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Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if there have been any police deaths when police have been called to assist with alleged domestic violence.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Records for the years 1977 to 1987 show that 24 police officers were victims of homicide and that none of them died as a result of being called to incidents of alleged domestic violence. Records for 1988 and 1989 are not yet available. Information about earlier homicides could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in the last year for which figures are available, what percentage of incidents involving non-domestic violence are eventually recorded as (a) crime reports and (b) incident reports ; and what are the corresponding figures for domestic violence.
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Mr. John Patten : I regret the information requested is not available. Some information about the incidence, reporting and recording of domestic violence is published in Home Office research study 107, "Domestic Violence : an overview of the literature".
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in the last period for which figures are available, in how many homicides was there (a) a female
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victim and (b) a male victim ; and in what proportion, in each case, the murderer was a spouse, co-habitee or lover of the victim.Mr. John Patten : Information on victims of homicide and their relationship to the subject is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" (Chapter 4 of the latest issue, Cm. 498), a copy of which is in the Library. The table gives the figures requested for the years 1982-87.
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Homicides currently recorded<1> in England and Wales in which the victim was the partner<2> of the principal suspect
Year Male victims Female victims
Total Killed by partner<2> Total Killed by partner<2>
|(=100 per cent.)|Number |Percentage |(=100 per cent.)|Number |Percentage
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1982 |299 |15 |5 |258 |120 |47
1983 |255 |18 |7 |227 |96 |42
1984 |296 |17 |6 |241 |102 |42
1985 |281 |16 |6 |256 |116 |45
1986 |322 |17 |5 |254 |123 |49
1987 |395 |23 |6 |240 |92 |38
<1> As at 1 June 1988; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further
information becomes available.
<2> Spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, former cohabitant, lover, or former lover.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in the last year for which figures are available, how many court orders were made under the Domestic Proceedings and Magistrates' Courts Act 1978 to protect wives and children from violence ; in what proportion of the cases a power of arrest was granted ; and how many arrests were subsequently made.
Mr. John Patten : The available information relates to the number of orders made under sections 16(2), 16(3), 16(6) and 18 of the Domestic Proceedings and Magistrates' Courts Act 1978 in England and Wales. The latest figures are for 1987 and can be found in "Home Office Statistical Bulletin 20/88", a copy of which is in the Library. Information is not collected centrally on the number of subsequent arrests.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his estimate of the prevalence of assault arising from domestic dispute ;
(2) what is his estimate, for the last year for which figures are available, of the proportion of the four types of assault, namely common assault, actual bodily harm, malicious wounding and grievous bodily harm, which arose from domestic disputes ;
(3) if he will seek to improve the statistics about the prevalence of domestic violence by requesting a sample of chief constables to provide information on the total of all reports of domestic violence in a set period using all forms of police records ;
(4) if he will take steps to enable the amount of violence that is domestic to be separately identified in the publication "Criminal Statistics".
Mr John Patten : An estimate of the national prevalence of domestic violence is not available. An ad hoc survey of offences of violence recorded by the police, identifying those offences which were domestic, was carried out in 1988 and it is hoped to publish estimates based on it later in the year.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistics he has on the number and percentage of times that allegedly assaulted women subsequently withdrew their complaints.
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Mr John Patten : The information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of domestic violence have been pursued by the Crown prosecution service since the service started operating ; and what were the comparable figures of prosecutions by the police over the period immediately before the Crown prosecution service came into operation.
Mr. John Patten : It is not possible from the information held centrally by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Home Office to identify prosecutions in this category.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will recommend to chief constables that unless there are exceptional circumstances there should be an arrest in all cases of life-threatening domestic violence.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend is confident that the police make full use of their powers of arrest where people's lives are at stake. It will, however, be one of the issues covered in discussions with chief officers about domestic violence.
War Crimes
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the Hetherington/Chalmers report on war crimes ; when he expects to publish the report ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : I refer the hon. and learned Member to the replies given to questions from the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 11 May 1989 and my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon, North (Mr. Gorst) on 18 April 1989 at column 92.
