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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Agency Status
Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those bodies currently with agency status within his Department under the next steps initiative ; and whether he has identified any further candidates for agency status under the initiative within his Department.
Mr. Lilley : The nine excutive agencies within the DTI are Companies House, the Insolvency Service, the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, the National Engineering Laboratory, the National Physical Laboratory, the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, Patent Office, Radiocommunications Agency and Warren Spring Laboratory.
I continue to consider the possibility of establishing further agencies in the DTI but I have not at the moment identified any candidates.
For ECGD, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 19 July 1990, Official Report column 677.
Company Liquidations
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he takes where the liquidator of a company fails to file the statutory returns as required by section 595 of the Companies Act 1985.
Mr. Redwood : This is an operational matter for Companies House executive agency. I have asked the chief executive to write direct.
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Traders (Monitoring)
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will provide a list of the number of traders monitored by each of the authorised bodies under the provisions of the Financial Services Act 1986.
Mr. Redwood : I understand from the Securities and Investments Board that the position on 8 May 1991, including interim authorisations, was as shown in the following table. Some authorised persons are members of more than one self-regulating organisation.
|Numbers
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Analysis of Authorised Persons
Regulated directly by the Securities and Investments
Board |76
Members of Self Regulating Organisations
The Association of Futures Brokers and Dealers |10
The Financial Intermediaries, Managers and Brokers
Regulatory Association |7,126
The Investment Management Regulatory
Organisation |1,249
The Life Assurance and Unit Trust Regulatory
Organisation |663
The Securities and Futures Authority |1,391
Certified by Recognised Professional Bodies
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England
and Wales |6,047
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland |536
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland |183
The Chartered Association of Certified Accountants |1,050
The Law Society of England and Wales |6,967
The Law Society of Scotland |932
The Law Society of Northern Ireland |421
Insurance Brokers Registration Council |1,595
Institute of Actuaries |31
Prudential Corporation
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will establish an inquiry into the manner in which Price Waterhouse acquired the audit of the Prudential Corporation.
Companies Acts (Investigations)
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will list the investigations carried out under various sections of the Companies Acts for the year to 31 March.
Mr. Redwood : During the year to 31 March 1991, a total of 178 such inquiries were commenced ; one under section 431 of the Companies Act 1985, four under section 432, two under section 446 and 171 under section 447. The inquiries under sections 431 and 432 have been announced and are as follows :
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Date of appointment |Name of company |Type of inquiry ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15 June 1990 |Atlantic Computer Systems plc|Section 432 15 June 1990 |Atlantic Computers plc |Section 432 16 August 1990 |Astra Holdings plc |Section 431 31 October 1990 |London United Investments plc|Section 432 7 January 1991 |Norton Group plc |Section 432
Companies (Suspended Shares)
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether any company whose shares are suspended has been investigated by his Department.
Mr. Redwood : Investigations under section 432 of the Companies Act 1985 into the affairs of James Ferguson Holdings plc, BOM Holdings plc and Norton Group plc are in progress and have been announced. The stock exchange has advised that the shares of these companies are suspended. Section 447 investigations are kept confidential.
Insolvency Service
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was paid by the Insolvency Service to accountancy firms in each year since 1988.
Mr. Redwood : The Insolvency Service made the following payments in respect of additional work done by insolvency practitioners on disqualification applications made by the Secretary of State. Generally these payments are made to the accountancy firms in which the insolvency practitioners are partners or employees.
1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 ---------------------------------------- £ 7,814 |£ 25,429|£ 29,021
A payment of £23,500 was also made during the financial year 1990-91 in respect of consultancy work on computerised estate accounting.
Bryanston
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received seeking the publication of the final report on Bryanston.
Mr. Redwood : The papers are being recovered from store. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Ernst and Young
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether any staff or partner from Ernst and Young is currently seconded to his Department.
Mr. Redwood : Two Ernst and Young staff are currently on secondment to the Department.
