| Home Page |
Column 519
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 23 March 1993
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
C-LIX Court Listing
Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the current trial period of the C-LIX court listing information service will come to an end.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The C-LIX court listing field trial has been planned to take place in a number of phases. The first of these, linking the Central Criminal Court to five sets of barristers' chambers, is currently under way. This will be extended in April to include other London Crown court centres and additional sets of chambers. A further phase is planned in which the range of end-users will be increased to include solicitors' firms and interested members of other
criminal justice agencies-for example, police and the Prison Service.
The formal end date of the field trial has not yet been fixed, but a full evaluation is expected before the end of this year.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Electoral Registration
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what opinion research his Department has commissioned into the advertising for last year's electoral registration campaign ; and when the results of this research will be made available.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Pre- and post-campaign research, taking a sample of 1,800 respondents, was commissioned following the autumn 1992 electoral registration poster campaign.
A copy of the advertising monitor summary of results for the electoral registration campaign--autumn 1992 has been sent to the House of Commons Library.
Elderly People (Threats)
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what review has been undertaken into developments in the level of the threat of grievous bodily harm, rape, robbery or murder facing elderly people ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : Statistics of crime recorded by the police can provide national trends in crime risks by age only for murder. The rate of murder against those aged 70 or more has declined since 1980 in England and Wales, and that for those between 50 and 69 years is relatively stable ; the numbers involved are small.
The British crime survey can provide information on trends in violence against the elderly between 1981 and 1991. The proportion of those aged 60 or over who were
Column 520
victims of robbery, wounding, common assault or any sexual offence showed no change over the period : about one in 200 of those aged 60 or more were a target in 1991. Trends in all these statistics are continually monitored.ESDA Evidence
Mr. Miller : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what ESDA evidence has been adduced in (a) the case of Paul Malone and (b) the case of the Birmingham Six.
Mr. Jack : A report on ESDA tests on certain documents was submitted to my right hon. and learned Friend by Mr. Malone's solicitor in support of representations about the safety of his conviction. I understand that further ESDA tests have been carried out at the request of the chief constable of Cheshire. The results of both sets of tests are currently being considered by officers of the Metropolitan police who are reinvestigating the case.
A description of the evidence of ESDA tests adduced in the final appeal of the Birmingham Six is to be found on pages 42-52 of the judgment of the Court of Appeal on 27 March 1991--R v. McIlkenny and others--a copy of which is in the Library.
Mr. Miller : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anomalies have been identified by ESDA evidence affecting the case of Paul Malone.
Mr. Jack : I understand that the results of ESDA tests on certain documents relating to Mr. Malone's conviction are among matters being examined by officers of the Metropolitan police as part of their further inquiries into this case. The significance of these results cannot properly be assessed until the investigation as a whole has been completed. When I have received the investigating officers' report on the case, I will, of course, give it full and careful attention.
Young Offenders
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 10-year-olds have been charged with crimes in the youth courts in the last two years for which figures are available ; and how many have been convicted.
Mr. Jack : The information readily available centrally on the number of 10-year-olds prosecuted in 1990 and 1991 is given in the table. Data on people charged are not held centrally.
Number of 10 year olds prosecuted at magistrates' courts
by type of offence and type of court
1990 and 1991
England and Wales
Type of
magistrates' courts
Type of offence |Juvenile courts|Adult courts |All
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indictable offences
1990 |88 |25 |113
1991 |67 | 7 |74
Summary non-motoring
1990 |27 |18 |45
1991 |15 |22 |37
Summary motoring
1990 |2 |25 |27
1991 |1 |55 |56
All offences 1990 |117 |68 |185
1991 |83 |84 |167
Prisoners (Assault)
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners in each prison establishment committed assaults (a) on other prisoners and (b) on prison officers between April 1992 and February 1993, and for each of the previous 10 years.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The available information is for the
Column 522
number of assaults which were punished under the prison discipline system. Some individuals may have committed and been punished for more than one assault in any period and would in that event be counted more than once. The figures for April 1992 to February 1993 are given in the table. Figures for 1989--April to December--1990 and 1991 were published in "Statistics of offences against prison discipline and punishments England and Wales 1989, 1990 and 1991"--Cm 1236, 1651and 2066-copies of which are available in the Library of the House. I regret that the information is not avaiable prior to 1 April 1989.