Antanas Geicas
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that Antanas Geicas does not leave the juridiction of United Kingdom courts ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. John Patten : My right hon. Friend has no powers to do so.
Hillsborough Disaster
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Mr. Beaumont Dark) of 28 April, Official Report, column 702, what steps he is taking to reimburse the South Yorkshire police authority for the costs arising from the public inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : A meeting is to be held between Home Office officials and officers of the South Yorkshire police authority shortly to discuss the representations made by the authority over the costs of the inquiries being undertaken by the West Midlands police.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Aujeszky's Disease
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are his reasons for retaining Aujeszky's disease in category 3 rather than moving it to category 1.
Mr. Donald Thompson : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 2 May to my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Sir J. Farr) at column 81.
London Food Commission (Research)
Mr. Gregory : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the European Commission has subsidised the London Food Commission's research into European consumers' demand for quality food ; whether the questionnaire on 1992, "Consumers and Food Policy" is part of that research ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder : The Commission of the European Communities has awarded the London Food Commission a contract to study and report on product differentiation in the European Community which involves issues of food standards, food quality and consumer choice. Although the EC Commission has also awarded a grant to meet the costs of this project, I have no precise information regarding its value. The 1992 questionnaire to which my hon. Friend refers is not part of this study and was circulated independently by the London Food Commission before the contract was awarded.
Pollution (Advice)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by year, how many farms in the three counties of Yorkshire were visited by his staff and advised about methods of controlling agricultural pollution in each of the last five years ; and what percentage of farms this represents for these counties.
Mr. Ryder : Information is not available in the form requested. ADAS advisers have provided farmers with advice on control of agricultural pollution in response to specific requests, and in the course of advising on other matters.
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Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action has been taken by his Department to give farmers information about bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle ; and how many animals on average per week are being identified as having it.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Information about BSE is available from the Ministry's animal health offices and is also provided by the veterinary officers who inspect each suspected case. In addition, information is disseminated through the farming and general press and media and to the farming unions and other farming organisations. On average, 140 to 150 cases are confirmed by post mortem examination each week.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what are the procedures for determining whether cattle submitted for compensation under the bovine spongiform encephalopathy notification scheme are genuine suspected cases ;
(2) what information he has concerning the number of cattle submitted as bovine spongiform encephalopathy suspect by their owners but not subsequently accepted as suspect for compensation purposes by ante-mortem veterinary inspection ;
(3) what is the total number of bovine spongiform encephalopathy compensation claims submitted to his Department to date ; what proportion of claims submitted have been met at (a) 100 per cent. and (b) 50 per cent. of the value of the animal ; and what veterinary ante-mortem inspection takes place of cattle that are submitted under the notification procedure for bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Mr. Donald Thompson : It is a legal requirement for any owner or person in charge of an animal he suspects may have bovine spongiform encephalopathy to notify the divisional veterinary officer. The case is investigated and if BSE is suspected a restriction notice served confining the animal to the farm. A number of inspections may be necessary before the Ministry veterinary officer is able to decide whether the cause is BSE. If he is able to eliminate BSE as the cause restrictions are lifted. However if he is convinced that the animal is affected with BSE it is compulsorily slaughtered, the head removed so that the brain can be examined for definitive diagnosis and the carcase either incinerated or buried. Once slaughtered an automatic payment of 50 per cent. (up to a ceiling) of the valuation, undertaken when the animal was first put under restriction, is made. If BSE is not confirmed following examination of the brain the remaining 50 per cent. is paid.
