| Previous Section | Home Page |
Homelessness
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the terms on which the recently announced Government initiative on homelessness in the south-east is to operate ; whether any additional grant is to be payable to councils with approved schemes ; whether any subsidy is payable by Government on the revenue or capital costs of approved projects ; and whether councils' housing revenue accounts will need to cover (a) initial and (b) consequential expenditure on the projects from rent income.
Mr. Michael Spicer [holding answer 18 April 1990] : We will allocate to local authorities in London and the south-east supplementary credit approvals in respect of capital expenditure they incur on approved schemes in 1990-91. Initial and consequential costs of those schemes which involve property held within the housing revenue account (HRA) or certain types of payments to tenants of such property will fall to be charged to the HRA of the authority concerned. Such approved schemes will include repair of empty council property, hostels held under part II of the Housing Act 1985 and cash incentives to tenants. To the extent that costs are chargeable to the HRA, the normal rules for all HRA schemes will apply in determining the extent to which they attract subsidy and the extent to which costs are met from rent income. The Housing Corporation will pay revenue grant to local authority-funded housing association schemes as appropriate under the normal funding arrangements. No additional grant, however, will be directly payable to any local authority for such schemes.
Asbestos (Tower Blocks)
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many tower blocks in use as domestic accommodation have steelwork coated with any form of asbestos ; and where they are located.
Mr. Michael Spicer [holding answer 20 April 1990] : The Department is aware of only three public sector
Column 14
high-rise blocks using this form of construction. Two are located on the Elgin estate, Westminster ; and one at Watney Street market, Tower Hamlets.Static Electricity
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the level of static electricity within the House.
Mr. Chope : The level of antistatic electricity at any time depends on the level of atmospheric humidity. This is true both within the House and outside.
Sewage Dumping
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will specify for each sewage sludge dump off the coasts of England and Wales the timing between now and 1998 for each dump being terminated for use.
Mr. Curry : I have been asked to reply.
This information is not yet available. Following the announcement on 5 March that the dumping of sewage sludge at sea would not be permitted after the end of 1998 holders of licences are beginning now to draw up their plans for termination of dumping.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Shipping
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he intends to introduce to enable United Kingdom shipping companies to maintain their merchant fleets and crews, replace their aging tonnage and improve their rates of return.
Mr. Lilley : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 5 April 1990, Official Report, c. 717-18.
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) of 5 April, Official Report, column 718, what is his estimate of (a) the current rate of return on investment in a large container ship and (b) the rate of return if he reinstated 100 per cent. ship allowance, against investment in new and second hand ships.
Mr. Lilley : The answer to these two questions depends critically on assumptions about a number of factors, including the earnings of the vessel over its life and the eventual proceeds from its sale (perhaps in 10 or 20 years' time). The rate of return on any investment in machinery or plant-- whether it is a ship or any other asset--will increase if an Exchequer subsidy is given. However, my right hon. Friend has no plans to change the present capital allowances regime for ships, which already offers more generous deductions than commercial depreciation.
Works of Art
Mr. Faulds : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) of 12 March, Official Report, column 10, the announcement of 26 July 1985 that the figure of £10 million was an estimate and was not either a target or a limit remains Government policy.
Column 15
Mr. Norman Lamont : I confirm that the announcement made on 26 July 1985 ( Official Report, House of Lords column, 1539-40) by the then Minister for the Arts still represents Government policy.PRIME MINISTER
European Monetary Union
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister when the European Council next plans to discuss the issue of monetary union ; and if she will make a statement on the progress made to date on this issue by the Council.
The Prime Minister : Agenda for the European Council are not formally set but the issue of economic and monetary union is next likely to arise at the meeting on 25-26 June. The European Council last discussed EMU at its meeting in Strasbourg on 8-9 December the results of which I reported to the House on 12 December at column 857.
Child Care and Family Services
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Prime Minister which Government Departments have responsibilities for child care and family responsibilities ; what they are ; what mechanisms there are for co- ordination in these matters ; and if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on child care.
