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Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average time taken to process applications for new passports at each office from time of receipt to date of issue as at the first day of each month in 1989 ; and what was the average time taken to process applications for (a) renewal and (b) amendments to passports at each office from time of receipt to date of issue on the first day of each month in 1989.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I regret that the information is not available in precisely the form requested. The processing times in working days for straightforward non-urgent applications of all types are shown in the table and relate to applications completed on the dates shown.
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|London |Liverpool |Peterborough|Newport |Glasgow |Belfast
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January |19 |9 |11 |5 |<1> |2
February |13 |21 |13 |17 |14 |3
March |20 |28 |21 |23.5 |<1> |4
April |18 |40 |24 |28 |28 |4
May |20 |59 |33 |40 |47 |4
June |30 |77 |42 |46 |52 |7
July |37 |97 |56 |48 |59 |3
August |36 |110 |76 |45.5 |61 |3
September |16 |88 |35 |21.5 |48 |3
October |15 |19 |12 |7 |30 |3
November |15 |15 |14 |4.5 |11 |3
December |9 |7 |10 |3.5 |11 |3
<1> Information Not Available
Note: Figures are those at the first weekend of each month in 1989
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of staff (a) in post and (b) actually on duty on the first day of each month in 1989.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : The table shows (a) the number of staff in post and (b) on duty at each regional passport office on the first working day of each month on 1989.
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London Liverpool PeterboroughNewport Glasgow Belfast
|(a) |(b) |(a) |(b) |(a) |(b) |(a) |(b) |(a) |(b) |(a) |(b)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January |278.5|271.5|198.5|140.5|184 |139 |201 |161 |135.5|102.5|12 |9
February |282 |268 |228.5|196.5|224.5|194.5|232 |212 |154.5|137 |13 |9
March |275 |260 |263.5|222 |246.5|200.5|235.5|199.5|177.5|155 |17 |16
April |278 |260 |273 |206 |240.5|217 |235.5|187.5|192.5|163.5|21 |17
May |284.5|268.5|284 |225.5|258.5|228.5|251 |218 |208.5|172 |19 |15
June |278.5|270 |293 |158.5|254.5|210 |235 |199 |216.5|185 |21.5 |21.5
July |276 |269 |290 |235 |247.5|187 |237 |194 |216.5|171.5|29.5 |26.5
August |276.5|261.5|278 |215.5|240 |195.5|219 |170 |211.5|161.5|31.5 |22.5
September |239.5|228.5|271 |203.5|222.5|170.5|210 |165 |212.5|152 |30 |23
October |226 |221 |265.5|197.5|231.5|199.5|201 |178 |202.5|169 |27 |26
November |208 |192 |251.5|171.5|217.5|194.5|205 |172 |210 |175 |40 |38
December |204 |192 |253.5|171.5|216.5|181.5|207 |181 |210 |140 |44.5 |39.5
Column (a) numbers of staff in post.
Column (b) number of staff on duty.
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate (a) the number of hours' overtime, (b) the average number of hours' overtime, and (c) the cost of such overtime to each passport office in each month in 1989.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : The table shows the monthly number of hours overtime worked at each regional passport office and the estimated cost of such overtime in 1989.
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|London |Liverpool |Peterborough|Newport |Glasgow |Belfast
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January Hours |3,877 |4,383 |4,251 |4,387 |1,935 |-
£ |35,035 |39,607 |38,414 |39,643 |17,486 |-
February Hours |4,212 |9,354 |4,036 |5,180 |4,302 |-
£ |38,062 |84,528 |36,472 |46,809 |38,875 |-
March Hours |5,779 |14,591 |7,455 |6,415 |4,369 |-
£ |52,222 |131872 |67,368 |57,970 |39,481 |-
April Hours |4,654 |7,821 |5,617 |5,334 |6,296 |378
£ |42,056 |70,657 |50,758 |48,201 |56,894 |3,416
May Hours |4,692 |8,209 |8,321 |3,778 |4,720 |971
£ |42,400 |74,181 |75,193 |34,140 |42,653 |8,774
June Hours |2,806 |5,223 |4,019 |3,019 |4,841 |822
£ |25,357 |47,198 |36,318 |27,281 |43,746 |7,428
July Hours |4,747 |6,330 |4,205 |4,292 |5,969 |1,373
£ |42,897 |57,201 |37,999 |38,785 |53,939 |12,407
August Hours |4,886 |6,297 |4,173 |4,013 |3,140 |528
£ |44,153 |56,903 |37,710 |36,264 |28,375 |4,771
September Hours |3,125 |2,555 |3,550 |3,212 |2,991 |856
£ |28,239 |23,088 |32,080 |29,025 |27,028 |7,735
October Hours |- |3,048 |256 |- |2,825 |753
£ |- |27,543 |2,313 |- |25,528 |6,805
November Hours |692 |433 |434 |- |805 |443
£ |6,253 |3,913 |3,922 |- |7,274 |4,003
December Hours |504 |- |82 |- |75 |-
£ |4,554 |- |741 |- |678 |-
Rape
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many men received sentences for rape of five years and over in each of the last 15 years ; how many received sentences of under five years ; and how many received non-custodial sentences in the same period ;
(2) how many rapes were reported in each of the last 15 years ; and how many resulted in (a) a charge, (b) a prosecution and (c) a conviction ;
(3) what was the average sentence for rape in each of the past 15 years.
