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Mr. Peter Lloyd : Information on police forces in England and Wales, for which my right hon. and learned Friend has responsibility, is as follows :
|Probationer |Percentage of
constables |strength
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Metropolitan Police<1> |3,582 |12.7
Provincial forces<2> |9,249 |9.7
<1>As at 27 November 1989.
<2>As at 31 December 1988.
Shops Act 1950
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to seek to amend the Shops Act 1950 in the light of the recent conclusion of the European Court ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : The Government have made it clear that they favour reform of the law but that legislation depends on agreement being reached on proposals that would command widespread support. This is not the case at present.
Neighbourhood Watch
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of neighbourhood watch schemes in the Easington constituency in the years 1986, 1987 and 1988 ; and what steps he is taking to promote and extend the scheme.
Mr. John Patten : There were seven neighbourhood watch schemes in Easington in 1986, 17 schemes in 1987 and 30 schemes in 1988. The national crime prevention organisation Crime Concern was set up in 1988, to stimulate local crime prevention activity, including neighbourhood watch : its recent work has included a conference on the management of neighbourhood watch schemes held on 30 November and attended by over 70 representatives of police forces. The launch in October of phase 3 of the Home Office's crime prevention publicity campaign saw the publication of the third edition of the handbook "Practical Ways to Crack Crime", which contains a wealth of advice on neighbourhood watch.
Street Lighting
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received regarding inadequate street lighting from (a) women and (b) pensioners ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : We have received six representations in the last 18 months from women and pensioners, including one from the hon. Member for Hackney, North and Stoke Newington (Ms. Abbot) and one from the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody). We have also received representations from members of the Parliament lighting group. We recognise that there is
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considerable public concern about the possible link between street lighting and crime. This is why we are undertaking research, most notably in the London borough of Wandsworth, to examine that link. Interim results from this research should be available during the first half of next year.Lighting is only one factor to be considered in preventing crime and reducing the fear of crime. The Government have made available advice on the personal safety of women and the elderly in the publication "Practical Ways to Crack Crime", of which nearly 3 million copies have been distributed.
Birmingham Six
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his reasons for advising against the decision of the European Parliament to launch an investigation into circumstances surrounding the conviction of the Birmingham Six.
Mr. John Patten : As my right hon. and learned Friend said in reply to another question from my hon. Friend on 29 November, we believe that it would be wholly inappropriate for the European Parliament to inquire into the convictions of the Birmingham Six, which are within national competence.
Life Sentences
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates at present in prisons in England and Wales and serving a life sentence have been in prison for more than (a) 15 years, (b) 20 years, (c) 25 years and (d) 30 years.
Mr. Mellor : The information is published annually in "Prison Statistics England and Wales" (table 8.3 of the latest issue, for 1988, Cm 825). The latest available information is given in the table.
Life sentence prisoners held under their original
sentence<1> in Prison
Service establishments in England and Wales on 30
September 1989:
by time spent under sentence in such establishments
Years spent under |Number of
sentence<2> |prisoners<3>
-----------------------------------------------------------
Up to 15 years |2,463
Over 15 up to 20 years |154
Over 20 up to 25 years |45
Over 25 up to 30 years |7
Over 30 years |4
|-------
Total |2,673
<1> Excluding 104 prisoners recalled following an earlier
release on licence.
<2> Excluding any time spent on remand in custody or in
Non-Prison Service establishments.
<3> The figures are those recorded centrally and are
approximate: detailed checking of individual cases would
involve disproportionate cost.
Relocation
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all office relocations of his Department's staff since May 1979, stating in each case the location of origin and the location of transfer, together with the numbers of staff transferred.
Mr. Waddington : Since 1979, four main units of the Home Office have been relocated in part or in whole. The
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computing and pay services division (301 posts) was relocated from London to Bootle in 1982-83 ; the prison service south-east regional office (74 posts) from Tolworth to Woking in 1987 ; 88 posts were transferred from the London passport office to Glasgow in 1988- 89 ; and 108 posts in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board from London to Glasgow in 1989.Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what relocations of his Department's staff, or agencies relating thereto, are currently being considered ; and what are the numbers of staff affected.
