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HOUSE OF COMMONS
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Baker: To ask the President of the Council how many questions have been tabled since 1 May for answer on the following day by (a) Labour hon. Members and (b) hon. Members from other parties; and how many in each case were subsequently answered the following day. [23407]
Mrs. Ann Taylor: The number of such Questions tabled by Labour hon. Members was 766, of which the POLIS database records 690 as having been answered on the day on which they appeared on the Order Paper and the number tabled by hon. Members of other parties was 10, of which the POLIS database records 2 as having been answered on the day on which they appeared on the Order Paper. These figures are from 1 May 1997 to 15 January 1998 (inclusive).
PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
Drugs Tsar
Mr. Flynn: To ask the President of the Council when the decision was taken to employ an assistant Drugs Tsar; and how the job was advertised. [23391]
Mrs. Ann Taylor: The decision to appoint Mike Trace as the Deputy UK Anti-Drugs Coordinator was taken in the light of the Ministerial interviews of the short-listed candidates, which I chaired and it was ratified by the Prime Minister before appointment in October 1997.
The Deputy Coordinator acts in support of the full range of the Coordinator's responsibilities.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Abdul Oudigo
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish all the correspondence between his Department, the Metropolitan Police, the Nigerian Police and Interpol concerning Abdul Oudigo in 1995 and 1996; [23026]
- (2) if he will publish the contents of the Interpol report on Abdul Oudigo that was received by his Department in 1996. [23027]
Mr. Michael:
Interpol London has no record of Mr. Oudigo, either on paper or on any of its databases. Nor is there any record on the Police National Computer or at the Interpol Headquarters in Lyon.
19 Jan 1998 : Column: 378
If my hon. Friend is able to provide this Department with further information concerning his Question, for example Mr. Oudigo's date of birth, I will be happy to make further inquiries.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what time CS spray was used on Peter San Pedro of London; at what time Mr. San Pedro was released; at what time Mr. San Pedro died in a road accident; and if he will make a statement. [23107]
Mr. Michael:
I understand from Kent County Constabulary that an officer sprayed Mr. San Pedro with CS during an incident which began at 11.33 am on 3 April 1997; that he was released from custody at 12.30 pm that day; and that at 6.23 pm an emergency call was received to say that he had been struck by a lorry. The incident has been investigated by the Police Complaints Authority and an inquest took place on 4 and 5 December. The cause of death was recorded as multiple injuries and the jury returned an open verdict. The Crown Prosecution Service is currently considering matters arising out of the incident.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the police installed road blocks around the headquarters of the Flying Squad in Walthamstow during the weekend of 20 and 21 December. [23043]
Mr. Michael:
This is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. However, he tells me that no road blocks were installed around the regional Flying Squad office at Rigg Approach, Walthamstow, during the weekend of the 20 and 21 December. On that date, the office was searched by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Complaints Investigation Bureau following the arrest of former officers.
Mr. Edward Davey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dogs have been (a) seized and (b) destroyed under the provisions of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to date. [23018]
Mr. George Howarth:
Information on the numbers of dogs which have been seized by the police and local authorities under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is not collected centrally.
Information on the number of dogs destroyed under the dangerous dogs legislation is not collected in the form requested.
In the period 1992-1996, a total of 977 people were convicted either of offences under section 1 of the 1991 Act or of aggravated offences under section 3. In each of these cases, the court would have had no option but to order the destruction of the dog concerned. This figure, therefore, is likely to be close to the actual number of dogs put down under the Act over that period.
19 Jan 1998 : Column: 379
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what licences for animal breeding are currently held by Hillgrove Farm, Witney, Oxfordshire; when the provision of these licences was last reviewed; and what assessment he has made of the justification for their issue. [22863]
Mr. George Howarth:
Hillgrove Farm is designated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 as a breeder and supplier of animals for use in scientific procedures. The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 does not require that Certificates of Designation be renewed or formally reviewed. However, inspectors visit all establishments and will, where necessary, recommend the amendment of Certificates.
Hillgrove Farm was inspected three times in 1997. The purpose of these inspections was to assess compliance with the conditions set out on the Certificate of Designation.
I am satisfied that the establishment is operating within the terms and conditions of the 1986 Act and of its Certificate of Designation. There are no grounds, therefore, to revoke the Certificate.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates officers from the Metropolitan Police travelled to Paris to interview staff at the Ritz in connection with the alleged perjury of Mr. Jonathan Aitken. [23112]
Mr. Michael:
This investigation is an operational matter for the Commissioner. However, he tells me that two officers from the Metropolitan Police travelled to Paris on 12 January 1998 in connection with this investigation.
