| Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 353
Notices issued under section 19A of the
Local Government, Planning
and Land Act 1980 where
(a) the authority appeared to have acted
in an anti-competitive
manner
|Date
-------------------------------------------
Wirral MBC |28 March 1989
Liverpool City |30 May 1991
Salford City C |1 July 1991
and
(b) where the authority appeared to have failed to achieve
the
prescribed financial objective
|Date
--------------------------------------------------------------
Barrow in Furness DC |1 July 1991
Brent LB |20 December 1989
Bromley LB |29 July 1991
Camden LB |1 July 1991
Copeland BC |9 July 1991
Eastleigh BC (2 directions) |18 December 1990
Greenwich LB |10 April 1991
Harrogate BC (2 directions) |1 July 1991
Kingston Upon Thames LB |29 July 1991
Milton Keynes BC |15 October 1991
Portsmouth City C |29 July 1991
Rochdale MBC |7 February 1991
Salford MBC |1 July 1991
Shepway DC |1 July 1991
Stroud DC |10 April 1991
Tonbridge and Malling BC |10 October 1990
Tower Hamlets LB |1 July 1991
Waltham Forest LB |29 July 1991
Warrington DC |29 July 1991
Worthing BC |29 July 1991
Wychavon DC |29 July 1991
Wycombe DC |12 December 1990
Directions served under section 19B of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980 where
(a) the authority appeared to have acted in an anti-competitive manner
Wirral MBC--23 October 1989
and
(b) where the authority appeared to have failed to achieve the prescribed financial objective
Brent LB--24 July 1990
Barrow-in-Furness DC--15 November 1991
Copeland BC--20 December 1991
Greenwich LB--25 September 1991
Harrogate BC (two directions)--15 November 1991
Rochdale MBC--20 December 1991
Shepway DC--15 November 1991
Tonbridge and Malling BC--28 February 1991
Tower Hamlets--15 November 1991
Drinking Water
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are being taken to meet the requirements of the EC drinking water directive in the light of the Advocate General's opinion on the case before the European Court.
Mr. Trippier : The significance of this opinion has been widely misrepresented. First, it does not have to be followed by the court, which will give its judgment at a later date.
Secondly, the standards in the EC drinking water directive are not necessarily those currently met in other member states, but those which all member states should meet. All member states are having difficulty in doing that,
Column 354
and the Commission has so far taken legal action for failing to meet the directive's requirements against 10 other member states besides the United Kingdom.There are two respects in which this country is unique. We alone have a detailed, firmly committed and fully funded programme, costing £2 billion, for remedying almost all breaches of the directive by 1995. And we are the only member state to have a comprehensive and completely open system for monitoring drinking water quality and publishing the results at national level, in England and Wales, through the drinking water inspectorate's annual report.
The drinking water inspectorate has confirmed that the standard of our drinking water is in fact already very high. Of 3.3 million tests carried out in England and Wales during 1990, 99 per cent. showed compliance with the requirements of our national regulations, which are more stringent than those of the EC directive.
In this court case, the Commission made five allegations. One was about compliance with the standard for lead in certain parts of Scotland. The Advocate-General concluded that the United Kingdom is not in breach of the directive in this respect. However we accept that some supplies do exceed our more stringent national standard, and action is therefore being taken by the water undertakers to reduce the risk of that standard being breached.
Three of the five allegations had nothing to do with the quality of drinking water as such, but were solely concerned with whether United Kingdom legislation had been passed to enact all the provisions of the directive. The Advocate-General considers that the court must look at the position in 1989, when the preliminary procedures finished, rather than the actual position today. Legislation in Scotland came into effect in 1990, and legislation covering water used in food production in September 1991. The remaining point in dispute was legislation in Northern Ireland. This is at an advanced stage of preparation. The absence of legislation has not, however, delayed the action being taken by the Northern Ireland water service to achieve full compliance with the standards in the directive. The remaining allegation was about nitrate levels in some parts of England. Breaches of the standard for nitrate are being eliminated as quickly as is practicable. Of the 29 supply zones originally named by the Commission, seven now comply. But in some other cases compliance cannot be achieved until 1995. If there were any evidence of a health hazard in these zones meanwhile, immediate action would be taken to make an alternative supply of water available to vulnerable groups. The Commission's case did not contain any allegations about compliance with the directive's standards for substances other than lead and nitrate.
