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Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 27 July 1989] : Advice was given orally by my officials.
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Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether any meetings took place or written correspondence was exchanged between his Department and the European Commission relating to the sale of North East Shipbuilders Ltd. between 17 April and the date of the meeting between the right hon. Member for Braintree and Sir Leon Brittan.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 27 July 1989] : A full account of exchanges between my Department and the European Commission is contained in the note my right hon. Friend has recently placed in the Library.
Export Promotion
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the direct and indirect cost to the Exchequer of export promotion ; how much is recovered in fees ; and what is his estimate of the effect in terms of (a) increased exports and (b) the real exchange rate.
Mr. Redwood : The cost, net of receipts, of export promotion services operated by my Department and by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office overseas was £102.4 million in 1988-89. Receipts totalled £16.4 million. These services make a valuable contribution to non-oil exports which reached a record level in 1988. There are many different influences on the real exchange rate and the effect of export promotion cannot be separately identified.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Prison Escapes
Mr. McCusker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many escapes there have been from prisons in Northern Ireland involving loyalist prisoners in the past year.
Mr. Cope : There have been no escapes from Northern Ireland prisons in the past year.
Prisoners (Home Leave)
Mr. McCusker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners during the past year in (a) Her Majesty's prison Maghaberry and (b) Her Majesty's prison Maze have received (i) 30 days' home leave as part of the pre-release home leave scheme and (ii) five days' home leave ; and what determines whether a prisoner should receive 30 or five days' home leave.
Mr. Cope : Statistics are not available in the form requested. The number of days pre-release home leave for which a prisoner may apply depends upon his classification and the length of his sentence. The maximum for fixed sentence prisoners is 23 days, for which prisoners in the "star" classification (generally those serving a first period in custody) with a sentence of four years or more are eligible.
Criminal Injury Compensation
Mr. McCusker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Upper Bann on 17 July, Official Report, column 1 , he will indicate whether there are written
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guidelines on criteria for the exercise of discretion in such cases of persons being denied criminal injury compensation.Mr. Cope : There are no written guidelines. Each request for the exercise of discretion is considered on its own facts and merits.
Correspondence
Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many letters were received from, and sent to, hon. Members by his Department in (a) January and (b) the whole of this Session up to 1 July.
Mr. Cope : The information is as follows :
|In |Out
--------------------------------------------
January |249 |233
Session up to 1 July 1989 |1,817|1,932
Corporals Derek Wood and David Howes
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons (a) have been charged, (b) have been convicted, (c) are still awaiting trial and (d) have been acquitted in respect of the incident in which Corporal Derek Wood and Corporal David Howes were murdered.
Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Gentleman.
Belfast Urban Area Plan
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy that, until the findings of the Belfast urban area plan are issued, no planning permission will be considered for developments falling within the scope of the plan.
Mr. Needham : I will write to the hon. Gentleman.
Broadleaved Woodland Grants
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions the Forestry Commission awarded grants under the broadleaved woodland grant scheme in Northern Ireland, between its inception in 1985 and closure in 1988 ; an on how many occasions was the grant of £100 for obtaining professional advice, in the preparation of a plan of operations under the scheme, awarded.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : I will write to the hon. Member.
Bail
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for bail, by those held on remand for (a) scheduled, (b) non-scheduled offences, and (c) both together, were refused bail in the first six months of the current year.
Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Member.
RUC (Attacks)
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many attacks on Royal Ulster Constabulary personnel took place in 1988 and in the first
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six months of the current year ; and if he will indicate in each case whether the attack was on (a) a foot patrol and (b) a mobile patrol ; what was the total attacked while on duty each month together with details of the type of attack, namely (i) physical assault, (ii) stone throwing, (iii) petrol bomb, (iv) explosion and (v) shooting ; and what was the number of persons made amenable.Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Member.
Plastic Baton Rounds
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many formal complaints have been made about incidents of police use of plastic baton rounds in 1988 and in the first six months of the current year ; in how many cases the complaint has been upheld ; and in how many cases disciplinary action has been taken against the officers involved.
Mr. Cope : During 1988, seven formal complaints were made about the use of plastic baton rounds by the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Three were later withdrawn. Police reports on the other four were sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions who directed no prosecution on each. The question of disciplinary action is now being considered by the deputy Chief Constable and in due course papers will be referred to the independent Commission for Police Complaints.