Fireworks
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his responsibilities under the Fireworks Act 1951 and on his discharging of them.
Mr. Forth : I have been asked to reply.
Our responsibilities under this Act relate to sections 4 and 7 which deal with Health and Safety at work considerations under the terms of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974. Additionally, explosives inspectors appointed by the Health and Safety Executive during their visits to factories, magazines or stores have a power under section 1(1) of the Fireworks Act 1951 to take away for testing a sample of fireworks which they consider may present dangers when in the possession of the public. This power is enforced where appropriate and necessary.
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The remainder of the provision in the Fireworks Act 1951 are properly the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to require licensing of all fireworks to be used only for properly organised firework displays, put on by trained people, and set up a national training scheme.
Mr. Redwood : The firework industry already has a training scheme for organisers of displays. Like the hon. Member, I want to see fireworks used properly so that there is pleasure rather than tragedy on bonfire night. Requiring licences would cut down the number of good organised displays open to people on bonfire night, but would not of itself guarantee safety.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent incidents have occurred involving category 4 fireworks ; and if he will make a statement on his policy towards the control of such fireworks.
Mr. Redwood : I do not have a breakdown of accidents for different categories of fireworks. However, category 4--large display--fireworks should not be available in the shops. Most are imported and their import licence prohibits suppliers from selling them through the shops, while for their part United Kingdom manufacturers refrain from doing so.
Defence Exports
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make it his policy to place before Parliament annually a list of defence exports including details of equipment supplied, contract values and recipients.
Mr. Sainsbury : My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so. The hon. Member will be aware that following the Prime Minister's initiative for a United Nations register of arms transfers, urgent consideration is being given to such an international register.
New Cars
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will review the pricing of new cars in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : The Monopolies and Mergers Commission is currently investigating the United Kingdom car market, including car prices in the United Kingdom. When the commission's report is available, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will need to consider whether there is scope for any action in the light of it.
Accountancy Practice
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his policy towards accountancy practice, standards and forms, in relation to corporate bodies.
Mr. Redwood : The Government's policy on company accounting was debated at length during the passage of the
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Companies Act 1989, which introduced a number of important changes. As regards accounting standards, the Government welcomed and support the new Financial Reporting Council and its subsidiaries, including the Accounting Standards Board.Shipbuilding
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the current operation and level of usage of the home shipbuilders credit guarantee scheme.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 21 May 1991] : The home shipbuilding credit guarantee scheme has been in operation since 1967. The scheme offer United Kingdom-based shipowners, placing orders with United Kingdom shipyards for the construction, completion or radical alteration of merchant vessels, financing terms comparable with officially supported export credit terms available for orders placed with overseas yards. Vessels which may qualify for support under the scheme conform with the definition in the OECD understanding of export credits for ships. The scheme provides two elements of support :
(i) a Government guarantee of up to 80 per cent. of the loan arranged by the purchaser of the vessel and repayable by equal half yearly instalments over a maximum of eight and a half years ; (
(ii) a fixed rate of interest for the duration of the loan with the Government paying the difference between the fixed and commercial loan interest rates. The Government support conforms to the OECD Understanding.
In the year to 31 March 1991, payments of interest support grants totalled £52 million. As at 31 March 1991, the amount of loan principal guaranteed under the scheme totalled £924.6 million in respect of 305 vessels. In the year ended 31 March 1991, a total of 40 new guarantees were given.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Ukranian Doctors
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if there are any plans to fund training for Ukranian doctors on cancer-related illnesses.
Mrs. Chalker : We have contributed, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to the international efforts to tackle the effects of the Chernobyl disaster, including by promoting specialist contacts with Ukranian doctors and scientists. We shall consider the possibility of further assistance in the light of the International Atomic Energy Agency report, due out on 21 May.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Child Employment Laws
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions there were in the last 12-month period for which figures are available for contraventions of the child employment law.
