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Mr. Dover : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many staff and of what grades are to be recruited or transferred to posts at (a) Her Majesty's Garth prison and (b) Her Majesty's Wymott prison (i) over the next six months and (ii) over the following six months ;
(2) how many staff and of what grades are to be redeployed from (a) Her Majesty's remand centre, Risley and (b) Her Majesty's young offenders institution, Buckley Hall (i) over the next six months and (ii) over the following six months.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : In his statement on 25 July 1989 about action to be taken in the light of the Risley disturbances, at columns 607-8, my right hon. Friend indicated that he had decided to work towards the end of Risley's remand function for males by the summer of next year, after which it would take only sentenced prisoners. The staffing requirement for the establishment after these changes have been made has not yet been precisely set, but it is expected that more than 200 staff--mainly from the prison service
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unified grades--will need to be redeployed. An exercise has been mounted to establish the wishes of the staff, which will be met so far as possible.My right hon. Friend has recently decided that the young offender institution at Buckley Hall should close and it will cease to function on 12 November, with formal closure some time thereafter. Arrangements are being made for the staff--as shown in the table--to be redeployed.
Movements of staff into other establishments in the north-west, including those mentioned by my hon. Friend, depend on a number of factors, and I cannot say at this stage how many such movements there will be. Priority in filling such vacancies will, however, be given to staff transferred from Risley and Buckley Hall, and it is therefore unlikely that any newly recruited staff will be posted to Garth or Wymott.
HMYOI Buckley Hall: Staff in post 1 October 1989 |Numbers -------------------------------------------- Governor 3 |1 Governor 5 |1 Principal Officers |3 Senior Officers |4 Officers |34 Night Patrols |5 Storeman |1 Farm Manager 3 |1 Chaplains (part-time) |3 Medical Officer (part-time) |1 Executive Officer |1 Administrative Officers |5 Administrative Assistant |1 Typists |3 Industrial grades |14
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what time and on what day Gerry Conlon was informed formally of the Director of Public Prosecution's decision not to contest his appeal against the Guildford and Woolwich pub bombing convictions.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand that the Crown Prosecution Service informed Mr. Conlon's solicitor of the Director of Public Prosecution's decision at about 11 am on Tuesday 17 October (one hour before the press notice). The solicitor was advised of Mr. Conlon's arrival at Brixton prison the same afternoon and she was able to speak to Mr. Conlon later in the day. There was no formal announcement of these events by the prison authorities.
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what time and on what day Patrick Armstrong was informed formally of the Director of Public Prosecution's decision not to contest his appeal against the Guildford and Woolwich pub bombing convictions.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand that the Crown Prosecution Service informed Mr. Armstrong's solicitor of the Director of Public Prosecution's decision at about 11 am on Tuesday 17 October (one hour before the press notice). The solicitor was advised of Mr. Armstrong's arrival at Brixton prison the same afternoon and he was able to speak to Mr. Armstrong later in the day. There was no formal announcement of these events by the prison authorities.
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Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what time and on what day Paul Hill was informed formally of the Director of Public Prosecution's decision not to contest his appeal against the Guildford and Woolwich pub bombing convictions.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand that the Crown Prosecution Service informed Mr. Hill's solicitor of the Director of Public Prosecution's decision at about 11 am on Tuesday 17 October (one hour before the press notice). The solicitor was advised of Mr. Hill's arrival at Brixton prison the same afternoon and he was able to speak to Mr. Hill later in the day. There was no formal announcement of these events by the prison authorities.
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will name those who have been involved in the administration of justice who have sought to have the case of those convicted of the Birmingham bombing put before the courts again.
Mr. John Patten : Since the case of those convicted of the Birmingham public house bombings was last considered by the Court of Appeal following a reference by my right hon. Friend, representations proposing that the case be referred again to the Court of Appeal have been received from members of both Houses of Parliament, representatives of the clergy, representatives of various campaign groups, and members of the public. Some of these have legal qualifications.
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions Gerry Conlon was strip-searched between 1 pm Tuesday 17 October and his release on Thursday 19 October ; (2) on how many occasions Patrick Armstrong was strip-searched between 1 pm Tuesday 17 October and his release ;
(3) on how many occasions Paul Hill was strip-searched between 1 pm Tuesday 17 October and his release.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Comprehensive records of this kind are not routinely maintained, but it would be normal practice for them to have been strip-searched on arrival at Brixton prison, before and after receiving visits, and before their appearance at the Court of Appeal on Thursday 19 October ; a total of about half a dozen occasions. It is standard practice to strip-search Category A prisoners on such occasions.
