| Previous Section | Home Page |
Form AG1
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many complaints he has received about social security form AG1 ; and if he will list the general sources of complaint.
Mr. Scott : Since April 1988 when form AG1 first came into use, some 100 letters have been received from right hon. and hon. Members, mainly about the length and complexity of the form. The letters have referred to representations made by outside organisations, including some professional organisations as well as by individuals. In addition a few complaints have been made direct to the Department.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to simplify form AG1.
Mr. Scott : A revised version of form AG1 came into use last month. The new version reflects a major overhaul of the form and incorporates improvements to avoid particular difficulties identified from experience of the form in use. Several national organisations concerned with potential users of the form were consulted about the redesign and it was also tested in independent research arranged by the Central Office of Information. Although the dimensions of the form have been slightly reduced, the
Column 442
new version still has the same number of pages since the content is largely governed by the amount of information required to assess claims in accordance with the legislation. Nevertheless, the improvements should make the form easier to complete and more likely to produce all the relevant information and so minimise the need for additional inquiries.The form will be kept under review with a view to further improvements in the design and content.
Staff Numbers
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list his most recent estimation of the reduction in his Department's staff numbers in future in Scotland due to the implementation of new technology and operational strategy.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The staffing reduction flowing from the implementation of the operational strategy in local offices in Scotland is currently expected to be 1,100 posts between 1 April 1989 and 31 March 1992.
This reduction will be party offset by the creation of approximately 470 new jobs at the social security centre in Glasgow as a result of work being transferred from London.
Current forecasts indicate that the reduction will be achieved through natural wastage.
Staff have been assured that there will be no compulsory redundancies resulting from the implementation of the strategy.
National Insurance
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals paid self-employed national insurance contributions in each of the years 1979-80 to 1988-89 inclusive.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard The United Kingdom figures of the number of individuals who paid class 2 (self-employed) national insurance contributions between 1979 and 1988 are set out in the table. Agreed figures for the final year are not yet available for publication.
|Number<2> |Number<3>
|(thousands)|(thousands)
------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |1,376 |232
1980-81 |1,450 |211
1981-82 |1,479 |218
1982-83 |1,526 |240
1983-84 |1,594 |251
1984-85 |1,663 |251
1985-86 |1,732 |261
1986-87 |1,850 |295
1987-88<1> |1,871 |280
<1>Provisional figures.
<2>Who paid only Class 2 contributions during
the year.
<3>Who paid a mixture of Class 2 and Class 1
contributions during the year.
Earnings Rule
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications his Department has received from people wishing to take up their basic state pension entitlement whilst working under the new earnings rules introduced on 1 October ; how many of them have
Column 443
received their pension ; and how many additional whole-time equivalent staff his Department has employed to administer the new entitlement.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Following the abolition of the earnings rule on 1 October 1989, 99,645* pensioners have claimed their state pension. A total of 72 per cent. (72,435) of those pensioners had been awarded their pension as at 10 November 1989. The estimated administrative cost for this exercise in the year 1989-90 is £12.74 million.
* Note : As at 31 October 1989.
Trainees
Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reasons he set the permitted period which applies to trainees after 12 months of employment training at four weeks ; and what is the likely permitted period for YTS trainees, including those who have employee status.
Mr. Scott : The period of four weeks during which a person, who has undergone extended training for a particular kind of employment, will be regarded as having good cause for refusing employment different from that for which he has trained takes account of the fact that some ex-trainees will be unable to start work immediately. The appropriate permitted period for all unemployed claimants is determined by the adjudication officer. The decision will take account of the factors listed in the Social Security (Unemployment, Sickness and Invalidity Benefit) Amendment No. 2 Regulations 1989. (SI 1989 No. 1324.)
21-hour Rule
Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what effect he expects the actively seeking work clauses of the Social Security Act 1989 to have on people studying under the 21-hour rule provision.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We expect the actively seeking employment condition to have similar effects on all unemployed claimants. In determining whether a claimant has taken reasonable steps to seek employment, regard is had to time spent on vocational training or study.
Benefits
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will publish in the Official Report a table on the same basis as that given in the written answer dated 20 March 1987 showing the total benefits paid out to the unemployed in 1987-88, 1988-89 and his forecast for 1989-90, together with payments from the redundancy fund, the percentage both represent of gross domestic product and the revenue from North sea oil.
