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Driving (Drugs)
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of people driving under the influence of drugs have been reported in Wales, by police force, in each of the last 10 years. [31346]
Mr. George Howarth: The information requested is not separately identifiable in the statistics collected centrally.
Iraq
Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take in the event of military action being taken against Iraq to prevent (a) agents of the Iraqi Government entering the United Kingdom and (b) chemical or biological warfare substances being imported illegally into the United Kingdom. [30842]
Mr. Straw [holding answer 26 February 1998]: All Iraqi nationals who wish to travel to the United Kingdom for any purpose are required to obtain a visa. It is my normal practice personally to direct the exclusion on national security grounds of any individual wishing to travel to the United Kingdom who is suspected of links with a hostile intelligence service.
Responsibility for the control of chemical and biological materials is shared among a range of other Government Departments. Existing controls on the importation, possession and acquisition of these materials are already stringently applied.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqi nationals are resident in the United Kingdom; what plans his Department has regarding their treatment in the event of hostilities between Britain and Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [31488]
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Mr. Straw
[holding answer 27 February 1998]: The 1997 Labour Force survey estimated that the number of Iraqi nationals resident in the United Kingdom stood at 10,000.
Any questions about the immigration status of individual Iraqi nationals continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Ms Roseanna Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many works of art he has borrowed for use in his offices; which organisations he has borrowed these works from; what the insurance value is of these works; what guidance he received on the acquisition of these works; if the works have yet been removed for temporary public exhibition elsewhere; and if the works have been or will be replaced on a regular basis. [31561]
Mr. Straw
[holding answer 27 February 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture. Media and Sport on 27 February 1998, Official Report, columns 388-89.
Mrs. May:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's policy is for the retirement age of staff contracted on the basis of casual employment; when the current policy was introduced; and what were the reasons for introducing the current policy. [31600]
Mr. Straw
[holding answer 27 February 1998]: The normal retirement age in the Home Office for all staff in non-industrial grades, including those employed on a casual basis, is 60 years. Retention after the age of 60 will be granted only exceptionally at the discretion of the Head of Department, or Chief Executive in the case of Home Office Agencies. The current policy for age retirement was announced in 1993 and introduced with effect from 1 April 1995. Staff in industrial grades, including those
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employed on a casual basis, may be retained beyond the age of 60, subject to their continued efficiency and good health, up to a maximum of 65 years of age.
The current policy was introduced to give the Department greater flexibility to tackle organisational and personnel uncertainties and to avoid the need for compulsory redundancies for staff below the minimum retirement age.
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had about changing police disciplinary procedures. [30344]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
There is a need for change in the police disciplinary system. The Government are currently preparing their response to the recent Home Affairs Committee report on police complaints and discipline. We intend to continue discussions with the police staff associations and others in taking forward the necessary changes.
Mr. Flight:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the expected size of the electoral regions which are to be used in the European Parliament elections of 1999. [30371]
Mr. George Howarth:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry) on 27 November 1997, Official Report, column 607.
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department received (a) in draft form and (b) otherwise, the report of HM Inspector of Prisons on (i) Tinsley House and (ii) Campsfield House detention centre; and when those reports were examined by Home Office Ministers. [32041]
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Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons on Tinsley House was first received by the Home Office in draft form in mid November 1997, and that on Campsfield House was received in draft form at the end of November 1997. Final versions are expected shortly and will then be considered by Ministers.
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long after the inspection of the detention facilities at HMP Rochester by the HM Inspector of Prisons the report was published. [32037]
Ms Quin:
The Chief Inspector last inspected the immigration detention facilities at Her Majesty's Prison Rochester as part of his full inspection of the prison between 30 October and 3 November 1995. The report of the inspection was published on 10 May 1996.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the Metropolitan Police estimates of (a) the policing costs, (b) the number of marchers and (c) the number of arrests relating to the public marches in London of the National Union of Students on 26 November 1997, the Animal Rights Movement on 19 July 1997, the Gay Pride March on 5 July 1997 and the Anti Poll Tax March on 31 March 1990; and what were the estimated policing costs per estimated marcher for each of the above. [32244]
Mr. Michael:
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has provided in tabular form the information requested. These are approximate basic policing costs at 1997 prices, and do not include any overtime which may have been incurred.
While the information is given in the form requested, direct comparisons can be misleading.
The costs in each case are based mainly on the organiser's estimate of numbers, on details such as routes and other arrangements during the event and on police intelligence as to the level of risk to the public from the actions of participants or others during the event.
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| (a) | (b) | (c) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated total cost (£) | Estimated number of demonstrators | Estimated cost per demonstrator (£) | Arrests | |
| National Union students march 26 November 1997 | 56,970 | 4,500 | 12.66 | 0 |
| Animal Rights march 19 July 1997 | 4,365 | 550 | 7.94 | 0 |
| Gay Pride procession 5 July 1997 | 116,142 | 40,000 | 2.90 | 0 |
| All Britain anti poll tax federation march 31 March 1990 | 1,011,600 | 40,000 | 25.29 | 339 |
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Private Prisons (Suicide and Self-Injury)
Mr. Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being taken to prevent self-inflicted deaths in prisons, with particular reference to private prisons. [32104]
Ms Quin:
The Government are committed to doing everything possible to reduce the number of suicides in all prisons.
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The Prison Service has a well developed and well respected strategy for caring for prisoners who are at risk of suicide or self-injury. This applies equally to contractually managed prisons as well as directly managed prisons. The suicide awareness strategy involves the identification and support of those prisoners who are considered to be at risk. Every prison has a multi-disciplinary suicide awareness team which meets regularly and oversees the implementation of the strategy in their establishment. The suicide awareness strategy in
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all establishments is audited by the Prison Service standards audit team and the Inspectorate of Prisons consider the strategy in their inspections of establishments.
Staff in establishments work closely with the Samaritans, who befriend prisoners in distress through visits to prisons and by telephone. The Samaritans are also actively involved in setting up listener/befriender schemes in prisons where selected prisoners are trained to provide peer group support for fellow prisoners in distress. Listener schemes provide a valuable contribution in reducing the likelihood of suicide and self-injury. The Samaritans' involvement in contractually managed prisons varies from full involvement in the listener scheme to visiting prisoners in distress.
The Suicide Awareness Support Unit (SASU), in Prison Service headquarters, examines each death in prison custody to see whether lessons can be learned. They also provide advice and support to establishments, particularly those which are experiencing a cluster of deaths.
I recently convened a meeting with a range of representatives from interest groups concerned about suicides in prisons. The meeting provided a useful forum for the exchange of ideas on how to develop further strategies for reducing suicides in prisons, and this work will be taken forward.
Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons has been asked to carry out a thematic review of suicides in prison custody. This will cover all prisons.
Mr. Sutcliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make it his policy to publish investigations into self-inflicted deaths in private prisons; [32103]
Ms Quin:
The Prison Service is currently reviewing its internal investigation procedures, including those concerning deaths in prison custody, with a view to their improvement and standardisation. Policy on disclosure of investigation reports, and the level at which investigations will be carried out, including naming of investigators, is being examined as part of this review. Any policy or procedural changes which are implemented will apply to public and contracted out establishments, but will not be applied retrospectively.
(2) if he will announce in each case the name of the person responsible for carrying out the investigations into self-inflicted deaths in private prisons. [32105]
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