| Home Page |
Column 337
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 28 June 1993
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Legal Aid
Mrs. Jane Kennedy : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make it his policy to impose upon the Legal Aid Board a duty to automatically provide all applicants with a complete breakdown of their assessment of resources determining legal aid eligibility.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The Legal Aid Board or the legal aid assessment office will always provide this information on request. It would not be a sensible use of resources to require more than that.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Police Stations (Attacks)
Mr. Maginnis : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many mortar and bomb attacks have been launched against police stations in Northern Ireland in each of the last four years.
Sir Patrick Mayhew : The information requested is as follows :
Year |Bomb Attacks |Rocket/mortar
|Attacks
--------------------------------------------------------
1989 |22 |6
1990 |23 |12
1991 |41 |13
1992 |17 |6
Mr. Maginnis : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many portakabin-type structures are still in use at police stations in Northern Ireland ; and what assessment has been made of their vulnerability to mortar and bomb attacks relative to other kinds of structure.
Sir Patrick Mayhew : There are a number of portakabin-type structures, or sectional buildings, within the police estate. They are used mainly for storage facilities. For security reasons, I do not consider that it would be appropriate to specify the precise number still in use.
All the buildings are nevertheless assessed as to their comparative vulnerability to mortar and bomb attack with particular consideration being given to their location and use.
RUC Drug Squad
Mr. Maginnis : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to deploy greater manpower resources to the Royal Ulster Constabulary's
Column 338
drugs squad ; if other officers are seconded to augment the squad ; and how many seconded officers have served six months or longer periods during each of the last four years.Sir Patrick Mayhew : The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and I understand that the strength of the drugs squad is regularly reviewed by him. There is an ongoing programme of six-month secondments to the drugs squad ; figures on secondments are not kept on a yearly basis but it is estimated that 90 officers have been involved over the last four years.
Police Advisory Board
Mr. Maginnis : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how often the Police Advisory Board, as constituted under the Police Act (Northern Ireland) 1970, is supposed to meet ; how often it has met in each of the last four years ; and if it is planned to meet in the current year.
Sir Patrick Mayhew : There is no statutory requirement for the Police Advisory Board to meet. The most recent meeting of the board was held in January 1988. It is intended to hold a further meeting of the board later this year.
Muggings, Coleraine
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many muggings have been reported to the police in Coleraine (a) during 1992 and (b) in 1993 to date.
Sir Patrick Mayhew : Thirteen robberies were reported to the police in the Coleraine sub-division in 1992, the circumstances of which approximate to what is generally understood by "muggings". In 1993, to 22 June, three such robberies have been reported.
Water Disconnections
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by year for the last five years, and by water authority the number of (a) domestic and (b) industrial water disconnections made.
Mr. Atkins : The Water Executive, which is part of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, is the only water authority in Northern Ireland.
The water supplied to a property which is used solely for domestic purposes is not metered and is not subject to disconnection for non-payment of an account.
Information on industrial premises is not held separately and the figures for commercial, industrial and agricultural premises are as follows :
|Number
---------------------
1988 |408
1989 |292
1990 |258
1991 |385
1992 |211
Public Bodies
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the names, occupations and current employers of those who currently hold positions in
Column 339
each public body to which he makes appointments ; if he will make a statement on the considerations taken into account when making such appointments ; and if he will list details of the posts and salaries or allowances payable which have changed since the publication of "Public Bodies 1992".Sir Patrick Mayhew [holding answer 25 June 1993] : Information on the names, occupations and current employers of those who currently hold positions on public bodies to which I make appointments, and details of the posts and salaries or allowances payable which have changed since the publication of "Public Bodies 1992" could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
In making public appointments, the prime considerations are the individual's ability or potential to contribute to the work of a particular body to which he or she is appointed and the need for each public body to have the range of experience and skills necessary to carry out its functions.
Opsahl Report
Mr. Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the report, "A Citizen's Inquiry : the Opsahl report on Northern Ireland" ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Patrick Mayhew : The commission provided me with a copy of its report when it was published. It provides a valuable record of the commission's work, which clearly did much to stimulate the submission of views from a wide range of individuals and organisations. In addition the commission itself made a number of recommendations. A number of these are clearly controversial and have provoked dissenting comment. Its value, in my view, lies principally in enlivening and developing informed public debate and in offering an important source of ideas, both from the commission itself and from the many submissions made to it.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Hong Kong
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have applied for British citizenship under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990 ; and how many have been awarded British citizenship so far.
