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Environmental Information
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if Her Majesty's Government intends to take additional powers to require companies to provide information on environmental matters.
Mr. Baldry : I have been asked to reply.
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 contains requirements for companies carrying out prescribed processes to provide information on environmental matters to enforcing authorities and inspectors, and for enforcing authorities to maintain public registers. The Government do not see any need for additional powers at present.
Iraq
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were the results in increased trade that resulted from visits made by Ministers within his Department to Iraq in the past four years.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 20 January 1991] : Only one DTI Minister has visited Iraq in the past four years. The visit was to attend the meeting of the UK-Iraq joint commission in 1988. It is impossible to gauge its effect on bilateral trade.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Citizens Charter
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money his Department has spent on producing its citizens charter proposals, arising from production, distribution and publicity costs.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : Since the launch of the citizens charter the Home Office has not incurred any production, distribution or publicity costs in taking the initiative forward.
Armley Prison
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations have been made to him over the past year about staffing levels at Her Majesty's prison, Armley ; and what concern has been expressed about the number of staff available to search visitors with hand- held metal-detecting equipment.
Mrs. Rumbold : Staffing levels at Her Majesty's prison, Leeds, were the subject of discussions between management and the local branch of the Prison Officers Association in July 1991 and new target staffing figures have been agreed. The availability of staff for searching is an area which has been identified for further review. Leeds is one of the prisons holding category A inmates for which the Home Secretary has agreed X-ray machines and walk-through metal detectors should be provided. An order has been placed for the equipment and Leeds should receive it in the next few weeks. Hand-held metal detectors are available for use by staff in the visits area and are used where warranted by the circumstances.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when hand-held metal-detecting equipment for searching visitors was first made available at Her Majesty's prison, Armley ; and on how many days since then the equipment has not been used to search visitors because of insufficient staff.
Mrs. Rumbold : The date when hand-held metal detectors were first issued to Her Majesty's prison, Armley is not readily available but was prior to October 1986.
The equipment is used to screen-selected visitors including those to prisoners considered to present a high risk to security. There is no record of detectors not being used because of a shortage of staff.
Remand Prisoners, Bradford
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice was given to prison authorities over the placing of prisoners on remand for offences arising from a violent incident in Bradford earlier this year.
Mrs. Rumbold : I understand from the chief constable of West Yorkshire and the governor of Leeds prison that it was not considered necessary to make special arrangements in respect of the location of the prisoners concerned. No advice from the police on the question of location was therefore passed to the prison.
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e and the governor of Leeds prison that it was not considered necessary to make special arrangements in respect of the location of the prisoners concerned. No advice from the police on tPrison Security
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will arrange for the installation of X-ray and metal detecting equipment at Her Majesty's prison, Armley, Leeds, to be expedited ; and what steps are being taken to ensure that sufficient staff are available to ensure that the equipment will be operational at all times ;
(2) by what date all of Her Majesty's prisons within the United Kingdom will have X-ray and metal-detecting equipment available ; and whether additional staff will be required at any of Her Majesty's prisons to ensure such equipment is operational at all times.
Mrs. Rumbold : As my right hon. Friend announced following the report of the inquiry by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons into the escape of two prisoners from Her Majesty's prison Brixton on 7 July 1991, it is intended to install X-ray machines and metal detector portals into prisons holding category A prisoners. His statement concerned prisons in England and Wales, the position in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland. A contract for the provision of X-ray machines to 23 designated prisons has been let. Deliveries will commence in February and continue into May. Deliveries are being arranged so that each prison, including Her Majesty's prison Leeds will have one X-ray machine by 31 March 1992 with further machines being supplied later. Staffing requirements will be determined by the area manager for each establishment. It is anticipated that additional staff will be required and financial provision has been made.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is being given to the staff of Her Majesty's prisons within the United Kingdom in the operation of X-ray and metal-detecting equipment.
Mrs. Rumbold : The contract which has been let to supply the X-ray machine to selected prisons in England
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and Wales includes basic training, of one day's duration, for 20 staff from each establishment and supervisors' training, of two days duration, for two staff from each establishment. Additional training in the interpretation of X-ray pictures is being arranged. In addition, arrangements are being made to train a radiation protection supervisor for each establishment. Training in the use of metal detectors is much more straightforward and will be provided at the establishment by prison staff.Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total cost of supplying x-ray and metal-detecting equipment to prisons in the United Kingdom in the current year ; where the equipment is manufactured ; what is the minimum delivery date ; and what is the total cost of training staff in the use of such equipment.