Column 521
Table 5
Assaults<1> in male young offender institutions
April 1992/February 1993<2>
Establishment |Assaults on inmates|Assaults on prison |Average population |Assaults on inmate |Assaults on staff
|staff<3> |per 100 population |per 100 population
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Closed YOIS
Aylesbury |26 |43 |232 |11.2 |18.5
Castington |40 |19 |240 |16.7 |7.9
Deerbolt |55 |16 |366 |15.0 |4.4
Dover |24 |17 |217 |11.1 |7.8
Feltham |44 |22 |258 |17.1 |8.5
Glen Parva |50 |14 |410 |12.2 |3.4
Hollesley Bay |18 |6 |165 |10.9 |3.6
Huntercombe |22 |3 |199 |11.1 |1.5
Moorland |11 |15 |150 |7.3 |10.0
Northallerton |21 |7 |192 |10.9 |3.6
Onley |81 |16 |324 |25.0 |4.9
Portland |15 |7 |386 |3.9 |1.8
Stoke Heath |26 |16 |187 |13.9 |8.6
Swinfen Hall |14 |4 |163 |8.6 |2.5
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |447 |205 |3,489 |12.8
Open YOIS
Finnamore Wood |4 |0 |78 |5.1 |0.0
Guys Marsh |6 |0 |90 |6.7 |0.0
Hatfield |9 |1 |144 |6.3 |0.7
Thorn Cross |23 |0 |174 |13.2 |0.0
Usk |0 |0 |71 |0.0 |0.0
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |42 |1 |557 |7.5 |0.2
Short Sentence Institutions
Eastwood Park<4> |6 |0 |66 |9.1 |0.0
Hollesley Bay |12 |2 |80 |15.0 |2.5
Wetherby |14 |2 |135 |10.4 |1.5
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |32 |4 |281 |11.4 |1.4
Juvenile Institutions
Feltham |20 |3 |122 |16.4 |2.5
Onley |40 |4 |78 |51.3 |5.1
Werrington |38 |4 |104 |36.5 |3.8
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |98 |11 |304 |32.2 |3.6
<1> Includes attempts, incitements and assisting.
<2> Provisional data.
<3> Prison officers and other members of staff not of prison officer grade.
<4> Open for part period only. Average population relates to the period of time open.
Column 523
Table 6
Assaults<1> in female establishments
April 1992/February 1993<2>
Establishment |Assaults on inmates|Assaults on prison |Average population |Assaults on inmate |Assaults on staff
|staff<3> |per 100 population |per 100 population
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local Prisons
Holloway |40 |60 |453 |8.8 |13.2
Low Newton |3 |6 |31 |9.7 |19.4
New Hall |4 |18 |126 |3.2 |14.3
Pucklechurch |8 |14 |52 |15.4 |26.9
Risley |17 |50 |79 |21.5 |63.3
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |72 |148 |741 |9.7 |20.0
Closed Training Prisons
Bullwood Hall |3 |7 |83 |3.6 |8.4
Cookham Wood |1 |5 |113 |0.9 |4.4
Styal |12 |17 |162 |7.4 |10.5
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |16 |29 |358 |4.5 |8.1
Open Prisons
Askham Grange |3 |0 |98 |3.1 |0.0
Drake Hall |3 |0 |145 |2.1 |0.0
East Sutton |3 |0 |70 |4.3 |0.0
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |9 |0 |313 |2.9 |0.0
Closed YOIS
Bullwood Hall |5 |16 |21 |23.8 |76.2
New Hall |3 |1 |9 |33.3 |11.1
Styal |7 |6 |29 |24.1 |20.7
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |15 |23 |59 |25.4 |39.0
<1> Includes attempts, incitements and assisting.
<2> Provisional data.
<3> Prison officers and other members of staff not of prison officer grade.
Column 523
Table 7
Assaults<1> in all prison service establishments
April 1992/February 1993<2>
Establishment |Assaults on inmates|Assaults on prison |Average population |Assaults on inmate |Assaults on staff
|staff<3> |per 100 population |per 100 population
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adult male prisons and remand
centres |1,199 |1,724 |36,696 |3.3 |4.7
Male YOIs |619 |221 |4,631 |13.4 |4.8
Female establishments |112 |200 |1,471 |7.6 |13.6
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
All |1,930 |2,145 |42,798 |4.5 |5.0
<1> Includes attempts, incitements and assisting.
<2> Provisional data.
<3> Prison officers and other members of staff not of prison officer grade.
Column 523
Table 1: Assaults<1> in male remand centres, April 1992/February 1993<2>
|Assaults on inmates|Assaults on prison |Average population |Assaults on inmate |Assaults on staff
|staff<3> |per 100 population |per 100 population
Establishment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brinsford |55 |22 |319 |17.2 |6.9
Cardiff |10 |6 |86 |11.6 |7.0
Dorchester |3 |1 |29 |10.3 |3.4
Exeter |10 |2 |55 |18.2 |3.6
Feltham |66 |47 |309 |21.4 |15.2
Glen Parva |45 |26 |364 |12.4 |7.1
Hindley |62 |24 |391 |15.9 |6.1
Holme House<4> |13 |8 |75 |17.3 |10.7
Low Newton |37 |2 |215 |17.2 |0.9
Moorland |65 |61 |458 |14.2 |13.3
Norwich |12 |1 |52 |23.1 |1.9
Rochester |43 |35 |107 |40.2 |32.7
Stoke Heath |11 |14 |83 |13.3 |16.9
Swansea |13 |3 |66 |19.7 |4.5
|--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Total |445 |252 |2,609 |17.1 |9.7
<1> Includes attempts, incitements and assisting.