Mr. John Patten : In England and Wales in 1989, there were 35 prosecutions for offences against employment of children Acts. Data for 1990 are not yet available. This
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information is published annually in volume 1 of the "Criminal statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary tables" copies of which are in the Library.West Midlands Police
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were committed and detected in the Walsall H division of the West Midlands police authority for each year since 1978.
Mr. John Patten : The information is published in the annual reports of the chief constable of West Midlands police. Copies of these publications from 1980 are available in the Library.
Parole
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of life sentence prisoners who were released each year since 1981 ; and what was the number in each year whose release was proposed by the Parole Board and turned down by him or his predecessors.
Mrs. Rumbold : The numbers of persons released from prison service establishments on life licence in each of the years 1979-89 were published in table 8.5 of "Prison statistics England and Wales 1989"--Cm. 1221--a copy of which is in the Library. The figures exclude those re-released following a period in prison after recall from a previous licence. In 1990, the latest year for which information is available, 81 people were released on life licence.
Information on the numbers of life sentence prisoners recommended as suitable for release by the Parole Board and the numbers of those recommendations not accepted by Home Secretaries is published in successive annual reports of the Parole Board. For convenience the figures for 1980- 90, which include re-releases following a period in prison after recall from a previous licence, are set out in the table. Parole Board recommendations of "suitable for release" have been for dates ranging from the immediate future up to two and a half years ahead.
Life sentence prisoners recommended for release by the Parole Board 1989-90 Year of |Recommended |Not accepted by recommendation |Home Secretary ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1980 |102 |6 1981 |147 |4 1982 |144 |5 1983 |121 |16 1984 |112 |10 1985 |94 |16 1986 |120 |14 1987 |147 |23 1988 |91 |13 1989 |119 |15 1990 |138 |<1>35 <1> A further 30 cases were still under consideration by the Home Secretary at the end of 1990.
British National Party
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what request he has received from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to ban the British National party march planned to take place in Thamesmead on Saturday 25 May.
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Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what request he has received from the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to ban the proposed marches by the British National party on the Thamesmead estate.Mr. Peter Lloyd : No request has been made by the Commissioner for the Home Secretary's consent to an
Column 482
order under section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986 prohibiting the march by the British National party in Thamesmead on 25 May. The Commissioner is considering whether to exercise his power under section 12 of the Act to impose conditions on the route of the procession.Column 483
Empty Housing
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list (a) the number of Home Office domestic properties there are throughout the United Kingdom and (b) the number unoccupied at the present moment, indicating how many have been unoccupied for six months, how many have been unoccupied for one year, how many have been unoccupied for two years and how many have been unoccupied for longer than two years.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : The best estimate of the total number of domestic properties owned by the Home Office prison service in England and Wales is at present 2,825, of which 355 are unoccupied for the following reasons :
|Numbers
-------------------------------------------------------------
Vacant for security reasons or redevelopment |94
Vacant for reallocation to designated staff |56
Awaiting demolition |63
On market for sale |112
Awaiting disposal |30
|-------
|355
In addition the Home Office directorate of telecommunications has 20 properties, of which nine are vacant and for sale ; the Fire Service college at Moreton-in-Marsh has 36 properties, all occupied ; and the Emergency Planning college at Easingwold has 11 properties, all occupied.
Information on the length of time properties have been vacant is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Prisons
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners there are in Britain and in each prison as of 10 May ; and what is the capacity of each prison.
Mrs. Rumbold : On 10 May there were a total of 45,302 prisoners in England and Wales, including 603 in police cells. The table shows the number of prisoners in each prison service establishment and the certified normal accommodation--the uncrowded capacity--of each establishment.