This is the first case brought against the United Kingdom on an environmental issue in the 20 years that we have been a member of the European Community. Few member states can match this record.
Birmingham (Heartlands)
Mr. Andrew Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for the future of the Heartlands area of Birmingham.
Mr. Heseltine : Having considered the problems of the area carefully, and having received proposals from
Column 355
Birmingham Heartlands Limited and the Birmingham city council, I am pleased to announce that I propose to establish a Birmingham Heartlands urban development corporation. The necessary statutory order will be laid before the House as soon as possible. I am also pleased to announce that Sir Reginald Eyre has agreed to become the chairman of the development corporation.Local Government Finance
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by local authority area the proportions of local authority finance derived from revenue support grant, specific grant, non-domestic rate income and poll tax for 1991-92.
Mr. Portillo [holding answer 23 January 1992] : I am arranging for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish his latest estimates for each local authority of (a) the percentage of total budgeted poll tax income collected so far in the current year, (b) the amounts outstanding in £ million and (c) the numbers of liability orders taken out for poll tax debt.
Mr. Portillo [holding answer 23 January 1992] : I am arranging for the available information on community charge collection to be placed in the Library of the House. No information is available on the number of liability orders obtained by each local authority.
Battersea Power Station
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when officials from the Department last inspected the fabric of Battersea power station ; and what steps are currently being taken by the Department to safeguard the building.
Mr. Yeo [holding answer 23 January 1992] : English Heritage, my right hon. Friend's statutory advisers on historic buildings matters, who have extensive listed building powers in London, visit Battersea power station regularly to monitor its physical condition. They last visited the building in November 1991 and will be visiting again within the next couple of weeks. They are also in regular contact with the owner. There is no evidence to suggest that the building has deteriorated over the last two years and the most important internal features are being kept weathertight and waterproof.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many genetically modified organisms were released into the environment in 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Forth : I have been asked to reply.
Under the Genetic Manipulation Regulations 1989, the Health and Safety Executive was notified of 12 proposals to release genetically modified organisms to the environment, in the year 1991.
Public consultation has just been completed on proposed new regulations to be made under part VI of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Under the proposed
Column 356
regulations releases of genetically modified organisms would be subject to consents by the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Health and Safety Executive.ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Blasphemy
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Attorney-General if he will prosecute the authors and publishers of the free booklet, "Crucifixion or Cruci-Fiction", published by the Islamic Progagation Centre, Small Heath, Birmingham, for blasphemy.
The Attorney-General : This booklet has not been referred by any complainant to the Crown Prosecution Service headquarters for consideration.
Legal Aid
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Attorney-General how many investigations are currently being undertaken by the investigation branch of the Legal Aid Board ; and what is the average length of time taken for those investigations to be completed.
The Attorney-General : Sixty-three cases are currently being investigated by the Legal Aid Board. It took an average of some two years to conclude each of the seven cases prosecuted in the past three years.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Attorney-General what consultations have been held with the Association of Chief Police Officers concerning the number of fraud squad investigations into fraudulent claims for legal aid which are awaiting data processing by the Legal Aid Board.
The Attorney-General : There has been no direct consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers. However, the investigation manager of the Legal Aid Board liaises regularly with various police fraud squads throughout England and Wales to discuss possible fraudulent legal aid claims.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Attorney-General how many (a) successful and (b) total prosecutions there have been following evidence supplied to fraud squads by the investigations branch of the Legal Aid Board over the last three years ; how much public money has been (a) lost and (b) subsequently recovered arising from such investigations ; and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-General : In the past three years there have been seven Crown Court prosecutions, five of which have been successful. The Legal Aid Board has been awarded some £52,000 formal compensation by the court for three of these cases. The board pursues the recovery of any sums overclaimed from the legal aid fund, whether or not there is evidence of fraud and irrespective of the outcome of any criminal proceedings.
