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Nuclear Accidents
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his progress in preparing a contingency plan to deal with the effects of any future nuclear accident overseas following the parliamentary answer to the hon. Member for Bedfordshire, North (Sir T. Skeet) on 30 June 1987, Official Report, columns 65-67 .
The Prime Minister : My right hon. Friend the Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley), the then Secretary of State for the Environment, announced in January 1988 that proposals for implementing the national response plan had been finalised. Details of the proposals have been published in a booklet : "The National Response Plan and Radiation Incident Monitoring Network (RIMNET). A Statement of Proposals" published by HMSO, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
The radiation monitors for the first phase of the RIMNET system have been in operation since June 1988, and I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will be making an announcement shortly with regard to the award of the contract for installing phase 2 of RIMNET.
Electricity Prices
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Prime Minister whether his office has been consulted about the proposed 13 per cent. increase in domestic electricity prices.
The Prime Minister : It is for the Director General of Electricity Supply to receive and consider the companies' proposals, and to satisfy himself that they are consistent with the companies' licence requirements.
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The Gulf
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what communications he, or his officials, had with the deputy director-general of the BBC on 13 February concerning BBC news coverage of the casualties caused to Iraqi civilians by allied air raids on Baghdad.
The Prime Minister : There is contact on a regular basis between my office and the media on a variety of subjects, including the coverage of the Gulf conflict.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister if President Bush contacted Her Majesty's Government prior to his speech in Massachussets on 15 February calling for the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein ; and what is the Government's policy in relation to the President of Iraq.
The Prime Minister : The Government's policy towards Iraq is to secure full, immediate and unconditional compliance with the Security Council resolutions.
Mr. Latham : To ask the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on the progress of military action to liberate Kuwait in accordance with resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
The Prime Minister : The military action to free Kuwait is making steady progress, while attempting to avoid civilian casualties so far as possible. The forces of the multinational coalition deserve great credit for their performance.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Young Offenders
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take immediate steps to deprive the courts of the power to remand 15 and 16-year-old boys in prison.
Mr. John Patten : On 4 February, we published a consultation paper setting out our proposals for reforming the arrangements for the remand of alleged juvenile offenders. We propose to end the remand to prison custody of 15 and 16-year-old boys, as soon as enough places in local authority secure accommodation are available.
Metropolitan Police
Mr. Ashton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement outlining the current practice in respect of allowing the staff of the Metropolitan police time off in working hours for sporting and leisure activities ;
(2) what was the highest total number of hours given in time off for leisure of sporting activities to any member of the Metropolitan police force in 1990 ;
(3) how many working hours were lost in the Metropolitan police force in 1990 because of sporting and leisure activities ; and what was the cost to public funds ;
(4) if he will list the various sporting and leisure activities which the staff of the Metropolitan police force had time off work for last year.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Deputy Commissioner has told me that officers representing the Metropolitan police at
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first or second team level, at sports affiliated to the Metropolitan Police Athletic Association are allowed up to four hours once a week in duty time to take part in matches, subject to the exigencies of duties. The sports involved are as listed.American Football
Angling
Archery
Association Football
Athletics and cross country
Badminton
Basketball
Billiards and Snooker
Bowling
Bridge
Canoeing
Chess
Cricket
Cycling
Darts
Fencing
Flying
Golf
Hockey
Judo
Lawn Tennis
Male Voice Choir
Martial Arts
Karate
Kung Fu
Aikido
Kendo
Motor Sport
Rallies
Motor Cycle
Racing
Old Vehicles
Mountaineering
Netball
Race Walking
Rowing
Rugby Football
Rugby League
Sailing
Shooting
Skiing
Squash Racquets
Sub-Aqua
Swimming
Water Polo
Table Tennis
Ten-pin bowling
Triathlon
Tug of War
Volleyball
Weightlifting
Wrestling
The Deputy Commissioner does not hold centrally the other information requested, which could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
Gambling
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward legislation to outlaw the advertising of gambling and amusement coin-operated slot machines in such a way as to promote the exploitation of young people.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : No. The results of the Home Office research study "Amusement Machines Dependency and Delinquency", published in July 1988, provided no grounds to justify additional controls on amusement-with-prizes and other coin-operated amusement machines. As regards "jackpot" machines, these are permitted only on premises either licensed or registered under the Gaming
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Act 1968 to which young people do not normally have access and which are already subject to controls on advertising.Remand Prisoners, Manchester
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what discussions have been held on the impact on the effectiveness of Greater Manchester police as a result of extra duties relating to the holding of prisoners in police cells and as to what effect it will have on the prisoners, their families, and on solicitors and the probation service ; and what discussions there have been about finding alternative accommodation ;
(2) what discussions he has had with Greater Manchester Police about the number of people expected to be held in police cells in Greater Manchester for each of the next three years ; how much this is expected to cost in police overtime ; and how much will be spent in improving police cells during that period.