Mr. Waddington : As I said in my reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 10 November 1989 at column 802, I am considering the possible relocation from the London area of a number of Home Office functions. No firm indication can be given at present as to the number of staff who would be affected.
Law of Evidence (Confessions)
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will propose legislation to reform the criminal law of England so that evidence as to a confession by an accused person cannot, of itself, be sufficient to found a finding of guilt.
Mr. John Patten : We shall consider what changes in law or practice may be needed as regards confession evidence and other matters in the light of the findings of the judicial inquiry which is being conducted by Sir John May into the convictions of the Guildford Four and the Maguire family.
Prison Meals
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prison meals are served on a daily basis ; and what percentage are special diet meals ;
(2) what consultation takes place where prisons provide special meals for ethnic minorities, vegetarians and vegans to ensure that such foodstuffs are palatable, nutritious, balanced and that menus are not repetitive and unsustaining ;
(3) what percentage of prisons accommodate special diets for ethnic minorities ; and how many meals are served on a daily basis ; (4) what percentage of prisons provide meals for vegans ; and how many such meals are prepared daily ;
(5) what percentage of prisons provide meals for vegetarians ; and how many such meals are prepared daily.
Mr. Mellor : Details of inmates in minority groups and their location are not recorded centrally. In total about 146,000 meals are served daily to inmates in prison service establishments in England and Wales, of which about 26,000 (18 per cent.) are estimated to be variations from the normal dietary.
All meals are prepared according to centrally determined dietary scales designed to meet published nutritional standards which accommodate recognised food preferences.
Each establishment prepares special meals to meet the needs of its current population, and also varies its standard menus to take into account known preferences. The number of meals served to certain minority groups is estimated as follows :
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8,500 for a variety of ethnic minorities.1,200 for vegans.
15,000 for vegetarians.
1,500 for inmates requiring a modified diet under
prescription from a medical officer.
Animal Experiments
Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to reduce the incidence of the LD50 test on animals in research laboratories ; and if he will make it his policy that no further licences be issued.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We welcome the initiative by British scientists in the European Community and the OECD to reduce the need for this test for the classification of substances. We have no plans to refuse licences where my right hon. and learned Friend is satisfied that the work is justified under section 5 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Victim Support Schemes
Mr. Hague : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victim support schemes now operate in England and Wales.
Mr. John Patten : Three hundred and fifty four.
Byelaws
Mr. Hayes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many personnel are assigned to work relating to byelaws ; and at what cost.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The equivalent of 5.25 full-time staff work on applications for byelaws. The cost (salaries, accommodation and office services) is £115,000 a year.
Departmental Archives
Mr. James Lamond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the documents and archives confiscated by the Home Office following raids on the printers Kommunistischer Arbeiter Bildungverein in 1917 or 1918 at their premises in Charlotte street, London W1, and on the International Socialist Club, 28 City road, London EC1 in 1920, are still in the possession of his Department.
Mr. Waddington : I have set inquiries in hand to locate any papers relating to these incidents and will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
DEFENCE
Red Arrows
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the figures for 1988-89 for (a) recruits attracted and (b) the cost of the programme (i) per machine or pilot and (ii) per show after displays by the Red Arrows display team.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I regret that the information on recruits is not available. The operating costs of the Red Arrows' flying programme are approximately £13.5 million per annum at 1988-89 prices.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for each of the last 15 years the venues at which the
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Red Arrows have displayed their skills ; and if he will make a statement regarding the preliminary list for consideration in December of next year's programme.Mr. Archie Hamilton : I regret that the list of venues could be provided only at disproportionate cost and effort. However, the Red Arrows have given some 1,600 displays since 1975. As regards the 1990 programme, I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member on 3 November at column 379.
