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Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information is available only from 1985 and is as follows :
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Norwegian citizens refused leave to enter and removed from the United Kingdom at Scottish ports of entry, 1985 to 1989. Year |Total ------------------ 1985 |2 1986 |1 1987 |4 1988 |1 1989 |6
Prison Service
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply of 9 July, on what criteria Nottingham was eliminated from the shortlist of potential locations for the headquarters of the prison service.
Mr. Mellor : Following an assessment by consultants Nottingham was one of the six cities which were identified as meriting further consideration for the location of prison service headquarters, subject to the availability of suitable sites. Until a firm decision is taken to proceed at a specific location all options remain open, but work is currently focused on Birmingham, Coventry and Derby which contain the most promising of the available sites. The relocation of a large number of Inland Revenue staff to a particularly favourable site in the centre of Nottingham over the next two to three years and the lack of a comparable site for the prison service are the two main reasons why Nottingham is not currently one of the front-runners.
Tote
Mr. Alexander : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the findings of the Lloyd's report on the privatisation of the Tote.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The report by Lloyd's Merchant bank will not be published because it was made in confidence and contains commercially and managerially sensitive information. The report is still under consideration and the Government's conclusions will be made known in due course.
Homicide
Mr. Tebbit : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons convicted of (a) murder and (b) other acts of homicide since the ending of capital punishment have committed a further act of homicide subsequent to their release from imprisonment.
Mr. John Patten [holding answer 11 July 1990] : The total number of persons convicted of murder or manslaughter, including those who committed their second offence before release from prison or hospital, is published annually in table 4.10 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", copies of which are available in the Library. The information requested is : (a) 6 ; (b) 22.
Pub Bombings
15. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has discussed the Guildford and Woolwich or Maguire cases with (a) the Lord Chief Justice or (b) the Master of the Rolls.
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19. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has discussed the Guildford and Woolwich or the Maguire cases with (a) the Lord Chief Justice or (b) the Master of the Rolls.Mr. Waddington : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier to the hon. Member for Coventry, North-East (Mr. Hughes).
16. Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider establishing a public inquiry into the conviction of the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.
Mr. John Patten : Important aspects of this case are now being investigated by the Devon and Cornwall police. It is not possible at this stage to say when the Devon and Cornwall constabulary will be able to report on the results of its inquiries, but I know that the police are fully aware of the need to complete those inquiries as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. My right hon. and learned Friend will decide, in the light of the outcome of those inquiries, whether any further action is called for on his part.
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the original notes of the police interviews with the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings have been recovered ; and if they have been made available to the Devon and Cornwall police inquiry.
Mr. John Patten : I understand that officers from the Devon and Cornwall constabulary obtained police pocketbooks and original notes of interviews during their inquiries into certain aspects of this case in 1987.
48. Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the nine Surrey police officers who were in Birmingham at the time of the pub bombings have been identified.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon).
38. Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received seeking a public inquiry into the conviction of the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.
Mr. John Patten : Since the beginning of this year, my right hon. and learned Friend has received approximately 1,100 representations about the safety of the convictions of the Birmingham Six, some of which have included calls for a public inquiry into the case.
32. Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to (a) recover the original notes and (b) identify the authors of Criminal Records Office file 10368/74.
42. Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to (a) review the original notes and (b) identify the authors of Criminal Records Office file number 10368/74.
Mr. John Patten : I refer the hon. Members to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) on Friday 6 July, column 748.
28. Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received to date this year about the Birmingham Six ; and what action he intends to take.
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Mr. John Patten : Since the beginning of this year, my right hon. and learned Friend has received approximately 1,100 representations about the safety of the convictions of the Birmingham Six. When my right hon. and learned Friend has received a report of the outcome of inquiries being conducted into certain aspects of this case by the Devon and Cornwall constabulary, he will consider whether further action is called for.
24. Mr. Galloway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations have been received from members of the prison service regarding the safety of the convictions of the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.
25. Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations have been received from members of the prison service regarding the safety of the convictions of the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.
Mr. John Patten : We are not aware of having received any representations about this case from members of the prison service. If any member of the prison service wishes to make representations about the safety of the convictions of the Birmingham Six, my right hon. and learned Friend will of course give them the most careful consideration.
22. Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the inquiry by the Devon and Cornwall police into the Birmingham pub bombings case to be completed ; and if he will make a statement.
41. Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider establishing a public inquiry into the conviction of the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.
Mr. John Patten : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier to the hon. Members for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mr. Flannery), for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) and for Leicester, South (Mr. Marshall).
