| Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 255
Mr. Key : It is my right hon. Friend's policy, in making the annual local authority finance settlement, to take account of all expenditure by local authorities which is notified to him.London Docklands Development Corporation
Mr. Shore : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many civil servants from his Department are seconded to the London Docklands development corporation.
Local Council Meetings
Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will use his powers under section 20 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 to ensure that local authority members have the right to have their votes recorded at the conclusion of meetings.
Mr. Key : It is important that members should be able to put on record their support, or otherwise, for questions decided at meetings.
My Department is today consulting the English and Welsh local authority associations on draft regulations which will include a requirement for all county, district and London borough councils to adopt a standing order giving any member the right to have their votes recorded in the minutes at the conclusion of meetings. My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities announced on 22 May that these regulations will also provide for compulsory standing orders on the appointment and dismissal of chief officers and a number of minor procedural matters.
Sir Peter Levene
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of remuneration and other benefits offered to Sir Peter Levene (i) as special adviser to his Department and (ii) as chairman of the docklands light railway.
Mr. Heseltine [holding answer 20 November 1991] : Sir Peter Levene receives no remuneration or other benefits as my special adviser. He has been appointed chairman of the docklands light railway by the board of London Regional Transport whose responsibility it is to agree his remuneration.
Endangered Species
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what notice was given to United Kingdom importers of species covered by CITES on each of the last three occasions when the import of such species was banned in the EC ;
(2) when he expects to receive the up-to-date list of CITES appendix C2 species detailing the range states for each species and the current EC position with regard to import ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) when and by what means British importers of reptile species from Indonesia were informed of the decision by the EC CITES committee to instigate a ban on imports of such species ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 20 November 1991] : We give general information to importers about changes as
Column 256
quickly as possible. Whenever individual traders have been identified, they have been notified in advance of the issue of general notification. General notification has been by way of a revised list, produced by the European Commission, of all species subject to restrictions of this kind. Such revisions were sent to all known United Kingdom traders on 30 April and 26 September. My Department will circulate a further revision reflecting the decisions taken at the meeting on 23 and 24 September as soon as is available. I understand that this is likely to be after the December meeting of the EC CITES committee. Given this delay, we proposed to notify all known traders of the changes made in September within the next few days.Written notification of the restrictions on trade with Indonesia was sent to one company in October, in response to a related inquiry. Departmental officials have since met representatives of the British Leather Confederation and the principal importers.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those species covered by CITES whose import is banned into the EC only ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 20 November 1991] : I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to press for a worldwide ban on exports from Indonesia of reptile species listed in appendix C2 of CITES ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 20 November 1991] : Future action will depend on how constructively the Indonesian authorities respond to the EC CITES committee's decision to impose a temporary ban on the import of annex C2 species into the European Community.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) which officials represented the United Kingdom at the EC CITES committee meeting on 23 and 24 September 1991 ; at what civil service grades they are each employed ; how long each has been working in the policy area concerned with CITES ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes from the EC CITES committee meeting which took place on 23 and 24 September 1991 ;
(3) what procedure has been agreed by member states governing the confidentiality of the minutes of the EC CITES committee.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 20 November 1991] : The United Kingdom was represented by : one grade 6 official from my Department ; one grade 7 from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise ; a senior scientific officer from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee ; and a higher scientific officer from the royal botanical gardens. All members of the United Kingdom team have had extensive experience of CITES. The commission does not produce a detailed record of the discussions at EC committee meetings. A summary of the main decisions reached is circulated to member states, but these summaries are not public documents, and are regarded by the Commission as confidential.
Column 257
PRIME MINISTER
Cyprus
Mr. Cox : To ask the Prime Minister which Government Ministers have made an official visit to Cyprus since June 1987.
The Prime Minister : There have been no bilateral ministerial visits to Cyprus in the period specified.
Perisher Submarines
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Prime Minister if he will intervene to stop the Perisher submarine exercise scheduled for 22 to 27 November in the Clyde following fishermen's organisations warnings.
The Prime Minister : I understand the sensitivity of the anniversary of the Antares sinking on 22 November. In recognition of this, no submarines on the essential Perisher exercise will enter inshore waters until Saturday 23 November when no fishing activity will be taking place.
Official Entertainment
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister what was the total cost of official entertainment associated with the office of Prime Minister in the financial year 1990-91.
