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Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many rural magistrates courts he estimates will close in England and Wales in 1991 and 1992.
Mr. John Patten : We have made no such estimate, since decisions on the maintenance of courthouses are in the first place matters for the responsible magistrates courts committees in consultation with their paying authorities. Cash limits on current grant will reinforce the need for committees to consider the number and location of courthouses as part of their general responsibility for providing an effective and efficient service, having regard to the needs of court users as well as to affordability ; but the effect on individual committees will depend on the total grant available to support magistrates courts expenditure and on the arrangements for its allocation by area, on which final decisions have not yet been made.
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received with regard to the closure of magistrates courts in Dyfed ; and what action he proposes to take.
Mr. John Patten : We have as yet received no representations in relation to the decision by the Dyfed magistrates courts committee on 18 July to close 11 courthouses. If there is an appeal by the paying authority under the Justices of the Peace Act 1979 against this decision we shall of course consider it on its merits.
Monmouth Police Station
Mr. Edwards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had concerning funding in relation to the condition of Monmouth police station ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Representations about Monmouth police station have been received from members of the Gwent police authority and from a number of hon. Members.
Charity Laws
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to reform the current charity laws ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to reform the current charity laws ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : The Government's proposals for reforming charity law are set out in the White Paper, "Charities : A Framework for the Future", published in 1989. There is always pressure for a place in the legislative programme, but preparation of a Bill is well advanced and we hope that there will be an early opportunity to introduce the legislation.
Prison Escapes
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many category A prisoners escaped from dispersal prisons during 1990-91 ; and from which establishments.
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Mrs. Rumbold : On 15 January 1991 a category A prisoner under escort to Her Majesty's prison Full Sutton escaped, in company with a category B prisoner. Both were recaptured later the same day. During 1990-91 no category A prisoners have escaped from within a dispersal prison.Criminal Records
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to make a statement on the scrutiny of criminal records.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The scrutiny report raises some difficult and sensitive issues on the scope, management and disclosure of criminal records which require careful consideration. The Government's views on the report will be made known as soon as possible.
Gambling Machines
Mrs. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department has received any representations from Mr. Mark Griffiths, of Polytechnic South West, Plymouth, on the effects of gambling machine abuse upon young people.
Sick Leave
Sir Geoffrey Finsberg : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when work commenced on the proposed circular on sickness and sick leave ; and when he expects it to be published.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Police Records
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if there is a recommended or statutory period during which police forces should retain interview notes and case documents before they are destroyed ;
(2) if he will make it his policy to issue guidance that no police interview notes or case documents should be destroyed for as long as a person is imprisoned on conviction of the crime involved ;
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(3) if he will list the practice of each police force in England and Wales for the retention of interview notes and case documents in serious cases.Mr. Peter Lloyd : There is no such statutory or recommended period. The policy on retention of interview notes and case documents is a matter for each chief officer of police.
Information on the practice of individual forces is not held centrally. At present we have no plans to issue guidance to police forces.
Immigration
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for entry clearance from (a) wives, (b) husbands, (c) fiance s and (d) fiance es made at British posts in (i) New Delhi, (ii) Bombay, (iii) Calcutta, (iv) Madras, (v) Dhaka, (vi) Islamabad, (vii) Karachi and (viii) Colombo for each quarter since January 1990 were (1) received, (2) granted and (3) refused ; how many refusals at each post were (A) wholly and (B) partly because the visa officer was not satisfied that the primary purpose of the marriage was not immigration ; how many refusals at each post were (x) wholly and (y) partly because the visa officer was not satisfied that the couple could support and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds ; what was the refusal rate at each post ; and what percentage of those refusals were (I) wholly and (II) partly on primary purpose grounds.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 24 July 1991] : Information for the Indian sub-continent for the whole of 1990 and, where available, for the first quarter of 1991 is given in the tables. Where the numbers are small, the figures for individual posts have been combined. To keep down the cost, only annual data for 1990 have been given. For information for the first quarter of 1990, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 26 July 1990 at columns 468-72 . Information on refusals which takes account of successful appeals is not compiled for periods shorter than 12 months. Corresponding information for Colombo is not available centrally.
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Table 1
Spouses and fiance (e) in the Indian sub-continent applying for entry clearance for settlement in the United
Kingdom
Number of persons or percentage
Husbands
1990 1991
|1st quarter|2nd quarter|3rd quarter|4th quarter|Year |1st quarter
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received<1> |70 |90 |80 |60 |290 |70
Applications granted<2> |60 |50 |50 |40 |200 |40
Applications refused initially |40 |20 |30 |40 |130 |50
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |35 |n.a.
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received<1> |100 |70 |50 |40 |270 |100
Applications granted<2> |60 |40 |60 |30 |190 |30
Applications refused initially |50 |40 |50 |50 |200 |40
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |44 |n.a.