UK-US Liaison
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will identify and date the United States-United Kingdom bilateral agreements made within the framework of United Kingdom-United States wartime host nation support lines of communication arrangement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The United States-United Kingdom lines of communication arrangement has been in existence since 1973 and permits the United States to establish, operate and maintain lines of communication and ancililary facilties in the United Kingdom for use under emergency conditions as part of their NATO obligations. Joint contingency plans in support of this arrangement have been drawn up. The arrangement and the details of the plans are classified.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will identify the posts, ranks and responsibilities of United Kingdom military personnel designated to liaise with the United States European command logistics co-ordinator in the United Kingdom (a) in peacetime, (b) in crisis and (c) in war.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Liaison with the United States European command logistics co-ordination centre is co-ordinated through the Ministry of Defence central staffs. Regular contacts are maintained at Major/Colonel level involving those sections within the central staffs with responsibility for wartime contingency planning.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will identify the United Kingdom civil agencies and Government Departments which liaise with the headquarters United States European command logistics co-ordinator in the United Kingdom (a) in peacetime, (b) in crisis and (c) in war ;
(2) if he will identify the United Kingdom military and civilian bodies and agencies designated to develop and maintain the United States-United Kingdom wartime host nation support/lines of communication programme (a) in peacetime, (b) in crisis and (c) in war ;
(3) if he will identify the United Kingdom military and Government Departments represented on the United States-United Kingdom lines of communication joint planning group.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Government Departments which would be involved in the provision of host nation support to United States forces and from civil resources in time of crisis are as follows : Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise
Ministry of Defence
Department of Employment
Department of Energy
Department of the Environment
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Department of HealthHome Office
Department of Transport
Scottish Office
Welsh Office
Each of these Departments is represented on the United States-United Kingdom lines of communication joint planning group or its sub-committees. They also liaise direct with the headquarters, United States European command logistics co-ordination centre in the United Kingdom as necessary, although co-ordination is maintained by the Ministry of Defence central staffs.
A number of civil agencies are also consulted, as necessary, in drawing up the joint contingency plans. This is invariably managed through, or on their behalf by, the relevant Government Department.
Nuclear Test Veterans
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will order a medical study of all surviving British nuclear test veterans to compare results with the statistical mortality study carried out by the National Radiological Protection Board.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : As the hon. Member is aware, the Government rely on the independent and expert advice of the National Radiological Protection Board on matters concerning the overall health of the British nuclear test participant group with respect to their involvement in the British nuclear test programme. It is not for the Government to dictate the methodology or conduct of the NRPB studies, but I am advised by the NRPB that it is not practicable to carry out a health study of living test veterans to produce meaningful, unbiased results.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department had discussions with the Australian Government prior to the announcement by their Minister for Primary Industry that compensation for Australian nuclear test veterans was warranted following a recent British Government decision to compensate its veterans.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There were no discussions with the Australian Federal Government prior to their announcement. The reference to a recent British Government decision to compensate its veterans is not understood. However, the Government would be ready to pay appropriate compensation wherever the Crown's legal liability was established and where there was firm evidence to show that, on a balance of probabilities, ex-service men had suffered ill health as a result of exposure to radiation during the course of their duties as members of the armed forces.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he is taking to investigate the extent to which British nuclear test veterans, who suffered extensive violent skin rashes immediately following nuclear tests, are today suffering from damage to their immune systems associated with radiation contamination.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The procedures and very stringent precautions adopted during the test programme were such that no significant level of surface radioactivity arose, and the consequential radiation doses to surface tissues were negligible. There were no reported, observed
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or treated superficial tissue disorders related to radioactivity or radiation exposures at the time of the tests or subsequently.Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to compensate Pacific islanders, in line with United States proposals, for conditions arising after British nuclear tests there.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to the hon. Gentleman.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel were present on Christmas Island during the detonation of nuclear materials, at the exact time of each test.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : A total of some 11,000 members of Her Majesty's forces were present during one or more of the British nuclear tests carried out at Malden and Christmas islands in the period 1957 to 1962, and the total resource provided by these members amounts to 16,000 man-trials. Details of the numbers present at the exact time of each test can be obtained from service records only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will undertake a survey of the tropical diseases from which British nuclear test veterans may still be suffering.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There are no grounds for carrying out a special survey of the tropical diseases being suffered by participants in the British nuclear test programme.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why it was decided that the Medical Research Council should not continue to monitor British nuclear test veterans after their tour of duty associated with nuclear testing.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Government remain confident that the precautions taken during the British nuclear test programme were adequate to ensure that participants suffered no harm as a result of their participation. When the United Kingdom undertook the programme, the Medical Research Council did not advise that comprehensive monitoring of United Kingdom test participants should be carried out either during or after the tests, and from the evidence accumulated since there are no grounds for changing that policy.
