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Mr. John Patten : The information is published in table 1.1 of Home Office statistical bulletin issue 30/89, "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs : Seizures and Offenders Dealt With, United Kingdom, 1988", a copy of which is in the Library.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were convicted for unlawful possession of (a) cannabis, (b) cocaine, (c) LSD, (d) heroin, and (e) crack for each year from 1979.
Mr. John Patten : Information on the number of persons found guilty, cautioned or dealt with by compounding for unlawful possession of cannabis, cocaine, LSD and heroin for each year since 1979 is
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published in tables S2.29, S2.17, S2.23 and S2.21 respectively of "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs : Seizures and Offenders Dealt With, United Kingdom, 1988--Supplementary tables", a copy of which is in the Library. Corresponding tables S2.28, S2.16, S2.22 and S2.20 give the number of persons found guilty in 1988. Crack offences are included in those for cocaine.Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the numbers of registered addicts in the United Kingdom for each year from 1979.
Mr. Waddington : There is no system of registration of addicts. Information on the numbers of addicts notified to the chief medical officer at the Home Office in the years 1979 to 1988 was published in Statistical Bulletin issue 13/89 "Statistics of drug addicts notified to the Home Office, United Kingdom, 1988", a copy of which is in the Library.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the current street price of crack.
Mr. Waddington : Information from the national drugs intelligence unit suggests that the street price of crack is in the region of £20 to £25 for a piece of about 0.2gs.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the levels of addiction of hard drugs in (a) West Germany, (b) France, (c) Netherlands, (d) Switzerland, (e) Spain, (f Italy, (g) Belgium, and (h) the United Kingdom.
Mr. Waddington : Information about the numbers of drug addicts notified to the Home Office in 1988 was published in Home Office statistical bulletin issue 13/89, "Statistics of Drug Addicts Notified to the Home Office, United Kingdom, 1988," a copy of which is in the Library. In addition, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, in its report "Aids and Drug Misuse part 1," estimated that there might have been between 75,000 and 150,000 misusers of notified drugs in the United Kingdom during 1986, together with as many again (excluding cannabis users) who are using a variety of non-notifiable drugs (such as amphetamines) on an experimental or occasional basis. Comparable information about addiction levels in other European countries is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the numbers of young people aged 16 or under, arrested or cautioned for possession of drugs.
Mr. Waddington : The number of persons aged 16 or under dealt with in the United Kingdom in 1988 for unlawful possession of drugs was 831. This includes persons dealt with at court and cautioned, and cases where other action (such as informal warnings and no further action) was taken. There is likely to be under-recording of persons in the last group.
Mr. Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the use of the drug ectasy in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Waddington : MDMA, known as "ecstasy", has been a controlled drug since 1977. Seizures of MDMA
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have increased in recent years but still remain small compared to those of drugs such as heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis. Informaton from the forensic science service indicates that some 90 MDMA seizures were analysed in 1988.Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average sentence given for (a) unlawful possession and (b) possession with intent to supply drugs.
Mr. Waddington : The information is published in table S2.6 of "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs : Seizures and Offenders Dealt With, United Kingdom, 1988--Supplementary tables", a copy of which is in the Library.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the weight of the seizures of (a) cannabis, (b) cocaine, (c) LSD, (d) heroin and (e) crack for each year from 1979.
Mr. Waddington : The information is published in tables 2.4 and 2.5 of Home Office statistical bulletin issue 30/89, "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs : Seizures and Offenders Dealt With, United Kingdom, 1988", a copy of which is in the Library. Crack seizures are included in cocaine seizures.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prison suicides is among those inmates serving sentences for drug-related offences.
Mr. Waddington : The table gives the figures for inmates held in prison establishments in England and Wales in each of the last five years.
|Total suicides<1> |Suicides by sentenced |Suicides by inmates
|inmates<1> |serving sentences for
|drug related offences<1>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984 |23 |11 |1
1985 |23 |9 |-
1986 |17 |5 |-
1987 |42 |14 |2
1988 |30 |11 |2
1989 |<2>20 |<2>12 |<2>1
<1> The table gives the number of deaths for which suicide verdicts were returned at the inquest.