<2> Provisional data.
<3> Prison officers and other members of staff not of prison officer grade.
<4> Open for part period only. Average population relates to the period of time open.
Column 525
Table 2: Assaults<1> in adult male local prisons, April 1992/February 1993<2>
|Assaults on inmates|Assaults on prison |Average population |Assaults on inmate |Assaults on staff
|staff<3> |per 100 population |per 100 population
Establishment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bedford |10 |7 |244 |4.1 |2.9
Belmarsh |42 |119 |731 |5.7 |16.3
Birmingham |20 |48 |889 |2.2 |5.4
Bristol |13 |10 |394 |3.3 |2.5
Brixton |24 |45 |720 |3.3 |6.3
Bullingdon |12 |22 |383 |3.1 |5.7
Camp Hill |2 |0 |6 |33.3 |0.0
Canterbury |2 |7 |163 |1.2 |4.3
Cardiff |7 |21 |322 |2.2 |6.5
Chelmsford |11 |15 |337 |3.3 |4.5
Dorchester |2 |1 |163 |1.2 |0.6
Durham |13 |33 |620 |2.1 |5.3
Exeter |5 |15 |319 |1.6 |4.7
Elmley |15 |34 |366 |4.1 |9.3
Gloucester |9 |8 |189 |4.8 |4.2
Highdown |9 |21 |186 |4.8 |11.3
Holme House<4> |12 |22 |298 |4.0 |7.4
Hull |13 |11 |323 |4.0 |3.4
Leeds |18 |59 |848 |2.1 |7.0
Leicester |11 |14 |319 |3.4 |4.4
Lewes |14 |11 |348 |4.0 |3.2
Lincoln |25 |24 |572 |4.4 |4.2
Liverpool |20 |15 |1,201 |1.7 |1.2
Manchester |10 |9 |341 |2.9 |2.6
Norwich |24 |19 |284 |8.5 |6.7
Pentonville |22 |37 |729 |3.0 |5.1
Preston |8 |9 |406 |2.0 |2.2
Reading<4> |25 |15 |107 |23.4 |14.0
Shrewsbury |6 |8 |267 |2.2 |3.0
Swansea |5 |2 |194 |2.6 |1.0
Wandsworth |20 |49 |1,051 |1.9 |4.7
Winchester |17 |30 |361 |4.7 |8.3
Wolds |13 |35 |191 |6.8 |18.3
Woodhill |1 |4 |152 |0.7 |2.6
Wormwood Scrubs |11 |54 |675 |1.6 |8.0
|--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Total |471 |833 |14,699 |3.2 |5.7
<1>Includes attempts, incitements and assisting.
<2>Provisional data.
<3>Prison officers and other members of staff not of prison officer grade.
<4>Open for part period only. Average population relates to the period of time open.
Column 525
Table 3: Assaults<1> in adult male closed training prisons, April 1992-February 1993<2>
|Assaults on inmates|Assaults on prison |Average population |Assaults on inmate |Assaults on staff
|staff<3> |per 100 population |per 100 population
Establishment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acklington |7 |22 |576 |1.2 |3.8
Albany |10 |10 |255 |3.9 |3.9
Aldington |3 |1 |106 |2.8 |.9
Ashwell |1 |1 |386 |.3 |.3
Brockhill |2 |4 |151 |1.3 |2.6
Blundeston |9 |34 |326 |2.8 |10.4
Camp Hill |20 |14 |391 |5.1 |3.6
Channings Wood |5 |5 |567 |.9 |.9
Coldingley |0 |9 |206 |.0 |4.4
Dartmoor |11 |33 |509 |2.2 |6.5
Erlestoke |0 |3 |205 |.0 |1.5
Everthorpe |2 |3 |219 |.9 |1.4
Elmley |1 |2 |69 |1.4 |2.9
Featherstone |6 |10 |547 |1.1 |1.8
Frankland |10 |30 |310 |3.2 |9.7
Full Sutton |17 |75 |438 |3.9 |17.1
Garth |4 |36 |482 |.8 |7.5
Gartree |6 |3 |243 |2.5 |1.2
Grendon |4 |3 |181 |2.2 |1.7
Haverigg |6 |4 |300 |2.0 |1.3
Highpoint |4 |11 |589 |.7 |1.9
Kingston |1 |2 |94 |1.1 |2.1
Lancaster |1 |6 |251 |.4 |2.4
Lindholme |7 |12 |646 |1.1 |1.9
Littlehey |3 |12 |521 |.6 |2.3
Long Lartin |1 |34 |347 |.3 |9.8
Maidstone |1 |14 |507 |.2 |2.8
The Mount |2 |11 |405 |.5 |2.7
Northeye |1 |0 |67 |1.5 |.0
Norwich |0 |1 |119 |.0 |.8
Nottingham |1 |10 |201 |.5 |5.0
Parkhurst |5 |11 |205 |2.4 |5.4
Ranby |7 |4 |316 |2.2 |1.3
Risley |8 |2 |376 |2.1 |.5
Rochester |1 |1 |110 |.9 |.9
Send |2 |0 |109 |1.8 |.0
Shepton Mallet |1 |7 |186 |.5 |3.8
Stafford |28 |43 |644 |4.3 |6.7
Stocken |4 |9 |389 |1.0 |2.3
Swaleside |12 |38 |488 |2.5 |7.8
Thorpe Arch |1 |0 |143 |.7 |.0
Usk |1 |0 |118 |.8 |.0
The Verne |3 |5 |540 |.6 |.9
Wakefield |7 |13 |644 |1.1 |2.0
