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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 1 July 1992

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Maxwell Arrests

Mr. John Morris : To ask the Attorney-General what principles the director of the Serious Fraud Office applies on the execution of a warrant for arrest ; and whether he will make a statement on the arrest of Mr. Ian Maxwell and Mr. Kevin Maxwell.

The Attorney-General : It is the policy of the Serious Fraud Office to procure the arrest of persons suspected of serious fraud with the assistance of the police. The process of arrest is an operational matter for the police who will decide questions of timing, whereabouts and related matters as part of their operational duties. Where police are conducting investigations in conjunction with the Serious Fraud Office, they may be advised, but not directed, on such matters by the SFO. Such advice will have regard to the seriousness of the alleged offences, the need to secure evidence at the time of the arrest and any circumstances material to the risk that a suspect may seek to abscond, including the likelihood that such suspect may have the means and ability to do so and to support himself outside the jurisdiction. Each case will be considered impartially on its merits.

Ian Maxwell, Kevin Maxwell and Larry Trachtenburg were arrested without warrant on suspicion of having committed the offences for which they have subsequently been charged. Similar principles govern both the execution of warrants of arrest issued by the courts and arrest without warrant.

De Lorean Cars

Mr. Shersby : To ask the Attorney-General what consideration he has given to the remarks of Lord Justice Murray at Belfast Crown Court last week in relation to Fred Bushell, the late Colin Chapman and John de Lorean ; what obstacles stand in the way of extraditing Mr. De Lorean from the United States of America to face charges in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.

The Attorney-General : My attention has been drawn to the remarks of Lord Justice Murray in the course of sentencing Federick Bushell at the conclusion of his trial. These followed a joint investigation by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Serious Fraud Office. Frederick Bushell resided and was arrested in the United Kingdom. Although the Royal Ulster Constabulary holds a warrant for the arrest of Mr. De Lorean for conspiracy to defraud, I am advised that the laws of the United States provide a limitation period after which extradition is not normally possible. Although the period varies depending on the offence alleged, the period in this case expired before the Serious Fraud Office was created. It was the


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Serious Fraud Office investigation which produced the evidence justifying the obtaining of the warrant against Mr. De Lorean.

Market Testing

Dr. Marek : To ask the Attorney-General if he will give a date when he will announce the areas of work in his Department to be market tested ; and whether all relevant information will be made publicly available.

The Attorney-General : Proposals for market testing relating to the Departments for which I am responsible are being considered and an announcement will be made later in the year. Any relevant information will be made available, subject to the need to protect commercial confidentiality.

Dr. Marek : To ask the Attorney-General what estimate he has made of savings in his Department as a result of the market-testing programme.

The Attorney-General : In 1991 the Crown prosecution service contracted out its headquarters reprographic operation at a saving of around £90,000 per year. No other estimates have been made.

Dr. Marek : To ask the Attorney-General what has been the total cost so far of the market-testing initiative in his Department since November 1991.

The Attorney-General : The cost is £15,500.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum

Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional places he has provided for the purposes of detaining applicants for asylum ; and where these places are located.

Mr. Charles Wardle : New accommodation, providing about 300 additional places for detention under Immigration Act powers, will be delivered in phases from September 1992 to spring 1995, and will be located at Harmondsworth, Gatwick airport, Kidlington in Oxford and Stansted airport.

Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his answer on 24 June, Official Report, columns 193-94, if he will list the organisations with which he has held meetings in connection with proposed legislation on asylum applications.

Mr. Charles Wardle : I have discussed legislation on asylum at meetings with representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Amnesty International and Westminster city council. My right hon. and learned Friend and I are ready to hear the views of interested organisations.

Market Testing

Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a date when he will announce the areas of work in his Department to be market tested ; and whether all relevant information will be made publicly available.


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Mr. Kenneth Clarke : A provisional programme of areas of work to be market tested in my Department in 1992-93 has been drawn up and promulgated to Home Office staff. As promised in the White Paper "Competing for Quality", departmental targets for market testing in 1992-93 will be announced later this year.

Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department wht estimate he has made of savings in his Department as a result of the market-testing programme.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The purpose of the market-testing programme is to test by competition the value for money represented by the present arrangements for undertaking activities and thereby to identify and introduce more effective arrangements. No estimate of likely savings has yet been made.

Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost so far of the market-testing initiative in his Department since November 1991.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The cost of the market-testing initiative in my Department from November 1991 to June 1992 is £150,000.

Racism

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's position on reducing racism and xenophobia in Europe.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Government abhor all manifestations of racism and support all the practical steps taken by member states to counter this. We were very pleased to support the European Council declaration on racism and xenophobia agreed at Maastricht in December 1991.

Metropolitan Police (Accidents)

Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide details of how many accidents involving Metropolitan police vehicles and third parties have been reported for each year since 1985 ; and on how many occasions in each year the Metropolitan police were held to be liable for the accidents.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The information is not held in the form requested.

Shamrock Farms

Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection on Shamrock Farms ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Charles Wardle : My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has received no representations from the BUAV on Shamrock Farms to date.

Expatriate Voters

Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the basis on which expatriate voters were allocated to each constituency.


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Mr. Peter Lloyd : Overseas electors are registered in the constituency in which they were last registered as electors before leaving the United Kingdom. If they left the country before they were old enough to vote, they are registered in the constituency in which a parent or guardian was registered at the time they left the country.

Animals (Scientific Procedures)

Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make it a policy to extend minimal standards of care and accommodation as set out in the code of practice for the housing and care of animals used in scientific procedures to all suppliers of animals ;

(2) what minimum standards primate traders must meet to be licensed by his office ; what are the dimensions of the smallest cage British primate suppliers may legally use ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Charles Wardle : It is already the practice of the Home Office animals (scientific procedures) inspectorate to seek compliance by designated suppliers with the standards of care and accommodation set out in the Laboratory Animal Breeders Association's guidelines on the care and housing of animals bred for scientific purposes. There is therefore a recognised standard against which such establishments can be assessed.

The recommended minimum size of cage is determined by the weight of the primate to be housed. The smallest cage size recommended by the LABA guidelines is for animals up to 700g in weight. The minimum recommended height for such animals is 100 cm, and the minimum recommended floor area is 1,200 sq cm per animal when the animals are housed in groups, or 2,500 sq cm when they are housed singly.

Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of all British primate suppliers and for each the number of primates which (a) were dead upon their arrival to Britain, (b) died before reaching British research laboratories and (c) were slaughtered before research was undertaken.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The Home Office does not hold information on the number of primates imported into Great Britain which are dead on arrival or which have died before reaching British research laboratories.

Figures on the number of primates humanely killed after receipt and before use are not collated centrally. The humane killing of primates in British research laboratories in such circumstances is known to be uncommon, but might take place, for example, to terminate suffering from otherwise untreatable disease.

It is not our practice to give details of individual establishments designated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Naturalisation

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the outstanding backlog of naturalisation applications as at 1 January 1990, 1991, and 1992 and for the most recent available date ; and what is the current rate at which applications are being cleared.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The numbers of outstanding applications for naturalisation on the dates referred to were as follows :


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                    |<1>Applications    |Allocated                              

                    |awaiting allocation|applications                           

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 January 1990      |2,914              |64,930                                 

1 January 1991      |1,645              |62,949                                 

1 January 1992      |6,266              |38,382                                 

1 June 1992         |582                |43,569                                 

<1>It is not possible at this stage to distinguish beween applications for      

naturalisation and those for registration.                                      

These cases are currently being cleared at the rate of around 2, 600 per month.

Operation Container

Mr. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he now expects Operation Container to end in Greater Manchester ;

(2) how much Operation Container has so far cost ; and what is his estimate of its final cost.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Since April 1990, the total payment made to the Greater Manchester police for holding prisoners in police cells has been £40,121,851.19. This figure does not include payments for Manchester prisoners held by other police forces, information on which was not collected separately. As has been explained to the hon. Member, while the ending of the police cells problem is a matter of the highest priority for the prison service, it is not possible to say exactly when Operation Container will no longer be required or the final cost.