Mr. John Patten : Data for 1989 will not be available until autumn 1990. Information for 1984 to 1988 is given in the table. To produce further information for each year from 1974 would involve disproportionate cost.
Table 1-Males sentenced for rape offences 1984 to 1988
England and Wales
Immediate custody
Year |Total |Non- |Under |Over |Life |Average
|sentenced|custodial|5 years |5 years |sentence
|length
|years
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984 |257 |10 |170 |70 |7 |3.7
1985 |339 |10 |192 |128 |9 |4.5
1986 |329 |7 |123 |187 |12 |5.5
1987 |349 |5 |73 |259 |12 |6.2
1988 |413 |22 |176 |205 |10 |6.2
Table 2-Notifiable offences <1> of rape and persons proceeded
against
and found guilty of rape 1984 to 1988
England and Wales
Year |Notifiable |Proceeded |Found guilty
|offences<1> |against
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1984 |1,433 |568 |258
1985 |1,842 |728 |342
1986 |2,288 |794 |330
1987 |2,471 |902 |349
1988 |2,855 |1,103 |420
<1> Includes attempts and other' rape offences.
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken on the Women's National Commission's 1985 recommendation
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that the question of consent should be reconsidered with the aim of reforming the law on rape to make it clear that the alleged rapist's assumptions about the complainant's consent should be reasonable.Mr. John Patten : Section 1(2) of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1976 provides that any jury considering a defence based on the accused's belief that the woman was consenting to intercourse should have regard to the presence of absence or reasonable grounds for such a belief. In addition, the courts have held that a man who was reckless as to whether the woman consented should also be held guilty.
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what circulars he has issued on what dates, to police forces concerning the special needs of victims in relation to rape trauma syndrome.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Home Office circular 69/1986, issued on 1 October 1986, set out the special needs of rape victims, and emphasised the need for police to understand the different ways in which victims may react. This circular was issued in response to recommendations made by the National Women's Commission on rape trauma syndrome and other matters.
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has issued any circulars on the under-reporting of rape and sexual assault to police forces in England and Wales.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : No. However, guidance to the police seeks to encourage increased reporting by stress the need to provide improved facilities for the reception and examination of victims of rape and sexual assault and to deal with them in a sympathetic and understanding manner.
Equal Opportunities
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his Department's management training courses include sessions on equal opportunities for women ; and what proportion of
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managers at grade six level and above working outside headquarters has received training on equal opportunities for women.Mr. Waddington : All the Department's centrally run management courses include sessions on equal opportunities ; detailed information on management training provided locally is not held centrally. The other information requested is not available.
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken to implement the recommendations within his area of responsibility of the European Commission's childcare network report : "Caring for Children--Services and Policies for Childcare and Equal Opportunities in the United Kingdom."
Mr. John Patten : The report was prepared for the European Commission which has not developed any proposals. The Government believe that policy on child care is a matter for member states. The United Kingdom's policy is that it is for families themselves to determine how their children are to be brought up and how parents who wish to do so can best combine paid work and family responsibilities. The issue is kept under review by the ministerial group on women's issues.
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what child care provision for pre-school age children is provided for employees of his Department ; what child care provision for school holidays or after-school care is provided for employees' children aged five years or over ; what plans there are for increasing provision in the next five years ; and how these are to be funded.