Relocation
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all office relocations of his Department's staff since May 1979, stating in each case the location of origin and the location of transfer, together with the numbers of staff transferred.
Mr. Neubert : It is not possible to provide the detail requested without disproportionate effort and cost. However, the following table sets out some of the larger moves either completed or approved :
Original location |Number of |Destination
|posts
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
London/South East |1,400 |Glasgow
London |54 |Yeovilton
London |164 |Bath
London |50 |Harrogate
Portsmouth |60 |Cheadle Hulme
London |156 |Bath (1990-91)
London /Devizes |240 |Swindon (1990-91)
Woolwich/Donnington/ |250 |Llangennech (1989-91)
Portsmouth
New Unit |250 |Sutton Coldfield (1989-91)
Woolwich/Bromley |1,500 |Teesside (1993-95)
|------
Total |4,124
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what relocations of his Department's staff or agencies relating thereto are currently being considered ; and what are the numbers of staff affected.
Mr. Neubert : The most significant element of MOD relocation planning involves major groups within the Procurement Executive. The land and air systems controllerates (3,800 posts in London) are evaluating various site options. The sea systems controllerate (3,500 posts in Bath, Portland and Portsdown) are examining the collocation of its organisation. In addition, there are a number of studies in train which may yield further relocation possibilities, provided that the economic and operational aspects of a move are positive.
Manpower
Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the manpower estimates for Her Majesty's armed forces for the years from 1990 to 1992 ; and what will be the effect of the recent announcement that more categories will be open to women.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Manpower estimates for the armed forces as at 1 April 1990 were published in the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989". The manpower estimates for 1 April 1991 will be published in the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1990" in due course. It is not our practice to publish manpower estimates for future years as these are produced for our own management purposes only.
Following recent announcements by the Army and the RAF on the wider employment of women, female recruiting targets have been increased. A recent study offers the prospects of up to 6,000 posts in the Regular Army being made available to women. The RAF's female recruiting targets have been increased by 400 ground air women per annum between 1 April 1989 and 1 April 1994 and by 35 female pilots and navigators per annum from 1989-90.
ENERGY
Gas Imports
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much gas was imported during the last year for which he has figures.
Mr. Peter Morrison : In 1988 the United Kingdom imported 15.5 million tonnes coal-equivalent of natural gas.
Source : Customs and Excise, overseas trade statistics as published in the Department of Energy, Digest of Energy Statistics.
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Opencast Mining
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list, by year for the last 10 years, the tonnages of opencast coal that have been mined.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The information requested, which includes production from licensed mines, is as follows :
|Million
|tonnes
------------------------
1979 |12.9
1980 |15.8
1981 |14.8
1982 |15.3
1983 |14.7
1984 |14.3
1985 |15.6
1986 |14.3
1987 |15.8
1988 |17.9
Source: Digest of
United Kingdom Energy
Statistics, Table 14.
Low-energy Light Bulbs
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will take steps to reduce the cost of low-energy light bulbs to the general public ; and what plans he has to make the public more aware of them.
Mr. Peter Morrison : The high cost of low-energy lamps reflects their considerably greater complexity and consequent difficulty of manufacture compared with ordinary tungsten filament lamps. However, their extra initial cost is more than offset by their much longer lifetimes and lower electricity consumption. My energy efficiency office will continue to promote energy efficient lighting along with other energy efficiency measures.
Mr. Walter Patterson
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department has sought the views of the author Mr. Walter Patterson on energy policies and conservation.
Mr. John Wakeham : On various occasions members of my Department have met Mr. Walter Patterson. On no occasion were his views on energy policies and conservation sought.
Uranium
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he collects on the price of internationally traded uranium and on internationally traded reactor fuel grade low-enriched uranium.
Mr. Michael Spicer : My Department collects no such information but is aware of studies produced by a number of organisations.
Colliery Costs, North-East
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will list, colliery by colliery, costs borne by British Coal north-east area to the North East electricity board for power consumed at Munton, Easington, Vane Tempest, Dawdon, Ellington, Westo and Wearmouth collieries in the years 1986, 1987 and 1988 ; (2) if he will list, colliery by colliery, the costs borne by British Coal north-east area of mining machinery supplies
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