Prison service establishments: certified normal accommodation
(CNA) and population on 10 May 1991
Establishment |CNA |Population
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local prisons and remand centres
Bedford |171 |264
Belmarsh |360 |283
Birmingham |575 |972
Bristol |379 |381
Brixton |739 |1,072
Camp Hill |461 |456
Canterbury |230 |324
Cardiff |338 |474
Chelmsford |244 |402
Dorchester |152 |185
Durham (male) |601 |843
Exeter |243 |393
Gloucester |200 |356
Haslar |105 |103
Latchmere House |127 |28
Leeds |627 |965
Leicester |205 |343
Lewes |230 |416
Lincoln |391 |584
Liverpool |931 |1,165
Manchester |185 |175
Norwich |495 |486
Oxford |121 |165
Pentonville |754 |810
Preston |408 |479
Reading |184 |257
Rochester |306 |277
Shrewsbury |176 |286
Swansea |229 |287
Wandsworth |1,275 |1,351
Winchester |530 |521
Wormwood Scrubs |743 |837
Brockhill |161 |244
Everthorpe |304 |271
Feltham |874 |765
Glen Parva |854 |755
Hindley |323 |400
Low Newton (male) |131 |199
Portland |527 |446
Stoke Heath |360 |240
Closed male training prisons
Albany |389 |362
Blundeston |410 |392
Coldingley |299 |288
Dartmoor |619 |546
Frankland |432 |433
Full Sutton |634 |417
Garth |512 |508
Gartree |320 |285
Grendon |225 |197
Kingston |150 |141
Long Lartin |432 |425
Maidstone |549 |518
Nottingham |218 |221
Parkhurst |239 |215
Swaleside |504 |500
Wakefield |753 |669
Acklington |676 |508
Aldington |127 |112
Ashwell |404 |396
Blantyre House |87 |87
Channings Wood |594 |577
Downview |286 |280
Erlestoke |218 |210
Featherstone |599 |580
Haverigg |351 |342
Highpoint |824 |768
Lancaster |186 |242
Lindholme |800 |771
Littlehey |593 |517
Northeye |249 |222
Randby |363 |320
Risley |326 |311
Send |101 |98
Shepton Mallet |175 |241
Stafford |606 |723
Stocken |393 |392
The Mount |484 |222
The Verne |600 |585
Thorp Arch |150 |148
Usk |240 |191
Wayland |580 |576
Wellingborough |344 |188
Whatton |161 |159
Wymott |816 |747
Open male training prisons
Ford |568 |525
Foston Hall |98 |88
Kirkham |632 |583
Leyhill |410 |412
Morton Hall |168 |162
North Sea Camp |202 |177
Rudgate |300 |281
Spring Hill |210 |206
Standford Hill |384 |374
Sudbury |425 |423
Male young offender institutions
Aylesbury |296 |238
Castington |300 |253
Deerbolt |404 |395
Dover |347 |221
Eastwood Park |134 |99
Finnamore Wood |116 |84
Guys Marsh |180 |113
Hollesley Bay |569 |309
Hatfield |180 |162
Hewell Grange |136 |112
Huntercombe |166 |161
Kirklevington |106 |86
Northallerton |146 |188
Onley |520 |454
Swinfen Hall |182 |182
Thorn Cross |300 |207
Werrington |110 |106
Wetherby |196 |174
Female establishments
Askham Grange |134 |95
Bullwood Hall |119 |102
Cookham Wood |120 |120
Drake Hall |262 |189
Durham |39 |27
East Sutton Park |84 |75
Holloway |517 |489
Low Newton |36 |27
New Hall |122 |103
Pucklechurch |56 |51
Risley |91 |80
Styal |258 |186
|--- |---
Total |44,295 |44,699
Police cells: |- |603
|--- |---
Total population |- |45,302
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he proposes to change the present ratio of prison officers to inmates in centres for young offenders.
Column 486
Mrs. Rumbold : Between 1 April 1987 and 1 April this year, the ratio of prison officers to inmates in young offender establishments rose from 0.37 to 0.46 officers per inmate. Depending on changes in the prison population during the year, a further improvement in this ratio is likely to occur by April 1992 as a result of the recruitment of staff for new young offender establishments during 1991-92.