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Attorney-General what effect the introduction of central taxing teams has had on the time taken to deal with legal aid claims ; and if he will take steps to reduce this time.
The Attorney-General : Since the establishment of the central taxing teams in March 1991, only cases under £4,000 are determined in the Crown Court. In the year
Column 357
until March 1991, the percentage of non- standard fee determinations paid within one month of the Crown Court was 62.5 per cent. for solicitors and 62.4 per cent. for counsel. In the eight months from March to November 1991, the percentage of non-standard fee determinations remaining in the Crown Court paid within one month had increased to 71 per cent. for solicitors and to 71.3 per cent. for counsel. The percentage of standard fee claims paid within 10 days had increased from 67.8 per cent. to 70.2 per cent. for solicitors and from 67.9 per cent. to 70.1 per cent. for counsel. The average time taken to deal with standard fee claims had been reduced from 12 days to 10.5 days for solicitors and from 11 days to 9.75 days for counsel. Equivalent figures are not available for claims amounting to more than £4,000 which are now handled by the central taxing teams, but the times taken by the teams to determine such claims in November 1991 were provided in a recent written answer to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlisle) Official Report, 11 December 1991, column 421.The Lord Chancellor's Department has recently increased the number of determining officers available to the teams by nearly 40 per cent. In addition, where a number of claims for less than £4,000 are linked to claims for between £4,000 and £8,000, circuit taxing directors have been authorised to release these claims to the court for determination and this is done wherever appropriate. These initiatives have resulted in a significant increase in the disposal rate of the teams which will lead to a reduction in waiting times in the coming months. A number of initiatives to train additional determining officers are also being carried forward.
Social Security Appeals
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Attorney-General what is his assessment of the delays experienced by applicants for benefit by the Office of the Social Security Commissioners in Edinburgh in dealing with appeals.
The Attorney-General : In 1990-91 the average waiting time from the date on which appeals became ready for determination by commissioners to the notification of the decisions to the claimants was 14 months. This was caused by a backlog of appeals in the office of the social security commissioners in Edinburgh. The situation has now improved considerably and the current average waiting time is seven months.
EMPLOYMENT
Training Schemes
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give for each region and for Great Britain as a whole how many people were participating in (a) employment training, (b) the enterprise allowance scheme, and (c) youth training in each month since September 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : As the information requested is contained in a number of tables I will write to the hon. Member.
Disability
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what arrangements he proposes to introduce after re-organisation of services for people with
Column 358
disabilities to enable members of placing, assessment and counselling teams or disablement resettlement officers to make home visits to those people who because of transport difficulties or the severity of their disability are unable to attend a local employment service office ;(2) if disabled persons who are at an interview to establish whether they are eligible to register under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 can (a) be represented or escorted by a third person, (b) see what is being written about them on an employment registration document and (c) ask for the counsellor to be changed if they feel they are being treated unreasonably ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) what information he has on the number of people registered under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 for each year since 1987 ; how many were registered under section 1 or section 2 ; how many were (a) male or (b) female ; how many were aged under 25 or over 50 years of age ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service Executive Agency are the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred this question for reply.
Vocational Training
Mr. Carr : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will indicate the forecast amounts of European social fund money that will be received by British industry in respect of vocational training in 1992 and 1993 ; what is the forecast of United Kingdom public sector provision towards vocational training for each of these years supporting such European social fund funding ; and what are the principal sources from which such public sector provision is forecast to be provided, together with the amounts of funds for each of these years.
Mr. Forth : The main objective of the European social fund (ESF) is to assist the unemployed into permanent employment by means of vocational training and other employment measures. To the extent that ESF contributes to a better trained work force, the fund is of benefit to the whole of British industry.
A wide variety of organisations secure direct ESF support, including training and enterprise councils, local enterprise companies in Scotland, and industry training organisations. The fund also provides major support in respect of such national programmes as employment training and youth training which are in turn delivered locally by TECs and LECs.