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date Terence William Rivett escaped from HM prison, Ford, where he was serving a sentence of three years' imprisonment imposed at Guildford Crown court.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Terence William Rivett absconded from Ford open prison on 25 August 1989.
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on deciding whether to reconsider a previous decision not to refer criminal cases to appeal ; and if he takes into account the later views of the judge who had dismissed a particular appeal at the time.
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Mr. John Patten : In deciding whether to refer to the Court of Appeal, under section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968, the case of a person convicted on indictment, my right hon. Friend would normally consider it right to intervene whether there is new evidence or other consideration of substance which has not previously been before the courts, and which appears to cast doubt upon the safety of the conviction. If any member of the judiciary expressed views on the safety of a conviction my right hon. Friend would consider these very carefully.
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children of West African origin were left by their parents for fostering in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years ; and if he will set out in each case the main categories by percentage of the immigration status of the children so left.
Mr. Renton : The information requested is not available. There is no provision in the immigration rules for the admission of children to be fostered in the United Kingdom. Under the rules children may settle here if their parents are also settled here. Children may also be admitted temporarily either as visitors or with parents who come here for a limited period, for example as students or work permit holders. A child admitted for a limited period would become an overstayer if he did not depart when his leave to remain expired.
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the immigration status of the Dr. Siddiqui who recently addressed a meeting on the subject of Salman Rushdie.
Mr. Renton : He is a British citizen.
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the average time taken between awards being made from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and the issue of cheques for such awards ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hurd : The board does not keep the information requested, but I understand that once an applicant has written to accept an offered award it will normally be paid in a few weeks.
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time taken to make awards on claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hurd : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) on 17 October at column 16.
Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends undertaking an evaluation of the working of section 39 of the Public Order Act 1986 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hurd : Section 39 of the Public Order Act 1986 was introduced into the Public Order Bill as it was going
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through Parliament in response to the depredations suffered by landowners by members of the so-called peace convoy during the summer of 1986. The section provides the police with a power to direct trespassers to leave land in certain circumstances. Only if the trespassers knowingly fail to obey such a direction do they commit a criminal offence.Section 39 put in place entirely new powers for the police and introduced an accompanying criminal sanction. It has been in force for about two and a half years. It has been the subject of representations by a number of people and organisations. In view of the time the section has been operative and because of the interest it has aroused I propose to institute an evaluation of how the section is working in order to obtain a clearer picture of the consistency and effectiveness of its application. Views on the section may be directed in writing to F8 Division, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AT, to arrive by 31 December 1989.
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what guidance the Department issues with regard to the meaning of "appropriate arrangements" in section 71 of the Race Relations Act 1976 ;
(2) what monitoring arrangements his Department operates to ensure that section 71 of the Race Relations Act 1976 is carried out by all local authorities.
Mr. John Patten : The joint circular 54/77, sent with the Race Relations Act 1976 to local authorities, advised them to examine their policies and practices for carrying out their different functions to ensure that they met the requirements of section 71, and to keep their employment policies and practices under regular review to ensure equality of opportunity for members of minority groups. No special monitoring arrangements are made by the Home Office.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish figures of immigration cases where DNA has proved a positive relationship where entry has previously been refused for (a) those still under 18 years of age and (b) those who have passed their 18th birthday subsequent to entry refusal.
Mr. Renton : The information requested is not available. DNA evidence can be produced at any stage of the entry clearance or appeals process. Statistics relating to entry clearance applications granted or appeals allowed do not identify the number of cases which were resolved on the basis of DNA evidence or the number of such cases previously refused on relationship grounds.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines are given on the circumstances in which immigration officials should undertake body searches ; and how many such searches were made in the last year.