Mr. Scott : The information requested is shown in the table.
|1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90
|£ million|£ million|£ million
----------------------------------------------------------------
Benefits expenditure on
the unemployed |<1>6,250 |<2>5,430 |<3>5,240
Total expenditure from
the Redundancy Fund |<1>81 |<2>74 |<3>71
|--- |--- |---
Total |6,331 |5,504 |5,311
As percentage of GDP |1.5 |1.2 |1.0
As percentage of North
sea oil revenue |138 |172 |204
<1> Outturn.
<2> Estimated outturn.
<3> Plans.
SCOTLAND
Cancer Screening
Sir Russell Johnston : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects that a computerised call and recall system will be set up in order to allow all Scottish women to have regular cervical cancer screening in whichever health board area they live.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Public Bodies
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for East Lothian (Mr. Home Robertson) on 7 December, Official Report, column 211, relating to the records kept of the political affiliations of persons nominated for or appointed to public office, what records or references to persons' political affiliations exist.
Mr. Malcolm Rifkind : I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Greater Glasgow Health Board
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when a person resident in Govan constituency was last appointed to Greater Glasgow health board.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Mental Health
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to lay before Parliament the code of practice under section 119 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984.
Mr. Rifkind : I am pleased to announce that the code has today been laid before both Houses. It contains important guidance to doctors, nurses and other professions in the care and treatment of those suffering from mental disorder and represents a further important step in enhancing the quality of life for such people.
Nuclear Power Stations (Output)
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current monthly output of each reactor at each nuclear power station in Scotland in million tonnes of coal equivalent.
Mr. Lang : I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Tobacco Industry (Sponsorship)
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will seek informtion from the tobacco industry about sporting events which it intends to sponsor in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 445
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 15 November 1989] : The tobacco companies, under a voluntary agreement dating from 1987, already inform the Government, in confidence, of their sponsorship plans for sporting events as they are decided.
Drugs (Ambulance Staff)
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions the Scottish Home and Health Department held with representatives of the Scottish ambulance service prior to the establishment of new regulations pertaining to the administration to patients by ambulance crew members of prescription-only drugs ; and if he will make a statement about the rationale for his new regulations.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Prison Sanitation
Mr. Alexander : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress made with the introduction of integral sanitation into the prison system and its consequent increase in pressure on prison places.
Mr. Mellor : All prisons built or designed since 1979 have either integral sanitation within the living accommodation or free access to sanitation. At other establishments the introduction of sanitary facilities is proceeding as quickly as possible within physical and financial constraints. Following the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Autumn Statement yesterday, a further £150 million is being provided over the next two years for prison refurbishment. The programme aims to provide over 6,500 cells with sanitation during the next seven years. To achieve this the prison service is using a range of methods which, wherever possible, do not involve the displacement of large numbers of inmates.
Remand Prisons
Mr. Alexander : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the results of his inquiry into the involvement of the private sector in remand prisons.
Mr. Mellor : In his statement on 1 March this year my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd), at columns 277-78, announced that further studies would be carried out on the likely cost-effectiveness of private remand centres. I am now considering the results of this work and expect to make an announcement soon.
Badgers
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for badger baiting there were in 1988 and 1989.
Mr. John Patten : In 1988 under the Badgers Act 1973 there were 74 prosecutions in England and Wales. Data for 1989 are not yet available.
Column 446
Rehabilitation of Offenders
Sir George Young : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to re-examine the level and type of support offered to ex-offenders to enable their successful rehabilitation and resettlement in the community.
Mr. John Patten : We are currently considering the findings of Lord Carlisle's report on the parole system in England and Wales. These have considerable implications for the supervision, support and resettlement of offenders. We hope to publish detailed proposals, some of them dealing with my hon. Friend's points, in the new year.
Television Licences
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now consider introducing free television licences for pensioners in view of the increase to take place on television licences fees ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : No. The House has rejected the idea of free TV licences for pensioners on a number of occasions. The increase in the television licence fee from next April, announced on 31 October, is in line with the increase in the RPI. As announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security on 25 October, pensions and other state benefits will rise by the same amount.