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Animal Cruelty
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many prosecutions for cruelty to animals on farms have been taken out by the state veterinary service in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Maclean : Records relating to prosecutions by the Department for breaches of animal welfare legislation on the farm are available only from 1983. They are :
Year |Number --------------------- 1983 |4 1984 |0 1985 |3 1986 |8 1987 |6 1988 |10 1989 |8
Game Conservancy
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the research projects undertaken during the last two years in collaboration with
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the Game Conservancy, indicating, in each case, the amounts paid by his Department and the percentage of each project's total cost this represented.Mr. Curry : Over the last two years my Department has provided funding for three research projects which are being carried out by the Game Conservancy. Under the co-operative awards in science and engineering (CASE) scheme it has also funded five studentships in collaboration with the Game Conservancy at two universities. The detailed information is as follows :
-------------------------------------------------------
Relating field and crop management
characters to insect populations in
cereals |24 |100
Pilot study of grazing by hares and deer
on double low oilseed rape |4 |100
The feeding behaviour of wild vertebrates
in relation to the glucosinolate and
S-methyl cysteine sulphoxide (SMCO)
content of oilseed rape. (In
collaboration with the Scottish Crop
Research Institute) |11 |100
The impact of autumn insecticide
applications on the natural enemies of
cereal aphids. Consequences for barley
yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) spread
and summer aphid attack. (University
-Southampton) |3 |100
Hedgerows as reservoirs of beneficial
insects: creation, modification and
manipulation of field boundaries to
enhance their contributions to pest
suppression in cereals. (University-
Southampton) |10 |80
Spatial and temporal consequences of the
effects of insecticides on the non-target
invertebrate fauna of winter wheat.
(University-Southampton) |9 |78
Movements of insects across field margins
and hedgerows. (University-East
Anglia) |1 |75
Evaluating the potential hazard of
synthetic pyrethroids to non-target
invertebrates under realistic conditions
of exposure in cereal fields. (University
-Southampton) |3 |83
<1> Of MAFF funding over the last 2 years (1988-89 and
1989-90).
<2> Of MAFF funding in relation to total cost.
Badger Tuberculosis
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the relationship between badgers and bovine tuberculosis in other member states of the EEC ; and what proposals he has to restrict the import of
tuberculosis-positive animals post 1992.
Mr. Maclean : A report on badgers and bovine tuberculosis in Ireland was published by the eradication of animal disease board in February 1989, and a copy is available in the Library of the House. As for post-1992 import arrangements, we shall seek to ensure that the
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Community rules which are expected to be in place by then contain the same safeguards against the introduction of bovine tuberculosis as currently apply.Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of all cattle known to have contracted BSE have been (a) Friesian cattle, (b) Holstein cattle and (c) Jersey cattle.
Mr. Maclean : Up to 6 July 1990, the information for pure-bred cattle is as follows :
(a) 79.0 per cent.
(b) 1.9 per cent.
(c) 0.8 per cent.
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of cattle known to have contracted BSE have been (a) cattle from dairy herds and (b) cattle from beef herds.
Mr. Maclean : Up to 6 July 1990, the information is as follows : (a) 94.1 per cent.
(b) 5.9 per cent.
Geographic Information
Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department has made any changes in its
information-gathering and data base programme following the recommendations of the 1987 report on the handling of geographic information by the committee chaired by Lord Chorley.
Mr. Curry : The Department is investigating and developing the use of digital mapping and geographic information technology with the aim of improving the handling of spatial information. Developments to date include the computerisation of environmental data for environmentally sensitive areas and support for the United Kingdom digital marine atlas programme.
Surplus Beef and Butter
Mr. Speller : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any proposals to change the arrangements for the distribution of surplus beef and butter in the current year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 28 June, Official Report, column 339. I have no plans to change the arrangements for the current year announced on that date.
Spongiform Encephalopathies
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the original terms of reference of the Tyrrell committee on research into spongiform encephalopathies ; and whether they have been altered in any respect.
Mr. Gummer : The terms of reference of the consultative committee on research into spongiform encephalopathies were to advise the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Health on research on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. On 3 April this
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year I announced to the House, Official Report, column 542, that the committee was being reconstituted, under the continued chairmanship of Dr. David Tyrrell, as the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee. Its terms of reference are to advise the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Health on matters relating to spongiform encephalopathies.Mr. Burns : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action the Government are taking on the Tyrell committee report on research into spongiform encephalopathies.
Mr. Gummer [pursuant to the reply, 9 January, Official Report, c. 572] : I have today received the spongiform encephalopathy advisory(Tyrrell) committee's paper on the control of BSE in cattle. This paper discusses the scientific background to the opinion which the committee offered on 17 May to the effect that there is no scientific evidence currently available to support official advice against the use for breeding of the offspring of cows suffering from BSE and that some possible consequences might even be unhelpful.