The Prime Minister : While the Department of Health has a lead responsibility on child care almost all Government Departments have policies which affect child care and family life. Each Minister is responsible for policies within his own sphere. Co-ordination is achieved through the normal and well-established process of inter-departmental liaison, and additional collaborative arrangements exist in the form of the inter-departmental committees, such as the ministerial group on women's issues, the inter-departmental group on day care and the inter-departmental group on child abuse. Government policy on child care is reflected in the Children Act 1989.
Law Officers' Letters
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what are the guidelines relevant to the approval of the release of Law Officers' letters.
The Prime Minister : Legal opinions or advice given by the Law Officers, either individually or collectively, must not be disclosed outside Government without their express approval.
Iraq (Arms Component Exports)
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister on what date she received the first indication that there was a problem regarding the export of forgings from Walter Somers and Company to Iraq.
The Prime Minister : Earlier this month.
Civil Servants
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Linlithgow on 18 April (1) if she will make a statement on the circumstances in which Mr. Powell met in any official capacity the proprietor of The Daily Telegraph ;
Column 16
(2) if she will list the attempts to which she refers of the hon. Member for Linlithgow to vilify individual civil servants.The Prime Minister : I have nothing further to add to the reply that I gave the hon. Member on 18 April at column 932.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
National Curriculum
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is his estimate of the cost of preparation for the inclusion in the national curriculum of those subjects which he has recently removed from this arrangement as far as primary schools are concerned ;
(2) what is his estimate of the total number of man hours which have been devoted by officials of his Department, by local authority officers and by teachers, to the preparation for inclusion in the national curriculum of those subjects which have now been removed from this arrangement.
Mrs. Rumbold : No core or foundation subject has been removed from the national curriculum. My right hon. Friend did, however, announce in a published letter to the chairman of the School Examinations and Assessment Council on 9 April that the arrangements for statutorily assessing seven- year-olds in technology, history and geography should be kept simple and that, accordingly, he and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales had reached the provisional conclusion that it would be right not to impose a statutory requirement to administer standard assessment tasks (SATs) to seven-year-olds in these subjects. Prior to that announcement, no work involving schools or LEAs had been undertaken on the development of SATs in these subjects for seven-year-olds. The preparatory work undertaken by schools and LEAs to date has mainly been directed towards the first statutory assessments of seven-year-olds in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science in 1991. My right hon. Friend confirmed in his letter to SEAC that these assessments would be based on a combination of teacher assessment and statutory SATs.
Youth Organisations
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list, for the previous and current year, the youth organisations for which his Department provides funding, indicating the amount in each case allocated for project funding and the amount allocated for core funding ;
(2) how he intends to ensure that there is a national forum for the interchange of views of young people ;
(3) what discussions he has had with the British Youth Council on its 1990- 91 funding applications ;
(4) what plans he has to ensure that youth bodies receive core as well as project funding in the light of the report on the efficiency scrutiny of Government funding of the voluntary sector ;
(5) what he intends should be the basis for representations from participating youth bodies on his proposed national youth agency ; (6) what discussions he has had or will have with youth organisations on the report on the efficiency scrutiny of Government funding of the voluntary sector ;
Column 17
(7) what discussions he had with the British Youth Council concerning his proposals for a national youth agency prior to his announcement on 5 April ;(8) how many representative youth organisations are currently funded by his Department ;
(9) what provision he will make in his proposed national youth agency for participating youth bodies to retain their respective identities.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The Department provides funding to a number of youth service bodies for the completion of specific programmes of work which are recognised as contributing to the effective and efficient implementation of ministerial objectives to improve the quality of youth service work on a national basis through, for example, the development of curriculum and training materials. In the 1989-90 financial year this funding takes into account the level of expenditure by the bodies on staffing and administration which the Department considers appropriate for them efficiently to complete the agreed programmes of work.
|£
-------------------------------------------------------------------
British Youth Council (BYC) |30,000
Council for Education and Training in Youth and
Community Work (CETYCW) |278,094
National Association of Young People's Counselling
and Advisory Services (NAYPCAS) |53,000
National Council for Voluntary Youth Services
(NCVYS) |127,893
National Youth Bureau (NYB) |557,210
For the 1990-91 financial year, offers of programme funding of £46, 265 have been made to NAYPCAS, and of £571,140 to NYB.
