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Mr. Freeman : Between July 1991 and June 1992, InterCity paid a total of £425,000 in compensation to passengers for train delays and cancellations. InterCity does not keep a record of the number of individual passengers who receive compensation.Rail Passengers (Compensation)
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport since July 1991 how many BR season ticket holders (a) have had the validity of their season tickets extended for days when there is no effective service and (b) have been offered discounts on the renewal of their season tickets to compensate them for poor service in the previous year.
Mr. Freeman : BR does not hold information centrally on the number of season tickets extended for days when there was no effective service : decisions on extending season tickets are delegated to route managers. The first discounts on season ticket renewals on routes which fail to meet their charter standards by more than a small margin are not due to be given until January 1993.
Itchen Navigation
Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what action has he taken to ensure that the rights of public access and passage along the Itchen navigation and its towpaths between Winchester and Shawford are protected during works associated with the construction of the M3, Bar End-Compton ; on what dates relevant legal notices were published ; and if he will place copies of the notices, and responses, in the Library ;
(2) what public rights of access and passage exist along the Itchen navigation and its towpaths on the section between Winchester and Shawford.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I am advised that the Itchen navigation is in law a navigable waterway, but that the extent of rights of access and passage along it and its towpaths is not clear.
Much of the Itchen navigation has become silted up so that navigation is not practicable. Nevertheless, following public inquiries in 1985 and 1987- 88, my Department has taken statutory powers to divert the Itchen navigation and has undertaken to carry out the diversion works, which will make it navigable, as part of any future restoration of the navigation as a whole. Pending such restoration, a1.8 m culvert is being provided under the M3 and the diverted B3335 to maintain the flow of water along the existing watercourse in accordance with the decision letter of 20 February 1990. I am not aware of any requirement to publish legal notices in connection with this work.
I am satisfied that the work currently being carried out together with the powers taken to divert the navigation and the undertakings that have been given adequately protect the public rights.
Blackburn-Hellifield Rail Line
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with British Rail about the restoration of services on the Blackburn to Hellifield railway line ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Freeman : None. The level of service on the line is a matter for British Rail. I understand that at present a montly summer Sunday service operates over the line and on to Carlisle. There is also a summer Saturday service from Blackburn as far as Clitheroe.
Women's Transport Needs
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the amount of Government expenditure granted to women's transport needs in (a) percentage and (b) real terms since 1979.
Mr. Freeman : Transport expenditure for which my Department is responsible for transport for all categories of person. It does not distinguish between the needs of men and women.
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what support is open to local authorities from his Department in the form of grants and other aid to enable them to implement improvements to public transport for women's needs.
Mr. Freeman : It is for local authorities to decide their own policies on the level of public transport they should support, taking account of local needs and to set budgets accordingly. Funds made available by my Department are not targeted at the needs of specific groups. Women are more frequent users of buses than men and are likely to benefit particularly from improvements to bus services.
BA Aircraft Accident, Sumburgh
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the full report of his Department's air accident investigation unit on the accident involving a British Airways advanced turbo-prop aircraft at Sumburgh, Shetland, on 23 December 1991.
Mr. Norris : The air accident investigation branch report on its formal investigation into the accident involving British Airways advanced turbo-prop aircraft at Sumburgh on 23 December 1991 is expected to be published in November this year.
Air Accidents
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list each air accident since 1 January 1986, in respect of which there has been a full investigation report by his Department ; and if he will list the date of the accident and the date of the report's publication in each case.
Mr. Norris : The air accident investigation branch of the Department of Transport has supplied the following list of air accidents since 1 January 1986 where a full investigation has been or is being carried out, with details of the reports.
