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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 1 March 1993
HOME DEPARTMENT
Young People (Recidivism)
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the comparative reconviction rates within two years of young people who complete their sentences in custody and those who participate in full-time, away-from-home community service programmes.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The latest available figures for young offenders released from custody relate to those released in 1986 and are published in table 9.1 of "Prison Statistics 1989", Cm 1221, a copy of which is in the Library. Information relating to the number of young offenders who participate in full-time, away-from-home community service programmes is not available.
Dogs
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will inquire from each of the police forces in England and Wales and thereafter publish the costs to the police of kennelling stray dogs and any other associated costs during the most recent 12-month period ;
(2) if he will inquire from each of the police forces in England and Wales and thereafter publish the costs associated with policing the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, during the first year of the Act, distinguishing (i) the total spent in kennelling dangerous dogs, (ii) the cost of veterinary fees, (iii) the purchase of protective clothing and equipment and (iv) the estimate of the cost of time spent by police officers being trained to identify the types of dog covered by the Act, in seizing dogs and preparing evidence.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I understand that my right hon. Friend has been provided with information on the costs to the Metropolitan police of policing the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and of dealing with stray dogs.
Similar information in respect of provincial police forces in England and Wales is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Strangeways Riot Trials
Mr. Litherland : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the prison staff responsible for security at Manchester crown court were involved in the specifications for the building of the cells, holding and toilet areas to contain the prisoners on trial for the Strangeways riot.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The prison staff responsible for the security at Manchester Crown court were not involved in the specification for the building of the areas used to contain the prisoners on trial for the Strangeways riot.
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Mr. Litherland : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many assaults on prison staff at the Crown court, Manchester there have been since the trials relating to the Strangeways riot first commenced.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : There have been nine reported incidents of alleged assault on prison staff by defendants in the Strangeways riot trials at Manchester Crown court.
Mr. Litherland : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the cost of radios, televisions and multigym facilities provided for the five prisoners who recently escaped from Manchester Crown court.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The television was borrowed from the Greater Manchester police. The prison service provided 11 radios at a total cost of £65 and a multigym at a cost of £3,000.
These items were provided for all the prisoners on trial in connection with charges arising from the Manchester prison disturbance. The prisoners concerned were held in police accommodation not designed for this purpose and which did not have normal regime facilities found in prison service establishments.
Mr. Litherland : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions the prison officers were given in respect of confrontation with the prisoners on trial for the riot at Strangeways prison.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The inquiry mounted by the prison service will investigate all circumstances of the escape of five defendants on trial at Manchester Crown court, including any instructions give to prison staff supervising the trial. It would be wrong to comment further while these inquiries are in progress. All prison officers receive training in how to deal with confrontation with prisoners, including the use of force where that is necessary to maintain control.
Mr. Litherland : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the toilet area at Manchester Crown court had been inspected and security arrangements accepted before being handed over to the prison staff prior to the recent escape of five prisoners ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The toilet area at Manchester Crown court is part of the original complex built in the 1960s, long before formal arrangements regarding specifications and acceptance of physical security elements of the building were set up between the Home Office and the Lord Chancellor's Department.
Police (Discipline)
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers retired on sickness grounds while disciplinary action involving them was under consideration in each year since 1980.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Information about retirements following the laying of disciplinary charges have been collected only since 1991.
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 February, Official Report, column 430, what were the
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ranks of the police officers who retired in 1991 after disciplinary charges had been brought against them, but before those charges were heard ; whether they retired on fully accrued pension terms ; and whether any enhancements were provided.Mr. Charles Wardle : Retirement from the police service, whether on grounds of ill-health or otherwise, is the responsibility of police authorities and details are not collected centrally.
Secure Units
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) who will run the new-style secure units planned by his Department ;
(2) who will have responsibility for the operation and oversight of the new -style secure units proposed by his Department ;
(3) what arrangements will be made for inspection and monitoring of the new -style secure units planned by his Department ;
(4) what consideration he has given to the location of further secure places for young people ;
(5) what he estimates will be the capital costs of the new-style secure units planned by his Department ; and who will pay these costs ;
(6) what regime he intends shall be provided in the new-style secure units planned by his Department ;
(7) what proposals he has for the reintegration of young people into family and community after a period in the new-style secure units proposed by his Department ;
(8) how many places (a) in total and (b) in each unit will be provided in the new-style secure units for young people being planned by his Department ;
(9) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of secure accommodation for young people in (a) England and (b) Wales during the last three years ;
(10) what will be the costs per week of places in the new-style secure units planned by his Department ; and who will pay these costs.
Mr. Jack : My right hon. and learned Friend will shortly be making a statement to the House about his proposals for more effective measures to deal with persistent juvenile offenders.
Unlawful Killings
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the incidence of all categories of unlawful killings, in each year since 1979.