Mr. Waddington : The Home Office plans to provide nursery places for pre-school age children of its staff in Croydon and Bootle shortly and is considering the possibility of making similar provision in London ; holiday play-scheme places have already been made available for the children of staff in Croydon, Bootle and Westminster. Management have contributed funds and staff to these initiatives, but there will also be a charge for places.
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what grade is his Department's equal opportunities officer.
Mr. Waddington : My Department has two equal opportunities officers : one for staff in the prison service who is a grade 6, and one for all other staff who is a grade 5.
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has implemented to ensure that recruitment and promotion policy in his Department does not directly or indirectly discriminate against applicants who were mature students or women returning to work following a career break due to child care.
Mr. Waddington : Recruitment advertising has been amended to carry a positive equal opportunities message and a recently issued booklet promoting managerial careers in the Department specifically addresses those returning to work after a break of any kind.
Arrangements have recently been made to ensure that staff on special leave, including those who are taking a
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career break, as well as those on maternity leave are eligible for consideration by promotion boards. Seniority requirements for eligibility for promotion have also been reduced and opportunities for part-time working, in management grades as well as at junior levels, are being significantly increased.Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of civil servants in his Department are women at each of the grades (a) seven, (b) six, (c) five, (d) four, (e) three, (f) two and (g) one.
Mr. Waddington : The proportion of female civil servants in the Home Office in the grades for which information is requested is as follows :
Grade |Per cent. ------------------------------ 7 |16 6 |6 5 |18 4 |25 3 |9 2 |0 1 |0
Domestic Violence
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police units are trained especially for domestic violence in each police force in England and Wales.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Information on such units is not collected centrally. We understand that there are 33 units in the Metropolitan police specifically dedicated to dealing with domestic violence, eight in the West Yorkshire police and one in the Northumbria police. Officers in these units have received basic training, which provides some guidance on dealing with domestic violence, and there are also opportunities for officers to attend specialist courses or seminars.
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports were made to police in each force area of England and Wales of domestic violence in each of the past 15 years ; and how many resulted in (a) a charge, (b) a prosecution and (c) a conviction.
Mr. John Patten : Information on notifiable offences of violence against the person is published annually in table 2.8 of "Criminal Statistics England and Wales". Regular information on domestic violence is not reported separately to this Department by police forces in England and Wales. However, detailed information on homicide is presented in chapter 4 of the above publication. Some incomplete information was published in "Criminal Statistics" in 1979 and 1980. In addition, results obtained from a special survey of violent crime recorded by the police and from the 1988 British crime survey were published in Home Office research bulletin No. 27. There is also some information in chapter 7 of "Domestic Violence" Home Office research study 107. Copies of all these publications are available in the Library. Information on prosecutions and convictions is not collected in sufficient detail to distinguish domestic violence.
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Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what improvements have been made since 1985 in data collection on domestic violence.Mr. Peter Lloyd : Data on domestic violence are not collated centrally. We are considering recommending to chief officers that where they do not already collect data on the incidence of domestic violence in their area, they should do so.
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action has been taken in the last 12 months, following the Women's National Commission's 1985 recommendation that a circular be issued by his Department to give guidance and encouragement to chief constables to review training and procedures on the handling of cases of domestic violence.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : A circular was issued in October 1986 in response to the Women's National Commission's recommendations. During the past 12 months we have reviewed police procedures in relation to domestic violence, and we expect to issue a revised circular within the next few months.
Attacks on Women
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of physical attacks on women there have been in each of the last 25 years in England and Wales ; and how many resulted in (a) a charge, (b) a prosecution and (c) a conviction.
Mr. John Patten : Information on notifiable offences of violence against the person is published annually in table 2.8 of "Criminal Statistics England and Wales". Regular information on the sex of victims of such offences is not reported separately to this Department by police forces in England and Wales. However, detailed information on homicide is presented in chapter 4 of that publication. In addition, results obtained from a special survey of violent crime recorded by the police and from the 1988 British crime survey were published in Home Office research bulletin No. 27. Information on prosecutions and convictions is not collected in sufficient detail to identify the sex of victims.
Women in Custody
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women are in custody for conviction of (a) non-violent crime and (b) violent crime ; and what was the comparable figure in each of the past five years.
Mr. Mellor : The readily available information relates to sentenced prisoners and is published annually in "Prison Statistics England and Wales", table 1.8 of the latest volume for 1988, Cm. 825, a copy of which is in the Library. Provisional information for 1989 is given in the table.