Dhaka
Applications received<1> |140 |150 |160 |160 |610 |130
Applications granted<2> |40 |70 |60 |50 |220 |70
Applications refused initially |90 |70 |100 |80 |340 |60
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |58 |n.a.
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received<1> |620 |490 |420 |410 |1,950 |560
Applications granted<2> |210 |200 |230 |350 |1,000 |390
Applications refused initially |530 |370 |270 |380 |1,550 |410
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |53 |n.a.
Number of persons or percentage
Fiances
1990 1991
|1st quarter|2nd quarter|3rd quarter|4th quarter|Year |1st quarter
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Delhi (including
Calcutta)
Applications received<1> |80 |60 |60 |40 |230 |50
Applications granted<2> |30 |20 |10 |20 |80 |20
Applications refused initially |30 |20 |20 |40 |110 |40
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |56 |n.a.
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received<1> |80 |60 |40 |40 |220 |70
Applications granted<2> |60 |40 |20 |20 |150 |10
Applications refused initially |30 |50 |30 |50 |160 |30
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |40 |n.a.
Dhaka
Applications received<1> |10 |<4>- |<4>- |<4>- |20 |<4>-
Applications granted<2> |<4>- |<4>- |<4>- |<4>- |10 |-
Applications refused initially |10 |<4>- |<4>- |<4>- |20 |-
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |72 |n.a.
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received<1> |110 |80 |60 |60 |310 |70
Applications granted<2> |60 |40 |60 |70 |230 |50
Applications refused initially |210 |110 |100 |80 |500 |70
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |60 |n.a.
Number of persons or percentage
Wives
1990 1991
|1st quarter|2nd quarter|3rd quarter|4th quarter|Year |1st quarter
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received<1> |180 |190 |140 |140 |660 |200
Applications granted<2> |160 |160 |170 |170 |660 |130
Applications refused initially |10 |20 |30 |30 |100 |20
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |12 |n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received<1> |460 |280 |200 |250 |1,210 |450
Applications granted<2> |270 |210 |370 |250 |1,100 |320
Applications refused initially |20 |20 |30 |30 |110 |30
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |9 |n/a
Dhaka
Applications received<1> |310 |320 |330 |270 |1,240 |240
Applications granted<2> |350 |350 |350 |200 |1,250 |240
Applications refused initially |90 |60 |70 |50 |270 |30
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |6 |n/a
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received<1> |920 |650 |670 |560 |2,800 |800
Applications granted<2> |660 |700 |860 |730 |2,950 |890
Applications refused initially |120 |100 |60 |70 |340 |90
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |11 |n/a
Number of persons or percentage
Fiancees
1990 1991
|1st quarter|2nd quarter|3rd quarter|4th quarter|Year |1st quarter
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received <1> |60 |70 |60 |50 |240 |50
Applications granted<2> |50 |20 |20 |60 |150 |40
Applications refused initially |20 |<4>- |10 |20 |50 |30
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |24 |n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received<1> |70 |40 |40 |40 |200 |50
Applications received<2> |40 |30 |20 |40 |130 |30
Applications refused initially |10 |10 |10 |10 |40 |10
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |22 |n/a
Dhaka
Applications received<1> |10 |<4>- |10 |10 |30 |10
Applications granted<2> |<4>- |10 |<4>- |<4>- |20 |<4>-
Applications refused initially |- |<4>- |- |- |<4>- |<4>-
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |6 |n/a
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received<1> |50 |50 |50 |40 |190 |50
Applications granted<2> |60 |40 |60 |40 |200 |50
Applications refused initially |10 |10 |10 |10 |40 |<4>-
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |16 |n/a
<1> Including applications subsequently withdrawn or lapsed
<2> Granted initially or on appeal
<3> Applications refused initially, minus applications granted on appeal, as a percentage of applications decided
<4> 5 or fewer
n/a=not available
Table 2
Spouses and fiance(e) in the Indian Sub-continent refused<1> entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom in 1990
Number of persons or percentage
Number refused because couple Number refused because primary Primary purpose refusals as a
could not accommodate and/or purpose of the marriage was to percentage of all refusals:
maintain themselves without re- obtain admission to the United
course to public funds: Kingdom:
|Solely for these|Partly for these|Solely for this |Partly for this |Solely on |Partly on
|reasons |reason |reason |primary purpose |primary purpose
|grounds |grounds
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Husbands |- |10 |60 |10 |53 |10
Fiances |<4>- |10 |60 |10 |60 |12
Wives |10 |10 |50 |<4>- |57 |3
Fiancees |- |10 |60 |10 |49 |28
Bombay (including Madras)
Husbands |<4>- |10 |150 |10 |92 |4
Fiances |<4>- |<4>- |100 |10 |86 |8
Wives |10 |<4>- |60 |<4>- |59 |2
Fiancees |<4>- |<4>- |20 |<4>- |59 |5
Dhaka
Husbands |10 |60 |220 |60 |70 |18
Fiances |- |10 |10 |10 |<2>41 |<2>35
Wives |40 |30 |<4>- |10 |2 |5
Fiancees |- |- |- |- |<3>- |<3>-
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Husbands |30 |700 |390 |690 |34 |60
Fiances |<4>- |190 |120 |210 |210 |34
Wives |90 |40 |20 |20 |11 |12
Fiancees |<4>- |10 |10 |10 |19 |24
Total Indian sub-continent
Husbands |30 |770 |820 |770 |47 |44
Fiances |<4>- |200 |280 |230 |49 |41
Wives |140 |70 |130 |30 |25 |6
Fiancees |10 |20 |50 |10 |42 |20
<1>Applications refused initially, minus applications granted on appeal.