TRANSPORT

National Exhibition Centre

Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the likely completion date of the proposed dedicated access road and signalling system from the M42 to the national exhibition centre ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The contract for the construction of the improved access road from the southway exit of the national exhibition centre to the M42 slip road is due to be let very shortly. This should enable it to be open in time for the motor show in late October. Improvements to the roundabout at the intersection of the A45 and the M42, including the provision of further traffic signals and the widening of the approaches to the roundabout, are currently being designed in detail. These should be completed summer 1993. Together with the other improvements which we have in hand at and around this intersection, access to and from the NEC and the other important facilities in the area will be easier.

Market Testing

Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give a date when he will announce the areas of work in his Department to be market tested ; and whether all relevant information will be made publicly available.

Mr. Norris : Following the publication of the White Paper "Competing for Quality" in which a new market testing initiative was announced, the efficiency unit will announce the programme for all departments later this year. All relevant information will be made public.


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Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the total cost so far of the market testing initiative in his Department since November 1991.

Mr. Norris : The identified cost since November 1991, mainly consultants' fees, amounts to some £10,000. Other expenditure involving the salaries of civil servants is not kept in a suitable form and ascertaining what it might be could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of savings in his Department as a result of the market testing programme.

Mr. Norris : Since 1986-87 the total estimated savings made to date as a result of the market testing programme amount to approximately £7.3 million.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

Disabled Employees

Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, and overall in his Department are registered disabled people.

Mr. Key : The Department of National Heritage is still in the process of being set-up and the information to answer this qestion is not yet centrally available.

Equal Opportunities

Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, and overall in his Department are women.

Mr. Key : The numbers and percentage of women in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are as follows :--


7

Grade      |Number of |Number of |Percentage           

           |officers  |women     |of women             

-------------------------------------------------------

1          |1                    |0                    

2                                                      

3          |3         |1         |33                   

4          |1                    |0                    

5          |15        |4         |26                   

6          |3         |1         |33                   

7          |46        |10        |21                   

The figures for staff in post are for the latest available date. The figures for officers in other grades are not yet centrally available as the Department is still in the process of being set up ; this includes setting up the central personnel and manpower planning function.

Hyde Park (Traffic)

Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what guidance he has issued to the authorities responsible for Hyde park as to the parking arrangements admissible for coaches in connection with demonstrations and marches in order to ensure the free flow of normal traffic in the surrounding streets.

Mr. Key [holding answer 30 June 1992] : That the organisers be asked to make arrangements with the public transport authorities to use public transport to get to and


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from the park whenever possible to avoid unnecessary disruption in local streets. When coaches have to be used it is recommended that they liaise with the police to organise transfers on to the London public transport system before reaching central London ; and as a last resort, arrangements be made for coaches to park at agreed locations close to the park. The possible disruption to traffic and local residents is a key factor in early discussions with organisers before any event takes place.

Market Testing

Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage who has been appointed as a consultant to his Department for market testing.

Mr. Key [holding answer 29 June 1992] : My Department is in the process of appointing a consultant to assist in preparing its market testing programme.

Bushy Park

Mr. Jessel : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will set out the opening hours on weekdays and Sundays of the woodland garden in Bushy park ; whether the park contractors are obliged to comply with these hours ; if he will state why the gates were not open by 9.45 am on Sunday 31 May ; and what action will be taken to prevent a recurrence.

Mr. Key [holding answer 30 June 1992] : The woodland garden in Bushy park opens at 9 am seven days a week. It closes at dusk. Contractors are obliged to unlock the gates at the stated time. This is a scheduled item within the ground maintenance contract. Due to an oversight on the part of the contractor a member of his staff was not available to open the gates at the required time on Sunday 31 May 1992.

The contractor was financially penalised for failure to comply with the contract and subsequently gave assurances that it would not happen again. It has now been agreed with the contractor that in order to make sure all gates are open by 9 am he will start unlocking earlier than hitherto.

The client duty officer for the day has also been instructed to pay particular attention to the contractor's performance in this area and report any lapse to the park superintendent.

ENVIRONMENT

Ozone Layer

Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest estimate of the average depletion of the ozone layer on an annualised basis (a) at British latitudes and (b) at all latitudes ; and what are the projections of the extent of depletion over the period 2000 to 2050.