Mr. Charles Wardle : As at 19 June 1993, 66,734 applications had been received from principal applicants. No record is kept of the number of dependants shown on the applications. A total of 30,762 principal beneficiaries had been registered as British citizens by that date together with 51,127 dependants.
Cardiff Prison
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the age of the remand prisoner who attempted suicide at Cardiff prison on 22 June.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general for the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Column 340
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Alun Michael, dated 27 June 1993 :The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the age of the prisoner who attempted suicide at Cardiff prison on 22 June.
The prisoner was aged 18 and was discovered hanging from the window bars at about 1 am by the prisoner sharing his cell. He summoned staff who, finding no sign of life, resuscitated him while awaiting an ambulance. The prisoner was taken to hospital and, I am pleased to say, is recovering. He will return to custody as soon as he is fit. This young man was seen by a doctor on reception at Cardiff as part of the standard screening for potential suicides. He was considered not to be at risk and gave no indication that he would attempt to take his own life. Staff at Cardiff prison are to be commended for their prompt and professional action in saving this young man's life. The prisoner who summoned help has had counselling and I understand that both his father and solicitor have praised staff at the prison for their care and humanity.
Crime Clear-up Rates
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 4 March, Official Report, column 279 , what proportion of the clear-up rate for each police force in 1992 was accounted for by offences taken into consideration.
Mr. Maclean : The information requested is contained in the table.
Notifiable offences cleared up by the police in 1992
Proportion of offences cleared up by being taken into
consideration
Police force area |Per cent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Avon and Somerset |10
Bedfordshire |16
Cambridgeshire |20
Cheshire |10
Cleveland |34
Cumbria |19
Derbyshire |14
Devon and Cornwall |12
Dorset |16
Durham |11
Essex |18
Gloucestershire |14
Greater Manchester |20
Hampshire |14
Hertfordshire |20
Humberside |15
Kent |18
Lancashire |18
Leicestershire |22
Lincolnshire |15
City of London |12
Merseyside |16
Metropolitan police district |9
Norfolk |16
Northamptonshire |15
Northumbria |18
North Yorkshire |24
Nottinghamshire |26
South Yorkshire |5
Staffordshire |11
Suffolk |14
Surrey |17
Sussex |17
Thames Valley |18
Warwickshire |11
West Mercia |14
West Midlands |12
West Yorkshire |15
Wiltshire |13
Dyfed-Powys |10
Gwent |8
North Wales |15
South Wales |6
|-------
Total |16
European Election Boundaries
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason arrangements for the redrawing of the European parliamentary boundaries were not initiated shortly after the decision on extra seats at the Edinburgh summit.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We thought it right to give careful consideration to the distribution of the extra seats to the various parts of the United Kingdom before bringing our proposals before Parliament.
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he sought from the boundary commissions on their ability to redraw the European Parliament constituency boundaries in time for the 1994 elections ; and what correspondence was exchanged.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We have no doubts about the ability of the boundary commissioners to carry out this work, if they had both the time and the necessary statutory powers. Consequently, no correspondence has been exchanged.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the review of boundaries for European parliamentary constituencies in Wales to be completed ; and what consultations he proposes to hold on the membership of the committee to conduct the review.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We expect the European Parliamentary Constituencies Committee for Wales to complete its review as soon as possible after the European Parliamentary Elections Bill receives Royal Assent. It is our intention that the Opposition parties in the House of Commons will be consulted about the membership.
Group 4
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Ms Ruddock) of 10 June, Official Report, column 297, when he expects the examination of the contract with Group 4 in respect of court escort services to be concluded.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. John Spellar, dated 24 June 1993. The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question pursuant to the Answer of 10 June to the honourable Member for Lewisham, Deptford [Official Report, column 297] about the examination of the contract with Group 4 for court escort services. The demands on the criminal justice system and the resources available to it are continually changing. To meet
Column 342
these changes courts open, close, or change their use, and prison establishments change their catchment areas or functions. All such changes affect the resource requirements of the court escort service. It was to examine such changes that the work referred to in my letter to Mrs. Ruddock was undertaken. That work is still continuing (no contract changes have yet been made) and some aspects of it are likely to be concluded before others. At the same time, further changes in the prison population in the contract area are occurring and the effects of these too are being considered.The contract with Group 4 recognises that costs will vary with such changes in the requirement and mechanisms exist to adjust the contract accordingly. This will be a continuing process throughout the life of the contract.
Police, North Yorkshire
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been (a) the establishment and (b) the number of police in post in North Yorkshire on 1 April in each year since 1979.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Information on police strength is collected at the end of each month. The figures set out in the table give the information requested as at 30 April in each year.