<2>Percentage based on fewer than 15 applications refused.
<3>Percentage not calculated for five or fewer applications refused.
<4>Five or fewer, or + per cent or less.
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Husbands -- 10 60 10 53 10
Fiances -- 10 60 10 60 12
Wives 10 10 50 -- 57 3
Fiancees -- 10 60 10 49 28
Bombay (including Madras)
Husbands -- 10 150 10 92 4
Fiances -- -- 100 10 86 8
Wives 10 -- 60 -- 59 2
Fiancees -- -- 20 -- 59 5
Dhaka
Husbands 10 60 220 60 70 18
Fiances -- 10 10 10 41 35
Wives 40 30 -- 10 2 5
Fiancees -- -- -- -- -- --
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Husbands 30 700 390 690 34 60
Fiances -- 190 120 210 34 60
Wives 90 40 20 20 11 12
Fiancees -- 10 10 10 19 24
Total Indian sub-continent
Husbands 30 770 820 770 47 44
Fiances -- 200 280 230 49 41
Wives 140 70 130 30 25 6
Fiancees 10 20 50 10 42 20
Applications refused initially, minus applications granted on appeal.
Percentage based on fewer than 15 applications refused. Percentage not calculated for five or fewer applications refused.
Five or fewer, or per cent. or less.
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for settlement by wives and children in (a) Dhaka and (b) Islamabad
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were (i) received, (ii) granted, (iii) refused, (iv) deferred at first interview, (v) lapsed and (vi) outstanding and awaiting first interview for each quarter since the beginning of 1990.Column 806
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 24 July 1991] : The information requested is given in the table.
Column 805
Wives and children applying for entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom<1>
Number of persons
Applications
Post |Newly |Granted<3> |Refused |Referred or |Withdrawn |Awaiting first
|received<2> |initially<4> |deferred<5> |or lapsed<4> |interview at end
of quarter
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dhaka
1990
1st quarter |1,320 |1,570 |520 |470 |280 |1,600
2nd quarter |1,190 |1,650 |380 |<6>- |240 |1,300
3rd quarter |1,110 |1,330 |360 |<6>- |160 |1,100
4th quarter |980 |650 |200 |<6>- |20 |1,500
1991
1st quarter |640 |940 |220 |<6>- |50 |1,300
Islamabad
1990
1st quarter |1,190 |990 |250 |640 |100 |1,700
2nd quarter |860 |1,050 |200 |<6>- |60 |1,400
3rd quarter |890 |1,170 |130 |<6>- |40 |1,200
4th quarter |840 |1,190 |180 |<6>- |40 |1,000
1991
1st quarter |980 |1,240 |160 |<6>- |60 |1,300
Karachi
1990
1st quarter |100 |60 |10 |10 |<7>- |70
2nd quarter |70 |80 |<7>- |<6>- |<7>- |50
3rd quarter |80 |70 |10 |<6>- |10 |50
4th quarter |60 |50 |- |<6>- |<7>- |50
1991
1st quarter |80 |40 |<7>- |<6>- |- |100
<1> Including all persons applying for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode in the United Kingdom.
<2> Data include some double counting in respect of applications recorded initially for entry clearance and then subsequently for a
certificate
of entitlement.
<3> Granted initially or on appeal.
<4> Since about the end of 1989, settlement applications have been refused in the circumstances where previously they would have been
lapsed.
<5> Referred to the Home Office for decision or deferred for further inquiries.
<6> Data discontinued from May 1990.
<7> Five or fewer.
Violence Against Women
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress towards implementing the recommendations of the Women's National Commission report on violence against women.
