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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 16 March 1992
PRIME MINISTER
Gambling
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on encouraging the demand for gambling.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs to my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley) on 13 January 1992, at column 460.
Government Objectives
Mr. Sayeed : To ask the Prime Minister what are the present objectives of the Government ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : The Government's objectives were set out in the Queen's Speech on 31 October 1991 at columns 5-7.
Progress made on these objectives is detailed in today's Prorogation Speech.
European Union
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the changes proposed by the new article 8--citizens of the union--of the revised treaty of Rome, as specified in the draft treaty on European union, what variation will occur between the future status of any citizens of the United Kingdom and that of its monarch.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 13 March 1992] : There will be no change in the status of citizens of the United Kingdom or that of the monarch. Every person who is a United Kingdom national for European Community purposes will hold citizenship of the union as an additional right.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Crime Statistics, Newham
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish figures for (a) total recorded offences, (b) all violent crimes, (c) burglaries and (d) murders in Newham for each year from 1980-81 to 1991-92.
Mr. John Patten : The available information has been given in the table. Annual figures for murder cannot be provided in time ; I shall therefore write to the hon. Member with them shortly.
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Notifiable offences recorded in the borough of Newham
Year |Total |Total |Burglary<1>
|notifiable |violent crime
|offences
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1980 |18,230 |952 |4,309
1981 |21,465 |977 |5,267
1982 |21,233 |1,097 |5,695
1983 |20,050 |1,081 |5,411
1984 |23,561 |1,460 |6,180
1985 |24,064 |1,476 |5,845
1986 |23,109 |1,439 |5,150
1987 |23,595 |1,685 |4,945
1988 |25,090 |1,759 |4,971
1989 |26,607 |2,007 |5,808
1990 |28,332 |2,348 |6,609
1991 |30,731 |2,854 |7,166
<1> Includes going equipped for stealing.
Gambling
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to raise money for the arts from the proceeds of gambling.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Government have decided to establish a national lottery to raise money for good causes, including the arts. On 6 March, we published a White Paper setting out the broad framework for the national lottery and inviting views of interested parties on a number of the practical issues.
Relocation
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those parts of his Department which are currently under review for relocation ; how many of these posts are being considered for relocation to the east midlands ; how many of these posts are being considered for relocation to Mansfield ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : The Home Office has completed a number of relocation reviews, and a current wider review of the Police National Computer Organisation includes the question of relocation. Some 2,000 posts in Prison Service headquarters and DTELS will move to the east midlands. There are no plans to relocate any posts to Mansfield.
Eavesdropping Devices
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 10 February, Official Report, column 344, to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) ; if he has any plans to restrict the circumstances in which eavesdropping devices may be used ; what consideration he has given to the effect of their use on personal privacy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : No, but the effect of the use of devices which amplify and transmit sound is kept under review.
Parole
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of prisoners in England and Wales eligible for parole, who are awaiting consideration of their applications for parole ; and what was the comparable figure at the same time in 1991 and 1990.
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Mrs. Rumbold : Central records show that there are now some 4,600 cases under consideration for parole and on which no decision has yet been reached. An additional unknown number of inmates will have had their reviews started locally, but the cases have not yet been received at the centre. At this time last year there were about 5,000 cases being processed at the centre. Figures for previous years are not readily available.Auto Crime
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Association of Chief Police Officers concerning the methods to be used in the apprehension of those suspected of acts of aggravated vehicle-taking ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : This is an operational matter for the police.
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has for the latest available year of all motor vehicles stolen or broken into, on the number of cases in which the method of entry was via (a) a forced window, (b) a smashed window and (c) a forced door.