During the first six months of 1989, four formal complaints were received all of which are currently under investigation.
Security Forces (Custodial Sentences)
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the security forces convicted of offences in Northern Ireland and sentenced to custodial sentences have been allowed to return to Great Britain to serve their sentence for humanitarian reasons in 1988 and the first six months of the current year ; and how many members of the security forces secured early release from their sentences in the same period.
Mr. Cope : There have been no transfers of sentenced members of the security forces to Great Britain in 1988 or in the first six months of the current year, nor has any such person been released in Northern Ireland except under normal release procedures.
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will give details for 1986 of the number of members of the Ulster Defence Regiment, the Royal Ulster Constabulary, their respective Reserves, and the British Army, who have been charged with offences and who have been convicted of offences, giving details of custodial sentences and suspended sentences imposed and separately for charges and convictions concerning : murder, attempted murder, membership of illegal organisations, conspiracy to cause explosions, withholding information concerning terrorist activity, possession of explosives, possession of explosives with intent to cause bodily harm, possession of firearms, possession of firearms with intent to cause bodily harm and other offences classified as scheduled offences in 1988 and the first half of 1989 ;
(2) if he will list for (a) the Royal Ulster Constabulary/Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve, (b) the
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Ulster Defence Regiment and (c) the Army, the number of members and ex-members of these forces charged with and the number convicted of, scheduled offences committed, or allegedly committed, by members of the security forces while using firearms in 1988.Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Member.
Non-scheduled Offences
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were charged with non-scheduled offences ; how many were charged with scheduled offences ; and how many persons were found not guilty of all or some of the offences with which they were charged in the first half of the current year.
Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Member.
Detentions
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many persons were detained in connection with terrorist-type offences under Acts other than the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts and the Emergency Provisions (Northern Ireland) Acts in 1988 and in the first six months of the current year : (2) how many persons were detained under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Acts 1973- 78 in the first six months of the current year ; and how many of these persons were subsequently charged with (a) scheduled offences and (b) non- scheduled offences.
Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Member.
Remands in Custody
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many persons were remanded in custody before trial for (a) scheduled, (b) non-scheduled offences, and (c) both together in the first half of the current year ;
(2) how many persons were remanded in custody before trial for (a) scheduled, (b) non-scheduled offences and (c) both together in the first half of the current year ;
(3) how many prisoners charged with scheduled offences in the first half of the current year were remanded in custody prior to trial for periods between (a) nil to three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to nine months, (d) nine to 12 months, (e) 12 to 18 months, and (f) over 18 months for (i) scheduled, and (ii) non-scheduled offences ;
(4) how many prisoners were remanded in custody prior to trial for (a) scheduled, and (b) non-scheduled offences in the first six months of the current year ;
(5) if he will give the average period between remand and trial for prisoners refused bail and charged with scheduled offences in Northern Ireland in the second half of 1988 and in the first half of the current year ;
(6) what percentage of prisoners on custodial remand for (a) scheduled, and (b) non-scheduled offences were (i) given a non-custodial sentence, (ii) given a custodial sentence, and (iii) found not guilty or not proceeded against in the first six months of the current year ;
(7) what was the average number of days spent on remand for both scheduled and non-scheduled offences together, in the first half of (a) the current year and (b) the total number of persons remanded in custody before
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trial for both scheduled and non-scheduled offences together, in the first half of the current year, and the number of bail applications refused for (i) scheduled, (ii) non-scheduled and (iii) both together in the first half of the current year ;(8) what was the average number of days spent on remand for both scheduled and non-scheduled offences together, in the first half of the current year ; what was the total number of persons remanded in custody before trial for both scheduled and non-scheduled offences together, in the first half of the current year ; and what was the number of bail applications refused for (a) scheduled offences (b) non-scheduled offences, and (c) both together, in the first half of the current year ;
(9) what was the average number of days that prisoners spent on custodial remand for (a) scheduled, (b) non-scheduled offences and (c) both together, in the first half of the current year.
Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Member.
Plastic Bullets
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many plastic bullets have been fired in Northern Ireland in 1988 and in the first half of the current year ; in what circumstances and in what location the bullets were fired, and how many ; and if any persons were injured as a result of the use of plastic bullets.
Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Member.