Wayland |9 |16 |556 |1.6 |2.9
Wellingborough |3 |1 |275 |1.1 |.4
Whatton |5 |0 |200 |2.5 |.0
Whitemoor |17 |53 |466 |3.6 |11.4
Wymott |12 |7 |711 |1.7 |1.0
|--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Total |272 |625 |16,690 |1.6 |3.7
<1> Includes attempts, incitements and assisting
<2> Provisional data
<3> Prison officers and other members of staff not of prison officer grade
Column 527
Table 4: Assaults<1> in adult male open prisons, April 1992/February 1993<2>
|Assaults on inmates|Assaults on prison |Average population |Assaults on inmate |Assaults on staff
|staff<3> |per 100 population |per 100 population
Establishment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ford |0 |2 |454 |0.0 |0.4
Hewell Grange |3 |1 |135 |2.2 |0.7
Kirkham |3 |2 |460 |0.7 |0.4
Leyhill |1 |0 |394 |0.3 |0.0
North Sea Camp |0 |2 |182 |0.0 |1.1
Rudgate |1 |1 |267 |0.4 |0.4
Stanford Hill |0 |2 |355 |0.0 |0.6
Sudbury |2 |4 |437 |0.5 |0.9
Usk<4> |1 |0 |14 |7.1 |0.0
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |11 |14 |2,698 |0.4 |0.5
<1> Includes attempts, incitements and assisting.
<2> Provisional data.
<3> Prison officers and other members of staff not of prison officer grade.
<4> Open for part period only. Average population relates to the period of time open.
Police Force (Ethnic Minorities)
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers and what proportion of the total number in each police force area in England and Wales were (a) men and (b) women from ethnic minority groups in each of the last 10 years ; and what proportion were in senior grades.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I will write to the hon. Member.
Column 528
Race Relations Act
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions he has reached on the proposals from the Commission for Racial Equality for changes to the Race Relations Act 1976 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Government are giving careful consideration to the Commission for Racial Equality's recommendations and will respond formally in due course.
Blakenhurst Prison
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the revised opening date for HM prison Blakenhurst.
Column 529
Mr. Peter Lloyd : It is the current intention to open Blakenhurst prison on 26 May 1993 subject to satisfactory completion of the preparatory work being carried out by the contractor.
No-crime Offences
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of offences were reported as no-crimes for each police force in England and Wales for each of the last 10 years, and at the latest available date.
Mr. Jack : Figures are not available centrally, but many forces publish "no crime" totals in their chief constable's annual reports.
Racial Incidents
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of racial assault and racial harrassment were reported to each police force area in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years ; and how many prosecutions and how many convictions resulted.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Information is not available before 1988. The figures since then are set out in the table. Figures for 1992 are not yet available. Figures on prosecutions and convictions are not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All forces respond to racial attacks as a priority, and their responses are systematically monitored by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary. The increase in reports to the police might indicate an increase in the confidence of victims in the ability and willingness of the police to help.
