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Young Offender Institution Rules 2000
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the differences between the Young Offender Institution Rules 2000 and the existing rules which they are intended to replace. [145337]
Mr. Boateng: The significant differences between the consolidated Young Offender Institution Rules 2000 and the existing rules, consolidated in 1988 are listed. During the intervening years the rules have been amended via Statutory Instrument (SI) on 16 occasions. For ease of reference the relevant year and SI number are quoted with the key differences:
- 1989 SI331 abolished the following offences against discipline within Rule 50: mutiny, doing gross personal violence, making a false and malicious allegation against an officer, repeatedly making groundless complaints. It created the following new offences against discipline within Rule 50: detaining a person against his wish, denying an officer access to part of a young
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- offender institution, fighting, intentionally endangering the health or personal safety of another, obstructing an officer, intentionally or recklessly starting a fire.
- 1989 SI2142. Rule 46 extended the period for which prisoners could be removed from association without the authority of the Board of Visitors from 24 hours to three days.
- 1990 SI1763. Rule 9 required governors to hear oral request and complaints daily. Established the right for prisoners to complain to the governor or Board of Visitors in confidence. Rule 14 allowed for the opening of prisoners' correspondence with legal advisers on reasonable suspicion that it contained illicit enclosures or endangered security. Rule 53 increased the maximum period of cellular confinement from three to seven days.
- 1994 SI13194. Rule 49A introduced compulsory testing for controlled drugs. Rule 50 amended to include the offence of administering a controlled drug.
- 1995 SI984. Rule 53 increased a governor's punishments for prisoners found guilty of offences against discipline from 14 to 21 days forfeiture of privileges; from 14 to 21 days removal from activities; from 14 to 21 days extra work; from 14 to 21 days removal from wing; from 28 to 42 additional days and from 28 to 42 days stoppage of earnings.
- 1995 SI1599. Rule 7 introduced the requirement to establish a system of privileges in each young offender institution.
- 1996 SI1662. Rule 3 extended the regime day in young offender institutions and expanded the scope of regime activities. Rule 5 enabled the introduction of regimes providing for stricter order and discipline, emphasising standards of dress, appearance and conduct. Rule 50 introduced two new offences against discipline relating to alcohol.
- 1999 SI962. Rule 10 provided the governor with authority to impose closed or non contact visits between the prisoner and his visitor. Rule 48 stated that a prisoner could not be kept temporarily confined in a special cell or room for more than 24 hours without the authority of the Board of Visitors. Rule 50 introduced a new offence against discipline of receiving a controlled drug or other articles during a visit. Rule 53 increased the maximum punishment of cellular confinement from three to seven days. Rule 71A added powers to prohibit certain visitors in the interests of security, good order or prevention of crime.
- 2000 SI1700. Rule 53 removed the punishment of cellular confinement for those aged under 18 and/or serving a Detention and Training Order.
- 2000 SI1795. Rule 50 introduced the following new offences against discipline relating to racist behaviour by prisoners: racially aggravated assault; racially aggravated damage to any part of a young offender institution or any property other than his own; using threatening, abusive or insulting racist words or behaviour; displaying or drawing on property or buildings threatening, abusive or insulting racist words, drawings, symbols or other material.
- 2000 SI2642. Rule 49B introduced conditional powers for governors to place inmates under constant observation using closed circuit television (CCTV) in the interests of securing good order, for the health and safety of the prisoner or the prevention and detection of crime.
Slopping Out
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons in England and Wales engage in slopping out; and if he will make a statement. [144961]
Mr. Boateng: There are no prison establishments in England and Wales where slopping out is part of the operational regime. Twenty-four hour access to sanitation is provided in the majority of normal accommodation by means of integral sanitation, electronic unlocking or open access. The exceptions to this are D Wing at Exeter, C Wing at Dartmoor and B Wing at Swansea. When this
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accommodation is in use, 24 hour access is normally provided by manual unlocking. Buckets are also provided in the cells as an alternative facility following which "slopping out" would take place. Consideration is being given to the provision of integral sanitation if these cells continue to be used. There is a proportion of cells in segregation units and places in health care centres where sanitation is not provided, for operational reasons.
Police (Sick Leave)
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are on long-term sick leave in each police force in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [144968]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Information about the number of police officers currently on long-term sick leave is not held centrally. The table provided shows the total number of police officer working days lost in 1999-2000 due to long-term sick leave for forces in England and Wales; and the number of officers on long-term sick leave as at 31 March 2000. The table is based on information provided by forces to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.
(28) Details for Cleveland and Hampshire constabularies are not available.
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Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to implement Part II of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [144963]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 December 2000, Official Report, column 123W. Part II of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000, together with Schedule 4 and related parts of Schedules 7 and 8, was commenced in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland, on 11 January 2001.
TREASURY
Departmental Projects
Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the projects undertaken for his Department by (a) outside consultants, (b) academic researchers and (c) university departments since 1 May 1997, giving the total expenditure incurred in each category. [144080]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Comprehensive information is not available in the form requested.
Alcohol and Tobacco Smuggling
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons were prosecuted for offences relating to (a) tobacco and (b) alcohol smuggling in each year since 1990. [144834]
Dawn Primarolo: Customs prosecution records are not separated between tobacco and alcohol and are not held in this format. For the number of prosecutions generated by Excise Verification Officers for both alcohol and tobacco from 1994-95 to 1997-98 I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 19 July 1998, Official Report, column 300W. The figure given in that answer for 1997-98 was corrected in the National Audit Office's "Appropriation Accounts 1997-98 (Volume 16: Class XVI, Departments of the Chancellor of the Exchequer)", p.l, which was published on 10 February 1999. The figures from 1998-99 to 1999-2000 are as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1998-99 | 575 |
| 1999-2000 | 645 |
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the measures recommended by the Alcohol and Tobacco Fraud Review have been
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implemented; and if he will list the measures which (a) have been implemented and (b) remain to be implemented. [144836]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Mr. Taylor) on 9 November 2000, Official Report, column 343W. A schedule reporting progress on each of the recommendations has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many vehicles seized as a result of offences concerning alcohol and tobacco smuggling have been (a) confiscated and (b) restored to their owners in each year since 1990. [144835]
Dawn Primarolo: For the numbers of vehicles seized for excise offences from 1993-94 to 1997-98 I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 18 June 1998, Official Report, column 274W. The figures from 1998-99 to 1999-2000 are as follows:
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1998-99 | 3,193 |
| 1999-2000 | 5,200 |
I regret the information on vehicle restoration is not kept. As part of the Tackling Tobacco Smuggling strategy launched in March 2000, Customs policy is now not to restore seized vehicles other than in the most exceptional circumstances.
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