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Aircraft Accident Reports (AAR)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1986
31 January 1986 |Shorts 369 |EI-BEM |East Midlands Airport |AAR 6/87 |January 1988
8 April 1986 |Twin Squirrel |G-BKIH |Swalecliffe, nr. Banbury|AAR 7/87 |February 1988
15 May 1986 |Bell 214ST |G-BKFN |Fraserburgh |AAR 9/87 |March 1988
12 June 1986 |DH6 Twin Otter |G-BGPC |Port Ellen, Islay |AAR 7/86 |December 1987
6 November 1986 |Boeing Vertol 234 |G-BWFC |North Sea, Sumburgh |AAR 2/88 |April 1988
15 November 1986 |Boeing 747 |G-AWNB |Heathrow Airport |AAR 8/87 |February 1988
1987
18 January 1987 |Fokker F27 |G-BMAU |Castle Donnington |AAR 7/88 |January 1989
26 April 1987 |Cessna 441 |G-MOXY |Blackbushe |AAR 10/88 |March 1989
30 April 1987 |Cessna 172 |OO-JEL |Solent Channel |AAR 4/88 |August 1988
6 May 1987 |Bell 222 |G-META |Lippits Hill |AAR 3/88 |August 1988
20 May 1987 |AS332L |G-BKZH |nr. Unst |AAR 9/88 |February 1989
21 June 1987 |Dragon Rapide |G-AGTM |Duxford Airfield |AAR 1/88 |March 1988
15 August 1987 |Hughes 500 |G-GASB |South Heighton |AAR 6/88 |November 1988
9 December 1987 |Sikorsky 76 |G-BHYB |Fulmer Rig, North Sea |AAR 5/88 |July 1988
1988
1 February 1988 |B747 |N 605 PE |Gatwick |AAR 4/89 |August 1989
6 February 1988 |Tristar |G-BAH |nr. Lydd |AAR 1/89 |February 1989
|T154B |LZ-BTE
12 April 1988 |BAC 1-11 |G-AYWN |Airmiss, Gatwick |AAR 2/89 |May 1989
|B737 |G-ITBZ
13 July 1988 |S-61N |G-BEID |North Sea, nr. Sumburgh |AAR 3/90 |September 1990
11 September 1989 |B747 |G-AWNM |London Heathrow |AAR 5/89 |December 1989
17 October 1988 |S61N |G-BDII |North of Handa Island |AAR 3/89 |June 1989
10 November 1988 |S61N |G-BDES |East of Wick |AAR 1/90 |May 1990
21 December 1988 |B747 |N739PA |Lockerbie |AAR 2/90 |September 1990
1989
8 January 1989 |B737 |G-OMBE |Kegworth |AAR 4/90 |October 1990
14 April 1989 |Concorde |G-BOAF |Tasman Sea |AAR 6/89 |December 1990
18 December 1989 |Bell 206 |G-SHBB |Biggin Hill |AAR 5/90 |February 1991
1990
25 July 1990 |Sikorsky S-61N |G-BEWL |Brent Spa |AAR 2/91 |October 1991
10 June 1990 |BAC 1-11 |G-BJRT |over Woodley, Berks |AAR 1/92 |February 1992
11 December 1990 |Tristar L1011 |C-GAGI |South of Manchester |AAR 3/91 |December 1991
23 December 1990 |ATP |G-OATP |Ronaldsway Airports, IoM|AAR 1/91 |August 1991
1991
30 January 1991 |DH Dash 7 |G-BOAW |Stansted Airport |AAR 3/92 |July 1992
11 August 1991 BAe ATP G-BMYK 10 nm North of Cowly Not yet published
29 August 1991 |RAF Jaguar/ |G-BMHI |Mid Air-Carno, Powys |AAR 2/92 |June 1992
|Cessna 152
23 December 1991 BAe ATP G-BTPE Sumburgh Not yet published
1992
5 February 1992 BAe ATP G-LOGA Edinburgh Airport Not yet published
9 March 1992 Lockheed 1011 Tristar 9Y-TGJ Frankfurt (Landed at LHR)Not yet published
14 March 1992 Aerospatiale SA332 G-TIGH East of Cormorant Alpha Not yet published
|East Shetlands Basin
21 March 1992 Concorde G-BOAB Between LHR and JFK Not yet published
31 March 1992 BAe 146 G-UKHP Overshoot Aberdeen AirporNot yet published
Vehicle Excise Duty
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will report upon the results of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in conjunction with the Metropolitan and City of London police forces' campaign against vehicle excise duty evasion in London in June.
Mr. Norris : As a result of the June 1992 London campaign against evasion of vehicle excise duty, 2,481 reports of VED offences have been received so far--2,140 from the Metropolitan police and 341 from the City of London police. These cases are being investigated and where evasion is clear, prosecution will follow.
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Taxis
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish the report of the working party on the safety of users of taxis and minicabs in London.
Mr. Norris : The report has been published today and copies have been placed in the Library. Any interested party may obtain a copy of the report from the Department of Transport.
Vehicle Inspectorate
Mr. Wells : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Vehicle Inspectorate executive agency annual report for 1991-92 will be published.
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Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The annual report has been published today. Copies are being placed in the House Library.Register of Small Ships
Mr. Barry Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he proposes to make to the arrangements for maintaining the register of small ships.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Following a competitive market testing exercise, I have made the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency responsible for administering the register, previously operated by the Royal Yachting Association. The financial provision for the service now needs to be transferred from the Department's class VII vote 2 to the DVLA vote--class VII, vote 4. Parliamentary approval of this new expenditure will be sought in a supplementary estimate for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency vote--class VII, vote 4. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £55,000 will be met by repayable advances from the contingencies fund.