Racial incidents
Community relations indicators: reported racial
incidents
Forces |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991
------------------------------------------------------
Avon and Somerset |57 |71 |83 |148
Bedfordshire |21 |25 |33 |0
Cambridge |52 |60 |71 |107
Cheshire |0 |0 |0 |3
City of London |4 |0 |0 |0
Cleveland |29 |55 |57 |68
Cumbria |0 |4 |1 |9
Derbyshire |17 |20 |53 |143
Devon and Cornwall |2 |3 |6 |9
Dorset |6 |12 |3 |9
Durham |43 |23 |41 |70
Dyfed Powys |0 |0 |0 |0
Essex |2 |26 |43 |59
Gloucestershire |17 |20 |51 |25
Greater Manchester |28 |40 |123 |204
Gwent |1 |4 |5 |12
Hampshire |45 |<1>- |42 |141
Hertfordshire |49 |49 |51 |0
Humberside |49 |52 |67 |81
Kent |88 |81 |88 |120
Lancashire |75 |93 |201 |119
Leicestershire |84 |190 |287 |369
Lincolnshire |1 |2 |2 |4
Merseyside |136 |123 |144 |162
Norfolk |8 |22 |23 |45
North Wales |3 |1 |0 |3
North Yorkshire |5 |6 |12 |20
Northamptonshire |0 |72 |66 |60
Northumbria |242 |217 |289 |376
Nottinghamshire |4 |27 |135 |221
South Wales |86 |94 |308 |385
South Yorkshire |0 |52 |117 |124
Staffordshire |15 |44 |101 |158
Suffolk |46 |62 |74 |75
Surrey |13 |7 |7 |50
Sussex |15 |141 |92 |98
Thames Valley |94 |128 |171 |201
Warwickshire |27 |21 |44 |32
West Mercia |0 |6 |13 |3
West Midlands |382 |169 |268 |445
West Yorkshire |386 |306 |254 |322
Wiltshire |37 |19 |25 |29
Metropolitan |2,214 |2,697 |2,908 |3,373
|--- |--- |--- |---
Total |4,383 |5,044 |6,359 |7,882
<1> Not known.
Fines, London
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were fined in courts in the Metropolitan police district in each of the six months up to the latest available date ; and, of that number, how many people defaulted on their fines.
Mr. Jack : The information readily available centrally on the persons fines in the Metropolitan police district in the last six months of 1991 is given in the table. Data on people defaulting on their fines are not held centrally.
Column 529
Persons fined for all offences in the Metropolitan police district<1> in the last six months of 1991, by type of court and month
Number of persons
Type of court |July |August |September |October |November |December |Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Magistrates' courts |15,705 |14,120 |14,933 |16,031 |14,575 |11,754 |87,118
Crown Court |212 |175 |176 |157 |130 |100 |950
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
All courts |15,917 |14,295 |15,109 |16,188 |14,705 |11,854 |88,068
<1> Including City of London.
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued in the Metropolitan police district in each of the first six months of 1992 ; and how many were paid and how many were unpaid.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The numbers of fixed penalty notices issues in the first six months of 1992 were as follows :
Column 530
|Number
-------------------------
January
a<1> |150,679
b<2> |7,328
c<3> |10,856
February
a |153,829
b |5,523
c |9,034
March
a |144,302
b |5,073
c |8,072
April
a |119,702
b |6,076
c |9,034
May
a |131,212
b |6,467
c |9,960
June
a |143,558
b |10,258
c |9,883
<1> Represents parking
tickets;
<2> Represents Driver
Liability (Endorsable)
tickets;
<3> Includes provisional
tickets issued where the
driver has been given 7
days in which to produce
his or her licence.
These may not all become
full tickets.
Details on how many were paid, and unpaid, are not available in the format requested. Information on the numbers paid is recorded by quarter. The figures for the first two quarters of 1992 are :
|Paid
---------------------------
January-March
a<1> |294,750
b<2> |10,780
c<3> |18,969
April-June
a |248,155
b |12,788
c |18,983
<1> Represents parking
tickets;
<2> Represents Driver
Liability (Endorsable)
tickets;
<3> Includes provisional
tickets issued where the
driver has been given 7
days in which to produce
his or her licence. These
may not all become full
tickets.
Wolds Prison
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for the reports of the Home Office controller at the Wolds remand centre to be placed in the Library ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : No. The controller's reports on Wolds provide management information which, like such material on other prisons, is not made public. The report of HM chief inspector of prisons, who is due to carry out an inspection in May, will be published and the board of visitors will be publishing their report for 1992 on 6 April. The Prison Service intends to publish information about the performance of all prisons, directly and privately managed, on a regular basis in its
annual report. An interim report on the Wolds will be published shortly, at the end of its first year of operation.
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Prison Service practice or procedures are required to be followed by the contractor under the terms of the contract at HM prison Wolds.
Column 532
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The contractor is required to follow the practices or procedures relating to :
Inmates Personal Record System (Form No. 2050) ;
LIDS (the inmate database system) ;
the reporting of population levels ;
Assisted Prison Visits Scheme ;
Prison Visitors Scheme.