Under the current European Community rules, money from the ESF is used to fund 45 per cent. of the eligible costs of a project, with the remaining 55 per cent. to come from matching by public funding. The principal sources of this public expenditure are central Government and individual local authorities. In 1991-92 we anticipate receiving £499.5 million from the ESF for Great Britain, requiring public matching funding of at least £610.5 million. Details of anticipated receipts from the ESF for 1992- 93 and 1994-95 will be published shortly in departmental expenditure plans.
Privatisations
Mr. Page : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for the five years prior to privatisation the loss or profit of (a) the Skills Training
Column 359
Agency and (b) Professional and Executive Recruitment ; and if he will list any grants or loans made over the same period.Mr. Jackson : (a) The privatisation of the Skills Training Agency (STA) was completed in May 1990. From 1 April 1984 STA was required to operate trading accounts. These are contained and fully explained within the published MSC/TA White Paper accounts for the financial years 1984-5 to 1988-89 which have been laid before Parliament. For 1989-90 no separate trading accounts were produced for STA and its activity is covered in the Trading Agency White Paper accounts (1989-90) which were published in July 1991. The total
surplus/deficit position for the five financial years 1984-85 to 1988-89 (after exceptional items and extraordinary costs) is as follows :
Years |£ million<1> --------------------------------------- 1984-85 |(15.2) 1985-86 |(17.5) 1986-87 |0.2 1987-88 |(2.9) 1988-89 |(27.3) <1>Figures in brackets reflect deficit amounts.
STA, as part of MSC and its successors was included in the Department's vote and was able to draw funds from that vote in meet its commitments. No loans were made to STA.
(b) The privatisation of Professional and Executive Recruitment (PER) was completed in September 1988. From April 1983 PER was required to operate a trading account. Full details are contained in the MSC White Paper accounts for the years 1983-84 to 1986-87. Accounts for 1987-88 are contained in House of Commons Papers Nos. 582 and 603 of 1987-88. The net surplus/deficit position for the five financial years 1983-84 to 1987-88 is as follows :
Years |£ million<1> --------------------------------------- 1983-84 |0.1 1984-85 |0.2 1985-86 |0.1 1986-87 |(0.2) 1987-88 |(1.0) <1>Figures in brackets reflect deficit amounts.
PER as part of MSC and the employment service was included in the Department's vote and was able to draw funds from that vote to meet its commitments. No loans were made to PER.
Radiological Emergency
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make it his policy to incorporate European Community directive 89/618 Euratom on informing the general public about health protection measures to be applied and steps to be taken in the event of a radiological emergency into the United Kingdom law at the earliest possible date.
Mr. Forth : I can confirm that it is the Government's policy to incorporate the requirements of European Council Directive 89/6182 Euratom into Great Britain law ; and I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer
Column 360
given in reply to the hon. Member for Knowsley, South (Mr. O'Hara) on 13 January 1992, Official Report, column 457, for the timetable for implementation.TECs
Dr. Kumar : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide figures of training and enterprise councils' budgets for each of the regions in Great Britain for the last two years.
Mr. Jackson : The following table shows the TEC operational budgets for 1990-91 and 1991-92. Information for Scottish local enterprise companies is for the Secretary of State for Scotland to provide. Budgets are for the period of TEC operation only and vary in the periods they cover because of the differing operational dates of TECs.