Mrs. Rumbold : The estimated cost of supplying x-ray machines to selected prisons in England and Wales in 1992 is £1.6 million. Metal detecting equipment will cost a further £75,000.
The equipment is manufactured in Croydon. It is estimated an initial delivery of one machine per establishment will be completed by 31 March with the remaining machines installed by the end of May. Metal detector portals are purchased as required.
The total cost of training staff to use this equipment is estimated at £150,000.
Immigration Rules
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to make changes in the immigration rules.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I have today laid before Parliament a statement of changes in the immigration rules which adds to the list of countries and territorial entities whose nationals need visas for the United Kingdom, the following former constituent republics of the Soviet Union : Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Moldovia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. The effect of this will be to ensure that those Soviet nationals who required visas continue to do so. At the same time the opportunity has been taken to remove from the list the United States Pacific trust territories for which a visa requirement is no longer necessary.
Coopers and Lybrand
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the projects, the purposes, and the cost of his Department's use of the Coopers and Lybrand group since 1989.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : The Coopers and Lybrand group have assisted my Department with 10 projects since 1989. Details are as follows : 1989
1. Review of the suitability and performance of PIMIS in the Glasgow/Liverpool Passport Office.
2. External Audit : Justice Clerk's Account.
1990-91
3. Magistrates Courts Agency Costings of the start-up and running.
4. Review of EFS paperwork.
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5. MIS Consultancy.6. Review of MICROB.
7. Restructuring of HMIC.
8. Review of Computer Production Planning Systems (MICROSS). 1991-92
9. Warehouse Distribution System for Supply and Transport Branch. 10. MIS for Prison Service Industries and Farms.
Royal Navy Reserve
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the occasions when port divers from the Royal Navy Reserve have rendered assistance to police and other civil authorities in England and Wales in the last five years ; and if he will make a statement on the effect of the closure of the Royal Navy Reserve port diving branch on such authorities.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : This information is not held centrally, but, as far as I am aware, there have been no occasions when such assistance has been rendered in England and Wales during the last five years and I do not anticipate that the closure of the Royal Navy Reserve port diving branch will have any effect on such authorities.
Prisons
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if privately run prisons will take prison inmates who are on rule 43.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the same prison rules that exist in state run prisons will apply to privately run prisons.
Mrs. Rumbold : Yes, the substance of the rules will largely remain the same. Some changes will however be necessary to reflect the different terminologies in use in the two systems and the different circumstances, such as the division of a governor's duties between the director and the controller of a contracted-out prison.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will appoint boards of visitors of privately run prisons ; whom they will be responsible to in making observations on the running of such prisons ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : As in the case of other boards of visitors, members of boards of visitors of privately run prisons will be appointed by the Home Secretary under section 6(2) of the Prison Act 1952 and will be required to make an annual report to him under prison rule 97. They will have the same right of access to him to make comments and observations as boards of visitors in state-run prisons.
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Empty Commercial Premises
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to stop unauthorised entry into, and trading use of, empty commercial premises.
Mr. John Patten : My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary published in November a consultation paper on squatting which considers the problems caused by the unlawful occupation of commercial premises. Copies of the document have been placed in the Library. The Government will decide what form any further action should take in the light of the responses to this consultation exercise.
Obscene Publications
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, following the publication of the Marquis de Sade's "Juliette", he has any plans to meet book publishers in the United Kingdom to discuss the publication of books openly advocating sadism, torture, child abuse and other such practices.
Mr. John Patten : I have no plans to do so. The Government in this country have no powers to ban or censor books or other publications. It is for publishers to ensure that they abide by the criminal law. If they do not, they can be prosecuted and punished, but Ministers cannot intervene in this.
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received concerning the publication of the book, "Juliette," by the Marquis de Sade.
Mr. John Patten : I have received a number of representations from Members of Parliament and others.