The level of programme funding which might be offered this year to CETYCW and NCVYS is under discussion with the bodies. BYC applied for funding for 1990-91 as a national voluntary youth organisation (NVYO), but discussion is necessary before the level of any programme funding under this scheme can be determined.
To determine the organisation of such funding in future, we commissioned an independent report, which took account of the views of the bodies concerned. In the light of this and of the Home Office efficiency scrutiny of Government funding of the voluntary sector, which also draws on the views of voluntary bodies, we have determined to focus future programme funding for support of youth service work at national level on a single national youth agency, rather than on the existing four youth service bodies or an amalgam of them. The agency will be managed by an executive committee, whose composition will be discussed with the main interests involved in and with experience of the functions the agency is to undertake. It is from these interests that the committee members will be drawn, rather than nominated as representatives of particular bodies or organisations. BYC, NAYPCAS and NCVYS, which also have representative functions, which we would expect their members to finance may, if they decide to continue, compete for funding from the Department, under the NVYO scheme, for agreed programmes of support work which the national youth agency is not being funded to pursue.
Column 18
The NVYO funding scheme is to be reviewed this year, in consultation with the organisations concerned, in the light of the efficiency scrutiny review, to ensure that the available public moneys are disbursed and applied as efficiently and effectively as possible through programmes of work in pursuit of ministerial objectives.NORTHERN IRELAND
St. Leonard's Home, Warrenpoint
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he has taken to prevent the closure of St. Leonard's home, located in Warrenpoint in South Down.
Mr. Needham : As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Gentleman on 19 March, Official Report, columns 448-49, the Southern health and social services board is continuing to explore the possibilities of providing more suitable accommodation for the residents of St. Leonard's. No decision has been taken on the future of the home.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Medical Negligence
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Attorney-General how many applications for legal aid have been received from parents of brain-damaged children who wish to pursue a claim for medical negligence ; and what percentage of the applications have been successful.
The Attorney-General : The Legal Aid Board receives in the order of 400,000 applications each year. The board's case information system identifies only the broad category of "medical negligence" and does not identify particular types of damage within that category. Further, the system identifies applicants only as male or female, defendants or plaintiffs and not whether or not they are children or parents or next friends on behalf of children.
It would, therefore, not be practicable to extract the information requested.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Attorney-General if he is considering any further changes to the current tort-based system, particularly with reference to parents who wish to sue for compensation for their brain- damaged children.
The Attorney-General : My noble and learned Friend is considering the feasibility of a no-fault compensation scheme, restricted to less serious road accidents and financed by private insurance. No other changes to the tort-based system are being considered.
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Redundant Churches
64. Mr. John Marshall : To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement about the number of schemes settling the future of redundant churches which were confirmed during each of the past five years.
Mr. Alison : In the last five calendar years, the future of 253 redundant churches was settled by Pastoral Measure schemes, 50 in 1985, 62 in 1986, 50 in 1987, 47 in 1988 and 44 in 1989.
Column 19
Archbishop of Canterbury
65. Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners, what funding the Church Commissioners provide in respect of the salary and administration of the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Mr. Alison : The Commissioners pay the stipend of the archbishop and meet the costs of his supporting staff and their equipment.
Clergy (Stipends)
66. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners, how much the Church Commissioners contributed to the stipends of archbishops, bishops and clergy in each of the past three years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alison : Out of their investment income the Commissioners contributed to clergy stipends £38.7 million in 1987, £42.5 million in 1988 and an estimated £50 million in 1989. These figures represent about 35 per cent. of the Commissioners' investment income in each year and met some 40 per cent. of the clergy stipends bill.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Prison Riots
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of prisoners including remand prisoners who participated in riots inside prisons from late March ; and if he will provide his estimate of the costs of damage at each prison where riots or disturbances occurred.
Mr. Mellor : A total of more than 1,000 inmates (including those on remand) were present--although not necessarily participating--in the particular parts of prisons where disturbances began during the period 1-9 April. Until police investigations are concluded it will not be possible to distinguish the number of active participants from others.