Allocation
£ million
TEC |1990-91|1991-92
-----------------------------------------------------------------
South East
Essex (23 July 1990) |14.685 |29.162
Hampshire (17 September 1990) |13.447 |31.963
Heart of England (17 September 1990) |4.355 |10.733
Hertfordshire (30 April 1990) |10.413 |19.527
Isle of Wight (15 October 1990) |1.588 |4.123
Kent (12 November 1990) |8.738 |32.172
Milton Keynes and North Buckinghamshire
(17 September 1990) |3.125 |6.488
Surrey (1 April 1991) |Nil |14.070
Sussex (1 April 1991) |Nil |25.984
Thames Valley Enterprise (30 April 1990) |12.241 |19.784
London
AZTEC (12 November 1990) |2.720 |10.742
CENTEC (16 September 1991) |Nil |11.951
CILNTEC (14 October 1991) |Nil |8.124
LETEC (1 April 1991) |Nil |27.618
North London (16 September 1991) |Nil |9.690
North West London (16 September 1991) |Nil |5.625
SOLOTEC (1 April 1991) |Nil |18.555
South Thames (27 May 1991) |Nil |20.510
West London (16 September 1991) |Nil |8.945
South West
Avon (1 April 1991) |23.292 |29.263
Devon and Cornwall (30 April 1990) |43.095 |52.475
Dorset (30 April 1990) |11.528 |15.488
Gloucester (7 January 1991) |9.833 |13.010
Somerset (23 July 1990) |10.186 |13.259
Wiltshire (1 April 1991) |8.637 |12.766
West Midlands
Birmingham (12 November 1990) |11.578 |46.456
Central England (1 April 1991) |Nil |10.975
Coventry (17 September 1990) |13.622 |25.768
Dudley (1 April 1991) |Nil |11.203
Hereford and Worcester (1 April 1991) |Nil |10.141
Sandwell (1 April 1991) |Nil |11.427
Shropshire (1 April 1991) |Nil |13.460
Staffordshire (15 October 1990) |16.335 |34.627
Walsall (15 October 1990) |4.463 |23.544
Wolverhampton (1 April 1991) |Nil |11.564
East Midlands and Anglia
Leicester (1 April 1991) |Nil |26.339
Northants (1 April 1991) |Nil |12.852
Lincolnshire (1 April 1991) |Nil |8.174
Greater Nottingham (1 April 1991) |Nil |21.420
North Nottingham (25 June 1960) |11.329 |16.965
South Derbyshire (7 January 1991) |3.170 |17.607
North Derbyshire (1 April 1991) |Nil |11.544
Norfolk and Waveney (12 November 1990) |8.461 |22.888
Suffolk (12 November 1990) |4.534 |14.243
Bedfordshire (1 April 1991) |Nil |12.137
Greater Peterborough (4 February 1991) |0.902 |8.174
CAMBSTEC (4 February 1991) |0.373 |6.362
Yorkshire and Humberside
Leeds (15 October 1990) |10.035 |22.497
North Yorkshire (25 June 1990) |10.819 |17.006
Bradford (7 January 1991) |5.543 |18.696
Calderdale/Kirklees (3 April 1990) |18.138 |20.592
Wakefield (7 January 1991) |3.720 |12.231
Barnsley and Doncaster (7 January 1991) |6.631 |25.705
Sheffield (1 October 1990) |11.625 |24.206
Rotherham (30 July 1990) |7.157 |12.127
Humberside (2 April 1991) |Nil |37.537
North West
Bolton and Bury (15 October 1990) |6.400 |12.900
CEWTEC (1 April 1991) |Nil |21.000
Cumbria (30 April 1990) |14.900 |17.300
ELTEC (29 May 1990) |13.500 |17.300
LAWTEC (1 April 1991) |Nil |26.300
Manchester (12 November 1990) |12.600 |38.500
METROTEC (23 July 1990) |7.000 |10.500
Oldham (30 April 1990) |7.600 |8.600
QUALITEC (1 April 1991) |Nil |9.300
Rochdale (30 April 1990) |5.500 |6.500
South and East Cheshire (9 April 1990) |8.300 |10.900
Stockport and High Peak (20 August 1990) |5.500 |9.700
Merseyside (24 June 1991) |Nil |41.600
NORMID (24 June 1991) |Nil |11.900
Northern
Teeside (30 April 1990) |31.057 |34.565
Tyneside (30 April 1990) |33.113 |45.908
Wearside (30 April 1990) |18.494 |21.484
Durham (1 October 1990) |16.454 |34.380
Northumberland (17 September 1990) |6.214 |15.639
Wales
Gwent (4 February 1991) |2.400 |18.400
North East Wales (17 September 1990) |6.200 |13.600
North West Wales (4 February 1991) |1.800 |13.600
Mid Glamorgan (23 July 1990) |14.900 |21.100
Powys (2 April 1991) |Nil |4.800
South Glamorgan (4 February 1991) |3.400 |14.100
West Wales (23 July 1990) |20.400 |31.500
Dr. Kumar : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria he has set down for the circumstances in which training and enterprise councils may fund visits to overseas conferences ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : We have given training and enterprise councils a great deal of freedom of action to carry out the plans on which the Department contract with them. It is for them to decide on matters of this kind.