Sexual Offences
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average length of sentence of imprisonment imposed in each of the last 10 years upon offenders convicted of (a) rape, (b) buggery and indecency between males, (c) indecent assaults on adults, (d) gross indecency between children, and (e) other sexual offences ;
(2) how many individuals convicted of offences of (a) sexual assaults on an adult, (b) buggery or indecency between males, (c) rape, and (d) gross indecency with a child were given sentences of (i) immediate imprisonment, (ii) suspended imprisonment, (iii) community service, (iv) probation, (v) a fine, and (vi) discharge in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. John Patten : The information for England and Wales for the years 1980, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1989 is given in the tables. To produce further information for the other years requested would involve disproportionate cost. The 1990 data are not yet available.
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Table A Number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody and average length of sentence
imposed for certain sexual offences by type of
court 1980, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1989
England and Wales
Magistrates' Courts Crown Court
|Average |Average
|Total |sentence |Total |sentence
|immediate |length |immediate |length
Offence |Year |custody |(months) |custody<1>|(months)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rape |1980 |2 |3 |296 |44
|1985 |- |- |310 |54
|1987 |- |- |325 |75
|1988 |- |- |387 |75
|1989 |- |- |433 |75
Buggery and indecency |1980 |7 |4 |142 |34
between males |1985 |2 |5 |190 |32
|1987 |6 |5 |222 |43
|1988 |5 |<2> |246 |43
|1989 |2 |3 |203 |42
Indecent assaults |1980 |50 |4 |64 |12
on adults |1985 |64 |4 |133 |14
|1987 |49 |4 |208 |23
|1988 |47 |3 |237 |22
|1989 |48 |4 |289 |23
Gross indecency |1980 |13 |6 |24 |13
with children |1985 |23 |4 |56 |14
|1987 |11 |3 |92 |13
|1988 |10 |5 |87 |13
|1989 |9 |3 |59 |11
Other sexual |1980 |170 |4 |685 |23
(indictable) offences |1985 |185 |4 |916 |22
|1987 |142 |4 |1,268 |26
|1988 |129 |4 |1,292 |25
|1989 |73 |4 |1,247 |27
<1>Excludes Lifers' if which:-
In 1980 there were 4 for rape and 2 for buggery and indecency between males;
In 1985 there were 9 for rape and 1 for other sexual (indictable) offences;
In 1987 there were 12 for rape and 1 for buggery and indecency between males and 1 for
other sexual (indictable) offences;
In 1988 there were 10 for rape and 2 for buggery and indecency between males and 1 for
other sexual (indictable) offences; and
In 1989 there were 12 for rape, 6 for buggery and indecency between males and 1 for other
sexual (indictable) offences.
<2>Denotes less than one month.
Table B Number of offenders sentenced for certain sexual offences by type of court and result 1980, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1989
England and Wales
Offence |Year |Total |Imm. |Fully |Community |Prob- |Fine |Absent or |Other
|sent |custody |suspended |service |ation |conditional
|sentence |order |order |discharge
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Magistrates' courts
Indecent |1980 |741 |50 |34 |7 |122 |316 |120 |92
assault on |1985 |561 |64 |40 |17 |126 |170 |87 |57
an adult |1987 |516 |49 |31 |14 |122 |165 |72 |63
|1988 |593 |47 |43 |11 |122 |209 |88 |73
|1989 |663 |48 |40 |16 |125 |238 |129 |67
Buggery and |1980 |1,489 |7 |23 |1 |31 |1,291 |118 |18
indecency |1985 |611 |2 |4 |1 |17 |493 |83 |11
between |1987 |874 |6 |6 |- |22 |709 |116 |15
males |1988 |1,233 |5 |15 |3 |30 |1,034 |129 |17
|1989 |1,391 |2 |9 |3 |24 |1,194 |145 |14
Rape |1980 |9 |2 |- |- |- |- |- |7
|1985 |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |1
|1987 |2 |- |- |- |- |- |- |2
|1988 |2 |- |- |- |- |- |- |2
|1989 |3 |- |- |- |- |1 |1 |1
Gross |1980 |211 |13 |35 |- |70 |52 |23 |18
indecency |1985 |177 |23 |17 |3 |82 |24 |16 |12
with |1987 |117 |11 |7 |1 |50 |25 |10 |13
children |1988 |99 |10 |8 |1 |45 |18 |12 |5
|1989 |100 |9 |10 |3 |40 |16 |11 |11
Crown Court
Indecent |1980 |133 |64 |25 |6 |11 |10 |10 |7
assault on |1985 |213 |133 |25 |4 |24 |8 |8 |11
an adult |1987 |323 |208 |42 |5 |31 |18 |3 |16
|1988 |368 |237 |54 |4 |29 |14 |12 |18