Copies of the document have been placed in the Vote Office and the House Libraries and the paper will be available from my Ministry's press office.
Head Meat
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what restrictions there are on the use of head meat of cattle in meat products, including sausages and meat pies ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The Meat Products and Spreadable Fish Products Regulations 1984 allow head muscle meat to be used in the manufacture of meat products. As with all foodstuffs the general provisions of the Food Act 1984 and the Food Labelling Regulations 1984 also apply.
Civil Servants
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many civil servants in his Department of the rank of principal or equivalent and above are graduates of Oxford and Cambridge ; and how many are graduates of other universities.
Mr. Curry : The number of civil servants in this Department of the rank of principal (grade 7) or equivalent and above who are graduates of Oxford or Cambridge is 131. At the same levels 791 officers are graduates of other universities.
Food Safety Act
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what funds he will earmark for local authorities in England to implement the Food Safety Act in 1991-92 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The Government have made it clear from the time that the Food Safety Bill was published that an extra £30 million a year will be provided through the revenue support grant for food law enforcement in Great Britain from 1991-92. This overall amount was calculated following consultation with local authority associations. The England share, calculated according to the usual formula, will be approximately £25 million.
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Beef
Mr. John P. Smith : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to improve stability in the beef market.
Mr. Curry : The European Community beef regime contains provision for special safety net intervention arrangements which apply when the market is particularly depressed. These measures are now in operation and the European Commission has so far agreed to buy into intervention over 11,000 tonnes of steer beef at a purchase cost of some £25 million in the United Kingdom. This, coupled with the recent extension of intervention coverage in Great Britain by the addition of sub-class 03 steer beef, is helping to sustain the market.
Mr. John P. Smith : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to extend intervention in the beef market to include 03 graded beef.
Mr. Curry : At our request, at the beef management committee on 15 June 1990 a proposal was adopted adding steer beef sub-class 03 to intervention coverage in Great Britain. As a result this grade of beef is now eligible for intervention.
Mr. John P. Smith : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to extend intervention buying in the beef market to include maiden heifer beef.
Mr. Curry : There is no provision in the Community regime to purchase heifer beef into intervention in any circumstances.
Sheep Variable Premium
Mr. Hague : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has reached a decision on the future of the sheep variable premium scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The reformed EC sheepmeat regime agreed last year by EC Agriculture Ministers makes provision for the phasing-out of the sheep variable premium scheme by the end of the 1992 marketing year at the latest. In the negotiations we secured the right to end the scheme before that date, or accelerate the rate of phasing-out if we wished.
My right hon. Friends and I have now reviewed the timetable for phasing out the variable premium, taking account of the views of interested parties. We have concluded that the sheep variable premium scheme should continue to operate during the 1991 marketing year, with payments made at 55 per cent. of the full rate. We shall review the arrangements to apply for the 1992 marketing year early in 1991. I am also pleased to announce that following the commitment we obtained in the price fixing this year, EC Agriculture Ministers have recently agreed the seasonal scale of prices for the variable premium scheme. The scale will retain the same form in 1991 as in previous years. It was one of our outstanding objectives from this year's price-fixing package to reach an agreement on the scale on satisfactory terms and sufficiently early to enable producers to work towards a smooth phase-out of the sheep variable premium scheme. We have achieved that
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objective. This, together with the decision on the variable premium arrangements for 1991, will enable producers to plan ahead for the coming marketing year.DEFENCE
Swimming Pool, Rowner
Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the swimming pool at Rowner, Gosport, which is currently leased from his Department.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Rowner swimming pool in Gosport is part of a privately funded naval recreation centre. I understand that it is due to close in March 1991.
Wormhoudt Massacre
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on facilities provided by his Department for the West German prosecuting authorities to study the closed British file on the Wormhoudt massacre ; and if he has yet been informed what use is to be made of the information.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : As the hon. Member is aware, the public prosecutor from Lubeck has visited this country and examined all the relevant material in our records : I have not heard what use he may wish to make of information gained from them.