The most serious damage occurred at Manchester, Bristol and Dartmoor prisons. It will not be possible to estimate costs at Manchester until the incident there is concluded. In addition to repairing the damage at Bristol and Dartmoor our intention is to upgrade the accommodation there, to provide integral sanitation and
Column 20
other planned improvements. The overall cost of this work, including the repairs, is estimated at £3 million at Bristol and £3.5 million at Dartmoor.Costs of repairing the minor damage to other establishments have yet to be finally assessed.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on the violence in Manchester's Strangeways prison.
Mr. Mellor : Since my right hon. and learned Friend last reported to the House on 5 April about the position at Manchester prison, 15 men have surrendered to the authorities, but seven inmates, whom we believe we have identified by name, remain in the prison. Negotiations are continuing with the aim of resolving the disturbance without further injury to staff or inmates.
Parole
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a serving prisoner's application for and consideration of parole can be affected by the fact that his appeal against either conviction or sentence is still awaiting determination by the Court of Appeal or other appellate tribunals.
Mr. Mellor : Neither a prisoner's eligibility for parole nor consideration of the case is affected by an outstanding appeal against conviction or sentence.
Police Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr. Sedgemore : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list separately for each of the last four years for which figures are available (a) the number of appeals from police disciplinary hearings he received, (b) the number of such appeals he referred to an appeal tribunal under the 1975 criteria, (c) the number he referred to an appeal tribunal other than under the 1975 criteria, (d) the number dealt with other than by reference to an appeal tribunal, (e) the total and percentage where the original finding was (i) upheld and (ii) reversed, and (f) the total and percentage where the original punishment was (i) upheld and (ii) reversed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Appeals to the Secretary of State against police disciplinary decisions are made under section 37 of the Police Act 1964, as amended by section 103 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
Available figures for the years 1986 to 1989 are as follows :
Column 19
|c|Table 1|c|
|c|Procedure|c|
|1986|1987|1988|1989
----------------------------------------------------
Appeals received |52 |53 |60 |56
Appeals withdrawn before
decision reached |6 |7 |9 |8
Appeals determined |46 |46 |51 |48
Referred to a tribunal |34 |33 |46 |43
Not referred to a tribunal |12 |13 |5 |5
|c|Table 2|c|
|c|Outcome|c|
1986 1987 1988 1989
|Number |Per cent.|Number |Per cent.|Number |Per cent.|Number |Per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original finding:
(a) Upheld |21 |95 |13 |52 |12 |75 |5 |83
(b) Reversed |1 |5 |12 |48 |4 |25 |1 |17
Original punishment:
(a) Upheld |32 |74 |26 |56 |33 |65 |16 |64
(b) Varied |11 |26 |20 |44 |18 |35 |9 |36
Appeals not yet concluded |- |- |- |- |- |- |24 |-
The figures in table 2 do not add up to the total appeals determined in table 1. Appeals can be made against finding or punishment or both and may cover more than one disciplinary charge. Where appeals cover more than one charge some charges may be upheld and others not. A decision is not shown in table 2 as upheld unless it was upheld in respect of all charges.
The final decision on all appeals is made personally by the Secretary of State.
Mr. Sedgemore : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for each of the last four years for which figures are available, the number of complaints made against the police in England and Wales falling within each disciplinary offence contained in the Police (Discipline) Regulations 1985 ; how many of those were substantiated and how many were unsubstantiated ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The numbers of complaints against the police, the numbers substantiated and the numbers unsubstantiated are published annually in the reports of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary and the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, copies of which are available in the Library. Complaints are not categorised under the same headings as offences against the Police (Discipline) Regulations 1985.
Electronic Tagging
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for City of Durham (Mr. Steinberg) of 2 April, Official Report, column 434, when he expects to make available his evaluation of the outcome of the trials of electronic tagging.
Mr. John Patten : I expect the evaluation to be completed in the summer. Its results will then be published in due course.
