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Hillsborough Disaster
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can estimate the number of police officers to be involved within the West Midlands police in the Hillsborough inquiry.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I understand from the chief constable of the West Midlands police that on 25 April some 300 of his officers were involved. The number is subject to continuous review.
Postal Votes
Ms. Richardson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines are issued to medical practitioners with regard to pregnant women and qualification criteria for a postal vote.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Home Office does not issue guidance to medical practitioners on the arrangements for
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absent voting ; the requirements are clearly set out on the relevant application form. As my right hon. Friend explained in his reply to a question from the hon. Member for Battersea (Mr. Bowis) on 2 March, at column 274, we are reviewing the absent voting arrangements. If the hon. Member is aware of a particular difficulty, perhaps she would write to me about it.Turkish Immigrants
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has of the number of illegal Turkish immigrants in London.
Mr. Renton : It is not practicable to make such an estimate.
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which EEC countries require Turkish nationals to have visas when visiting.
Mr. Renton : Belgium, Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from local authorities and hon. Members suggesting an amnesty for illegal Turkish immigrants.
Mr. Renton : My right hon. Friend has received one such letter--from the chief executive of the London borough of Hackney.
Roc Sandford
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to whether any of the officers involved in bringing the unsuccessful prosecution of Roc Sandford have subsequently been promoted ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the four police officers involved in the prosecution of Mr. Sandford have, like many officers in the force, continued to serve in the same ranks since his acquittal in 1985.
Immigration (Detainees)
Mr. Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received against transferring the main place of detention for Immigration Act detainees from Latchmere house in Richmond to Haslar in Gosport.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : A number of bodies concerned with the welfare of detainees, including those listed, and a number of hon. and right hon. Members and noble Lords have made representations or written about the proposal to transfer Immigration Act detainees from Latchmere House to Haslar.
British Refugee Council
Charter 87
Immigration Law Practitioners Association
Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants
National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux
National Council for Voluntary Organisations
Richmond Borough Council
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Richmond Citizens Advice BureauUnited Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service
Parole
Mr. Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what responses he has received to the report of the review committee on the parole system in England and Wales, which sat under the chairmanship of Lord Carlisle of Bucklow, from interested organisations and in particular, the council of Her Majesty's circuit judges and the High Court judges ; and with what result.
Mr. John Patten : We have received 20 responses to the Carlisle report. These came from interested individuals and organisations including judges, the Parole Board, the Magistrates Association, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Central Council of Probation Committees, the Association of Chief Officers of Probation, the National Association of Senior Probation Officers, the National Association of Probation Officers, the Justices Clerks Society, the Labour party, NACRO and the Howard League. The recommendations of the Carlisle report were far-reaching and we are considering the best way forward, taking account of the comments which we have received and of the implications for the prison population.
Computers
Sir Anthony Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to make a response to the Law Commission's working paper No. 110 on computer misuse ; whether he will make it public ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : The Law Commission's working paper set out legal issues for consultation purposes, but did not make firm recommendations. The central question was whether there should be a new offence of hacking. The Government have not yet reached a considered view on this question and the commission has been so informed. I understand that the Law Commission hopes to publish its report making recommendations within the next few months.
Animals (Tests)
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on recent trends in the number of animals used in LD50 tests.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The advisory committee on the administration of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 estimated in 1979 that the number of LD50 tests which were carried out in 1977 was about 229,500. The "Statistics on Scientific Procedures on Living Animals 1987" included for the first time statistical returns for these procedures, of which these were 111,313 in 1987 (Cm. 515 ; table 14).
The Government are supporting international work on acute toxicity testing and on further reducing the need for formal LD50 tests as part of their policy of encouraging international regulatory bodies which require such tests to review the continuing need for them.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with respect to the support grades in his Department (a) what is the number of staff employed,
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(b) how many vacancies there are and how many of these have existed over one month and over three months, (c) how many temporary and casual appointments there are and (d) how much overtime was worked by them in London and elsewhere.Mr. Douglas Hogg : There are 750 staff in post and 34 vacancies in the office support grades in the Home Office. Twenty five of these vacancies were unfilled one month ago and 19 three months ago. The Department has 17 casual staff in these grades.
Staff in support grades worked more than 2,500 hours overtime in the London area during the last three-month period for which figures are available. Over 3,800 hours were worked elsewhere.
Siemens Printers
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Siemens ND3 printers are used by his Department, either in-house or through a private contract ; and what is the location of each.
Community Charge
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to require electoral registration oficers to inspect community charge registers.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : No. It is for each electoral registration officer to decide how best to discharge his statutory duty to have a house-to-house or other sufficient inquiry made as to the persons entitled to be registered. Home Office guidance to electoral registration officers, issued last August, draws attention to their right to inspect the community charge register and the possibility thereby of improving the accuracy of the electoral register.