<2> Inquests have yet to be held on 13 other inmates who have died in 1989 and whose deaths are thought to have been
suicides. Of these two were serving sentences for drug related offences.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the gaol population of the United Kingdom is in detention for (a) drug and (b) cannabis-related offences.
Mr. Waddington : The latest readily available information was published in table 1 (b) of "Prison statistics England and Wales 1988" (Cm 825), a copy of which is in the Library.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to seek powers for the police to be able to apply for a court order to allow them access to information about a suspected drug dealer's tax affairs.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : No. Courts already have powers under sections 27 and 30 of the Drug Trafficking Offences
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Act 1986 to make an order authorising the police to gain access to information about the tax affairs of any person who is suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is able to estimate per year (a) the approximate levels of consumption in the United Kingdom of cannabis, cocaine, LSD, heroin and crack and (b) the total value of each of these drugs.
Mr. Waddington : No. But information on seizures of these drugs is published annually by the Home Office.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is able to estimate the number of police officers in the United Kingdom who are solely engaged in combating crime from drug- related offences.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We estimate that by the end of 1988 a total of 1, 323 police officers were solely engaged in the investigation of drug- related offences at force and regional level in England and Wales. Twenty posts from the 1989-90 manpower programme have been allocated to regional crime squad drugs wings.
In addition, very many police officers at force and crime squad level will contribute to the prevention and investigation of drug-related offences in the course of their duties.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is able to give an estimation of the cost per year of prosecuting and convicting individuals accused of drug-related offences.
Mr. Waddington : No. But information on persons dealt with for drug offences is published annually by the Home Office.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is considering the greater use of confiscation orders for drug trafficking convictions.
Mr. John Patten : The Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 already provides that, when a person is convicted of a drug trafficking offence, the court must determine whether he has ever benefited from drug trafficking and, if he has, impose a confiscation order to deprive him of his proceeds.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will undertake a review of the penalties for drug- related offences.
Mr. John Patten : No. The courts have adequate powers to deal with drug-related offences. For the production, supply or possession with intent to supply a class A drug the maximum penalty is life imprisonment ; for class B drugs, it is 14 years and five years for class C drugs. Sentencing is a matter for the courts and the Court of Appeal has given guidance on sentencing drug offences.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department collects regular information on the street prices of drugs ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waddington : No. But the national drugs intelligence unit collates information on the approximate street prices provided by police forces for intelligence purposes.
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Crack
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the first seizure of crack was made in the United Kingdom ; and how much has been seized to date.
Mr. Waddington : The first seizure of crack recorded by the national drugs intelligence unit was in 1986, although it is possible that earlier seizures were made but reported as of cocaine. The total numbers of seizures of crack recorded so far are as follows :
|Number
----------------------
1987 |12
1988 |27
1989<1> |75
<1> January to
September.