Mr. John Patten [holding answer 13 March 1992] : The only information held centrally is from the British crime survey. The most recent sweep, conducted in early 1988, showed that of a sample of 1, 500 motor vehicles which were stolen or broken into over the past year, entry was as shown below. The survey does not ask for methods of entry in quite the same way as the question specifies. Nor do all victims, particularly those of theft of cars, know the method of entry. The other methods referred to in the third row include entry by unlocked doors and open windows.
|Percentage|Estimated
|number of
|crimes
---------------------------------------------------------
Broken windows |33 |811,000
Forced lock |18 |445,000
Other methods/not known |49 |1,217,000
|-- |-----
Total |100 |2,473,000
Prisons
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to implement changes in the prison disciplinary system.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I have laid before the House amendments to the prison rules and young offender institution rules which will implement, from 1 April, important changes to the prison disciplinary system. These implement commitments in the White Paper "Custody, Care and Justice". On 1 April boards of visitors will cease to have a role in hearing disciplinary cases or in remitting or mitigating any punishment. Governors will in future hear all charges, using their existing powers, and will refer allegations of serious criminal offences committed in prisons to the police for investigation. Guidelines have been agreed with the police and the Crown prosecution service on the referral of such cases. Governors will also be responsible for remitting or mitigating punishments. These changes will free boards of visitors to concentrate on their "watchdog" role.
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The amendments to the prison rules also increase the statutory entitlement of convicted adult prisoners to receive visits from one a month to two. This change was implemented administratively in June 1991. In addition, the rule amendments make provision for their application to contracted-out prisons.Magistrates Courts
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has reached conclusions on the review of magistrates courts procedures initiated in 1989.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I have now received the report of the committee invited to review magistrates courts procedure by my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) and have placed a copy in the Library. I am grateful to all those from the magistrates courts service and other bodies who participated in the review. With the exceptions noted below, and subject to deferral of questions relating to liquor licensing for further consideration, I am glad to endorse its recommendations. Some will require primary legislation, and I therefore cannot at this stage indicate when it will be possible to bring the necessary legislative proposals before Parliament. Others can be taken forward through changes to subordinate legislation or guidance to the courts.
The recommendations on which I am not persuaded that action is justified are those that it should be an offence to fail to carry a driving licence when driving, that failure to produce a licence at court should attract a fixed penalty fine and that a review of the witnesses' oath should be undertaken.
With these exceptions, I believe that the recommendations in the report will help to simplify and modernise court procedures in a way which maintains the requirements of justice. They should yield useful improvements in the efficiency of the criminal justice process as well as making court procedures clearer and more convenient for court users, in line with the citizens charter.
Crime, Basildon
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the change in the crime rate in Basildon in each of the last three years.
Mr. John Patten : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Identity Cards
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the implementation of EC identity cards for senior citizens.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Animal Welfare Groups
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial assistance is available for animal welfare groups in Basildon.
Mrs. Rumbold : I will write to my hon. Friend.
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Tethering
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been made since the implementation of the Protection Against Cruel Tethering Act 1988.
Mrs. Rumbold : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Taxi Licences
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received about the issuing of licences to taxi drivers and private car hire drivers in Basildon.
Mr. McLoughlin : I have been asked to reply.
I will write to my hon. Friend.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Training Schemes
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the latest information he has on the destination of people leaving the youth training programme.
Mr. Needham : The most recent information available on the destination of participants leaving the youth training programme is for the period 1 April 1991 to 29 February 1992.
YTP leavers whose |Number of |Percentage
destination is known |young |of total
|people
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To employment |5,583 |54
To full-time education |723 |7
Unemployed |4,022 |39
Languages
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will publish a table to show the number of students in each education and library board area who passed in Irish language at (a) O -level or GCSE and (b) A-level in 1989, 1990 and 1991 ; (2) if he will publish a table to show how many students in each education and library board area passed at (a) GCSE or O-level and (b) A-level in each language taught, other than English and Irish, in 1989, 1990 and 1991.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information requested is not readily available by board area. However the overall number of students who passed GCSE--that is, obtained grades A to C--and A-level--that is, obtained grades A to E-- in languages other than English was as follows :
( GCSE passes (grades A to C) Subject |1989 |1990 |1991 ---------------------------------------- French |8,704 |8,549 |8,901 Irish |1,133 |955 |959 German |1,051 |1,054 |1,094 Spanish |997 |1,022 |1,155 Italian |123 |110 |170 Latin |362 |349 |263 Greek |13 |7 |13
( GCE A-level passes (grades A to E) Subject |1989 |1990 |1991 ---------------------------------------- French |1,266 |1,239 |1,354 Irish |183 |229 |214 German |175 |210 |259 Spanish |227 |342 |294 Italian |33 |38 |36 Latin |72 |84 |63 Greek |8 |7 |-
Department of Economic Development
Mr. Irvine : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the achievements since 1979 of the Department of Economic Development for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Brooke : The Department of Economic Development has developed policies to stimulate the development of enterprise, to promote a more enterprising culture and to encourage the competitiveness and growth of small firms.