The numbers of cattle put under restriction in the period 8 August 1988 (when the slaughter policy was introduced) to 5 May 1989 are as follows :
C
|Number
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Restrictions imposed on suspect cases |4,794
Restrictions lifted because of alternative diagnosis |214
Suspect cases slaughtered |4,101
Suspect cases still under restriction |479
Of suspect cases slaughtered:
positive cases |3,351
negative cases |329
Results pending |421
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) pursuant to his answer of 14 April, Official Report, column 748, on what dates and in respect of which period of time these cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle were reported to him ;
(2) pursuant to his answer of 14 April, Official Report, column 748, what information his Department presented concerning the incidence and location of confirmation of bovine spongiform encephalopathy infection in cattle at slaughterhouses or fatstock markets.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The period of time concerned was provided in the answer given to the hon. Member on 14 April, at column 748. The additional information requested is not held centrally.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is now taking and whether he intends in the near future to take any steps to monitor cattle at non-EEC export approved slaughterhouses for bovine spongiform encephalopathy infection.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The law requires any person who suspects bovine spongiform encephalopathy in an animal under his charge to notify the Ministry. This includes suspect BSE cases identified at slaughterhouses, details of which are being monitored.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all species of animals known by his Department to have been infected by transmittable spongiform encephalopathy.
Mr. Donald Thompson : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 9 March at column 621. BSE has also been transmitted into mice experimentally.
Publicity
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library details of each major publicity campaign mounted by his Department in 1985-86 and each successive year, including in each case the objectives of the campaign, the intended audience and the outcome of the monitoring of the achievement of the intended objectives, and national research conducted for him by the Central Office of Information together with a note of the intended objectives in the campaigns in 1989-90.
Mr. Donald Thompson [holding answer 2 May 1989] : I have today placed the detailed information requested by the hon. Member in the Library. The information supplied covers all MAFF inspired publicity campaigns not just those which may be considered as "major".
SCOTLAND
European Regional Development Fund
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many projects in Scotland have been in receipt of European regional development fund aid in the period May 1979 to May 1989 ; and if he will list these in the Official Report.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 9 May 1989] : Over 2,100 projects in Scotland have received European regional development fund assistance since May 1979. Awards in the same period have totalled over £736 million.
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While it would not be practical to list every project in the Official Report, examples of major projects which have received funding are the awards of £18.6 million for the Western Isles Cable ; £11.2 million for the Scottish exhibition centre in Glasgow ; £6.4 million for the Edinburgh city bypass ; £5.2 million for the Lochmaddy/Tarbert/Uig ferry and terminals ; £2 million for the Carron valley reservoir, Stirling ; and £1.7 million for the Windygates bypass, Kirkcaldy.Also included in the overall project total are projects under the national programmes of community interest for Glasgow (£68.2 million award), Tayside (£20.7 million) and West Lothian (£26.7 million). In addition the non-quota' steel, shipbuilding and textile programmes attracted a total of £20 million in assistance.
Assessment of Achievement Programme (Report)
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to publish the 1984 assessment of achievement programme English report.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 11 May 1989] : The report will be published in May 1989, along with the reports on home economics and technical education.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the 1983 P4 sample used by Northern college researchers in the assessment of achievement programme--second round mathematics--changes in performance at P4 and P7 between 1983 and 1988, was numerically representative of all the divisions in Strathclyde and the remaining 11 regions and island education authority areas.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 11 May 1989] : The sample was not a simple random sample of all Scottish P4 pupils in state supported schools. The sampling proceeded in two stages : first, a sample of primary schools was drawn ; and second, from within these schools, samples of P4 pupils were drawn. The numbers of pupils, on which the statistical results of the survey have been reported, were properly representative of Scottish education authorities.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for both the 1983 and 1988 sample used in the assessment of achievement programme--second round mathematics--changes in performance at P4 and P7 between 1983 and 1988, the proportions of schools in each of the 11 regions and islands education authority areas and for each education division of Strathclyde.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 11 May 1989] : The assessment of achievement programme is not designed to provide comparisons between education authorities or between schools. The sample sizes used give reliable feedback on performance at national level only. Information relating to identified schools or education authorities is not released under the terms of an agreement with the Association of Directors of Education of Scotland (ADES).