North Yorkshire Constabulary Year as at 30 April |Establishment |Strength -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1979 |1,328 |1,337 <1>1980 |1,368 |1,355 1981 |1,368 |1,352 1982 |1,368 |1,361 1983 |1,368 |1,362 1984 |1,368 |1,358 1985 |1,368 |1,348 1986 |1,368 |1,365 1987 |1,368 |1,362 1988 |1,368 |1,370 1989 |1,383 |1,363 1990 |1,408 |1,380 1991 |1,408 |1,380 1992 |1,418 |1,389 1993 |1,418 |1,380 <1> The North Yorkshire Police Authority did not ask for an increase in establishment between 1980-81 and 1987-88.
Obscene Publications Act 1959
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many publications have been confiscated in each of the last three years under the Obscene Publications Act 1959.
Mr. Maclean : Figures for seizures and forfeitures under section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 are not collected centrally. However, from inquiries which have been made of the two largest forces in England and Wales--the Metropolitan police and Greater Manchester--both of which have dedicated obscene publications squads, I understand that a total of 264,504 items and 234,386 items were seized by them in 1991 and 1992 respectively. A total of 74,690 items have been seized by the same police forces so far this year.
Betting Shops
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many betting shops are open for evening racing ; and how many betting shops that were previously open for evening racing have now closed.
Column 343
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Government do not collect this information.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what effect the evening opening of betting shops has had on attendances at greyhound racing stadiums.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand that the greyhound racing industry is concerned that there has been a recent downturn in admissions, but that no figures are available yet.
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names, occupations and current employers of those who currently hold positions in each public body to which he makes appointments ; if he will make a statement on the considerations taken into account when making such appointments ; and if he will list details of the posts and salaries or allowances payable which have changed since the publication of "Public Bodies 1992".
Mr. Howard [holding answer 25 June 1993] : The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the buildings currently owned or rented by his Department, together with (a) the estimated value, (b) the annual rent and (c) the annual maintenance cost of each building in the current financial year.
Mr. Howard : [holding answer 3 June 1993] : The information is not recorded centrally and is not available in the form requested. The number of buildings owned or rented by the Home Office--on the prisons and non-prisons estates--is set out in the tables, together with details, where available, of the estimated value of the estate and the rents or leases payable.
Prison Service |Number of Buildings|Estimated Value
Estate
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prison Establishments |129 |£3-4 billion
Prison Quarters |2,296 |£110-140 million
Other Buildings |15 |£0.75-1.25 million
Total |2,440 |£3-4 billion
The majority of the prison quarters and other buildings are freehold. A total of 127 prison establishments are owned by the Department and two are leased. The rents payable for prison service property and farmland in 1993- 94 will be in the region of 1 million pounds. The accommodation and maintenance charges for the headquarters buildings, including prison service training schools and supply and transport branch, will total approximately £17 million and minor repairs and maintenance to prison establishments will cost about £18 million in 1993-94.
Non-prisons estate |Number of buildings|Rent or leases
|payable per annum
|(£ million)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Owned buildings |16 |-
Rented buildings |97 |33.4
Leased buildings |34 |11
|-- |--
Total |147 |44.4
Of the buildings on the non-prisons estate which are not owned by this Department 88 are on the common user estate and are thus owned or rented by the property holdings directorate of the Department of the Environment to whom we pay rent to cover the costs of our occupations in the buildings.
Information on the value of the buildings on the non-prisons estate is not readily available and a full valuation could be carried out only at disproportionate cost. The estimated cost of maintenance in 1993-94 is £17 million.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Diplomatic Service
Mr. George Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries where restrictions exist on personal travel by members of the diplomatic service.
Mr. Goodlad : It has been long-standing practice to give advice to all staff on the problems they may face in travelling to certain countries, and to require them to give notice of such visits, particularly if they have access to classified information. On security grounds we do not publish the list of countries concerned, but it is kept regularly under review.
Mr. George Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries where marriage to, or cohabitation with, nationals is prohibited for employees of Her Majesty's diplomatic service ; and when that list was last revised by reduction or addition.
Mr. Goodlad : Diplomatic service staff are not specifically prohibited from marrying, or cohabiting with non-British citizens. However, depending on circumstances, such relationships might affect an officer's postability or security clearance.
Haiti
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to assist efforts to restore democratic Government to Haiti ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Along with our European Community partners, we have consistently reaffirmed our commitment to the restoration of democratic government in Haiti. We support the efforts of the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the United Nations to bring about a political settlement. We are taking steps to implement UN Security Council resolution 841, which was adopted by the UN on 16 June 1993 to impose sanctions on Haiti.
