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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 22 June 1993
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Judges
Mr. Boateng : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many judges aged 70 years or over are sitting on the circuit bench (a) full-time and (b) part-time ; and how many of these are recorders or assistant recorders.
Mr. John M. Taylor : As at 1 June 1993, there were 16 full-time circuit judges aged 70 or over. In addition there were 29 deputy circuit judges and 12 recorders aged 70 or over, who may sit part time. There were no assistant recorders aged 70 or over.
Market Testing
Ms Mowlam : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in his Department since November 1992 and indicate, in each case, whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision, or whether the service was contracted out.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Since November 1992 the Lord Chancellor's Department has commenced market tests in eight areas : internal audit ; pay services ; Public Trust Office taxes division ; Public Trust Office typing services ; Statutory Publications Office ; printing and forms supply ; IT services ; and court building and estates management. To date, seven separate market tests have been completed in the court building and estates management area, which all resulted in the services being contracted out. These services were formerly provided by the Property Services Agency. Save for internal audit, the market tests in the remaining areas are still proceeding and no decisions have been taken. In the case of internal audit an in-house provision has been maintained.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Redundant Farm Buildings
Dr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what grant aid is available for the purpose of restoring redundant farm houses and associated buildings in order that they may once again form the basis of an active farming unit.
Mr. Brooke : If the hon. Member's focus is a Scottish one, I suggest that he writes to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. In England, since 1989, English Heritage has been contributing funds towards the barns and walls conservation scheme, in the Swaledale and Arkengarthdale conservation area of the Yorkshire Dales national park--a joint initiative also involving the national park, Richmondshire district council, the
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Countryside Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Grants of up to 80 per cent. are available to farmers and landowners to enable them to bring the buildings back into working condition, using traditional materials and repair techniques. Nationally, English Heritage is able to give grants for the repair of historic buildings of outstanding historical or architectural interest-- usually those listed grade I or grade II--or those situated in designated conservation areas.National Lottery
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has for the national lottery to contain an instant lottery element.
Mr. Sproat : The types and mix of games for the national lottery will be for the operator to propose. The licensing of individual games under clause 6 of the National Lottery etc. Bill will be the responsibility of the director-general.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Northern Ireland Court of Appeal
Mr. Trimble : To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a further statement on the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland's progress in considering the cases referred to him by the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal in its judgment in the case of R v. Latimer and others delivered on 29 July 1992.
The Attorney-General : The Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland considered the judgment of the Court of Appeal and all other then available facts and information. On 5 August 1992, 10 February 1993 and 27 April 1993 the director issued interim directions to the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary requesting that further reports, information and witness statements be obtained. The majority of these further reports, information and witness statements have been obtained by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and submitted to the director. A small number of witness statements remain outstanding.
When all the matters requested in these interim directions have been received and considered, a decision as to whether criminal proceedings will be instituted will be taken. It is expected that this decision will be taken in the near future. I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) on 11 November 1992 at columns 835-36 and to the right hon. Member for Strangford (Mr. Taylor) on 27 January 1993 at column 709.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Wheel Clamping
Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number and names of individuals and organisations who responded to the public consultation exercise on wheel clamping.
Mr. Maclean : Approximately 2,400 copies of the consultation paper were distributed and 184 responses have been received. Respondents were not asked to agree
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to the publication of their names when their comments were invited and it would not be appropriate now to identify them. However, the table shows the categories to which these respondents belong.
|Number
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Landowners:
hospitals |7
estates |10
national organisations |9
local organisations |22
individuals |8
Wheelclamping companies |11
Motorists |13
MPs and Members of the House of Lords |8
Local authorities |46
Police |23
Other bodies (including other Government departments
and public and private organisations representing a
wide variety of interests) |27
In addition, since 1 April 1992, we have received 199 letters forwarded by MPs and Members of the House of Lords, and 107 letters sent direct to the Home Office or other Government Departments commenting on this issue.
Police Batons
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will agree to a pilot project on the use of the expandable side- handled baton being monitored by (a) the Association of Chief Police Officers, (b) the Police Federation, (c) the Chief Inspector of Constabulary and (d) an independent research and assessment team.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 21 June at column 2.