Mr. John Patten [holding answer 28 June 1991] : We welcome the Women's National Commission's report on violence against women in 1985. In the light of that report, and of research studies which have provided fresh insight into offences of rape and domestic violence, we have issued guidance to the police on how to improve their response to these crimes ; strengthened the powers of the courts to punish offenders and to protect victims ; and encouraged local agencies to work together to provide help and support to women who are victims of violent or sexual crimes.
Column 806
NATIONAL FINANCE
Bank Auditing
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce legislation under which all banks would be required to file their annual accounts within 90 days of the year end.
Mr. Maples : None. All limited companies are already subject to statutory time limits for the filing of accounts.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce legislation under which all banks would be required to publish a cash flow statement and related data.
Mr. Maples : The Government have no plans to introduce legislation in this area. I understand, however, that the Accounting Standards Board is working towards the publication later this year of an accounting standard which will require companies to include a cash flow statement in their annual accounts.
Column 807
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to propose legislation to prevent banks from operating off-balance sheet financing schemes in their financial statements ;(2) what plans he has to introduce legislation under which bank auditors will be changed every five years ;
(3) whether he has any plans to propose legislation under which bank depositors would individually be able to sue the auditors if the bank fails.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will propose legislation under which banks selling off-balance sheet financing schemes will not be licensed ;
(2) if he will propose legislation under which a bank's auditors would be banned from supplying non-audit services ;
(3) if he will propose legislation under which the annual reports of the banks will be required to publish the highest and the lowest interest rates charged by them during the year ;
(4) if he will propose legislation under which all banks will be required to publish the auditor's comments on the internal financial controls of banks ;
(5) if he will propose legislation under which all bank advertisements will be required clearly to state the maximum protection available to depositors.
Mr. Maples : The Government have no plans to introduce legislation.
Bank of Credit and Commerce International
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to investigate the role of unqualified individuals in the audit of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.
Mr. Maples : I am not aware of any suggestion that the individuals in charge of the audit of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International were not suitably qualified.
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review the operations in the United Kingdom of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International in respect of inducements to clients and information provided to customers, with a view to possible amendments to the banking legislation.
Mr. Maples : I refer the hon. Member to the announcement made by the Prime Minister on 22 July at column 757.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what communications he has received from Ernst and Young about the operations of BCCI.
Mr. Maples : Ernst and Young did not communicate any doubts about the operations of BCCI to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, nor would I expect them to have done so.
Mr. Meale : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on the incidence of prosecutions of BCCI officials for money laundering in the United States of America since 1986.
Mr. Maples : I understand that employees of companies in the BCCI group were indicted in Tampa, Florida in 1988 and subsequently convicted in 1990. Two prosecutions were brought in the United Kingdom in connection with the same case.
Column 808
Mr. Meale : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of United Kingdom depositors involved in the BCCI bank, together with the total capital involvement.
Mr. Maples : I understand that the branches of BCCI in the United Kingdom had some 70,000 depositors including overseas and United Kingdom residents and 140,000 accounts in both sterling and other currencies. It has not yet been possible for the (provisional) liquidator to estimate the capital involved.
Mr. Meale : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether BCCI had at the time of, or recently prior to, its closure the control of any other banks with current operations in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Meale : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions have been held between the Treasury and Mr. Agha Hasan Abedi about BCCI banking operations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maples : There have been no discussions between the Treasury and Mr. Agha Hasan Abedi.
Mr. Meale : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the scale of illegal money laundering identified in the operations of BCCI in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maples : One employee in the United Kingdom operations of BCCI was convicted of money laundering last year. There have been no further prosecutions of United Kingdom employees of BCCI for money laundering.
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library copies of all correspondence he received from the Governor of the Bank of England relating to the Bank of Credit and Commerce International since June 1987.
Mr. Norman Lamont : No. Exchanges between the Governor and myself are confidential. Any material relating to BCCI would, moreover, be covered by the provisions of part V of the Banking Act 1987. Lord Justice Bingham will of course have access to any correspondence received from the Governor relating to BCCI.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultations his Department had with the Governor of the Bank of England about his visit to Abu Dhabi to meet officials concerning the BCCI issue.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 22 July 1991] : My officials and I have discussed BCCI with the Governor on a number of occasions over the last few weeks, both before and after his visit to Abu Dhabi.
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to consult a creditors' meeting before a liquidator is appointed in connection with BCCI.
Mr. Norman Lamont : I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
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Mr. Madden : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he was informed of the intention of the Bank of England to close the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 22 July 1991] : I was informed on 28 June that the Bank of England proposed to call the College of Supervisors together to consider closure.
Banking Act (Disclosure Requirements)
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what monitoring he does of accounting disclosure requirements imposed under the Banking Act ; and how this is reported to Parliament.
Mr. Maples : I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
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