Drugs
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secrtary of State for the Home Department (1) how many needles or syringes were discovered in prison establishments in England and Wales during (a) 1986, (b) 1987, (c) 1988 and (d) so far in 1989 ;
(2) how many visitors to inmates to prison establishments in England and Wales were found to be in possession of an unlawful drug during the course of a visit in (a) 1986, (b) 1987, (c) 1988 and (d) so far in 1989 ;
(3) on how many occcasions (a) cannabis, (b) heroin and (c) cocaine has been discovered in prison establishments in England and Wales during (i) 1986, (ii) 1987, (iii) 1988 and (iv) to date in 1989.
Mr. Mellor : The following numbers of finds were reported by prison service establishments :
|Cannabis|Heroin |Cocaine |Needles |Syringes
---------------------------------------------------------------
1986 |1,709 |55 |17 |25 |55
1987 |1,676 |42 |18 |49 |92
1988 |2,424 |55 |32 |77 |114
<1>1989 |2,765 |53 |42 |91 |167
<1> To 14 November.
Note: The information requested about visitors is not
available.
Pigot Inquiry
Mrs. Golding : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the results of the Pigot inquiry will be available to the House.
Column 447
Vagrancy and Begging
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the costs incurred in arresting, detaining and prosecuting young persons in London under the Vagrancy Act 1824, and for each month of 1989 and each year since 1979.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information requested is not available.
Mr. Wall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been for
Column 448
begging and sleeping out under the Vagrancy Act 1824 as amended by the Vagrancy Act 1985 and the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 in the years 1977, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1987 and 1988 in the following police authorities : (a) Metropolitan police, (b) Merseyside, (c) Greater Manchester, (d) Thames Valley, (e) Devon and Cornwall, (f) Lancashire and (g) West Yorkshire ; and if he will give the total for England and Wales.Mr. Peter Lloyd : Information held centrally for 1980, 1983, 1986, 1987 and 1988 is given in the table. To produce such information for 1977 would involve disproportionate cost.
Column 447
Persons prosecuted for begging and sleeping out under the Vagrancy Act 1824 (as
amended)
by specific police force area for years 1980, 1983, 1986, 1987 and 1988
England and Wales
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Devon and Cornwall |1 |6 |- |5 |8 |- |1 |- |- |-
Greater Manchester |10 |3 |2 |- |2 |8 |3 |- |- |-
Lancashire |4 |4 |- |2 |- |4 |- |2 |2 |-
Merseyside |15 |7 |- |- |9 |10 |1 |- |- |1
Metropolitan police distri9181> 3341 416 500 188 45 4 9 12
Thames Valley |31 |60 |24 |13 |14 |8 |1 |- |2 |1
West Yorkshire |5 |9 |4 |4 |1 |2 |- |- |- |1
England |1,012|1,080|398 |462 |568 |272 |67 |9 |14 |16
Wales |1 |1 |- |4 |5 |4 |- |- |- |1
England and Wales |1,013|1,081|398 |466 |573 |276 |67 |9 |14 |17
<1>Including City of London.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will state the number of persons (a) fined and (b) given custodial sentences arising from prosecutions under the Vagrancy Act 1824 and Metropolitan Police Act 1839 for 1977, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1987 and 1988 for each police authority area for (a) England and (b) Wales ;
(2) if he will list by police authority area the number of persons held for questioning under the Vagrancy Act 1824 and the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 but subsequently released without being charged per year since 1979.
Column 448
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Information on the number of people held for questioning under the Vagrancy Act 1824 and the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 is not collected centrally.
Information held centrally for 1980, 1983, 1986, 1987 and 1988 on the number of persons fined and given custodial sentences under the Vagrancy Act 1824, as amended, by police force area is given in the table.
Column 447
Number of Persons sentenced to a fine or immediate custody for the
offences of begging and sleeping out under the Vagrancy Act 1824 (as
amended) by police force area for years 1980, 1983, 1986, 1987 and 1988.