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are being held at the Wolds at the latest available date ; and what proportion of them are from ethnic minority groups.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : On 19 March, 310 prisoners were unlocked at Wolds remand prison. Of these, 22--7.1 per cent.--were members of ethnic minority groups.
Supply and Transport Contract
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department will pay compensation to Beck and Pollitzer following the cancellation of the contract in respect of the supply and transport functions of his Department.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The contract in respect of the warehousing and distribution function was not signed and there will be no compensation paid to Beck and Pollitzer.
Prison Population
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his most up-to-date projections for the prison population for 2000 and 2010 for (a) women, (b) remand prisoners, (c) sentenced male prisoners and (d) young people under 21 years.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Projections of long-term trends in the prison population to 2000 were published in the Home Office statistical bulletin 10/92 on 28 May 1992. Copies are available in the Library of the House. We intend to publish updated projections to 2001 soon.
Cash Limits
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for changes to the 1992-93 non-voted cash limit within his responsibility.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The local authority capital non-voted cash limit will be increased by £202,000 from £109,141,000 to £109,343, 000. The increased provision results from the transfer of unallocated supplementary credit approvals from the Welsh Office to the Home Office, for the purpose of the replacement of fire service mobilisation and communications systems.
Charities
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to bring into effect the remaining provisions of the Charities Act 1992.
Mr. Jack : It is our intention to bring the 1992 Act fully into force at the earliest opportunity--consistent with effective preparation and consultations. I therefore intend to bring the further provisions into effect by the following dates :
By the end of 1993 : further fees regulations ;
by the end of March 1994 : provisions on professional fund-raising (Part II of the Act) ;
Column 533
by the end of June 1994 : accounting provisions (contained in Part I of the Act) ;by the end of 1994 : public charitable collections (Part III of the Act).
Where possible we will, however, seek to bring the provisions into effect earlier than the dates given.
DEFENCE
Royal Irish Regiment
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual cost of monitoring the religious affiliation of the (a) part- time and (b) full-time members of the Royal Irish Regiment.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The annual cost of collating statistics on the religious affiliations of the Royal Irish Regiment, which is required of all public authorities in Northern Ireland under the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989, is estimated to be £300.
RAF Brawdy
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been undertaken to establish the use made by RAF Chivenor and RAF Valley of the Pembrey range and Welsh low-flying area when RAF Brawdy was unable to operate due to poor weather conditions.
Fleet Maintenance Organisation
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 12 November, Official Report, columns 882-83, if he has reached a decision on the future of the fleet maintenance and repair organisation, Portsmouth.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I have given full and careful consideration to the representations made on the proposals I announced on 12 November 1992, Official Report, columns 882-83, to cease refit work at the fleet maintenance and repair organisation, Portsmouth and to reduce excess capacity among the work force. I have decided to proceed with these proposals, taking account of the overall problem of excess refit and repair capacity in the United Kingdom.
Sea Training, Portland
Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 12 November, Official Report, column 883, if he has reached a decision on the future of operational sea training at Portland.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Having given full and careful consideration to the representations made, I have decided to proceed with the transfer of operational sea training from Portland to Devonport and to close Portland naval base by April 1996. We will continue to consult the trades unions about the implications for staff, and will also work closely with the Portland area local authorities to investigate possible alternative commercial uses for the naval base.
Column 534
NATIONAL FINANCE
Money Market Rates
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the range and average level of overnight money market rates on the inter-bank markets in London each month from September 1992 to January 1993.
Mr. Nelson : The range and the average level of overnight money market rates on the interbank markets each month from September 1992 to January 1993 were as follows :
Overnight interest rates<1>
Range Average<2>
--------------------------------------------------
1992
September |180 |- |3" |9 23/32
October |100 |- |4 |9 5/8
November | 14 1/8|- |2" |7 19/32
December | 9¬ |- |2 |6 13/16
1993
January |100 |- |1¬ |6 29/32
<1> These are quoted rates as observed by the
Bank of England, and are not comprehensive. As
they are quoted rates, transactions did not
necessarily take place at these rates, and it is
also possible that transactions took place at
other rates.
<2> The average is based on daily observations
taken at 10.20 am.
Forestry
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the cost to the Exchequer of tax reliefs for afforestation in each of the 10 years up to 1993.
Mr. Dorrell : The estimated cost of allowing tax relief for afforestation under schedule D was of the order of£10 million a year between 1983-84 and 1987-88. No estimates are available of the cost of relief allowed for 1988-89 to 1992-93 under the transitional provisions introduced when forestry was removed from the scope of taxation in 1988-89.
TRANSPORT
Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Sir Keith Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last discussed the proposed Ashford international passenger station with the chairman of British Rail ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport made a statement about Ashford international passenger station yesterday.