Ambulance Dispute
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has regarding the number of Metropolitan police person hours and the cost arising from the recent ambulance dispute.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the Metropolitan police
Column 22
used about 658,000 man hours in providing assistance to the ambulance service during the dispute. The force has charged the South West Thames regional health authority £9.68 million for its assistance.Commission for Racial Equality
Sir Dudley Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what compensation he is prepared to grant Mr. David Owen of the firm Elizabeth the Chef of Leamington Spa for his out-of-pocket costs involved in preparing to defend a case brought by the Commission for Racial Equality where the complainant withdrew her allegation two days before the hearing.
Mr. John Patten : The question of costs in industrial tribunal cases is a matter for the tribunal. The complaint here was not brought by the Commission for Racial Equality, but by an individual, the commission exercising its role of providing for advice or assistance, in this case through a firm of solicitors. The Secretary of State has no responsibility in law in these matters.
Hong Kong
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the work force in Hong Kong, as categorised and sub-categorised in the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill, selection for citizenship : explanatory note, will be eligible for British passports.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Approximately 22.5 per cent of people employed in Hong Kong work in the eligible occupations mentioned in the explanatory note ; others may be able to apply in due course in the residual category of the general allocation section. It is not possible to say at this stage what proportion of those mentioned above will meet the eligibility criteria set out in paragraph 4(1) of schedule 1 to the Bill.
Police (Firearms)
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many issues of arms there have been to each police force, and in total, in each year since 1979.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The readily available information is set out in the table.
Column 21
|c|Issue of police firearms for incidents involving criminal or other persons known or
believed to be armed|c|
|1982 |<1>1983|1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon and Somerset |30 |28 |17 |25 |13 |9 |19 |27
Bedfordshire |55 |22 |10 |19 |22 |12 |24 |16
Cambridgeshire |9 |10 |8 |11 |9 |13 |19 |31
Cheshire |18 |11 |13 |6 |6 |13 |31 |16
Cleveland |7 |6 |8 |6 |10 |6 |5 |1
City of London |255 |11 |4 |43 |26 |16 |17 |17
Cumbria |16 |2 |5 |11 |15 |15 |9 |7
Derbyshire |14 |3 |8 |5 |6 |5 |10 |10
Devon and Cornwall |12 |24 |28 |21 |25 |21 |22 |32
Dorset |9 |14 |27 |12 |16 |12 |14 |26
Durham |5 |6 |10 |9 |8 |29 |10 |17
Essex |55 |71 |44 |56 |31 |28 |44 |57
Gloucestershire |24 |7 |7 |17 |4 |2 |2 |7
Greater Manchester |75 |84 |52 |65 |50 |79 |50 |74
Hampshire |45 |19 |23 |23 |11 |15 |28 |27
Hertfordshire |33 |15 |27 |29 |46 |61 |14 |15
Humberside |30 |27 |56 |23 |18 |25 |10 |26
Kent |150 |42 |37 |40 |43 |27 |31 |41
Lancashire |34 |30 |35 |28 |21 |9 |19 |2
Leicestershire |12 |4 |8 |11 |9 |14 |9 |12
Lincolnshire |11 |6 |2 |2 |3 |3 |6 |10
Merseyside |118 |106 |61 |49 |39 |32 |39 |52
Metropolitan |6,035 |2,230 |1,838 |1,642 |1,702 |1,332 |1,320 |1,363
Norfolk |23 |12 |13 |12 |12 |13 |13 |14
Northamptonshire |35 |3 |6 |10 |5 |3 |5 |8
Northumbria |23 |26 |15 |16 |29 |30 |47 |110
North Yorkshire |18 |19 |14 |9 |15 |21 |12 |21
Nottinghamshire |46 |10 |10 |9 |13 |10 |5 |6
South Yorkshire |76 |18 |13 |26 |21 |23 |31 |64
Staffordshire |23 |5 |5 |11 |17 |11 |28 |20
Suffolk |15 |11 |17 |17 |25 |32 |32 |27
Surrey |58 |20 |32 |25 |9 |19 |30 |61
Sussex |80 |53 |51 |46 |51 |18 |46 |68
Thames Valley |28 |30 |17 |30 |15 |42 |31 |24
Warwickshire |11 |9 |8 |6 |1 |3 |4 |0
West Mercia |33 |15 |12 |4 |4 |6 |5 |9
West Midlands |59 |24 |17 |25 |27 |41 |26 |66
West Yorkshire |302 |113 |78 |58 |53 |84 |99 |132
Wiltshire |12 |11 |12 |9 |5 |8 |9 |26
Dyfed Powys |4 |4 |3 |5 |1 |10 |7 |14
Gwent |2 |1 |2 |2 |1 |2 |4 |8
North Wales |26 |11 |10 |8 |9 |19 |27 |10
South Wales |26 |7 |4 |7 |7 |12 |14 |9
|--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Total |7,952 |3,180 |2,667 |2,488 |2,453 |2,185 |2,227 |2,583
<1> From 1983 the figures record the number of operations in which firearms were issued;
the figure for 1982 records the number of occasions on which firearms were issued.