The Prime Minister : The cost of official entertainment associated with my office during 1990-91, including entertainment overseas, was £23,830.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 21 November.
The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Parents Charter
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what methods are being used to distribute a copy of the parents charter to every parent ; what is the estimated cost of (a) preparing the text, (b) printing and (c) distributing the charter ; how many copies have been printed ; by what process commercial firms used to distribute the charter were selected ; which companies were appointed ; and at what cost to public funds.
Mr. Eggar : Schools have been asked, on a voluntary basis, to distribute the charter to parents. Copies are also available in main libraries and post offices, and could be ordered via a freepost address or freephone number which were advertised in the national press and magazines in September and October.
The cost of preparing the text for publication was some £21,000. Printing costs have so far amounted to £446,000, and distribution costs to £550,000. Nearly 6.8 million copies of the charter have been printed, including 281,000 translated into eight ethnic minority languages. The
Column 258
Central Office of Information was commissioned to manage the distribution arrangements, at a cost to date of nearly £4,000. It selected the mailing house, Mail Marketing (Bristol) Ltd., and telephone agency, Merit Direct Ltd., from an approved list of contractors.Adult Education
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the component for adult education included in the standard spending assessment for each local education authority for the years 1988- 89, 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92.
Mr. Eggar : Standard spending assessments replaced grant-related expenditure--(GRE)--assessments from April 1990. GRE components for adult education for each local education authority for 1988-89 and 1989-90 are listed in "Technical Handbook of Grant-Related Expenditure" for the relevant year published by the Department of the Environment. Copies are available in the Library. Standard spending assessments do not contain a separate component for adult education.
ENERGY
Nuclear Electricity
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the value expressed in real terms from a 1991 base of the plutonium credit (per kilogram) for the plutonium produced as a by-product of the production of nuclear electricity in the years 1991, 1990, 1985, 1980, 1975, 1970, 1965 and 1961.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : As with other nuclear fuels held in stock, it is for each owner of plutonium to attach a value to the material in drawing up its accounts and to justify that value to its auditors. The precise figures are therefore commercial matters for Nuclear Electric plc, Scottish Nuclear Ltd., British Nuclear Fuels plc and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has yet received any recommendations from the Energy Action Grants Agency with regard to the future operation of the home energy efficiency scheme in Scottish area 14 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Following consultation with interested bodies, the Energy Action Grants Agency--EAGA--made recommendations to me that network installer area 14 in Scotland should be divided into four smaller areas. These are : Highlands, Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles, the boundaries being those of the relevant local authorities. I understand that the present network installer for the area agreed to step down in order that a new bidding process could take place. In September the EAGA placed advertisements inviting bids by 1 November for registration as network installers in these areas. A total of 11 bids were received, and these are currently being assessed with the aim of enabling successful bidders to be registered before the end of December.
Column 259
Orimulsion
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department has any policy guidelines on the burning of Orimulsion for the generation of electricity ; what information he has on its current use ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The type and quantity of fuel used by the electricity generators is an operational matter for the companies concerned, subject to emission limits imposed by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution--HMIP--under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Orimulsion is currently being burnt by PowerGen plc, with the agreement of HMIP under SI 318, at its Ince and Richborough power stations on a long-term trial basis.
Thermal Efficiency
Sir Eldon Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has about the relative thermal efficiency of (a) combined cycle gas power plants and (b) combined heat and power plants ; and if he will publish a table showing the approximate range of thermal efficiency achieved by plants using both types of power generators.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Modern combined cycle gas turbine electricity generating stations of the type planned currently have a thermal efficiency of about 48 per cent., although future plants are expected to offer improvements on this, possibly reaching 54 per cent. in the next five years.
Combined heat and power plants are usualy tailored to meet the particular combination of heat and electricity loads of individual customers, and can be almost any size and combination of type of equipment and fuel. Therefore
Column 260
it is not possible to generalise but efficiencies are normally in the range of 70 to 80 per cent. but can be as high as90 per cent.Ratcliffe Power Station
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on the amount of limestone which will be required for the flue gas desulphurisation programme at Ratcliffe power station.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : In the environmental statement which accompanied PowerGen plc's application for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 the company stated that the flue gas desulphurisation plant at Ratcliffe would use some 306,000 tonnes of limestone annually.
Research Expenditure
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give for each year from 1979-80 to 1992-93 inclusive the spending or proposed spending on renewables research funded by his Department breaking the figures down into type of renewable technology and expressing all the figures in (i) money terms and (ii) 1991-92 real terms.