|1989 |455 |289 |67 |7 |44 |16 |10 |22
Buggery and |1980 |351 |144 |58 |2 |23 |89 |20 |15
indecency |1985 |362 |190 |33 |8 |27 |68 |27 |9
between |1987 |333 |223 |29 |5 |25 |22 |19 |10
males |1988 |428 |248 |35 |4 |42 |54 |24 |21
|1989 |365 |209 |37 |2 |31 |46 |25 |15
Rape |1980 |326 |300 |4 |3 |3 |- |- |16
|1985 |341 |319 |5 |- |- |- |- |17
|1987 |347 |337 |- |- |- |- |- |10
|1988 |418 |397 |2 |- |3 |- |1 |15
|1989 |473 |445 |2 |1 |4 |- |- |21
Gross |1980 |54 |24 |17 |- |9 |2 |- |2
indecency |1985 |92 |56 |15 |- |13 |5 |1 |2
with |1987 |132 |92 |18 |1 |17 |2 |1 |1
children |1988 |147 |87 |25 |1 |24 |6 |2 |2
|1989 |119 |59 |15 |4 |30 |7 |2 |2
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders were (a) convicted of and (b) cautioned for indecent exposure in each of the past 10 years.
Mr. John Patten : Information for England and Wales from 1980 to 1989 on the number of offenders convicted and cautioned for the offence of indecent exposure is given in the table. This information is published annually in volumes 1, 2, and 4 of the "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables", copies of which are in the Library. Figures for 1990 are not yet available.
Number of offenders convicted and cautioned for indecent exposure 1980-1989 England and Wales Year |Convictions|Cautions ------------------------------------------------ 1980 |1,890 |225 1981 |1,613 |248 1982 |1,568 |193 1983 |1,433 |203 1984 |1,326 |231 1985 |1,229 |259 1986 |1,081 |253 1987 |1,030 |281 1988 |1,163 |295 1989 |1,054 |277
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to record locally and nationally the number of homosexual assaults on male prisoners in United Kingdom jails.
Mrs. Rumbold : The current prison service policy is that details of all assaults are recorded, including homosexual assaults. Investigations are made as appropriate, but the system at present does not allow for easy retrieval of information relating specifically to homosexual assaults.
The reporting of incidents by prison establishments in England and Wales is currently under review, as is the system for the storage and retrieval of information about incidents. It is envisaged that, following the review of incident reporting procedures, information about the more serious homosexual assaults, that is those involving a police investigation, will be more readily identifiable in the future.
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Vehicle Security Devices
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce regulations to require new cars to be equipped with effective alarms and deadlocking.
Mr. John Patten : No. It would be a breach of European Community law for the Government to introduce separate national legislation requiring new cars to be fitted with alarms and dead locks, since this would constitute a barrier to trade with other member states. The Department of Transport is therefore examining how far the British standard on vehicle security, which include dead locks, might form the basis of a revised EC directive on vehicle security. That Department, with the support of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, is currently negotiating in the motor vehicles working group of the European Commission for part one of the new British standard, on mechanical locking systems, to be incorporated in a new directive. It is hoped that agreement on this will be reached soon. These efforts have my full support and that of my right hon. Friend. In the meantime, my right hon. Friend is encouraging the motor manufacturers to adopt voluntarily the British standard for all new cars.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders report that alarms are now available as standard, or at point of sale, on 95 per cent. of new vehicle models sold in the United Kingdom.
Joy Riding
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to educate young people aged 14 years or less in the dangers of car theft and joy riding.
Mr. John Patten : A number of useful steps in this area have already been taken. Last April, I launched the Association of British Insurers' excellent video, "Think Again", which illustrates the dangers of so-called joy riding. This has now been widely distributed to schools and youth clubs.