Residential Properties
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vacant residential properties are owned by his Department in each county ; what are his plans for reducing this number ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : As at 31 December 1992, the latest date for which figures are available, my Department held 3,432 residential properties in connection with road
Column 535
schemes in England, of which 721 were vacant. Details of these properties are held by departmental region and are set out in the table. To break down the figures to county level could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Region |Total stock |Vacant stock
-----------------------------------------------------
South East |894 |181
South West |130 |27
West Midlands |256 |78
North West |405 |91
Northern |31 |7
Yorkshire and Humberside 6520
East Midlands |43 |13
Eastern |617 |183
London |991 |121
|------- |-------
Total |3,432 |721
My Department is actively participating in the work of the task force on Government Departments' empty houses, as announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment in a written answer to my hon. Friend, the Member for Reading, West (Sir A. Durant), on 8 December 1992, Official Report , column 578 . Our aim is to let these properties wherever possible on short-term leases, and to sell them as soon as the road building schemes
allow us to do so.
Motorways
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations he has received from private companies seeking to invest in and construct new motorways or to increase the capacity of existing motorways.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Many of the companies that participated in bids for the concessions for the Dartford-Thurrock crossing, the second Severn crossing and the Birmingham northern relief road have also advocated an expansion of the role of private finance in the operation and improvement of the existing motorway network. Our planned Green Paper on motorway charging will invite views on the possibilities.
Public Transport
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those local authorities which have provided financial support to maintain or retain public transport services.
Mr. Freeman : In metropolitan areas, powers to provide financial support for local public transport services are exercised by the passenger transport authorities, which formulate policies for the provision of such support, and by the passenger transport executives, which provide support in line with those policies. In
non-metropolitan areas in England and Wales, both county and district councils have powers to provide financial support for public transport services ; and in
Breast Cancer
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to extend the current breast cancer screening programme by individual invitation to women over 64 years of age. Mr. Sackville:There is evidence to suggest that women over the age of 64 are less likely to accept routine invitations to screening. Should experience show a strong demand we will look again at including this age group within the recall programmes.
Children in Care
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will seek to amend the Children Act to enable social services departments to initiate wardship proceedings as a means of taking a child into care.
Mr. Yeo:No. The Children Act 1989 sought to rationalise the grounds for placing children in care within a single statutory framework. In so doing the new legislation removed the rights of local authorities to initiate wardship proceedings as a means of taking a child into care. If local authorities wish to place a child in care they must demonstrate that the statutory threshold criteria for the making of a care order apply-section 31 of the Children Act 1989-and that the order will positively contribute to
Eastman Dental Hospital
Dr. Goodson-Wickes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will be the future of the Eastman dental hospital, following the Government's reaction to the Tomlinson report.
Dr. Mawhinney:The Government response to the Tomlinson report was set out in the document "Making London Better". As with the other postgraduate teaching hospitals it is the intention that the Eastman dental hospital enters the national health service internal market as a trust in April 1994.
Environmental Health Officers
Mr. Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many environmental health officers are employed in the United Kingdom. Mr. Sackville:This information is not available centrally. Secure Accommodation
Lady Olga Maitland:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average waiting time for a youth before being allocated a place in a secure unit.
Mr. Yeo:This information is not available centrally.
GPs (Computers)
Ms Primarolo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what amount has been spent in primary care on computer reimbursement in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Sackville:I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 25 January at columns 528-32.
The general practitioner computer reimbursement scheme came into effect on 1 April 1990.
Ms Primarolo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practices have computer systems.
Dr. Mawhinney:A survey in 1991 indicated that 63 per cent. of practices had their own computers or shared facilities with other practices. A survey of the current position has recently been commissioned.
Ethnic Minorities
Mr. Sumberg:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to improve health services for people from black and ethnic minorities.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley:We are determined that people from black and ethnic minorities should benefit fully from the national health service. We already have programmes to promote better recognition of specific needs and to overcome cultural and other barriers to using health services.
There are convincing demonstrations of good practice in places where voluntary organisations and the health service are delivering high-quality services to the local black and ethnic minority population.
We need to spread this good practice. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has appointed a task force to report to her on the action to be taken. Membership is drawn from community groups, the national health service and the Department to consider action at all levels to ensure the wide application of current best practice.
We are looking to the task force for advice on early action-on how to secure the measurable, practical progress which we regard as esential. This will complement the initiative to improve equal opportunities in the staffing of the national health service, which will itself help to improve the responsiveness and cultural sensitivity of services.
Community Care
Mr. Jim Marshall:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the extent to which the distribution of the community care transitional grant reflects need within local authority areas.
Mr. Yeo:The distribution provides a balanced transition from the present pattern of spending by the Department of Social Security towards one based on local authorities' standard spending assessment. The grant will provide an opportunity for authorities and service providers to adjust to the arrangements, ensuring that all authorities are able to meet their new statutory obligations from April this year.