Kurdish People
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Kurdish asylum seekers have been detained, and for what period, since 1 January.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 27 October 1989] : The information is not available in the form requested. Of approximately 3,900 Turkish nationals who have claimed asylum on arrival in the United Kingdom since 1 January some 300 have been detained at some time, for periods ranging from one day to five months. On 26 October, four Turkish asylum seekers, one of whom arrived in May and three in June, remained in detention, their applications for asylum having been considered and refused. On the same date two other Turkish nationals who were being treated as illegal entrants and were detained had applied for asylum. One had been in prison--following a criminal conviction, the other was detained in September 1989.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Kurdish people from Turkey have arrived at Heathrow airport and then returned to Turkey without seeking entry to Britain since 1 January.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 27 October 1989] : Information on passengers subject to control who seek leave to enter is maintained by nationality not ethnic or religious origin. There are no records of passengers who do not seek leave to enter, for example because they are in direct transit. Up to 26 October a total of 232 Turkish asylum seekers had departed voluntarily without awaiting the outcome of their applications.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date Siho Iyiguven arrived in Britain ; for what periods he was detained ; how many representations were received on his behalf ; who took the decision to remove him ; whether his Department will pay for the return of his body to Turkey ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 27 October 1989] : Mr. Siho Iyiguven arrived in Britain on 2 May 1989. He was detained on 22 August for one night and on 4 October until the fire on 5 October which led to his death. Representations were received on his behalf on five occasions. The decision that he did not qualify for asylum
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in this country was taken in the refugee section of the immigration and nationality department and removal directions were issued by the immigration service. The inquest into Mr. Iyiguven's death has been adjourned and I understand that his next of kin have yet to decide what arrangements to make for his remains.Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of Kurdish asylum seekers from Turkey who have arrived in Britain since 1 January ; and how many have (a) made voluntary departures, (b) been given exceptional leave to remain, (c) been granted asylum and (d) been removed to Turkey.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 27 October 1989] : Immigration statistics do not record ethnic origins of asylum seekers. From 1 January until 25 October some 3,900 Turkish nationals had applied for asylum on arrival (a) 232 had made voluntary departures, (b) 270 had been given exceptional leave to enter, (c) 75 had been granted asylum and (d) 38 had been removed to Turkey.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations from human rights and church organisations he has received concerning the treatment of Kurdish asylum seekers since 1 January ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 27 October 1989] :
Representations have been received from various individuals and organisations about general and specific issues concerned with Turkish asylum seekers.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Polish Economic Delegations
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if visits by Polish economic delegations which include seminars at the Adam Smith Institute are being subsidised by his Department.
Mr. Waldegrave : No. But we have funded a seminar on privatisation in Warsaw organised by the Adam Smith Institute. Polish economists, whose visits here are financed by us, sometimes have talks with the institute.
Cambodia
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's policy towards the continuing membership at the United Nations of the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave to the hon. Member for Stockton, South (Mr. Devlin) on 25 October at column 491.
Political Groups (EC)
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will tabulate in the Official Report the amounts paid, in 1988 pound sterling equivalents, to each of the political groups of the European Parliament together with an indication of any allocated expenditure within the totals and the total expected expenditure in 1990.
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Mr. Maude [pursuant to his reply, 24 October 1989, c. 402] : The amounts paid in 1988 to the political groups of the European Parliament were :
|ECU |£(at1.5057 ecu=£1)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contribution to administrative/
secretarial operating expenses of the
political groups and non-attached
members |6,851,970 |4,550,687
European Information Campaign
(information activities on the role
and work of the European
Parliament, its political groups and
their members) |27,700,000 |18,396,758
Purchase of data-processing equipment |800,000 |531,314
Hire and maintenance of equipment |330,000 |219,167
Other activities |3,496,100 |2,321,910
No breakdown of the payments to each political group is available.
ENERGY
Correspondence
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what percentage of letters from hon. Members to his Department received a reply (a) in under four weeks, (b) within four to six weeks, (c) within six to eight weeks and (d) over eight weeks, in each of the last three years ;
(2) what information his Department has on the length of time taken to respond to letters from hon. Members.
Mr. Wakeham : The Department's general objective is to answer letters from hon. Members within three weeks of receipt. At present the Department has no letters awaiting a reply which have been outstanding for longer than that period. The specific information requested by the hon. Member can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Risley Programmes
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the progress of the Chardis, Thor and Supersomite programes at Risley.
Mr. Michael Spicer : This is an operational matter for the UKAEA and I will ask the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Reactors (Privatisation)
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a further statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on the privatisation of advanced gas-cooled reactors and the pressurised water reactors under construction.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I refer the hon. Member to the statement made to the House on 24 July by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Energy at columns 744-45.
Electricity Industry
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on the competitive structure of the United Kingdom electricity industry and other member nations of the EEC.
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Mr. Michael Spicer : The electricity industries of EC member states show a variety of structures. Some are dominated by a single state monopoly ; in others, dominant generators play a significant role in transmission ; regional monopolies in supply are also common. In England and Wales, the Government are putting in place a competitive structure. Use of the distribution and transmission system will be open to all on published and regulated terms. There will be competition between generators from day one. And the market in supply to customers will be progressively opened up to competition. There will be no permanent monopolies in supply or generation.
Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Lofthouse : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what studies he has carried out regarding the effect of the privatisation of the electricity supply industry on British Coal ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Since it has responsibility for the coal industry, my Department naturally monitors closely and continuously the implications for British Coal of electricity privatisation.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on European Community investigations into the nuclear provisions in the electricity privatisation.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The Government have kept the EC Commission fully informed of their proposals relating to the privatisation of the electricity industry. The dialogue is continuing. We are confident that the arrangements for the new industry will be consistent with the United Kingdom's Community obligations.
Wylfa B Power Station
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will cancel plans for the public inquiry into the proposed Wylfa B pressurised water reactor station.
Mr. Michael Spicer : My right hon. Friend has received formal objections to the CEGB's application for his consent to construct a PWR nuclear power station at Wylfa from both the Isle of Anglesey borough council and the Gwynedd county council. He is therefore obliged to arrange a public inquiry pursuant to section 34(1) of the Electricity Act 1957.
Hinkley Point C Power Station
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will cancel plans to build the Hinkley Point C pressurised water reactor station.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The CEGB's application for my right hon. Friend's consent to construct a PWR nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C is currently the subject of a public inquiry.
My right hon. Friend will wish to consider the inspector's report before deciding whether or not to grant his consent to the CEGB's application.
The construction of new nuclear power stations in England and Wales is a matter for the CEGB.
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Coal Productivity (North-East)
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will give the latest figures for productivity for the north-east coal field ; and if he will give those for 1985.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Productivity in the north-east coalfield rose from 2.23 tonnes per man shift in 1985-86 to 3.82 tonnes in 1988-89.
Nato Exercises
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the extent of involvement by his Department in NATO exercise Wintex/Cimex 1987 and exercise Wintex/Cimex 1989 ; what is the number of staff engaged in the exercise planning process and in the exercises themselves ; and what are the ranks and responsibilities of the staff involved.
Mr. Wakeham : My Department plays its part in testing those procedures in which we have an interest. Staff participate as required ; it would not be appropriate for me to supply the detail required.
Nuclear Power
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the annual load factor achieved by United Kingdom nuclear power plants.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The average load factor of the Central Electricity Generating Board's nuclear power stations for the first six months of the current financial year was 60.6 per cent. The equivalent load factor for the South of Scotland Electricity Board's nuclear power stations was 62.8 per cent.
Fast Breeder Reactors
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the future of the fast breeder reactor programme.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I refer the hon. Member to the statement made to the House on 21 July last year by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Energy at column 1288.
Magnox Plants
34. Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he now expects to be able to announce the estimated decommissioning costs for the Magnox nuclear power plants.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Members for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) and for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 24 October at column 381.
DEFENCE
Armed Services (Privatisation)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to evaluate the benefits to the efficiency of national defence of privatisation of the armed services.
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B2
Mr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has received any request from the United States administration to base the B2 stealth nuclear bomber in the United Kingdom, under the updated 1948 Anglo- American military air bases agreement.
Collisions
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list in the Official Report all instances of Royal Navy surface or submarine vessels in collision, or otherwise in contact, with commercial vessels in the Irish sea since May 1979.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : In the case of surface vessels, this information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and effort. Incidents in which Royal Navy submarines have been in collision with surface vessels or their gear since 1 January 1980, in or around the Irish sea, are as follows :
|Date
---------------------------------------------------------------
17 November 1981 |FV Sapphire |Clyde Area
18 April 1982 |FV Sharelga |Irish Sea
10 March 1983 |FV Targuen |Irish Sea
11 August 1984 |FV Huntress |Clyde Area
6 December 1987 |FV Prevail |North Channel
2 July 1988 |Yacht Dalriada|North Channel
16 July 1988 |Yacht Drum |North Channel
|FV Brilliant
27 October 1988 |Star |Sound of Bute
28 June 1989 |FV Huntress |Clyde Area
12 September 1989 |FV Contester |Irish Sea
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