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We have also announced that 1992 is to be Car Crime Prevention Year. This should provide the opportunity for many other initiatives aimed at informing young people of the dangers of car theft and discouraging them from taking cars.And, although they are not aimed primarily at young people aged 14 or less, there is in existence across the country an extensive range of local motor projects for young people. These include the police, probation services and voluntary agencies and aim to educate the participants on the dangers of car theft and to instil in them a responsible and law abiding attitude to the use of motor vehicles.
HEALTH
GP Contracts 12. Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the implementation of the GPs' contract.
Mr. Waldegrave : GPs have responded positively to the challenges and opportunities of the new contract. Patients are enjoying greater choice, surgeries now offer a wider range of services, and most GPs are hitting ambitious targets for cervical cytology screening and childhood immunisation. Most importantly, patient satisfaction has improved significantly.
Food Premises (Registration)
13. Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will issue regulations upon the registration of food handling and of premises serving food.
Mr. Dorrell : The Food Premises (Registration) Regulations 1991 were laid before Parliament on 16 December 1991 and will take effect from 1 February 1992.
The Health of the Nation"
14. Mr. Ted Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the main issue raised by those consulted on the Green Paper, "The Health of the Nation".
18. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which were the main issues raised by representations made to him following consultation on the Green Paper, "The Health of the Nation".
Mr. Waldegrave : The main feature of consultation was the very large level of support for a strategic approach to improve the nation's health. The responses also addressed a considerable number of individual issues, with considerable emphasis placed on the importance of tackling smoking.
Junior Doctors (Salaries)
15. Dr. Goodson-Wickes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new money has been found to improve the salaries of junior doctors.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have accepted the recommendations of the Doctors and Dentists Review Body on rates of pay for out-of-hours work by junior doctors. These are estimated to cost some £36 million in a full year in England.
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Abortion Act 1967
16. Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will review the workings of the conscience clause of the Abortion Act 1967.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : In response to the concern expressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State about the position of ancillary staff such as porters, hospital managers have been asked to apply the principle of section 4 of the Abortion Act--"the conscience clause"--to any member of this group who expresses a conscientious objection to direct participation in the handling of fetuses and fetal tissue.
NHS Performance
17. Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is available on the general performance of the national health service since 1 April 1991.
Mr. Waldegrave : On 14 January the Department published a report, "NHS Reforms--the First Six Months", detailing the improvements which have already been made since the introduction of the reforms in April 1991. Copies of the report have been sent to all hon. Members representing English constituencies and placed in the Library.
South Manchester Health Authority
19. Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the chairman of South Manchester health authority to discuss the maternity unit.
Mr. Dorrell : I wrote to Mr. Peter Hadfield, the chairman of South Manchester health authority, on 18 December 1991 about his authority's proposals to rationalise maternity services. I have not met him to discuss these.
Health Matters (Mid-Essex)
20. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next plans to visit the chairman of the North East Thames regional health authority to discuss health matters in Mid-Essex.
Mr. Dorrell : I have no present plans to do so.
NHS Trusts
22. Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-executive directors have now been appointed to the hospitals and units in the west midlands in the second wave of trusts ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Twenty-eight non-executive directors have been appointed to six NHS trusts in the west midlands, and two further appointments are under consideration.
28. Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to meet the chairman of the Oxfordshire district health authority to discuss applications for trust status.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I have at present no plans for such a meeting.
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NHS, Leicestershire
23. Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on developments in the national health service in Leicestershire.
Mr. Dorrell : Leicestershire health authority and Leicestershire family health services authority have increased patient activity on all fronts, and made important developments on insulin cell implant surgery and the purchase of a magnetic resonance imager for Leicester royal infirmary, while increasing expenditure by almost £2 million on GP premises this year.
an initial £1 million has been set aside for this equipment
Health Care (European Co-operation)
24. Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met his European counterparts to discuss European co-operation in health care provision.
Mr. Dorrell : My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State attended an inter-governmental conference of European Community Health Ministers, in the Netherlands, from 8 to 10 October last year. Its theme was "critical choices" in the provision of health care.
NHS Reform
25. Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what results are following from improved health outcome measurements in respect of the application of the principle that money should follow the patient.
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