Mr. Wakeham : Outturn expenditure from 1979-80 on my Department's renewable energy research, development and demonstration programme is set out in tables. Expenditure for the current year is estimated. Proposed expenditure on renewables in 1992-93 is £24.3 million ; a breakdown of this figure by type of renewable technology is not yet available.
Column 259
Department of Energy RD and D Expenditure on Renewable Energy
£ million
Programme |1979-80 |1980-81 |1981-82 |1982-83 |1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wind |0.6 |0.8 |0.9 |2.5 |2.5 |4.8 |5.4 |3.7 |4 |3.9 |4.8 |4.5 |6.2
Wave |3 |3.3 |4.4 |3.1 |1 |0.4 |0.4 |0.1 |0.2 |0.1 |0.1 |0.4 |0.5
Geothermal Aquifers |1.3 |1.7 |2.6 |1.5 |1.8 |1.1 |0.3 |0.1 |0 |0.1 |0.2 |0 |0.1
Geothermal HDR |0 |0.6 |5.6 |3 |2.9 |4.6 |3.5 |3.5 |3.6 |3.5 |3.3 |2.6 |1.8
Solar |1.2 |0.9 |0.7 |1.4 |0.9 |0.5 |0.7 |0.9 |1.1 |1.4 |1.9 |2.1 |2.3
Biomass<1> |0.1 |0.4 |0.4 |1.2 |0.7 |1.1 |0.8 |1.3 |2.2 |1.5 |1.4 |1.8 |2.3
Tide |0.6 |1.4 |0.4 |0 |0 |0.3 |0.1 |0.1 |1.4 |1.2 |1.1 |1.9 |2.0
Hydro/General Studies |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0.8 |0.8 |0.8 |1.0 |1.5
Promotion |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0.7 |1 |1.6 |2.7 |3.0
ETSU Services |1.4 |2.2 |2.3 |2 |1.9 |2.1 |2 |2.3 |2.3 |2.5 |2.7 |3.8 |4.3
|-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |--
Total |8.2 |11.3 |17.3 |14.7 |11.7 |14.9 |13.2 |12.0 |16.3 |16 |17.9 |20.8 |24.0
<1> Includes expenditure on "Waste as a Fuel" projects under the Energy Efficiency Office demonstration scheme
Notes:
Up to 1986-87 the total for R&D also includes expenditure on Low Head Hydro and General Studies to 1986-87. These are separately identified
for 1987-88 and include work carried out by the Chief Scientist Group, ETSU.
Department of Energy RD and D Expenditure on Renewable Energy (1991-92 prices)
£ million
Programme |1979-80 |1980-81 |1981-82 |1982-83 |1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wind |1.4 |1.6 |1.6 |4.2 |4.0 |7.4 |7.8 |5.2 |5.3 |4.8 |5.6 |4.8 |6.2
Wave |7.0 |6.5 |7.9 |5.2 |1.6 |0.6 |0.6 |0.1 |0.3 |0.1 |0.1 |0.4 |0.5
Geothermal Aquifers |3.0 |3.3 |4.7 |2.5 |2.9 |1.7 |0.4 |0.1 |0.0 |0.1 |0.2 |0.0 |0.1
Geothermal HDR |0.0 |1.2 |10.0 |5.0 |4.6 |7.0 |5.0 |4.9 |4.8 |4.3 |3.8 |2.8 |1.8
Solar |2.8 |1.8 |1.3 |2.3 |1.4 |0.7 |1.0 |1.3 |1.5 |1.7 |2.2 |2.3 |2.3
Biomass<1> |0.2 |0.8 |0.7 |2.0 |1.1 |1.7 |1.2 |1.8 |2.9 |1.9 |1.6 |1.9 |2.3
Tide |1.4 |2.7 |0.7 |0.0 |0.0 |0.4 |0.1 |0.1 |1.9 |1.5 |1.3 |2.0 |2.0
Hydro/General Studies/CSG |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1.0 |1.0 |0.9 |1.1 |1.5
Promotion |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0.9 |1.2 |2.0 |2.9 |3.0
ETSU Services |3.3 |4.3 |4.1 |3.3 |3.0 |3.2 |2.9 |3.2 |3.0 |3.1 |3.1 |4.0 |4.3
|-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |--
Total |19.1 |22.2 |31.0 |24.5 |18.6 |22.7 |19.0 |16.7 |21.6 |19.7 |20.8 |22.2 |24.0
<1> Includes expenditure on "Waste as a Fuel" projects under the EEO's demonstration scheme
Notes:
CSG = Chief Scientist's Group
Up to 1986-87 the total for R&D includes expenditure on Low Head Hydro and General Studies
IAEA Inspection
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all the countries currently subject to International Atomic Energy Agency inspection.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The International Atomic Energy Agency is entitled to inspect the declared facilities of a country with which it has concluded a safeguards agreement. A list of those agreements, as of 31 December 1990, is contained in the agency's annual report for 1990, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Offshore Supplies Office
Mr. Squire : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what changes he expects to make in the future operation of the Offshore Supplies Office.