Mr. Jack : The available information is for notifiable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales and is contained in the table. Figures for 1992 as a whole are not yet available.
Unlawful killings<1> recorded by the police England and Wales: 1979-1992. Year |Number of offences ------------------------------------------------------------- 1979 |856 1980 |857 1981 |794 1982 |887 1983 |739 1984 |844 1985 |875 1986 |893 1987 |982 1988 |971 1989 |1,036 1990 |1,088 1991 |1,143 12 months to June 1991 |1,121 12 months to June 1992 |1,071 <1>Comprises, murder, manslaughter, infanticide, child destruction, causing death by reckless driving, and causing death by aggravated vehicle taking (from 1 April 1992 only).
Residential Care Homes
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish guidance on fire safety for small residential care homes before 1 April.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We sent draft guidance to the Association of County Councils, the Association of Metropolitan Authorities and the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association for comments by 26 March. The guidance will then be considered further and issued as soon as possible.
Homerunner Bus Service
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department's officials will have discussions with those responsible for operating the Homerunner women-only bus service in Bradford with a view to funding the service indefinitely ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : The Homerunner women's safe transport scheme commenced in November 1989 funded jointly by the Home Office, through the Bradford safer cities project, and the West Yorkshire passenger transport authority, Metro, for a period of 12 months. Further funding from safer cities, Metro and Bradford metropolitan borough council allowed the service to continue until March 1992 to enable the Homerunner steering group to seek funding from local sources to secure the future of the scheme. Exceptionally, safer cities grant was contributed to a further year's funding to enable the service to operate until March 1993, while Homerunner continued to make arrangements for alternative funding.
When the safer cities programme was established in 1988, it was intended that the modest amount of grant funding for each project would act as pump- priming and not to finance schemes on a long-term basis. It has consistently been made clear to the Homerunner scheme that the safer cities grant could not continue indefinitely. Bradford safer cities final year as a Home Office project is 1993-94 and its steering committee has concluded that, in the light of the more limited grants budget available and the previous history of funding the Homerunner scheme, it could not recommend a further grant for the scheme.
There are no other Home Office grant-giving initiatives available which could assist Homerunner and in these circumstances a meeting with the operators of the service
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would serve little purpose. However, I hope that funding will be found from local sources to enable this service to continue.Safer Cities Project, Bradford
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider his proposals for the future funding of the safer cities project in Bradford ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : By the end of this financial year, Bradford will have received safer cities grant funding of over £1 million since the safer cities project was set up in November 1988. In 1993-94 grant funding of £100,000 has been allocated to Bradford and in that year the project will have access to further funds for work specifically directed at leaving in place long-term arrangements for multi-agency crime prevention work. I hope that the safer cities investment will provide a platform for local crime prevention efforts to become self-sustaining after March 1994. In the light of this, I will not be reconsidering my plans to make the safer cities model available to new locations. There is nothing further I can usefully add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member's previous question on 9 February, at column 531.
Relate
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the funding in real terms for Relate for each year from 1983-84 to 1993-94.
Mr. Jack [holding answer 26 February 1993] : The Home Office grant in aid to Relate for each year from 1983-84 to 1993-94 is set out in actual terms and real terms, using 1991-92 as the base year.
|Actual expenditure
|(£)
---------------------------------------------------------
788,000 |1,254,957
19827,460 |1,254,183
19864,570 |1,242,609
19890,500 |1,239,974
19912,870 |1,204,902
19935,910 |1,151,478
19958,890 |1,106,408
191,006,840 |1,076,408
191,107,500 |1,107,500
191,511,400 |1,449,784
191,530,500 |1,428,811
In real terms there has been an increase of 13.85 per cent. in the grant during the period in question : the actual increase is 94.2 per cent.
Relate has also received £48,000 from the Home Office and £10,000 from the Department of Social Security.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
EC Social Protocol
Mr. George Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to the statement of the Attorney-General, Official Report, 22 February 1993, column 241, in the absence of incorporation of the social protocol into United Kingdom law what further legislation would be necessary to enable payment of the EC administrative costs of the protocol.
Mr. Garel-Jones : If the administration expenses were included in the Community budget, the United Kingdom would charge its contribution direct on the Consolidated Fund under section 2(3) of the European Communities Act 1972. If the Community budget were not used, the United Kingdom contribution to any expenses would be met from voted moneys on the authority of the Appropriation Act alone.
Colonial Governors
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each of the colonial governors who are currently exempt from paying income tax on the salary they receive ; what is their current salary ; and what other non-taxable benefits they or their families receive.
Mr. Goodlad : The information is as follows :
The following governors are paid salaries and allowances by the territory which are not liable to United Kingdom, or local, tax. Their annual salaries and non-taxable allowances are as follows :
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