Mr. Renton : Paragraph 4(3) of schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 provides that an immigration
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officer may search the baggage and person of passengers seeking entry to ascertain whether they are carrying relevant documents, but no woman or girl may be searched except by a woman. Immigration officers normally seek the co-operation of HM Customs in any search of a passenger's baggage or person which may be considered necessary. In practice immigration officers do not carry out body searches and no guidelines on this have therefore been issued.Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines there are for chief constables on how long they should keep records on individuals who have committed no crime which were collected prior to a security-sensitive event which has subsequently passed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : None. This is an operational matter for chief constables.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure that prisoners enjoy the same rights in relation to health care as the general population except that of being able to choose their doctor ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Every prison has a medical officer who is statutorily responsible for the health care, mental and physical, of the prisoners held therein. All medical officers are bound by the prison or young offender institution rules and by prison standing orders which inter alia require 24-hour availability of doctors for regular surgeries and emergencies and allow medical officers unfettered clinical freedom to call upon such National Health Service and other specialist out-patient and in- patient services as they consider appropriate. Such services are used extensively. Unconvicted prisoners may be treated by a doctor or dentist of their choice in consultation with the medical officer if certain conditions are satisfied.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the numbers of extra staff required by the immigration and nationality department to clear the backlog of immigration and nationality cases by 31 December.
Mr. Renton : The information requested is not readily available. Efforts to reduce the backlog by improved efficiency and streamlining caseworking procedures continue. The backlog of nationality registration applications is planned to be cleared during January 1990, and of naturalisation applications by 31 March 1991.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current backlog of immigration applications in terms of (a) the total number of cases, (b) the number in each category and (c) the average length of time it takes to deal with a case in each category.
Mr. Renton : At the end of September 1989, there were 27,600 cases outstanding in the immigration caseworking groups and 10,000 active cases in the refugee and special cases unit. Information by category on the number of cases
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currently outstanding is not readily available, but marriage and student cases are thought to account for the greater part of the backlog. The estimated average length of time to deal with applications in the main variation of leave categories in the third quarter of 1989 is given in the table :Estimated average length of time between the receipt of an application and the decision, for variation of leave cases<1> <2> decided in the third quarter of 1989, for the main categories of applications 1989 Third Quarter Category of application |Months ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Student |3" Work permit holder |1" Settlement grant |2" Limited leave prior to settlement as a spouse |4 Visitor |2 <1> Includes cases decided in the Public Enquiry Offices as well as in the caseworking groups. <2> Excludes EC nationals.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number and location of the sites suggested by the consultants employed by his Department for the possible relocation of the immigration and nationality department ; and what was the cost of the consultants' work.
Mr. Renton : The consultants considered the broad potential benefits that might be secured from relocating in a number of areas. These were the north-east, north-west, west midlands, south Wales, Glasgow and central Birmingham. They made no specific recommendations regarding possible sites. The cost of the consultants' work was £70, 100. Their report is still under consideration.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of staff vacancies at (a) the immigration and nationality department, Croydon and (b) the immigration and nationality department, Liverpool.
Mr. Renton : At 19 October there were 50 vacancies in the immigration and nationality department in Croydon, and two in the Liverpool nationality office.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of applications for registration which were completed by the immigration and nationality department in (a) 1987, (b) 1988, and (c) the current year to date.
Mr. Renton : The information is as follows :
Year |Applications for |registration completed --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1987 |51,291 1988 |53,947 <1>1989 |79,605 <1> Provisional figure to end September.
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Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of applications for naturalisation dealt with and completed by his Department in (a) 1986, (b) 1987, (c) 1988, and (d) the current year to date.
Mr. Renton : The information is as follows :
Year |Applications for |naturalisation completed --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1986 |15,213 1987 |20,180 1988 |15,772 <1>1989 |16,194 <1> Provisional figure to end September.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, by year and location, for the last five years, the number of successful prosecutions in respect of illegal abortion operations and the ages of the patients.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Information available to me relates to the number of persons found guilty of procuring illegal abortions under the Offences against the Person Act 1861, sections 58 and 59 as amended by the Abortion Act 1967, in England and Wales by police force area for 1983 to 1987.
Police force area |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kent |- |- |- |1 |- Lancashire |1 |- |- |- |- Leicestershire |- |1 |- |- |- Metropolitan police district |1 |- |- |- |- Norfolk |1 |- |- |- |- South Yorkshire |- |1 |- |1 |- ------- England and Wales |3 |2 |- |2 |-
Data for 1988 is not yet available. Information is not collected centrally on the age of the patients.
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of the fire service.
Mr. John Patten : The Government wish to see the fire service in Great Britain maintain the present high level of service while giving the best value for money to the public. It is the Government's view that this can be achieved within existing administrative structures.
Sir Peter Blaker : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Her Majesty's Government have any plans to privatise the fire service.
Mr. John Patten : I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Cryer) on 10 January.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to answer recent correspondence from the hon. Member for Stockton, South about Mr. Lorrain Osman.
Mr. John Patten : I wrote to my hon. Friend on 25 October.
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