Citizenship
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the office he established in Liverpool to process British citizenship applications opened ; how many staff are employed there ; what is the current delay between letters arriving and being opened ; what is the current total of letters to be opened ; what is the average delay in dealing with applications ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Renton : The Liverpool nationality office opened on 22 August 1988, and on 26 April 1989 119 staff were employed there. The average times taken to complete applications concluded in March 1989 were 16 months for registrations and 22 months for naturalisations. Good progress continues to be made in processing applications for registration under the transitional provisions of the British Nationality Act 1981 and, up to the end of March 1989, the Liverpool nationality office had completed action on over 36,000 applications. The remaining registration applications at the Liverpool nationality office will be completed by the end of this financial year. All correspondence to the immigration and nationality department is being opened and acknowledged within one day of receipt or, where fees are involved, immediately after the fees have been brought to account.
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Iranians
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iranians (a) arrived and (b) left for each of the last eight years ; and what has been the total number of Iranians in the United Kingdom each year.
Mr. Renton : The number of Iranian citizens admitted into the United Kingdom is given in the table. Estimates of the numbers who left the United Kingdom could be provided only at disproportionate cost. It is estimated from the labour force survey that since 1981 the number of Iranian citizens resident in Great Britain has been in the region of 25,000.
Admissions into the
United Kingdom of
Iranian citizens,
1981 to 1988
|Number
---------------------
1981 |36,000
1982 |34,000
1983 |43,000
1984 |59,000
1985 |67,200
1986 |58,900
1987 |45,000
1988 |35,900
Immigrants (Exceptional Leave)
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the term of the exceptional leave granted, and why it was granted in the case of the two men named in his answer of 18 April, Official Report, column 92.
Mr. Renton : Both men were granted exceptional leave under the policy relating to Sri Lankan Tamils announced on 20 May 1985, at column 273. Leave was initially granted to them in September 1986, and was renewed on application. They were last granted leave for periods of 12 months in June and July last year.
Police (Central Service)
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many claims for damages arising out of alleged breaches of duty under the law of tort have been intimated to each chief constable in respect of the actions of police constables engaged in central duties since 1 January 1964.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Under section 43 of the Police Act 1964 a police officer who has been seconded to central services ceases to be a member of a police force for the duration of his secondment. Accordingly, while on central service he is not under the direction and control of his chief officer of police and the question of the chief officer's liability for torts does not arise.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has regarding the number of incidents involving central service police officers who have acted as though they possessed the powers and privileges of police officers in each year since the coming into force of the Police Act 1964.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The information is not available.
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Special Constables
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables are employed in South Yorkshire ; and what are their qualifications and selection procedures.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : As at 31 December 1988 there were 309 special constables in South Yorkshire police. I understand from the chief constable of South Yorkshire that the qualifications for entry into the special constabulary in South Yorkshire are basically that applicants must be of British nationality, physically fit, of good character, have satisfactory eye sight, have an education standard adequate for their duties, be aged between 18 and 50 and reside in the force area. Men should be not less than 167cm and women 162cm in height.
Applicants who meet these requirements are interviewed by a divisional chief superintendent and a special constabulary divisional commandant, who make recommendations to the chief constable. The chief constable then decides whether to accept or decline the applications.
Press Law Review
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce the result of the independent press law review group ; and what will be its membership and relationship to the Government.
Mr. Renton : We are considering the terms of reference for the review of privacy and related matters, and the composition of the committee which will carry it out. A further announcement will be made shortly.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether the committee he will appoint to review the press will include representatives of (a) the churches, (b) consumer groups, (c) the voluntary sector, (d) education, (e) the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom and (f) the trade unions ;
(2) whether his review of the press will consider (a) the right of reply, (b) the law of confidentiality, (c) cheque-book journalism, (d) the role and future of the Press council, (e) the role of independent directors, (f) ownership and (g) freedom of information ;
(3) whether it is his intention to publish (a) the report of the committee due to inquire into the press, and (b) the evidence presented to that committee ;
(4) whether he will publish the detailed terms of reference of his review of the press ;
(5) whether his review of the press will cover (a) the traditional press, (b) regional press, and (c) free sheets.
Mr. Renton : We are considering the terms of reference for the review of privacy and related matters, and the composition of the committee which will carry it out. A further announcement will be made shortly.
Baby Food
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report , the number of incidents of contamination of baby food notified to the police on each day since the first incident was reported on 7 April.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that since 7
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April the number of reported incidents in England, Wales and Scotland of contamination of baby food notified to the police each day are as follows :Number of reported incidents Date |Number ----------------------- April 7 |1 April 9 |1 April 10 |4 April 15 |1 April 17 |3 April 20 |1 April 22 |1 April 24 |5
Reliable national figures for the period since 24 April are not yet available centrally.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the police notified his Department of the existence of the threat to safety involved in the contamination of baby food.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Home Office was notified on 26 April. I understand that the police were in touch with the Department of Health some days earlier. The police had previously ensured that local warnings about the threat to safety were issued whenever specific incidents of contamination were discovered.