England and Wales
Police force area Fined Immediate custody
|1980|1983|1986|1987|1988|1980|1983|1986|1987|1988
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon and Somerset |- |3 |- |- |- |2 |- |- |- |-
Bedfordshire |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Cambridgeshire |24 |30 |7 |5 |4 |3 |- |- |- |-
Cheshire |- |- |3 |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Cleveland |1 |1 |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |-
Cumbria |- |- |3 |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Derbyshire |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Devon and Cornwall |1 |4 |- |2 |4 |- |- |- |- |-
Dorset |1 |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Durham |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Essex |3 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Gloucester |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Greater Manchester |4 |2 |2 |- |1 |1 |- |- |- |-
Hampshire |9 |8 |- |- |- |3 |- |- |- |-
Hertfordshire |- |2 |2 |1 |1 |- |- |- |- |-
Humberside |1 |2 |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Kent |1 |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |-
Lancashire |3 |2 |- |3 |- |3 |- |- |- |-
Leicestershire |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Lincolnshire |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
City of London |7 |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Merseyside |10 |6 |- |- |7 |1 |- |- |- |-
Metropolitan Police
District |576 |719 |200 |246 |322 |93 |6 |- |- |-
Norfolk |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |-
Northamptonshire |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |-
Northumbria |1 |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |-
North Yorkshire |1 |- |- |3 |3 |- |- |- |- |-
Nottinghamshire |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |-
South Yorkshire |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |-
Staffordshire |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Suffolk |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Surrey |2 |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |-
Sussex |5 |3 |1 |2 |3 |2 |- |- |- |-
Thames Valley |24 |51 |19 |11 |8 |5 |- |- |- |-
Warwickshire |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
West Mercia |2 |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |-
West Midlands |9 |2 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
West Yorkshire |4 |5 |2 |1 |- |- |- |- |- |-
Wiltshire |2 |- |- |- |1 |1 |- |- |- |-
England |692 |842 |242 |276 |357 |117 |7 |- |- |-
Dyfed Powys |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Gwent |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
North Wales |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
South Wales |1 |1 |- |1 |2 |2 |- |- |- |-
Wales |1 |1 |- |1 |2 |2 |- |- |- |-
England and Wales |693 |843 |242 |277 |359 |119 |7 |- |- |-
Mrs. Golding : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many convictions there have been for begging and sleeping out under the Vagrancy Act 1824 in England and Wales in the years 1977, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1987 and 1988 ;
(2) how many convictions there have been for begging and sleeping out under the Vagrancy Act 1824 in the London Metropolitan police district, Merseyside, Greater
Column 450
Manchester, Thames Valley, Devon and Cornwall, Lancashire and Staffordshire police districts in the years 1977, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1987 and 1988.Mr. John Patten: Information held centrally for 1980, 1983, 1986, 1987 and 1988 is given in the table. To produce such information for 1977 would involve disproportionate cost.
Column 449
Persons convicted of begging and sleeping out under the Vagrancy Act 1824 (as amended) by specific police force area for years 1980, 1983,
1986, 1987 and 1988-England and Wales
Begging Sleeping out
Police Force Area |1980 |1983 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1980 |1983 |1986 |1987 |1988
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Devon and Cornwall |1 |5 |- |4 |8 |- |- |- |- |-
Greater Manchester |10 |3 |2 |- |1 |8 |3 |- |- |-
Lancashire |4 |2 |- |2 |- |4 |- |2 |2 |-
Merseyside |15 |6 |- |- |8 |10 |- |- |- |-
Metropolitan Police
District<1> |829 |875 |319 |396 |455 |185 |38 |3 |9 |10
Staffordshire |- |2 |- |- |- |- |1 |1 |- |-
Thames Valley |26 |54 |24 |11 |10 |8 |1 |- |2 |1
England and Wales |973 |1,015 |379 |440 |512 |269 |57 |8 |14 |13
<1> Including the City of London.
Birmingham Six
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what locations all the police records of the convictions of the Birmingham Six are held ; and whether they are available for inspection by solicitors for the prisoners.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand that all police records relating to the convictions of the Birmingham Six are held by the Devon and Cornwall constabulary on behalf of the West Midlands police, except for the forensic evidence which is held by the Director of Public Prosecutions. It would be for the chief constable of the West Midlands police to decide whether to make any particular document available for inspection, in the light of all the circumstances.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what and how many representations he has received concerning the case of the Birmingham Six ; and if he will now refer the case to the Court of Appeal.
Column 450
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 the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd), 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.