Strip Searches
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many strip searches were made on female prisoners in Her Majesty's Prison, Maghaberry, monthly since January, giving the number of persons involved and the number of times each person was searched ; if any prison contraband, smuggled item or illegal correspondence was discovered in any search, indicating which items ; in how many cases prisoners refused to be searched and had to be restrained while the search was being conducted ; and what were the reasons for the search.
Mr. Cope : Details of the numbers of, and reasons for strip searches made of female prisoners in HM prison Maghaberry from October 1988 to February 1989 have already been provided on 21 April 1989 at column 326 . Details from March 1989 to June are as follows :
|March 1989|April 1989|May 1989 |June 1989
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of searches
Total number of searches carried
out |15 |34 |10 |21
Total number of inmates searched |13 |25 |9 |15
Number of prisoners searched once |11 |16 |8 |9
Number of prisoners searched twice |2 |9 |1 |6
Number of prisoners searched more
than twice |- |- |- |-
Reasons for search
First admission on remand/awaiting
trial |3 |13 |4 |6
First admission on sentence/final
discharge |11 |16 |4 |11
Attending remand court |- |- |- |-
Attending trial |- |- |- |-
Inter-prison visits |- |- |- |-
Pre-release home leave |- |2 |2 |4
Visits to outside hospital |- |- |- |-
Returning from bail application |- |- |- |-
Attendance court for bail |1 |2 |- |-
Fines paid |- |1 |- |-
No prohibited article was found during these searches and no prisoner refused to be searched.
Arms Finds
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will detail the number of arms found in the first six months of the current year under the headings of (i) machine guns, (ii) rifles, (iii) shotguns, (iv) pistols/revolvers and (v) others.
Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Member.
Kincora Boys Home
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will place a copy in the Library of the report of Sir George Terry on the Royal Ulster Constabulary's investigation into the Kincora boys home ;
(2) on what date Mr. Roy Garland informed the Royal Ulster Constabulary that there was reason to believe that crimes were being committed in the Kincora boys home.
Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Member.
Firearms Thefts
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing how many legally held firearms were stolen in Northern Ireland during the first half of the current year from (a) the Royal Ulster Constabulary/Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve and Special Constabulary, (b) the Ulster Defence Regiment, (c) the British Army, and (d) civilians ; and if he will give a breakdown of weapons stolen as (i) bullet firing, (ii) shotguns, and (iii) air weapons and miscellaneous, including blank-firing weapons, muzzle-loading weapons and antique weapons.
Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Member.
Custodial Sentences
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the average length of custodial sentence of female prisoners in Northern Ireland in 1988 and in the first six months of the current year.
Mr. Cope : The information is 7.5 months and 7.36 months, respectively, (excluding those female prisoners committed in default of payment of a fine).
Scheduled Offences
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what was the number of persons proceeded against for scheduled offences in Northern Ireland in the first six months of the current year; how many persons pleaded guilty to the principal offence; and how many persons in such contested cases were found not guilty of the principal offence;
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(2) whether the security statistics for the first half of the current year are now available together with details of persons charged with terrorist-type offences and convictions for scheduled offences up to the latest convenient date.Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Member.
Ulster University
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cars have been stolen from car parks at the Ulster university, Jordanstown in each of the last three years.
Mr. Cope : The information requested is not available from existing records and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students have been prosecuted for wilful vandalism at the Ulster university, Jordanstown.
Mr. Cope : This information cannot be obtained from existing records.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he is satisfied with the present level of security on the Ulster university, Jordanstown, campus.
Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Gentleman.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what expenditure has been incurred in each of the last three years for repairing malicious damage at the Ulster university, Jordanstown.
Dr. Mawhinney : I will write to the hon. Gentleman.
RUC Patrols (Antrim Coast)
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with what frequency Ulster Defence Regiment and Army patrols deploy in the glens of the Antrim coast ; and if he will immediately increase the presence of security forces to back up the Royal Ulster Constabulary along the Antrim coast so as to help prevent incidents such as recent attempted murders of policemen at Cushendall.
Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Gentleman.
Contractors
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will give the number of contractors placed or chosen for the select list of contractors to tender for a Government construction contract at each of the following values of contract : up to £50,000, up to £100,000, up to £500,000, up to £1,000,000, up to £5,000,000, and over £5,000,000, or such other values as are used by the Government if convenient ;
(2) if he will publish in the Official Report a table to show (a) all approved contracts for public Government construction contracts in Northern Ireland, (b) the value of contracts for which each such contractor will be considered, and (c) those contractors on the list and in each category who have not been successful tenderers in each of the last three years.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : I will write to the hon. Gentleman.