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether similar numbers of children with special needs were included in both the 1983 and 1988 samples used by Northern college in the research work carried out on the assesment of achievement programme--second round mathematics-- changes in performance at P4 and P7 between 1983 and 1988.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 11 May 1989] : The sampling procedures used in 1983 and 1988 were designed to provide a nationally representative sample of pupils in mainstream state-supported schools.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total amount of money being spent annually on the assessment of achievement programme through which the Scottish Education Department monitors standards in Scottish schools.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 11 May 1989] : Planned expenditure in 1989-90 is £170,000.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish details of the 1988 sampling used by Northern college in the research on assessment of achievement programme--second round mathematics-- changes in performance at P4 and P7 between 1983 and 1988 ;
(2) if information on the social background of pupils was collected in 1988 as part of the research carried out by Northern college on the assessment of achievement programme--second round
mathematics--changes in performance at P4 and P7 between 1983 and 1988.
Mr. Michael Forstyth [holding answer 11 May 1989] : Details of the sampling procedures will be included in the final report of the 1988 assessment of achievement programme second round mathematics project.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give details of the brief given to Northern college for the preparation of the interim report on changes in performance at P4 and P7 between 1983 and 1988 ;
(2) if he will give the date when the steering committee responsible for the research programme carried out by the Northern college on the assessment of achievement programme--second round mathematics--changes in performance at P4 and P7 between 1983 and 1988, agreed to ask for an interim report ;
(3) if he will give the date on which the Northern college was asked to prepare the interim report on the assessment of achievement programme-- second round mathematics--changes in performance at P4 and P7 between 1983 and 1988.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : [holding answer 11 May 1989] : Preliminary analysis to provide a comparison of performance on common items used in 1983 and 1988 was carried out by the assessment of achievement programme central support unit, Scottish Council for Research in Education. This analysis was discussed at the assessment of achievement programme mathematics project steering committee meeting on 24 October 1988. The committee agreed to give this matter priority and the researchers were asked to prepare a paper which subsequently formed the basis of the interim report.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if Northern college was asked to prepare an interim report on the internal research brief given to them on the assessment of achievement programme--second round mathematics--change in performance at P4 and P7 between 1983 and 1988.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 11 May 1989] : An interim report was produced as a result of concerns arising from a preliminary analysis of the survey results.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if any discussions took place between the Scottish Office and Northern college regarding the contents of the interim report changes in performance at P4 and P7 between 1983 and 1988 before the report was published.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 11 May 1989] : Yes.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the names of the steering committee responsible for the research programme carried out by the Northern college on the assessment of achievement programme--second round mathematics--changes in performance at P4 and P7 between 1983 and 1988.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 11 May 1989] : The members of the 1988 assessment of achievement Programme mathematics project steering committee are :
|Position held
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. D. Dunn |Assistant Headteacher, Banff Academy,
| Grampian Regional Council
Mr. N. Henderson |Principal Adviser Primary Education, Lothian
| Regional Council
Mrs. S. Livingstone |Principal Teacher of Learning Support, Wallace
| High School, Central Regional Council
Mr. D. |Mathematics Adviser, Highland
Macdonald | Regional Council
Mrs. C. |Headteacher, Gilburn Primary School, Tayside
McWhirter | Regional Council
Mr. W. Mein |Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools (Chairman)
Mr. G. Thorpe |Scottish Council for Research in Education
Mr. B. Semple |Principal Research Officer, SED.
Local Authority Services
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide capital allocations to regional authorities in order for them to improve services in areas which do not benefit from the full range of local authority services at present.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 May 1989] : Yes.On 27 February my right hon. and learned Friend announced capital allocations to regional councils for the year 1989-90 which were 16 per cent. above those for the previous financial year. This generous level of increase will enable regional councils to carry out capital works of well over £400 million in 1989-90. It is for authorities to distribute these resources in their areas, in the light of the needs of each region.
Community Charge
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will seek to amend the law so that a lower
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rate of community charge is paid by residents of areas which do not benefit from a full range of local authority services.Column 574
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 May 1989] : No. Local authorities that set the personal community charge payable in their areas at too high a level in relation to the level of services they provide will be accountable to their electorates. That is one of the main advantages of the community charge over the old domestic rating system.
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