Dr. Kumar : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the costs of the visit to the conference on partnership in education, in Washington DC which are being borne by the Teesside training and enterprise council.
Mr. Jackson : Training and enterprise councils have been given an important role in ensuring that education and training are relevant to the needs of local business. Through the contract the Department has with each TEC we agree the overall outputs they will achieve for the funding they receive. As such, detailed matters such as attendance at conferences are for the TEC itself to decide.
Column 362
Construction Statistics
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the numbers employed in the construction industry in each year since 1981.
Mr. Jackson : The information is shown in the table.
Employees in construction in the
United Kingdom
September |Thousands
|(seasonally
|adjusted)
------------------------------------
1981 |1,096
1982 |1,062
1983 |1,051
1984 |1,045
1985 |1,011
1986 |987
1987 |1,023
1988 |1,044
1989 |1,091
1990 |1,077
1991 |951
Youth Training
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide for Greater London a table showing the number of YTS and YT places (a) available and (b) filled, for June of each year from 1988 to 1991, or the nearest available month.
Mr. Jackson : The information is not available in the form requested.
All young people under 18 who are not in full time education or a job and are seeking youth training are entitled to the offer or re-offer of a suitable training place.
Additionally, young people who are aged 18 or over who have not previously been available for YT because of disability, ill health, pregnancy, custodial sentence, remand, language difficulty or care order are entitled to the offer of a suitable training place. The Government remain committed to meeting their guarantee in London as elsewhere.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Private Prisons
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if prison inmates in privately-run prisons will be able to petition against governor's adjudications in such prisons ; to whom they will make their application ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : Disciplinary proceedings at privately-run prisons will be the responsibility of the on-site controller, a crown servant. Inmates will be able to appeal to the head of the remands contracts unit, a division in prison service headquarters, against an adjudication.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will require privately run prisons to produce annual reports ; to whom those reports will be sent ; and who will be able to take action upon recommendations made in such a report.
Mrs. Rumbold : Private contractors who are responsible for managing prisons will not be required to produce an
Column 363
annual report. Instead they will have to provide regular management information to the on-site controller, a crown servant who will be monitoring their performance to ensure that they comply with the terms of the contract.Belmarsh Prison, London
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present number of vacancies of prison officers and their grades at Belmarsh prison, London ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : Staff have been provided to operate the four house blocks and three of the four spurs of the category A unit at Belmarsh. There are vacancies in the specialist prison officer grades for three senior hospital officers, one officer instructor, one principal officer works and two works officers.
Visitor Visas
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas domestic workers entering the United Kingdom have been issued with visitor visas prohibiting employment since 1980 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information requested is not available.
Bail and Probation Hostels
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the numbers of occasions in the last year for which records are available when grants from his Department to bail and probation hostels and institutions run by charitable organisations have been paid late ; and in how many cases over the same period interest and charges on overdrafts incurred by the charity as a result of late payment have been refunded.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Home Office awards grants to a wide range of charitable organisations and the information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate costs.
Grants to bail and probation hostels are paid quarterly in advance but during the latter part of the year actual expenditure may exceed planned expenditure for justifiable reasons. In these circumstances interest charges are reimbursed in the final grant claim but the amounts are not separately identified. In the case of grants awarded to charitable organisations who provide other supported accommodation for offenders there have been no claims for a refund of interest charges on overdrafts.
Escaped Prisoners
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the escape of prisoners from police custody while being transported from Walton prison to the magistrates' court on 21 January.
| Next Section
| Home Page |