Mr. Maclean : The latest estimates of ozone layer depletion remain substantially the same as published in the 1991 report of the Department's stratospheric ozone review group, copies of which are in the Library. Ozone depletion at British latitudes is at a maximum in the early spring, averaging 0.8 per cent. per year. Ozone levels recover substantially during the summer. The annual


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average depletion taken over all latitudes is about 0.3 per cent. per year--we do not have an equivalent figure for British latitudes. The extent of ozone depletion in future years will depend on how the Montreal protocol controls are tightened, but the review group estimate that under the present controls the potential for ozone depletion will increase until at least 1997, and then decline slowly over the next century.

Marsham Street Offices

Mr. Channon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) of 19 June, Official Report, column 694, what is his timetable for demolishing the Marsham street Government offices.

Mr. Howard : The planning and development consultants, whose appointment was announced in the answer of 19 June, have just started work. Their advice will assist in identifying the best alternative uses for the site at 2 Marsham street and thereby in establishing a timetable for the reuse of the site. Until that is established I cannot be precise on the timing of demolition.

Homelessness

Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many persons were registered as homeless in the London borough of Newham for each year since 1979.

Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) on 17 June 1992, Official Report, columns 569-70.

Paris Commission

Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how the United Kingdom will be represented at the 21 and 22 September meeting of the Paris commission.

Mr. Maclean : I shall be representing the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland at this meeting, together with officials from my Department, the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which substances the United Kingdom expects to agree completely to eliminate from discharges to water in the United Kingdom, at or as a result of the 21 and 22 September meeting of the Paris commission.

Mr. Maclean : None.

Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on proposals from other countries regarding the complete elimination of certain substances in discharges to water, at or as a result of the 21 and 22 meeting of the Paris commission.

Mr. Maclean : The major business of the meeting is the agreement of a new convention concerning the protection of the marine environment in the north-east Atlantic which will replace the existing Oslo and Paris conventions. There are also a number of recommendations to be considered, but none calls for the complete elimination of substances in discharges to water.


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Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress the United Kingdom has made in eliminating discharges to water of substances controlled under agreements of the Paris commission ; and if he will publish such data.

Mr. Maclean : The United Kingdom has made good progress in implementing Paris commission decisions and recommendations. At the ministerial meeting of the Oslo and Paris commissions being held in September a number of reports will be published on their activities and these will give details of the data submitted by the United Kingdom.

Air Quality

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the impact of (a) motor cars, (b) lorries and (c) buses on air quality in (i) urban and (ii) rural areas.

Mr. Maclean : Motor traffic is a growing source of urban and rural air pollution, and much action is already in hand to tackle it. The current position is conveniently summarised in the air quality chapter of the Department's annual "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics". A copy of the latest volume has been placed in the Library of the House. In addition, the Royal Commission on environmental pollution reported in September 1991 on emissions from heavy duty diesel vehicles.

Market Testing

Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a date when he will announce the areas of work in his Department to be market tested ; and whether all relevant information will be made publicly available.

Mr. Howard : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-East (Mr. Paice) on 22 June 1992, Official Report, column 102.

Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the total cost so far of the market-testing initiative in his Department since November 1991.

Mr. Howard : The full cost of the market testing initiative in my Department since November 1991 is estimated at £223,000.

Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of savings in his Department as a result of the market -testing programme.

Mr. Howard : No such estimate has yet been made.

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if any Government Ministers or officials attended any of the half-day round table meetings sponsored by UNESCO at the recent United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.


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Mr. Maclean : No.

Inner Cities Religious Council

Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Inner Cities Religious Council will hold its first formal meeting ; and what its purpose and membership will be.

Mr. Robin Squire : The first formal meeting of the Inner Cities Religious Council will take place on Monday 20 July. Members will be drawn from the Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim anhd Sikh faiths, under my chairmanship.

The Inner Cities Religious Council will allow representatives of the faith communities to discuss policy and practical issues with Government and each other. It will give consideration to the needs of communities in inner cities and deprived urban areas, and the assistance available to meet them, and will also seek to create opportunities for action in such areas involving faith communities in partnership with other local residents, business, voluntary organisations and local and central Government.


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