Since the inception of the Industrial Development Board in September 1982 new investment projects worth a total of £2,740 million have been secured, an overall total of 41,446 new jobs have been promoted and 69,467 jobs safeguarded. Since 1979 LEDU, the small firms agency, has promoted 42,476 jobs.
Harland and Wolff plc was privatised in September 1989 and Shorts Brothers in October 1989.
On 2 April 1990 the Department launched the Training and Employment Agency which has 1,700 staff and a budget of £172 million. It assists employers to improve the competitive position of Northern Ireland companies and delivers programmes designed to provide skills and abilities to unemployed people and those seeking to enter the labour market.
Against the background of plans for completion of the single European market, the Department adopted a new strategy which was set out in "Competing in the 1990s--the Key to Growth". The new strategy changes the emphasis of Government assistance for business away from grants for capital expenditure towards measures designed to improve business preformance in areas such as marketing, research, exporting, design and innovation.
In March 1992 the Department of Economic Development published a comprehensive research and development strategy for Northern Ireland-- "Innovation 2000"--and established a new industrial research and technology unit to improve the competitiveness of industry and strengthen the economy.
The Electricity (NI) Order 1992 made on 11 February 1992, provides for the reorganisation and privatisation of the electricity supply industry in Northern Ireland. Proceeds from the sale of the four generating stations, subject to audit, will amount to about £353 million. The sale of Ballylumford power station will lead to the construction of a gas pipeline between Northern Ireland and Scotland and agreement has also been reached to construct a 240 MW electricity link between these two parts of the United Kingdom.
An estimated 15 per cent. reduction in energy consumption by the public sector has been achieved since 1984.
The Government have considerably strengthened the law against unlawful discrimination in employment in Northern Ireland through the introduction of the Fair
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Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989. It represents the most radical anti-discrimination law ever enacted in the United Kingdom. Through the monitoring information which has been gathered and published by the Commission, a clearer picture has emerged of the extent of the problem of inequality in the work force. Already, a small but helpful improvement in the situation is evident.Department of Education
Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the achievements since 1979 of the Department of Education for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Brooke : Since 1979 spending on education and related services has increased, in real terms, by over 30 per cent ; in 1992-93 the total spend will be £1.2 billion.
Pupil-teacher ratios have improved between 1979-80 and 1990-91 from 23.8 to 22.8 in the primary sector and from 15.5 to 14.9 in the secondary sector. The proportion of 16-year-olds, over school leaving age, and 17-year-olds staying on at schools has increased over that period from 36.7 and 25.5 per cent. to 49.9 and 35.1 per cent. respectively. The proportion of school leavers with at least one A-level increased from 21.1 to 30 per cent., while the proportion leaving with no GCSE/O-level pass has fallen from 27 to 15.3 per cent.
Some £650 million has been invested in capital projects by the Department. This has enabled work to be carried out on more than 210 major building projects at schools and further education colleges and on nine new libraries.
Local management of schools--LMS--arrangements for financing schools, which gave all secondary schools responsibility for their own budgets, were introduced in April 1991.
In further education, the number of students enrolled has increased by almost 30 per cent. Special resource allocations have been made available to improve staffing levels, replace equipment, provide for staff development and to implement a major computerisation programme which will improve management and financial information systems. Boards of governors of colleges have been reconstituted to strengthen the representation from the business world and local management of colleges--LMC has given colleges responsibility for the management of their resources.