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Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to conclude his investigation into the alleged perjury of Jonathan Aitken.[21606]
Mr. Michael:
The Commissioner informs me that inquiries are continuing. These inquiries have been protracted due to the legal necessity to seek evidence from foreign jurisdictions. The investigation is being pursued as expeditiously as possible and will be concluded as soon as practicable. This investigation is an operational matter for the Commissioner.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average determinate sentence of imprisonment or detention in a young offender institution received by offenders convicted of the supply, importation or production of Class A controlled drugs in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; [23123]
Mr. Michael
[holding answer 15 January 1998]: The offences referred to cover a wide range of circumstances and seriousness. Some cases may attract a caution if the offender has admitted guilt and the police decide that the offence is at the lower end of seriousness. On conviction, the maximum sentence available to the court for these offences is life imprisonment.
Table 1 shows the respective number of offenders cautioned, given a non-custodial sentence and given a custodial sentence since 1993. Table 2 shows the average sentence lengths given to those given a custodial sentence. Prior to 1993, information held centrally for offences of supply and production does not identify controlled drugs by type or class.
19 Jan 1998 : Column: 379
(2) how many offenders convicted of offences related to the supply, importation or production of Class A controlled drugs received (a) a life sentence, (b) a determinate sentence of imprisonment and (c) a non-custodial sentence in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [23124]
| Immediate custody | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offence | Year | Cautioned | Total sentenced | Non-custodial sentences | Determinate sentences | Life sentences | Total sentenced and cautioned |
| Supply of a Class A controlled drug | 1993 | 91 | 740 | 267 | 473 | -- | 831 |
| 1994 | 84 | 796 | 270 | 529 | -- | 880 | |
| 1995 | 70 | 952 | 251 | 701 | -- | 1,022 | |
| 1996 | 73 | 1,306 | 309 | 995 | -- | 1,379 | |
| Importation(2) | 1993 | 6 | 1,156 | 381 | 777 | -- | 1,162 |
| 1994 | 5 | 1,179 | 840 | 836 | -- | 1,184 | |
| 1995 | 7 | 1,025 | 288 | 736 | -- | 1,032 | |
| 1996 | 7 | 1,129 | 260 | 869 | -- | 1,136 | |
| Production of Class A controlled drug | 1993 | 25 | 34 | 25 | 9 | -- | 59 |
| 1994 | 48 | 44 | 34 | 10 | -- | 92 | |
| 1995 | 58 | 59 | 38 | 22 | -- | 117 | |
| 1996 | 15 | 57 | 43 | 15 | -- | 72 | |
(2) Importation of any controlled drug--cannot identify by class type.
19 Jan 1998 : Column: 381
| Average sentence length(3) (months) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of court/type of sentence/year | Supply of a Class A controlled drug | Importation(4) | Production of a Class A controlled drug |
| Magistrates' courts | |||
| Young Offender Institution | |||
| 1993 | 2.3 | 2.3 | -- |
| 1994 | 3.3 | 3.4 | -- |
| 1995 | -- | -- | -- |
| 1996 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 |
| Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment | |||
| 1993 | 3.9 | 3.7 | -- |
| 1994 | 3.0 | 3.1 | -- |
| 1995 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 3.5 |
| 1996 | 2.9 | 3.2 | -- |
| Crown Court | |||
| Young Offender Institution | |||
| 1993 | 20.1 | 29.2 | -- |
| 1994 | 27.5 | 41.1 | -- |
| 1995 | 24.8 | 38.5 | -- |
| 1996 | 27.6 | 40.0 | -- |
| Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment | |||
| 1993 | 40.1 | 54.1 | 24.3 |
| 1994 | 41.3 | 52.4 | 31.8 |
| 1995 | 41.3 | 61.7 | 39.1 |
| 1996 | 41.5 | 65.8 | 42.2 |
| All courts | |||
| Young Offender Institution | |||
| 1993 | 19.5 | 28.4 | -- |
| 1994 | 25.4 | 38.9 | -- |
| 1995 | 24.8 | 38.5 | -- |
| 1996 | 26.6 | 38.6 | 3.0 |
| Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment | |||
| 1993 | 39.3 | 53.2 | 24.3 |
| 1994 | 41.1 | 51.5 | 31.8 |
| 1995 | 40.3 | 60.0 | 35.9 |
| 1996 | 41.0 | 64.8 | 42.2 |
(3) Excludes Life sentences.
(4) Importation of any controlled drug--cannot identify by class type.
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