Psychiatric Patients
Mr. Harry Greenway:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to care for psychiatric patients released into the community; and if she will make a statement. Mr. Yeo:We required all district health authorities to implement the care programme approach from 1 April 1991 in collaboration with local social services departments for all psychiatric patients about to be discharged
into the community. The needs of each patient, both for continuing health and social care and for accommodation, are systematically assessed and appropriate arrangements made. These include the appointment of a key worker to keep in close touch with the patient and to monitor that the agreed health and social care is given. If an adequate package of care cannot be agreed and provided in the community, the patient must be offered alternative in-patient care. We are also paying the mental illness specific grant to local authorities to enable them to improve the social care they provide for mentally ill people. The grant amounts to £31.4 milliion in 1992-93 supporting expenditure of £44.8 million. Next year, 1993- 94, the grant will be £34.4 million supporting expenditure of £46.6 million, an increase of 9 per cent.
The Department's social services inspectorate is monitoring the impact of the mental illness specific grant and its first report has been issued.
Xenotransplantation
Mr. Dalyell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the potential dangers of
xenotransplantation.
Mr. Sackville:I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 15 February at column 80.
Premature Births
Mrs. Jane Kennedy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated average cost per child to her Department in terms of its after care and treatment of children born prematurely, weighing less than 1,500 grams, who develop retinopathy of prematurity to advanced stage 3 and who do not respond to treatment.
Mr. Sackville:This information is not available centrally. Bone Marrow Treatment
Mr. Blunkett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will list in full the facilities for bone marrow treatment within the NHS in London; and what plans she has for the future of such facilities;
(2) if she will provide additional funding to help secure the necessary treatment for sufferers of Batten's disease; and if she will make a statement;
(3) what steps she is taking to protect the bone marrow unit at the Westminster children's hospital; and if she will make a statement. Mr. Sackville:We expect health authorities, when deciding upon the allocation of resources in the national health service, to give proper consideration to funding appropriate treatment for patients suffering from Batten's disease.
The care of children who had already started treatment at the bone marrow transplant unit of the Westminster children's hospital will be transferred to the new Chelsea and Westminster hospital in the next few weeks. Alternative arrangements for treatment will be found for children not yet treated, who are suitable for transplantation and where matched donors have been identified and agreed.
There are a number of other facilities in London for bone marrow transplant treatment which include Great
Ormond Street and Hammersmith hospitals. The provision of these facilities is a matter for local discussion between relevant professionals, health authorities and providers.
Executive Training Programmes
Mr. Blunkett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on (a) the content of her Department's executive training programmes, (b) the cost per year of these programmes in 1992-93 and 1993- 94 and (c) her policy on the use of cosmetic courses for women hospital managers.
Dr. Mawhinney:The content of executive coaching consists of: initial diagnostic interview;
up to 12 hours one to one sessions with a coach designed around individual needs;
a follow-up interview six months after completion of the coaching.
The average cost of the programme is £1,500 per person which compares favourably with other forms of management development. Approximately £100,000 has been spent on the programme in 1992-93 with a second tranche of 45 women contracted to join the programme in 1993-94; the approximate cost is £67,500.
Ministerial policy on individual positive image sessions is that these will not be available through the women in the national health service management development programme.
Lewisham Hospital
Ms Ruddock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost of new office kitchen and waiting room facilities being prepared at Lewisham hospital for the chairman of Lewisham hospital NHS trust. Mr. Sackville:The use of capital funds for the refurbishment of the site and facilities at Lewisham Hospital is a matter for local management. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Philip Harris, chairman of the Guy's and Lewisham national health service trust for details.
Ms Ruddock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has now approved the establishing of the Lewisham hospital NHS trust. Dr. Mawhinney:My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has approved the establishment of the Lewisham hospital national health service trust, which will come into being on 1 April 1993. Ms Ruddock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she has now decided who is to be the chairman of the Lewisham hospital NHS trust;
(2) what are the terms of contract under which Sir Philip Harris has been offered the position of chairman of the proposed new Lewisham hospital NHS trust.
Dr. Mawhinney:Sir Philip Harris has been invited to serve as chairman from 21 March 1993 until 31 October 1995 under the normal rules.
Ms Ruddock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the total start-up costs of the proposed new Lewisham hospital NHS trust. Dr. Mawhinney:The national health service management executive has made available £206,000 for the expenditure incurred by the Lewisham unit during its shadow period.
Scotland, regional and island councils exercise similar powers. In London local authorities have not been required to support local public transport services since 1989-90, when they ceased to pay a levy towards the grant made available to London Regional Transport. Details of the way in which these powers have been exercised by all the authorities concerned could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Next Section
| Home Page |