Broadcasting
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the governors of the British Broadcasting Corporation to discuss the corporation's education and training role ; and what is his policy on the dissemination of video recordings promoting the services of companies associated with quasi-religious cults.
Mr. Mellor : My right hon. and learned Friend meets the chairman and governors of the BBC from time to time to discuss a wide range of broadcasting issues.
Under the Video Recordings Act 1984 the British Board of Film Classification has a duty to classify videos in terms of their availability to particular audiences, but those concerned with sport, religion or music are exempted.
The Government understand the concern which some people have about the activities of certain cults and we have considerable sympathy with those whose rights have been adversely affected by such groups, but so long as they operate within the law we do not believe that it would be right to decide that some religious movements are acceptable and some not.
Column 24
Penal Establishments
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juveniles are currently held in penal establishments (a) on remand and (b) under sentence ; in which establishments they are held ; and how many of them are from ethnic minorities.
Mr. Mellor : I refer the hon. Member to the table "Persons aged under 17 held in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 31 December 1989 : by establishment, type of prisoner and ethnic origin", a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
Chatlines
Mr. Churchill : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost so far of telephone calls made on 0898 numbers (a) by members of the Metropolitan police and (b) by employees of his Department.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 30 March 1990] : I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the information requested is not available. Possible abuse came to the attention of the Metropolitan police with the introduction of itemised billing and immediate steps were taken to extend call barring of 0898 numbers throughout the force.
Column 25
All the major telephone exchanges which serve the Home Office are programmed to bar the use of 0898 numbers. There is a small number of private lines, connected direct to local telephone exchange and cell phones which cannot be barred. Itemised billing has been introduced too recently for any worthwhile figures to be obtained on 0898 costs for these services.Consultancies
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total amount spent by the Metropolitan police in 1989 on management and computer consultancy contracts, excluding hardware and software purchases ; if he will list each management or computer consultancy contract awarded by the Metropolitan police in 1989, giving in each case the name of the consultancy firm and the subject of the assignment ; and what is the total amount that the Metropolitan police has budgeted to spend in the current year.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 28 March 1990] : I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that Metropolitan police expenditure on management and computer consultancy contracts in 1989-90 is estimated to be £1,663,000.
The following is the list of contracts awarded in 1989 : Marshall Software Services Ltd. Software consultancy to Command and Control Group
Logica Consultancy Ltd. Voice network replacement project Gresham Computer Services Conversion of mainframe computer from DME language to VME language
Stonehenge Consultancy Services Feasibility study for property management computer system (PREMISYS)
Digitus Ltd. Support to Territorial Operations management information system (TOPSY)
JMS Telecommunications Ltd. Support on development of communications network
Ron Baker Design Associates Consultancy for the design of divisional annual reports
ICL Technical support on hardware and software including installation of new system and super-dualling of two ICL 2988 machines
Plessey Telenet Crime report information system
MFT Consultancy on finance systems
PTC Communications Ltd. Consultancy on traffic tickets systems Geoff Ford Consultancy on Mechnical and Electrical Branch cost information systems
Gibb Consultancy on payroll system
| Next Section
| Home Page |