In higher education, the outcome of a review in the early 1980s, led to the removal of the binary divide in Northern Ireland and the establishment of the University of Ulster. The number of full-time NI domiciled undergraduates in higher education rose by 54 per cent. and the proportion of female full-time undergraduate and postgraduate university students in Northern Ireland has increased from 42 and 37 per cent. in 1980-81 to 51 and 46 per cent. in 1990-91.
Expenditure by DENI on recurrent and capital grants for arts, museums and libraries has increased from £17.429 million in 1979-80 to £33.299 million in 1990-91.
The Department has promoted the improvement of community relations in the schools and youth sectors. The cross-community contact scheme was established in 1987, and to date some 420 schools and 300 youth and community groups have been involved. A common curriculum has been introduced in all grant-aided schools.
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Department of Health and Social Security
Mr. Irvine : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the achievements since 1979 of the Department of Health and Social Security for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Brooke : Since 1978-79, expenditure on health and personal social services in Northern Ireland has increased by 31 per cent. after allowing for general inflation. Cost improvement programmes have also generated savings of nearly £70 million for investment in services to patients and clients.
Over the same period, levels of activity have increased by 33 per cent. Since 1981 the number of hospital in-patients has risen by 10 per cent. from 249,198 to 272,986 ; the number of day cases has increased fivefold, from 9,853 to 49,724 ; the number of operations has risen by 20 per cent. ; and the number of out-patient attendances has risen by 17 per cent. from 1.7 million to 2 million.
There have also been substantial increases in the numbers of professional staff : there are now 10 per cent. more dentists ; 17 per cent. more hospital doctors ; 26 per cent. more general practitioners ; 9 per cent. more nurses and midwives ; and 99 per cent. more qualified social workers. Particular emphasis has been placed on the training and development of professional staff. The training budget currently stands at over £14 million a year. Since 1979, perinatal and infant mortality rates in Northern Ireland have been reduced from 16.6 and 14.8 to 7.6 and 7.5 respectively. The latest available rates, for 1990, are, for the first time, the lowest in the United Kingdom.
Through the emphasis on developing community services, there have been reductions of 34 and 28 per cent. respectively in the number of patients in psychiatric and mental handicap hospitals.
The charter for patients and clients published on 10 March 1992 places a particular emphasis on quality and sets new, improved standards for the delivery of care and treatment.
The social security benefits system has been maintained and reformed on the same basis as in the rest of the United Kingdom. The cash value of pensions and other long-term benefits have been secured in real terms.
In July 1991 a Social Security Agency was established as part of the next steps initiative. The agency has attracted around 850 jobs to Northern Ireland providing services to the benefit network in Great Britain. Investment in computer technology has enhanced the efficiency of the services provided.
Adoption law and practice were brought broadly into line with the rest of the United Kingdom.
A major reform of gambling and club registration laws has been undertaken.
Since 1979 aid to the voluntary sector has been increased by 69 per cent. in real terms.
Department of Agriculture
Mr. Irvine : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the achievements since 1979 of the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Brooke : Since 1979 grants totalling £470 million have been paid to support capital investments on farms.
To facilitate animal disease control the Department has introduced computerised animal health records to enable
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the movement of animals to be monitored for disease control purposes. The Department has assisted in improving the hygiene standards of milk production resulting in the attainment of STEP II standards under the heat treated milk directive. It has also obtained an extra 65,000 tonnes of milk quota for the Province in 1984 in recognition of the special importance of milk production to the Northern Ireland economy.Since 1979 significant scientific advances have been made and an extensive research and development programme continues.
Considerable advances have been made in assessing the pollution potential of farm effluents and an enhanced programme of marine and freshwater fisheries research, including the acquisition of a sea-going research vessel, has made a significant impact on national and international fisheries resource management. The advent of an experimental food irradiation facility has led to significant results on the extension of shelf life of food products and to a prospective methodology for the detection of irradiation treatment of foods. The Department's staff have carried out more than one third of a million personal consultations within the agri-food industry aimed at improving the efficiency of production and marketing and co-operation between individual businesses within the industry as a whole. A quality assurance scheme has been initiated within the agri-food industry designed to promote and sell a quality assured product. The Department has also encouraged farmers and growers to adopt good health and safety practices by a fivefold increase in farm inspections resulting in a 33 per cent. decline in the number of fatal farm accidents.