Population<1> in prison service establishments of
females under
sentence on 30 June 1989: by offence group
Offence group |Number<2>
--------------------------------------------------------
Violence against the person |220
Sexual offences<3> |20
Robbery |80
Other offences<4> |860
Not recorded |80
Fine defaulters |20
|-------
All offences |1,280
<1> Provisional figures.
<2> Rounded estimates.
<3> Including rape.
<4> Burglary, theft, handling, fraud, forgery, drugs
and other offences.
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women, by nationality, are in custody awaiting deportation ; and what was the comparable information in each of the past five years.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : On 31 January 1990 nine women were detained under the Immigration Act 1971 pending removal under the deportation powers. On these, four were Nigerian, one Ghanaian, one Jamaican, one Moroccan, one Colombian and one French. Details for the corresponding date in the previous five years are :
1989--6 (one Filipino, four Nigerians and one Indian)
1988--5 (two Ghanaians, one Ugandan, one Nigerian,
one citizen of Sierra Leone)
1987--3 (one Jamaican, one Ghanaian, one nationality
doubtful)
1986--1 (Ghanaian)
1985--0.
These figures do not include women serving custodial sentences who are also the subject of deportation proceedings.
Sexual Harassment
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's policy on sexual harassment at work ; whether guidance on reporting complaints has been issued to all staff ; how many complaints have been reported in the past five years ; and what disciplinary action has been taken.
Mr. Waddington : Sexual harassment is under all circumstances unacceptable to the Department. All staff have been advised of the appropriate avenues for complaints of such behaviour and where complaints are substantiated disciplinary procedures apply. Eleven complaints have been reported to personnel management divisions in the last five years. The action taken has included warnings and reprimands and, in one case, a ban on promotion for one year. There is no central record of complaints dealt with locally.
Sentencing Guidelines
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sentencing guidelines exist for women with dependent children ; and when these were last revised.
Mr. John Patten : Sentencing is a matter for the courts. The Court of Appeal has made it clear that custody should be used only when a court considers it absolutely necessary. We are revising the handbook "The Sentence of the Court" and the new edition will refer specifically to women offenders with family responsibilities. The national standards for community service orders, which came into effect on 1 April 1989, asked probation areas to ensure that community service placements are available for women offenders, including those who are pregnant, and offenders with young children.
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Women Police Officers
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has issued any circular to police forces in England and Wales on the role of women police officers in relation to crime involving women and children.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : No circular has been issued relating specifically to that subject. However, circular 69/1986, issued in October 1986, sets out the response agreed between the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers to the recommendation made by the Women's National Commission on the role of women police officers.
Pin-ups
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will issue instructions for the removal of all photographs of females in various stages of undress from all his departmental premises.
Mr. Waddington : All managers have been advised, and are reminded from time to time, to ensure that no material which is likely to be found sexually offensive is displayed in the workplace ; and to deal promptly with any complaints.
Prisons
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons have specialist mother and baby units.
Mr. Mellor : Three prison establishments--Her Majesty's prison Holloway, Her Majesty's prison Askham Grange, and Her Majesty's prison and young offender institution, Styal--have mother and baby units. It is planned to build a further unit at Her Majesty's prison and young offender institution, New Hall in 1991-92.
Mr. Heffer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the 40 sites considered in the north-west for prison sites are (a) adjacent to a hospital, (b) within two to three miles of an existing prison, (c) built-up areas, (d) opposed by the local authorities and (e) acceptable to the local authorities ; and if he will list them.
Mr. Mellor : Most of the information is not readily available on an accurate basis as preliminary consideration indicated that the site was not suitable for our purpose and a detailed investigation was not made. Planning consents were refused by the local authority in respect of sites at Kirkham, Orrell Lane (Bootle) and Rochdale.
Child Abuse
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents in each of the past 10 years have been reported of physical or sexual abuse of a child by the child's blood father out of the total number of such incidents.
Mr. John Patten : The information requested is not collected centrally. Estimates of the numbers of children who were victims of certain violent or sexual offences in 1984 were published in table 2 of the Home Office
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statistical bulletin 29/86. Some results from an ad hoc survey of violent crime recorded by the police in 1985-87 and from the 1988 British crime survey were published in Home Office research bulletin No. 27. Information on criminal proceedings for offences involving violence against children in May 1988 was published in Home Office statistical bulletin 42/89. Copies of these publications are available in the Library.Prostitution
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will seek to abolish the term common prostitute ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : No. We believe that the present arrangements--that the police make a record when they caution a woman for soliciting, and that convictions under the Street Offences Act 1959 depend upon the woman having been cautioned on an earlier occasion--are satisfactory.