Laboratory Staff
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if his Department makes a local pay addition to secretarial, clerical and typing staff at the central research and support establishment and at the regional forensic science laboratory, both at Aldermaston ; and if he has any proposals for the payment of an addition to forensic scientists at the laboratories ;
(2) if he has any proposals for the payment of a special pay addition to forensic scientists working at the central research laboratory and at the regional forensic science laboratory, both at Aldermaston ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) if he will introduce for forensic scientists working at the central research laboratory and at the regional forensic science laboratory, both at Aldermaston, a new pay structure including a special pay addition, and similar to that affecting scientists employed by the Ministry of Defence working on the same Aldermaston site in the atomic weapons research establishment.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : From 1 April 1989 clerical, secretarial and typing staff at the central research and support establishment and forensic science laboratory at Aldermaston, who have one year's service, receive a local pay addition of £600 pa.
The case for special pay increase to scientific staff up to senior scientific officer level at these establishments on the grounds of recruitment and retention difficulties is under consideration.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning the morale of scientists within the Home Office forensic science service, in the light of the comments made in the recent report of the Select Committee on Home Affairs, (HC 686).
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Mr. Douglas Hogg : We will be responding to the Home Affairs Select Committee report on the forensic science service shortly. The forensic science service is now emerging from a period of uncertainty. The Select Committee recognised that a good deal has been done recently to build up morale and tackle the other problems which the service faces. We are keeping up the pace of this work.
Hillsborough Football Ground
Mr. Caborn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will call for a report from the chief constable of South Yorkshire as to the numbers of police officers deployed (a) outside the ground and (b) inside the ground at the Sheffield, Hillsborough football ground in each of the last 10 years when FA cup semi-final matches have been played ther ;
(2) if he will call for a report from the chief constable of South Yorkshire as to how many police officers were involved in the total operation for policing FA cup semi-final matches in each of the last 10 years that they have been played at Sheffield, Hillsborough.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I understand from the chief constable of the South Yorkshire police that the total number of police officers involved in 1988 was 1,173 and in 1989 1,133. Of these totals the number of officers dedicated to policing inside the ground in 1988 was 286 and in 1989 266. Figures for previous years are not readily available.
Mr. Caborn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of South Yorkshire as to the proportion of the cost for the policing operations at Sheffield, Hillsborough football ground that has been paid by (a) Sheffield Wednesday football club and (b) the police authority in each of the last 10 years when FA cup semi-final matches have been played there.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I understand that FA Cup semi-final matches were played at Hillsborough in 1980, 1987 and 1988. This year's match was abandoned. No information on policing costs is available for 1980 and the costs for this year's match have not yet been calculated. Sheffield Wednesday football club does not bear any part of the costs of these matches, since the costs falling upon the organisers are met by the Football Association. The FA met 26.3 per cent. of the total costs in 1987 and 49.8 per cent. in 1988.
Punishment, Custody in the Community"
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many responses he has received from organisations and individuals to the Green Paper "Punishment, Custody in the Community" ; and how many of those organisations and individuals support the need for a new punishment in the custody order as outlined in part 3 of the aforenamed document.
Mr. John Patten Over 160 responses have been received. The Green Paper put forward three possible variations of the new sentence, which would have a number of components. Those who replied frequently supported some elements but not others.
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list comprehensively those
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organisations which have so far submitted a response to the Home Office Green Paper, "Punishment, Custody in the Community" published in July 1988.Mr John Patten : The main organisations who responded to the Green Paper are as follows. In addition, responses were received from 59 probation services, probation committees and liaison committees, from 16 magistrates groups, benches and juvenile panels, from four social service departments and from a wide range of interested individuals and groups.
Organisations who submitted comments on Punishment, Custody and the Community'
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
Aquarius
Coventry and Warwickshire Alcohol Advisory Service
The Conservative Women's National Committee
The Labour Campaign for Criminal Justice
Greater Manchester Police Authority
The Police Federation of England and Wales
The Police Superintendents' Association
The Offenders Tag Association
Forum for Initiatives on Reparation and Mediation
Yorkshire and Humberside Intermediate Treatment Association Leeds Adult Tracking
The Prison Reform Trust
Action on Youth Crime
London and Southwark Prison and Penal Reforms Group
The Association for Juvenile Justice
The Children's Legal Centre
Corby and Kettering Juvenile Liaison Bureau
The Children's Society
Barnardos
Save the Children
The Rainer Foundation
Community Service Volunteers
Nottingham Black Initiative
The National Association of Victim Support Schemes
Bristol Victims Support Scheme
The Football League
The Trades Union Congress
The National Association of Local Government Officers
The Crown Prosecution Service
The Magistrates' Association
The Association of Chief Officers of Probation
The National Association of Probation Officers
The National Association of Senior Probation Officers
The Central Council of Probation Committees
The National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders
The Prison Governors' Association
The Justices' Clerks' Society
The Association of County Councils
The Association of Directors of Social Services
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