Mr. Wakeham : I have reviewed the future role of the Offshore Supplies Office--OSO--in the light of the present stage of development of the offshore supplies industry and the challenges facing it in the 1990s. The OSO's principal tasks will remain unchanged--promotion of fair commercial opportunity in all oil and gas markets, support for the development of the latest technologies and promotion of United Kingdom exports. It will have a major role in supporting EC initiatives for the creation of open and commercially fair markets. Open and commercially fair markets are crucial to the continued success of the United Kingdom offshore oil and gas field supplies industry. That industry is now mature, however, and firmly established at home. I take the view, therefore, that the detailed monitoring of orders for the United Kingdom continental shelf is no longer necessary and that the OSO should no longer be charged with this task. I shall continue to report
Column 262
to Parliament, in my annual report on the development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom, on the progress of the supplies industry. But I plan to give new emphasis to its success in overseas markets, in place of the present analysis of orders placed for the United Kingdom Continental Shelf.HOME DEPARTMENT
Child Refugees
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many child refugees under the age of 17 years have been admitted to the United Kingdom during each of the past 12 months ; if he will provide a table showing their country or origin ; and what financial support the Home Offfice provides for the care and resettlement of child refugees in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the United Kingdom who are granted temporary admission pending consideration of their application. The available information is on those cases who were unaccompanied at the point of their arrival, and is given in the table.
In addition to providing grants to certain voluntary organisations to assist with refugee resettlement, the Home Office makes a grant--about £600,000 in 1991--to the refugees arrivals project which provides emergency assistance to newly arrived destitute asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors. I understand that under the Children Act 1989 local authorities are responsible for arranging the care of unaccompanied child refugees or asylum seekers.
Column 261
Unaccompanied<1> minors<2> seeking asylum on their arrival in the United Kingdom, and granted temporary admission, by nationality
1990 1991
|November |December |January |February |March |April |May |June |July |August |September |October
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afghanistan |2 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |2 |- |-
Angola |1 |- |- |- |- |1 |3 |- |- |1 |- |-
Bangladesh |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |-
Ethiopia |4 |3 |- |2 |1 |1 |2 |3 |1 |- |- |-
Ghana |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1
Iran |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |-
Somalia |2 |- |2 |2 |- |- |1 |1 |1 |4 |- |4
Sri Lanka |7 |1 |8 |2 |2 |6 |9 |4 |4 |4 |9 |9
Turkey |- |- |1 |2 |- |1 |- |- |- |1 |- |1
Uganda |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Yugoslavia |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |-
Zaire |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |-
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
<1> Unaccompanied at the point of their arrival.
<2> Aged 16 or under.
Column 263
Crime Statistics
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of crimes committed in each police area in 1979 and in 1990 with the percentage change given in each case.
Mr. John Patten : This information is published annually in chapter 2 of the Command Paper "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" the latest edition of which, Cm 1322, contains 1989 statistics. 1990 figures were published in "Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 4/91" in March 1991. Both publications have been placed in the Library of the House.