Litter
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the number and amount of each fine levied for offences involving litter in Wales since 1 January 1985 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : The information requested is given in the table. Data for 1989 will not be available until autumn 1990.
Number of persons fined in Wales under section 1(3) of the
Litter Act 1983
Amount of fine |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under £20 including |42 |63 |56 |23
£20 and under £50 |63 |89 |93 |93
£50 and under £100 |18 |19 |19 |21
Over £100<1> |6 |1 |5 |3
|------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |129 |172 |173 |140
<1> Maximum fine was £150 (in 1985 and 1987).
Direct Broadcasting by Satellite
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will issue guidelines on the portrayal of women in respect of direct broadcasting by satellite.
Mr. Waddington : The regulation of television services, including satellite services, is a matter for the regulatory bodies established for this purpose by Parliament, not for the Government.
The service to be provided by British Satellite Broadcasting will be regulated by the IBA under the Broadcasting Act 1981. Other satellite services currently available direct to home are regulated by the Cable Authority under the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984, by virtue of the fact that they are also relayed by cable. Under clauses 38 to 40 of the Broadcasting Bill all satellite services originating in the United Kingdom will be licensed by the new Independent Television Commission.
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Police Custody (Deaths)
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of deaths in police custody in London for each year since 1980, the coroners' verdict on the cause of death and the result, if any, of police investigations.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The number of deaths which occurred in police custody, or otherwise with the police, in London, and the associated inquest verdicts, are contained in the annual reports of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. An investigation is carried out by the Metropolitan police into all such deaths. However, I am advised that the results of those investigations are not recorded centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
ENERGY
British Coal
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the British Coal pits that have had their output target figures adjusted ; and if he will show in each case (a) the original tonnage figure and (b) the revised figure.
Mr. Baldry : This is a matter for the British Coal Corporation.
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the potential for energy saving from the use of compact fluorescent bulbs.
Mr. Peter Morrison : Compared to normal tungsten bulbs compact flourescent lamps use only 20 to 25 per cent. as much electricity.
Gas Levy Act
Mr. Charles Wardle : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the working of the Gas Levy Act.
Mr. Peter Morrison : The Gas Levy Act 1981 was amended in 1986 when British Gas plc succeeded the British Gas Corporation. It has recently come to light that these amendments, contained in the Gas Act 1986, did not achieve the precise results intended at the time the legislation was taken. The intention was to ensure that British Gas were treated for gas levy purposes as if they were the same person as the gas corporation. However, the detailed amendments in schedule 6 to the 1986 Act brought into account a number of categories of gas which were not previously subject to the levy because they had never been included in the gas corporation's contracts. The Government will take the opportunity of the 1990 Finance Bill to rectify the situation. In the meantime my Department will continue to collect the levy in line with the intentions of the 1986 amendments.
Offshore Installations (Women Employed)
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make a statement on the employment of women on offshore oil and gas installations.
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Mr. Peter Morrison : Skills shortages are being experienced in the offshore oil and gas sector, and, although women are employed on offshore oil and gas installations, I believe that there is scope for employing more. In consultation with the industry, I already have plans to build on their existing initiatives to promote this objective.
The Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay (Offshore Employment) Order 1987 applies the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 to the United Kingdom continental shelf.
Equal Opportunities
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what action he has taken, and what action he intends taking, to implement the recommendations within his area of responsibility of the European Commission's childcare network report : "Caring for Children--Services and Policies for Childcare and Equal Opportunities in the United Kingdom".
Mr. Wakeham : My Department is aware of the recommendations made in the child care network report prepared for the Commission of the European Communities. It is participating in interdepartmental studies into the feasibility of providing child care facilities in London and the surrounding areas.
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many of his Department's management training courses include sessions on equal opportunities for women ; and what proportion of managers at grade six level and above working outside headquarters has received training on equal opportunities for women.
Mr. Wakeham : All the Department's staff management courses include training on equal opportunities for women. A total of 33 per cent. of staff at grade six level or above outside headquarters have received equal opportunities training.
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what child care provision his Department provides for pre-school age children of employees ; what child care provision for school holidays or after-school care is provided for employees' children aged five years or over ; what plans there are for increasing provision in the next five years ; and how these are to be funded.
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