Column 345
Conventional Arms Register
Mr. Booth : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the Government submitted to the United Nation's Secretary General a return from the United Kingdom to the UN Register of Conventional Arms Transfer in New York ; and if he will place a copy of the return in the Library.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [pursuant to his reply, 5 May 1993] : The copy of the United Kingdom's return placed in the Library of the House on 29 April inadvertently contained some errors on page 5. A corrected version has now been placed in the Library.
Cyprus
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has (a) to visit northern Cyprus and (b) to meet representatives from northern Cyprus during the Commonwealth conference in Cyprus in October ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : There are no such plans ; the programme for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs' visit to the commonwealth heads of Government meeting, has not yet been finalised.
Somalia
Mr. Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations the United States Administration held with Her Majesty's Government or its representatives at the United Nations concerning its military actions in Somalia in June ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd [holding answer 25 June 1993] : United Nations military actions in Somalia in June have been carried out in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution No. 837, to which we have given our full support.
EMPLOYMENT
Sheltered Employment
Mr. Coe : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to improve the present programme of sheltered employment.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, is publishing today a consultative paper on the arrangements for funding sheltered employment. The main proposals involve : introducing a more flexible system of block grants to providers which will allow a better response to client needs ;
improving performance and use of resource through having formal contracts with clear targets ;
better targeting of sheltered employment on need ;
arrangements to encourage more people with severe disabilities to move from sheltered workshops or factories to placements with employers and, where possible to full open employment. The document has been sent to the main interests concerned and comments requested by 13 September. Decisions will be reached as soon as possible after that.
I believe that the proposals will address criticisms of the excessive complexity and inflexibility of current funding arrangements and will enable more people to be helped in better ways.
Column 346
Copies of the document are available in the Vote Office.Oral Disorders
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for employment if he will publish for each of the last 10 years the number of working days lost through oral disorders.
Miss Widdecombe : This information is not available.
Environmental Policy
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his Department's policy on the purchase and use of (a) recycled paper, (b) low-energy light bulbs, (c) tropical hardwoods, (d) peat and (e) cars with catalytic converters.
Miss Widdecombe : The Employment Department, in common with other Government Departments, has produced an environmental strategy which sets out our policy on environmental and energy issues.
It contains commitments to purchase and use recycled paper wherever this is practical ; to reduce energy consumption by, among other means, the installation of more efficient equipment including low-energy light bulbs ; to purchase goods and services which avoid dependence on the production and use of non-renewable resources such as tropical hardwoods ; and to fit all Departmental vehicles with catalytic converters where possible.
Although we have no specific policy on the use of peat, the general commitment against the use of non-renewable resources would cover it.
Abattoirs
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been employed in abattoirs in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales in each year since 1985.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The available information on regional employment in abattoirs is from the periodic censuses of employment and is given in the table :
Estimated number of employees in employment
in Abattoirs<1>
September of each year
|England |Scotland|Wales
---------------------------------------------
1984 |8,100 |1,500 |200
1987 |9,400 |1,400 |400
1989 |9,000 |1,200 |300
1991 |8,300 |1,500 |600
<1> Activity heading 4121 of the Standard
Industrial Classificatiion 1980.
Review Bodies (Staff)
Ms Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff are involved in servicing the review bodies on doctors and dentists' remuneration, and on nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and professions allied to medicine ; how many NHS staff are covered by those review bodies ; and what is the annual cost of running these bodies.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration and the Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions
Column 347
Allied to Medicine are expected to be serviced directly by up to eight staff in 1993-94, shared equally between the two bodies and assisted by other clerical and secretarial staff of the Office of Manpower Economics.As at 30 September 1991, the latest date for which figures are available, there were some 112,000 doctors and dentists and the full-time equivalent of some 527,000 nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and professions allied to medicine in the NHS. This includes staff employed by national health service trusts, which are free to determine the pay of their staff locally.
The annual cost of running the two review bodies, in respect of the salary costs of the eight staff and the travel and subsistence costs for members, who are otherwise unpaid, and staff is expected to be £265,000 in 1993 -94.
Market Testing
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the oral answer from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancas the register submitted the highest bid.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. Friend, the previous Secretary of State wrote to the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Mr. Benn) on 15 February 1993 setting out the Government's position.
Port Accidents
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatal accidents there have been in United Kingdom ports since July 1989.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Garston (Mr. Loyden) on 27 May 1993, Official Report, columns 655-56.
PRIME MINISTER
Low-energy Light Bulbs
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister what steps have been taken to install low-energy light bulbs at 10 Downing street and Chequers.
| Next Section
| Home Page |