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Labour Statistics
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show for each of the last five years (a) the number of people by sex and category used by the Department of Health and Social Security unemployed in Northern Ireland, (b) the number employed, (c) the number of vacancies, (d) the number of persons engaged in ACE schemes, (e) the number engaged in YTS and (f) the number receiving income support or supplementary benefit, indicating how many of these were in employment, and the number of pensioners.
Mr. Tom King : I will write to the hon. Gentleman.
Social Security Payments
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show the number of payments and the annual or financial year sums paid each year in (a) Department of Health and Social Services sample payments, (b) community care grants and (c) social fund loans for each of the last three years (i) in Northern Ireland, (ii) the Coleraine, (iii) the Magharafelt and (iv) Limavady Department of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Tom King : I will write to the hon. Gentleman.
Income Support (Guide)
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the adjudicating officers' guide for income support is available to (a) members of the public, (b) persons representing claimants or (c) hon. Members.
Mr. Tom King : I will write to the hon. Gentleman.
Statutory Instruments
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for each of the last five parliamentary Sessions including the 1988-89 Session, if he will list the number of statutory instruments that were issued by his Department ; how many were negative and how many affirmative ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Cope : I will write to the hon. Member.
PRIME MINISTER
Cabinet Ministers (Pay)
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Prime Minister if she will publish in the Official Report a table showing the percentage increase in the pay of Cabinet Ministers since 1978-79, before and after tax, assuming allowances are restricted to the married person's allowance.
The Prime Minister : The information requested is contained in the following table.
Percentage increase in pay of a Cabinet Minister
in 1988-89
compared with 1978-79
|1978-79|1988-89
---------------------------------------------------
Cabinet Minister (Commons)
Gross Salary |£14,300|£34,479
Percentage increase |- |141
Net Salary |£9,386 |£25,220
Percentage increase |- |169
Cabinet Minister (Lords)
Gross Salary |£14,300|£41,997
Percentage increase |- |194
Net Salary |£9,386 |£29,731
Percentage increase |- |217
Note: In 1983 Lords Ministers received a pay lead
over their Commons counterparts.
Commons Ministers receive in addition a reduced
parliamentary salary. In 1978-79 it was £3,529, in
1988-89 it was £18,148.
Underground Services
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to her reply to the right hon. Member for Islwyn (Mr. Kinnock) on 8 June, Official Report, column 366, she will list those proposals received from London Underground Limited for the improvement of their services which Her Majesty's Government intend to approve ; whether those improvements will be confined to peak hour travel ; and if Her Majesty's Government will make any real increase in peak-hour travel fares conditional on their implementation.
The Prime Minister : Proposals recently approved include the modernisation of the Central line ; the provision of 16 additional Underground trains ; and improvements to Liverpool street and Angel underground stations. Other proposals will be considered as they come forward. In addition, London Underground Limited intends to invest £266 million over the years 1989-92 to implement the recommendations contained in the report by Mr. Desmond Fennell QC and to enhance safety. Improvements to the Underground system may benefit all passengers, not just those who travel at peak hours, although clearly, some works to enlarge capacity are needed only to cope with peak demand. The level and structure of fares are matters for London Regional Transport to decide.
Environment (Parliamentary Questions)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to her oral reply to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan), Official Report, 17 July, columns 34-35, she will now make it her policy that Ministers answer parliamentary questions based on the factual environmental record of previous Administrations.
The Prime Minister : It is a well-established practice that the Government of the day do not answer for the actions of previous Administrations. The factual environmental record of this Government is excellent.
Women's Issues
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Prime Minister what steps she takes to co-ordinate Government policy on women's issues.
The Prime Minister : The ministerial group on women's issues was established to provide a co-ordinated examination of policies of special concern to women, including the practical effect of legislation. Its membership
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crosses departmental divisions. It is chaired by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Home Office and has now met eight times, most recently on 20 July, when it agreed new initiatives on domestic violence.House of Fraser
Mr. D. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Prime Minister whether her discussions on matters of state with representatives of overseas states have included matters relating to the takeover of House of Fraser by the El Fayeds.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 25 July at column 849.
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