Mrs. Rumbold : Officials are in daily contact with the Greater Manchester police with a view to minimising the use of police cells for prisoners and any impact on police effectiveness, the prisoners, their families, solicitors and the probation service. The elimination of the problem depends on the provision of new or refurbished accommodation and the resolution of industrial relations difficulties in certain prisons in the north-west, where I hope that staff will note the comments of Lord Justice Woolf in his report that is being published today. The prison service is also actively reviewing the use of the prison estate in order to make the most effective use of the available accommodation. It is not possible to estimate centrally the extent to which police overtime may continue to be needed, and the amount to be spent on improving police cells is a matter for the police authority to determine in relation to other priorities. The costs incurred by the Greater Manchester police in keeping in police cells people who should be in prison are reimbursed by the prison service.
Escaped Detainees
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether Molly Donalds, Karen Rhoden, and Patricia Weir, who escaped from Drake Hall on 24 January 1989, have since been recaptured ;
(2) whether Ikaete Margarita Jackson, Salamat Oliuvag-Benigun, and Florence Omawuaye Asore, who escaped from East Sutton Park in January 1989, have since been recaptured.
Mrs. Rumbold : No. These six women are still unlawfully at large.
Female Prisoners
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when new evidence is due to be issued about the categorisation and allocation of female prisoners to penal establishments ; what factors gave rise to the review ; whether it will consider the large numbers of absconders from open prisons ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : Guidance will be issued to governors shortly, following an examination of procedures which
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was prompted by the need to establish a more systematic and consistent basis for allocating female prisoners, particularly as between closed and open establishments. The risk of absconding is an important factor to be taken into account in considering an individual's suitability for open conditions.SOCIAL SECURITY
Concessionary Fuel
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) following the reply to the hon. Member for Rother Valley on 31 January, Official Report, column 633, concerning concessionary fuel, what action has been taken by British Coal to inform and give advice to concessionaires who have accepted the lump sum offer ; (2) pursuant to the answer of 31 January, Official Report, column 633, on concessionary fuel, what action his Department has taken in conjunction with British Coal ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : Officials contacted British Coal as soon as they became aware that a lump-sum option was being offered to recipients of cash -in-lieu of concessionary coal. That contact has been followed up with a letter confirming the importance of concessionaires obtaining benefit advice before making a decision. The Department will also be issuing appropriate guidance to Social Security offices and local authorities. We understand that British Coal is currently considering its position.
Pension Deductions
Sir Anthony Meyer : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many retirement pensioners during each of the last five years for which figures are readily available have had sums deducted from their pensions in respect of accommodation or national health service treatment after the statutory six weeks stay in national health service hospitals ; and what was the total sum received by the national health service in consequence of these deductions during each of these years.
Miss Widdecombe : Figures are not available in the precise form requested. However, data are available on the number of people counted on specified dates in the past five years who had their benefit reduced as a result of receiving in-patient treatment under the national health service. The numbers are as follows :
|Number
--------------------------------
31 March 1986 |76,450
30 September 1987 |73,250
31 March 1988 |68,990
31 March 1989 |66,220
31 March 1990 |60,590
The money by which a pensioner's benefit is reduced is not paid directly to the national health service but remains within the national insurance fund which helps fund the NHS. In 1989-90 the fund paid £4.06 billion towards the cost of the NHS.
National Insurance Contributions
Mr. O'Hara : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the relative entitlements of (a) a widow who has paid full national insurance contributions for 35
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years and then becomes unemployed and (b) a widow in the same position who has never paid national insurance contributions.Mr. Jack : The information is as follows :
Widow (a)
If claims and satisfies conditions, payable rate of unemployment benefit reduced by amount of widows benefit (excluding additional pension).
Widow (b)
Not entitled to unemployment benefit. May be entitled to widows benefit based on late husband's contribution record.
Both have possible entitlement to income support, housing benefit and community charge benefit.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for how many years an individual has to pay full national insurance contributions to qualify for a state pension (a) in full and (b) other specific categories of pension.
Mr. Jack : To qualify for a 100 per cent. category A basic retirement pension a person must have paid full rate contributions for approximately nine-tenths of their working life. The working life is normally calculated as 49 years for a man and 44 years for a woman, but is reduced in certain circumstances, such as where home responsibilities protection applies. If the contribution record is insufficient to give the full rate, basic pension may be paid on a pro-rata basis at rates varying between 25 per cent. and 100 per cent. Below 25 per cent. no basic pension is payable.
Other specific categories of retirement pensions are category B for a wife, widow or widower derived from their spouses contributions and calculated on a similar basis and categories C and D non-contributory pensions for elderly people, which have a residence rather than a contributory requirement. Further details on the entitlement conditions for all state retirement pensions can be found in leaflet NP46, which is available in the Library.
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