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any proposals to improve the ratio of prison officers to inmates in the prison service.
Mrs. Rumbold : Between 1 April 1987 and 1 April this year, the ratio of prison officers to inmates increased from 0.35 to 0.48 officers per inmate. Depending on changes in the prison population during the year, there is likely to be a further small improvement in the ratio of officers to inmates by April 1992 as a result of the recruitment of around 1,500 officers to staff new prisons.
Lorry Drivers
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by year for the last 10 years and for the current year to date (a) how many lorry drivers have been convicted of a motoring offence on the evidence alone of a tachograph fitted in the driving cab, (b) what was the offence committed and (c) what penalty was imposed on (i) the driver and (ii) the operator.
Mr. John Patten : The only offence for which the evidence of a tachograph alone is used is "Failing to observe limits on hours of driving and duty, or rest requirements" under sections 96(11) and 96(11A) of the Transport Act 1968. This applies only to drivers or operators of heavy goods vehicles.
The table gives the information available for this offence. The latest statistics are for 1989 ; the table also includes data for the previous nine years. No breakdown is available centrally between drivers and operators.
Column 485
Findings of guilt for failing to observe limits on hours of driving and duty, or rest requirements at magistrates' courts
England and Wales 1980 to 1989 Number of offences
Sentence or order
Year |Total findings of |Absolute or |Probation or |Fine |Other<1>
|guilt |conditional discharge|supervision order
|or recognizance
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980 |2,471 |221 |- |2,250 |-
1981 |2,143 |218 |- |1.925 |-
1982 |3,104 |97 |- |3,006 |1
1983 |5,030 |240 |- |4,781 |9
1984 |5,990 |354 |- |5,617 |19
1985 |6,778 |572 |1 |6,184 |21
1986 |6,314 |446 |- |5,828 |40
1987 |3,910 |368 |- |3,527 |15
1988 |5,199 |320 |2 |4,844 |33
1989 |8,304 |505 |- |7,586 |213
<1> Includes a few cases committed to the Crown Court for sentence.
Source: Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary tables, Issues 1980 to 1989.
Poland (Visas)
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to end the requirement of visas for visitors from Poland ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 486
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to his recent question on this subject on 8 May at column 477.
Column 487
Mr. Mohinder Paul Singh Bedi
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions Mr. Mohinder Paul Singh Bedi or his wife, Kuldip, have been retained as interpreters by (i) the immigration and nationality department or (ii) the Metropolitan police since 1984 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Records of this kind are not held centrally and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, I understand that Mr. Bedi and his wife have worked as casual interpreters on occasions for the immigration service and the police since 1968.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many official invitations have been issued to Mr. Mohinder Paul Singh Bedi to attend official functions organised by his Department since 1983 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Records of invitations issued to individuals are not held centrally and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost, if at all.
War Crimes
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when investigations into alleged war crimes will begin.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : The War Crimes Act received Royal Assent on 9 May and the war crimes investigation unit established by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis will begin their investigations immediately. Parliamentary approval of this new expenditure is being sought in the supply estimates for the Home Office Vote for "administration, etc." for 1991-92--class IX, vote 3. Pending this approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £300,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.
Trespass
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has completed his evaluation of section 39 of the Public Order Act 1986 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : We have now completed the thorough review of section 39 of the Public Order Act 1986 which was announced by my right hon. Friend the then Home Secretary on 26 October 1989. I am grateful to all those individuals and organisations who contributed their views, including members of this House.