Brixton Prison
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information the governor of Brixton prison was given about Staffordshire police operations in Brixton prison during 1990 and 1991 ;
(2) what consultations took place in 1990 between the Prison Department, the Metropolitan police and the Staffordshire police about police operations in Brixton prison.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : As I indicated in my statement of 5 August following the report of the inquiry by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons into the escape, information became available to Prison Service headquarters and to Brixton prison from the police in February 1991 that the prisoners were seeking to escape, that they had identified the Sunday chapel service as an opportunity and that they were seeking to acquire a firearm. This information was not passed to Ministers.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the last governor of Brixton prison will be given the opportunity to answer charges made directly or indirectly against him ;
(2) if any employees at the Prison Department will be disciplined following investigations into the Brixton prison escape in July of two IRA suspects.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I announced on 5 August that Mr. Ralph Shuffrey CB has been asked to advise the principal establishment officer of the Home Office and the Director General of the Prison Service on whether there were any grounds for taking disciplinary action against any member of staff in connection with the escape from Brixton prison on 7 July. Mr. Shuffrey, who was assisted by Mr. John Richardson OBE, subsequently advised that there were such grounds in relation to the then head of DOC1 division in Prison Service headquarters, the then governor of Brixton and four prison officers who were on duty at the time.
Because of his retirement, the question of disciplinary action against the then governor of Brixton did not arise and no charges were laid against him. The position was explained to him and he was told that it was open to him to write to the director of personnel and finance of the Prison Service with his comments. A disciplinary charge was laid against the then head of DOC1 division. The disciplinary proceedings found that there had been errors of judgment and failures of procedure, but the charge was not sustained and was dismissed. In the case of the prison officers, an investigation was conducted under the code of
Column 264
discipline for prison officers, in the light of which the governor of Brixton decided that no charges should be laid.Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in apprehending the two IRA suspects who escaped from Her Majesty's prison, Brixton last July ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that investigations are continuing.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how a loaded 2.5 calibre pistol was smuggled into Brixton gaol between February and July 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : These matters were inquired into by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons, parts of whose report on the escape of two prisoners from Brixton prison on 7 July were published on 5 August. Copies were placed in the Library along with copies of my statement of the same date. In his report Her Majesty's chief inspector said that most probably the gun was sent in by post, in the cut-out soles of a pair of shoes, the body of the gun in one shoe, the magazine in the other.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Staffordshire about Staffordshire police operations in Brixton prison during 1990 and 1991.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I called for a report from the chief constable of Staffordshire on 6 August after I had received the report of Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons into the Brixton escape on 7 July. The chief constable's report was submitted on 13 August, and a supplementary report on 5 September. The chief constable has arranged for a further investigation by Mr. Colin Bailey, the deputy chief constable of Nottinghamshire, as announced yesterday into allegations made in the "Thames Reports" programme broadcast on 19 November.
Mrs. Jamila Sadiq
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will take a decision over the application of Mrs. Jamila Sadiq (Ref. IMP 5767465(S)) (GV100/12157) to join her husband in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The entry clearance officer in Islamabad was notified on 20 November of the decision to refuse the application. I regret the delay in dealing with this application, which was first referred to the Home Office in April 1991.
As Safe as Houses"
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken on the recommendations of the Fire Brigades Union report, "As Safe as Houses", a copy of which has been sent to him ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : The discussion document was submitted for consideration to the Central Fire Brigades
Column 265
Advisory Council at its meeting of 20 November. The Home Office will consider its response to the document in the light of advice from that forum.Vagrancy Act 1824
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake to bring forward proposals to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824.
Mr. John Patten : No. The Vagrancy Act 1824 has been much amended over the years and in its present form provides power to deal with a number of nuisances, including indecent exposure.
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had in connection with the number of homeless persons arrested under the Vagrancy Act 1824.
Mr. John Patten : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question by the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mrs. Golding) on 13 November 1991 at column 537 .
Prison Security
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the recent prison security audit ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend recently received the final report of the prison security audit conducted by Mr. Hadfield and Mr. Lakes and is still considering it.
Fire Safety
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when section 3 of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 will be enacted ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : There are no plans to bring section 3 of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 into force.
Private living accommodation is a matter best left to local housing authorities. They have a duty at least once a year to consider the housing conditions in their district with a view to determining what action to take in performance of their functions.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to protect elderly persons from fire risks.
Mr. John Patten : The Home Office provides specific advice on fire safety for elderly people in the form of written and video material. That material provides general guidance on fire prevention and fire safety measures in the home and is targeted to the elderly age group.
In addition, the Home Office targeted its 1990-91 national television advertising campaign on smoke alarms at the elderly. The main target group for the 1991-92 campaign will again be the elderly.
There is legislation in place in respect of types of accommodation housing elderly people which, among other things, makes provision for fire precautions. Such legislation is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.
Column 266
Special Branch
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has authorised any special branch operations in British gaols since he took office ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : It is not the practice to disclose such information.
| Next Section
| Home Page |