At present, there are no new grounds on which my right hon. and learned Friend would feel justified in referring this case back to the Court of Appeal, but he is always ready to consider new evidence or other considerations of substance which have not been before the courts and which appear to cast doubt upon the safety of any conviction.
Confessional Evidence
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of conviction on the basis of confessional evidence have been (a) received by him,
Column 451
(b) referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions or police investigation and (c) referred to the Court of Appeal each year since 1979.Mr. John Patten : The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Offences (Northern Ireland)
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners convicted of offences in Northern Ireland are currently serving sentences in English, Scottish and Welsh prisons ; and how many have been returned to Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland to complete their sentences.
Mr. Mellor : The table gives the numbers of permanent transfers of prisoners under section 26(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1961 between England and Wales and Northern Ireland since 1980. Information about how many transferred prisoners are still in custody could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Year |From Northern Ireland|To Northern Ireland ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1980 |3 |1 1981 |2 |- 1982 |1 |- 1983 |2 |3 1984 |3 |1 1985 |- |4 1986 |- |2 1987 |- |3 1988 |- |10 <1>1989 |4 |14 <1> To 13 October.
Transfers of prisoners between Northern Ireland and Scotland are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.
Transfers of prisoners are not possible between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland as, although the Republic of Ireland has signed the Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons, it has not yet ratified it. The United Kingdom ratified the convention in 1985.
Prevention of Terrorism Act
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each year since 1974 the number of persons (a) interviewed, (b) charged and (c) convicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Mr. Waddington : The readily available information on those detained under the prevention of terrorism legislation of Great Britain is published quarterly in Home Office statistical bulletins which are placed in the Library ; the latest, issue 36/89, gives information on those detained up to the third quarter of 1989. Information on the outcome of charges following detention under this legislation is published in the end of year bulletins in this series ; tables 6 and 7 of issue 3/89 give the figures for those detained over the period of the current legislation. Figures relating to earlier legislation can be obtained from corresponding earlier bulletins in this series.
Column 452
Republic of Korea
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea made applications for visas to enter the United Kingdom during the last five years ; and how many were successful.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information is not available.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons from the Republic of Korea applied for visas to enter the United Kingdom during the last five years ; and how many succeeded.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Information on applications received in the Republic of Korea for entry clearance to the United Kingdom is not available, but information on applications granted and refused initially is given in the table. Nationals of the Republic of Korea do not need an entry clearance to visit the United Kingdom.
Applications in the Republic of Korea for entry clearance<1> to the
United Kingdom
Number of persons
Year <2>Applications
|<3>Granted |Refused initially
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984 |570 |n/a
1985 |770 |n/a
1986 |540 |n/a
1987 |360 |<4>-
1988 |340 |60
n/a Not available.
<1> Including applications for a certificate of entitlement to (or,
prior to August 1988, a confirmation of) the right of abode in the
United Kingdom.
<2> These applications may have been received in an earlier period.
<3> Granted initially or on appeal.
<4> Five or fewer.
Stolen Cars (Deaths)
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been (a) killed whilst driving stolen cars and (b) killed by drivers of stolen cars on Merseyside in the last five years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand from the chief constable of Merseyside that between 1984 and 1988, 15 persons were killed whilst driving stolen vehicles in Merseyside. During the same period the number of persons killed by drivers of stolen vehicles was 15 (of these, nine persons were occupants of stolen vehicles and six were pedestrians or occupants of other vehicles). In 1989 up to 31 October, three deaths have occurred : two occupants or drivers of stolen cars and one other road user.
Rape in Marriage
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about rape in marriage ; what assessment his Department has made of the Scottish law on rape in marriage ; whether he will ask the Criminal Law Revision Committee to give further consideration to the issue of rape in marriage ; and what plans he has to bring forward legislation to outlaw rape in marriage.
Mr. John Patten : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Column 453
Private Nurseries
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what guidelines have been issued to the group charged with establishing voluntary accreditation for private nurseries ; (2) what moneys have been allocated to the setting up of the voluntary accreditation scheme for private nurseries ;
(3) whether he has agreed the membership of the group to issue voluntary accreditation to private day nurseries ; and if he will make a statement.
| Next Section
| Home Page |