of thresholds to 1990-91 levels, the number of individual taxpayers would increase by a little under 2 million. Tax thresholds have been increased by almost 25 per cent. in real terms under this Government. We shall continue to review their levels in the future.
Taxation (Performers)
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) on what authority the Inland Revenue has decided to distinguish between established performers/artists who are being taxed under schedule D and new performers/artists who are to be taxed under schedule E ; (2) with whom the Inland Revenue has agreed a gradual transition to the schedule E treatment of performers.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 5 June 1990] : The Inland Revenue has a duty to implement tax law. The change in the tax treatment of certain performers/artists is based on decisions made in the courts. The arrangements to put their tax treatment on to the correct basis over a transitional period were made by the Inland Revenue, with
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the approval of Treasury Ministers, under its powers for the general "care and management of the income tax in the Taxes Management Act 1970.These arrangements have been discussed, over an extended period, with representatives of all sides of the theatre industry and take into account their concern that an abrupt change to schedule E for all those involved could be disruptive to the industry, and, in some cases, cause hardship.
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what relative consideration the Inland Revenue has given to the cases of Fall v. Hitchen and Davies v. Braithwaite, in deciding whether schedule E was the correct schedule of charge for income tax for performers and artists undertaking theatrical engagements ; (2) on what legal authority the Inland Revenue based its claim that generally performers and artists undertaking theatrical engagements under standard contracts are, in law, employees.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 5 June 1990] : I understand that the Inland Revenue's view on the taxation position of theatrical performers working under standard contracts is based on legal advice they have received relating to the 1972 Fall v Hitchen High Court case, which indicated that a typical standard contract of engagement, based on terms agreed between Equity and theatre managements, was a contract of employment, and a number of subsequent Court decisions on the general issue of whether people are employees or self-employed. The Revenue has explained its views on these issues to the theatre industry on several occasions in the past.
In Fall v Hitchen the High Court considered, and distinguished, the earlier judgment in Davis v Braithwaite. I understand that the Revenue took both cases, and other relevant cases, fully into account in forming their views on the correct tax treatment of theatrical performers.
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Manufacturing Investment
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors led to the revision of the figures for manufacturing investment in the north- east for the years 1979 to 1987 between the answer of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South of 6 June 1989, Official Report, column 70, and his answer of 25 June 1990.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 28 June 1990] : The figures have not been revised. As stated in these replies the information provided on 6 June 1989 was based on constant 1985 prices while that provided on 25 June was based on current prices. The earlier constant price figures used price indices which are applicable to manufacturing investment for the United Kingdom as a whole. The Central Statistical Office, which now has responsibility for the figures, considers these may be inappropriate for individual regions because of the different mix of industries and the possibility of differing prices and price movements in each. There are no regional price indices.
Natural Beauty Products, Bridgend
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his statement of 18 June, Official Report, columns 777-80, if he will indicate by weight and volume the loaded capacity of the vehicles which arrived at the Natural Beauty Products in Bridgend on 2 February, and the assessment the value added tax official then made of the weight, and value, actual and auction, volume, of the finished goods, raw materials, factory equipment and office equipment which he intended to remove from the factory.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 28 June 1990] : Customs and Excise had no responsibility for any vehicle that arrived at Natural Beauty Products in Bridgend on 24 February.
On 1 February, Customs instructed the bailiff to commence removal of the finished goods subject to distraint. Although a Ford Transit van and Ford Cargo 60 cwt. pantechnicon called to the premises, only the latter was used to remove the goods. On 2 February a Ford Cargo lorry and a furniture removal van arrived at the pemises but no goods were removed because of the prior appointment of an administrative receiver. On both these dates the provision of the transport was arranged by the bailiff.
Customs and Excise made no assessment of the weight of the goods subject to the levy. The total volume was estimated to require four 60 cwt. pantechnicons to complete the removal of all items subject to distraint.
The administrative receiver's estimate of the book value of the finished goods, raw materials, factory equipment and office equipment was £228,875. No deduction was made for possible tax liability and no account was taken of any other expenses or charges that may accrue on their disposal. The estimated auction value was £29,200.
HEALTH
Community Care
84. Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation he has had regarding funding for care in the community in future years.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have discussed all aspects of community care, including funding, with a wide range of interested organisations.