Rabies
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce tougher sentences for offenders contravening anti-rabies laws ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The maximum penalty for offences under the Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and Other Mammals) Order 1974 is an unlimited fine and/or 12 months' imprisonment. We have no plans to increase it.
Wickham Laboratories
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the outcome of the investigations into allegations by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection in respect of Wickham laboratories.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The Home Office Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate and the Medicines Control Agency have investigated allegations made by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) into procedures and practices at Wickham laboratories.
The investigation did not find substantiated some of the principal allegations against Wickham, but it did disclose poor local management, resulting in lax attitudes and practices among certain staff. These included a readiness
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to falsify test and environmental data on occasions. There was also one case of unnecessary animal use. Some aspects of the technical training were unsatisfactory : initial training was poorly structured and unrecorded and left some basic gaps in coverage. The system also lacked formal assessment of competence before unsupervised tasks were allocated to new employees.My right hon. and learned Friend has concluded that direct responsibility for the failures detected by the investigation lies with the individual who was line manager for the named day-to-day care person at the time to which the BUAV allegations relate, and who was himself named day-to-day care person at the time of the Home Office investigation. My right hon. and learned Friend has directed that he be replaced as named day-to-day care person and deputy project licence holder, and that his personal licence be revoked. In addition, the individual who was named day-to-day care person at the time of the BUAV investigation has been warned that particular attention will be paid to her current skills and knowledge if in future she should apply for a personal licence. A number of other members of Wickham staff have received letters of admonition, reminding them of the importance of a proper understanding of their responsibilities and obligations under the legislation.
In addition to action in respect of individuals, my right hon. and learned Friend has directed :
that Wickham agree with the inspectorate a formal training scheme for all animal unit staff, including full records of training given and an assessment of expertise for specific tasks being made from the beginning of each individual's employment ;
that Wickham's standard operating procedures relating to the care, husbandry and euthanasia of animals should be revised to the satisfaction of the inspectorate and to reflect best current practice.
It has been made clear to Wickham that a serious view has been taken of the lapses which this investigation has revealed, and that Wickham's operation will be subjected to particularly close scrutiny in the future. The Animal Procedures Committee has been informed of the outcome of the investigation, and has endorsed the action taken. Other allegations made by the BUAV were not substantiated, and the inspectorate had reservations about some of the evidence presented in support of the allegations. In particular, the investigation did not find that there had been unauthorised reuse of animals, or that animal suffering had resulted from poor accommodation, or that problems had arisen from a potential conflict of interests among the senior management at Wickham. On the latter point, however, the Animal Procedures Committee has decided to look in general terms at the conflicts which may arise when the posts of certificate holder, project licence holder and named veterinary surgeon are not all held by separate individuals.
The BUAV alleged that unnecessary animal testing took place. I am satisfied, however, that all the work carried out at Wickham was properly licensed under the Act. The general issue of animal testing performed to satisfy the requirements of regulatory authorities is currently being examined by the Animal Procedures Committee, and I look forward to receiving its advice.
Finally, I understand that the Medicines Control Agency's conclusion is that although there were operational and procedural deficiencies at Wickham, they do not call in question the validity of the particular tests, nor do they raise doubts about Wickham's continued
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operation as a contract research establishment. A range of improvements has been insisted upon by the agency and it will be keeping the situation under close review.Prosecution Statements
Sir Ivan Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to give the defence the right to see prosecution statements in summary trials ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : We have no plans at present to extend to defendants accused of summary offences the provisions of the Magistrates Courts (Advance Information) Rules 1985. The issue is, however, within the terms of reference of the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice and we will consider carefully any recommendations it might make.
Unit Fine System
Dr. Wright : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider establishing a restrospective scheme to compensate those individuals who have been disadvantaged by the unit fine system after it has been replaced.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many claims have been made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in each of the last three years ; how many have been successful ; how many have gone to appeal and then been accepted ; and what have been the shortest, longest and average times each year to deal with cases that have gone to appeal.
Mr. Maclean : The latest available information, provided by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB), is summarised in the following tables.