Since 1979 the Department has catered for a threefold increase in the number of students on full-time and part-time courses at agricultural colleges and in excess of a sevenfold increase in the number of participants on short courses.
Landings of fish into Northern Ireland ports have increased from the 12,800 tonnes in 1979 to 24,400 tonnes in 1991 and the number of persons employed full-time in the catching sector of the industry increased from 700 to 1,050. Numbers employed in the fish processing sector have also increased. Major development works costing some £8.8 million have been carried out at the three main fishery harbours in the Province.
Timber sales by the Department's Forest Service have increased from 54,000 m --value £580,000--in 1979 to 184,000 m --value £3.6 million--in 1991. In the same period some 9,500 hectares of new afforestation has taken place and 10 new nature reserves have been established on forest land.
A total of £80 million has been spent by the Department on capital projects to improve drainage infrastructure and to assist development. Currently some £17 million per annum is spent on new schemes and maintenance works to alleviate flooding and minimise risk to life and damage to property.
Since 1987 the environmentally sensitive areas scheme has attracted a total of almost 1,000 farmers to enter 18,000 hectares of land in five-year agreements with the Department to use environmentally friendly farming practices.
Some 160 water recreation projects have been completed.
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Department of the Environment
Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the achievements since 1979 of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Brooke : Since 1979, the Department of the Environment has made substantial progress in conserving and improving the quality of the built and natural environment in Northern Ireland.
Housing condition surveys show that the level of unfitness declined from 14.1 per cent. in 1979 to 8.4 per cent. in 1987 and that the proportion of dwellings lacking at least one basic amenity declined from 17.9 to 5.5 per cent. The level of home ownership, which was 52 per cent. in 1979, is now 65 per cent. The housing situation of people unable to purchase their own dwellings has also improved with a fall in the Housing Executive's urgent waiting list from nearly 19, 000 in 1981 to under 10,000 at present.
A total of £347 million has been invested in the further development of the road system, there has been considerable upgrading and expansion of the facilities at Aldergrove airport and extensive improvements at Belfast, Londonderry, Larne and Warrenpoint ports. In 1989 the Department gained approval from the European Commission for a comprehensive programme for a new transport infrastructure in Northern Ireland, involving total expenditure of over £150 million of which £100 million will come from the European regional development fund.
Belfast city centre has seen a huge expansion of retail opportunities ; areas of inner-city deprivation have been helped through the work of nine action teams ; the Laganside corporation has been established to regenerate vacant and underused riverside land, and a new weir on the River Lagan is under construction. Londonderry has also seen significant economic improvement, with public and private investment in the last three years either spent or planned totalling over £200 million creating 2,500 full-time and part-time jobs.
An extensive programme of economic and environmental improvement schemes is also being carried out in the provincial towns. New legislation during the period has helped improve the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of district councils. The local government auditor has completed seven value-for-money studies. Compulsory competitive tendering and improvements in the conduct of council business will soon be statutory requirements.
As part of the next steps agency policy, a Rate Collection Agency was established in 1991, and an Ordnance Survey Agency and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency are to come into being from 1 April 1992. Since 1979, grants of £3.2 million to district councils have enabled 31,000 houses to convert to burn smokeless fuel. Two hundred and fifteen river water quality stations have been installed to monitor and control water pollution. Three major pieces of legislation have been introduced to protect and keep open rights of way ; to designate areas of outstanding natural beauty and of special scientific interest ; and to protect certain plants and animal species.
In addition, 4,300 buildings of architectural or historic importance have been listed, 700 monuments have been scheduled as being of archaeological or historic
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importance and 32 monuments have been taken into state care. Four areas of outstanding beauty, covering 147,000 hectares, have been developed and 36 areas of special scientific interest covering 7,550 hectares.
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