After considering carefully all the representations received, I have concluded that more needs to be done to secure a better understanding by all interested parties of the way in which the law should operate, but that no change to the law is necessary. I have therefore decided, after consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers, to issue guidance to the police on the application of section 39. Whilst the decision whether or not to use the powers available under section 39 is an operational matter entirely within the discretion of the senior police officer present at the scene of
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a trespass, the guidance aims to assist forces in coming to a more consistent application of these powers across the country in dealing with aggravated trespass. A copy of this guidance has been placed in the Library.I believe that it would be helpful to the interested parties to have available a simple guide to the law in relation to trespass on land. My Department is therefore publishing today, in consultation with the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Department of the Environment, a leaflet setting out the main provisions of the law. It covers, as well as section 39, the civil remedies open to landowners and the requirements in respect of the provision of official sites for travellers under the Caravan Sites Act 1968. A copy of the leaflet has also been placed in the Library.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will continue to encourage local authorities to fulfil their duty under the Caravan Sites Act 1968 to provide adequate numbers of sites for gipsies.
I believe that these measures should do much to reduce uncertainty about the proper application of section 39 and will assist landowners in finding the most suitable remedy for trespass on land in the circumstances of each particular case.
PRIME MINISTER
Iraq (Economic Sanctions)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister how many representations he has received concerning the United Nations Security Council appeal issued on 29 April for assistance to the 21 countries with special economic problems arising from their compliance with sanctions imposed against Iraq ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : None. Our policy on assistance for these countries was set out in the answer given to the hon. Member by the Minister for Overseas Development on 14 May at column 99 .
Medical and Dental Officers (Pay)
Mr. Conway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about the pay of medical and dental officers in the armed forces.
The Prime Minister : The Armed Forces Pay Review Body has submitted to me a supplementary report on the pay of medical and dental officers in the armed forces which recommends increases of between 7.5 and 11.4 per cent., with an average increase of 11.2 per cent. The Government have decided to accept the recommendations in full, though, in common with the pay awards announced on 31 January for the national health service doctors and dentists, with whom the pay of service medical and dental officers is closely linked, implementation will be staged, with 7.5 per cent. payable from 1 April 1991 and the balance of the award payable from 1 December 1991.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Social Services Committees
Mr. A. Cecil Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will announce the composition of the four new social services committees which will replace the district committees disbanded on 1 April.
Column 489
Mr. Hanley : I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Upper Bann (Mr. Trimble) on 20 May, Official Report , column 379 .Prescriptions
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list, over the last five years for which figures are available, the loss to the health service by improper prescription claims ; and if he will make a statement in response to the complaints of the Comptroller and Auditor-General for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : It is not possible to state accurately the loss to the health service by improper claims for exemption from prescription charges. Estimates based on sample surveys which began in 1986-87 are :
|£
------------------------------
1986-87 |1,345,564
1987-88 |2,220,000
1988-89 |2,123,446
1989-90 |2,323,736
Improper prescription claims have been the subject of consideration by the Department of Health and Social Services and the Central Services Agency in the light of previous Comptroller and Auditor-General Reports. Arising out of this consideration the medical and pharmaceutical professions will shortly be consulted about a range of measures designed to counteract this problem without imposing undue restrictions on patients requiring medication. The specific criticisms made by the Comptroller and Auditor- General about weaknesses within the pharmaceutical branch of the agency are not directly linked with the improper claiming. The Department will consider with the agency the action which should now be taken on this aspect of the Comptroller and Auditor-General's 1988-89 report.
Police Complaints Commission
Mr. Stevens : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will arrange for copies of the 1990 annual report of the independent Commission for Police Complaints for Northern Ireland to be laid in the House ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Brooke : The report has been laid today. It is the third annual report from the commission which was established in 1988 by the Police (Northern Ireland) Order 1987.
Detailed recommendations about the workings of articles 4 to 16 of the 1987 order, which provide for the handling of complaints from the public about individual police officers, were made by the commission in its comprehensive triennial review which was presented in a report to the House on 27 March 1991. In view of this the annual report is mainly a factual account of the commission's work during the year and an exposition of its role and functions. Nevertheless, it provides a valuable contribution to the important process of increasing public awareness of the police complaints system in Northern Ireland. I commend it to those interested in these matters and I am certain that this account of the commission's work will prove to be another important step in increasing the public's confidence in the police complaints system and in the commission's role.
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