Service Personnel, Northern Ireland
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total expenditure on deploying British service personnel in Northern Ireland for each year between 1969 and 1989 ; and what this expenditure was as a percentage of the total defence budget during the same period.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not possible to make a precise estimate of the total expenditure on maintaining forces in Northern Ireland as no detailed records are maintained for this particular purpose. However, since financial year 1981-82 we have undertaken an annual costing of the resources required to fulfil those tasks which relate directly to the emergency. The information is as follows :
Financial |Extra costs at |Extra costs as
Year |outturn prices |percentage of the
|Defence Budget
|£ million
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981-82 |149 |1.2
1982-83 |143 |1.0
1983-84 |141 |0.9
1984-85 |121 |0.7
1985-86 |135 |0.8
1986-87 |144 |0.8
1987-88 |168 |0.9
1988-89 |225 |1.1
1989-90 |201 |1.0
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the number of British service personnel deployed in Northern Ireland at 31 December, for each year between 1969 and 1989.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The numbers of British service personnel deployed in Northern Ireland in each year from 1969 to 1989 are as follows :
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|Regular|RN/RM |Army |RAF |UDR
|Forces
|Total
--------------------------------------------------------
1969 |4,902 |515 |2,926 |1,461 |-
1970 |8,816 |259 |7,245 |1,312 |3,326
1971 |11,100 |128 |10,410 |562 |4,151
1972 |15,323 |1,661 |12,949 |713 |6,741
1973 |18,382 |302 |17,250 |830 |9,098
1974 |16,991 |266 |15,827 |898 |7,816
1975 |15,732 |287 |14,564 |881 |7,676
1976 |15,627 |302 |14,454 |871 |7,793
1977 |15,427 |221 |14,262 |944 |7,616
1978 |15,287 |198 |14,159 |930 |7,812
1979 |13,704 |143 |12,727 |834 |7,761
1980 |13,389 |797 |11,970 |622 |7,425
1981 |12,143 |124 |11,114 |905 |7,431
1982 |11,799 |118 |10,885 |796 |7,350
1983 |11,357 |135 |10,375 |847 |7,026
1984 |10,260 |131 |9,294 |835 |6,929
1985 |10,222 |162 |9,180 |880 |6,468
1986 |10,090 |184 |8,912 |994 |6,508
1987 |11,158 |191 |9,920 |1,047 |6,535
1988 |10,887 |163 |9,645 |1,079 |6,364
1989 |10,975 |139 |9,695 |1,141 |6,312
1990 |10,977 |234 |9,578 |1,165 |6,208
The manpower numbers in the table are for 1 January, except for 1969, 1970 and 1971 which are as at 1 July. Recruitment to the UDR was authorised to commence on 1 January 1970.
Scottish Regiments
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Scottish regiments have been disbanded or amalgamated with others in the past 25 years ; if he has any proposals to disband or amalgamate any existing Scottish regiments ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Two regular Scottish cavalry and infantry regiments have been disbanded or amalgamated since 1965 : the last regular battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was disbanded in 1968 ; and the Royal Scots Greys were amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales Dragoon Guards)--a Welsh regiment--to form the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) in 1971. I cannot comment on the future of any particular regiments at this stage. Work on options for change is continuing.
Local Government Finance
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to providing further financial assistance to service personnel to pay the community charge beyond the arrangements that have already been made.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : We have no plans to alter the present arrangements for assistance to personnel in service accommodation who face high community charges. Service personnel will, however, benefit from any changes which apply to other members of the population in similar circumstances.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to exempting service personnel from the community charge.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : It was decided at a very early stage that service personnel would in general be liable for the community charge in the same way as other members of the community.United States Bases
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of United States bases in the United Kingdom ; and if he will list them.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The following 67 bases and facilities have been made available for use by United States forces in the United Kingdom :
Main Operating Bases
RAF Alconbury
RAF Bentwaters
RAF Fairford
RAF Lakenheath
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Woodbridge
Cruise Missile Bases
RAF Greenham Common
Standby Deployment Bases
RAF Sculthorpe
RAF Wethersfield
Storage/Support Facilities
RAF Bicester
RAF Brawdy
RAF Burtonwood
RAF Caerwent
RAF Chelveston
RAF Chilwell
Eastcote
Felixstowe
RAF Feltwell
Framlington
High Wycombe Air Station (Daws Hill)
Holy Loch
RAF Hullavington
RAF Hythe
RAF Kemble
London USN Europe HQ
RAF Machrihanish
Marchwood
RAF Molesworth
Oakington
RAF Ruislip
RAF Spadeadam
RAF St. Mawgan
RAF Upwood
RAF Welford
RAF Watton
Contingency Wartime Hospitals
RAF Chessington
RAF Arbroath
RAF Kirknewton
RAF Lanark
RAF Little Rissington
RAF Locking
RAF Nocton Hall
Communications Facilities
Aberdeen
RAF Barford St. John
RAF Barkway
Botley Hill
Bovingdon
RAF Chicksands
Coldblow
Christmas Common
RAF Croughton
Daventry
Dunkirk
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