Wheelchairs
85. Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to consider how best to fund a scheme to look at the design and provision of wheelchairs for use on public transport services.
Mr. Dorrell : We have no plans to fund such a scheme. The accommodation of wheelchairs on public transport is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport.
National Assistance Act
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has received advocating the replacement of section 47 of the National Assistance Act 1948 ;
(2) what plans he has to reform section 47 of the National Assistance Act 1948.
Mr. Dorrell : Representations were received in the form of amendments to the National Health Service and Community Care Bill, and correspondence from Age Concern, (England).
We have no plans to reform section 47 but we shall be keeping the operation of these provisions under review as our new community care arrangements take effect.
HIV
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the total number of people who have been infected with HIV.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The latest estimate of the total number of people who have been infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in England and Wales was published by the Public Health Laboratory Service in January 1990 as a supplement to the communicable disease report. In this report, "Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in England and Wales to end 1993" (the Day report), it was estimated that there were between 12,250 and 26,400 HIV-infected people in England and Wales at the end of 1988. A separate group is currently preparing new estimates of short-term predictions of HIV incidence and prevalence estimates of the numbers of AIDS cases in Scotland as a revision of the earlier report of national working party on health service implications of HIV infection (the Tayler report). Copies of both the Day and Tayler reports are available in the Library.
Reported incidence in Northern Ireland is too low to make accurate estimates of the likely spread of HIV infection.
Results from the HIV prevalence monitoring programme using the unlinked anonymous technique will help to reduce uncertainty in these estimates.
Dental Laboratories
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the proportion of the total fees paid to dentists under the national health service which is
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attributable to dental laboratory costs ; and what arrangements exist to ensure that such proportion is duly paid to the laboratories.Mr. Dorrell : In the current scale of fees for national health service dental treatment which came into effect on 1 October 1989, approximately 18 per cent. of the total fees to be paid to dentists is attributable to dental laboratory costs. The price which individual dentists pay for laboratory-made dental appliances is, however, entirely a private arrangement between the dentist and the laboratory concerned.
GPs (Home Visits)
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to introduce a charge for general practitioner home visits.
Child Migrants Trust
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance his Department gives to the Child Migrants Trust ; and if he will make a statement regarding future developments.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 27 June at column 249.
Family Practitioner Committees
Mr. David Young : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which officials at national, regional or local level are responsible for drawing up rules for family practitioner committees on the appointment of their chief executive.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 25 June at column 88 .
Cigarette Advertisements
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to implement the recommendation of the third report of the Committee for Monitoring Agreements on Tobacco Advertising and Sponsorship that all cigarette advertisements should carry a health warning ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : This was not a formal recommendation of the committee as a whole, but the view of the chairman expressed in his foreword. The Government fully accept the chairman's concerns, and is currently negotiating with the tobacco industry on this matter. We hope to make an announcement shortly.
NHS Trusts
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish any written evidence given by the national health service trusts unit to district health authorities, regional health authorities, project managers or trust sponsors on the preparation or revision of draft business plans for units seeking self-governing status ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We intend to publish a compendium on national health service trusts in the
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autumn, which will update and bring together advice on the establishment and operation of NHS trusts which has been provided by the Department.Social Work
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy on general social work practice within local authorities.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Department promotes effective and efficient social work by working constructively with local authorities, and representatives of the professions concerned, to promote the development of services which will provide quality of care combined with value for money for clients.
Community Care
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department has made any estimate of the possible cash savings arising as a result of the assessment and case management procedure contained in the Government's community care proposals.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We expect local authorities to make more cost effective use of resources as they develop their ability to offer a more individual response to clients' needs through improved procedures for assessment and case management. The extent to which this will be achieved will depend on the decisions of individual authorities.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what external evaluation of his Department's draft guidance on the implementation of the Government's proposals on community care took place between the deliberations of the guidance working parties and their despatch to interested organisations.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Representatives from external organisations contributed to the community care development project groups whose reports helped to inform the draft guidance. The Department has recently sent this draft guidance for formal consultation to a wide range of external bodies involved in community care services. These include the local authority associations, the Association of Directors of Social Services, national health service regional general managers, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, representative organisations of the medical and nursing professions and other representative organisations.
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