A2 (Noise)
Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department will provide the decibel counts on the A2 motor road as it passes the Painter's Ash school and other points in the borough of Gravesham promised following the visit of the Minister of Public Transport in December 1991.
Mr. Freeman [holding answer 10 July 1992] : An assessment of the current noise environment in the vicinity of the A2 will be made as part of the noise studies for the channel tunnel rail link in connection with the environmental impact assessment for the link. An assessment may also be required in order to calculate additional noise caused by the rail link for the purposes of implementing the proposed regulations on noise insulation grant based on the Mitchell committee's recommendations. I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as noise information becomes available.
Public Transport (Access)
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has to improve safety and access to public transport for women, children and the disabled ;
(2) what is his Department's role in encouraging improvements in public transport for women.
Mr. Freeman : My Department has a long-standing commitment to improve safety and access to public transport for people with mobility problems, including women, children and people with disabilities. We work closely with vehicle designers and manufacturers, public transport operators, local authorities and people with mobility problems as consumers, to promote and encourage greater recognition of their needs.
Women Passengers (Assaults)
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many assaults on women travelling on public transport were reported in each year since 1979 (a) in London and (b) in Britain as a whole.
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Mr. Freeman : In 1990, there were 380 reported assaults on women in London on the rail network and 655 reported for Great Britain as a whole. The corresponding figures for 1991 are 556 and 993 respectively. These figures comprise all violent and sexual offences, including common assault and battery, committed against women and include a small number of assaults on female police and staff. Corresponding figures for earlier years and other modes of public transport are not available.
Deregulation
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what visits he has made to his EC counterparts in each member state to discuss deregulation matters since 18 April ; what agreements came out of such meetings ; and what plans he has for making further progress in deregulation matters during the United Kingdom's presidency of the EC.
Mr. MacGregor : Since my appointment as Secretary of State for Transport I have met several of my EC counterparts for discussions on a wide range of issues, and I have invited them all to the informal Transport Council I am holding on 16 and 17 July.
On 23 June, I attended a meeting of the Transport Council in Luxembourg which agreed the third EC aviation liberalisation package, lifting a wide range of restrictions governing air services within the Community from 1 January 1993. Agreements were also reached on the liberalisation of shipping cabotage and road passenger cabotage. It will be a priority of the United Kingdom presidency of the EC to ensure that further progress is made towards the creation of a single transport market within the Community, based on the principles of competition and liberalisation. In particular, I shall be seeking an agreement on definitive arrangements for road haulage cabotage, and further progress on slot allocation at airports and state aids.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Sunday Trading
Mr. Ray Powell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy on Sunday trading following (a) the outcome of the Kirklees case and (b) the delivery of the Advocate-General's opinion in the case before the European Court of Justice.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : It remains our aim to bring forward proposals for reform of the law on Sunday trading in England and Wales once the question of compatibility with the treaty of Rome has been clarified ; and we therefore continue to await judgment in relevant cases by the European Court of Justice, which is expected this autumn. This policy is affected neither by the Kirklees judgment, because that determined only the law on interim injunctions, nor by the Advocate General's delivery on 8 July of his opinion to the ECJ, because it formed only part of the Court's deliberations.
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Asylum
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to his answer of 4 June Official Report, column 621, and the stated intention of Her Majesty's Government to ratify the convention determining the states responsible for examining applications for asylum lodged in one of the member states of the European Community signed in Dublin on 15 June 1990, what steps have been taken to ensure that there are effective judicial remedies with suspensive effect in all member states of the European Community for asylum seekers who may be returned from one member state to another member state under this convention ; and if he will make a statement on the results of those steps ;
(2) pursuant to his answer of 4 June, Official Report, column 621, what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to satisfy itself that there is access to legal advice at all stages of the determination procedure for asylum seekers in all EC member states and that such legal advice is publicly funded wherever the asylum seeker is indigent.
Mr. Charles Wardle : None. Those are matters which are the responsibility of individual member states according to their national laws and procedures, but some of these matters will no doubt be considered in the future work programme of Immigration Ministers of the Twelve.
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 4 June, Official Report, column 621, if he will specify in respect of which matters in the work programme adopted by the EC ministers concerned with immigration in December 1991 progress has been made under the Portuguese presidency ; and what specific progress has been made.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Progress was made under the Portuguese presidency on a number of matters identified in the work progamme adopted by EC Ministers concerned with immigration in December 1991, including policy on family reunification ; agreed arrangements for transit through member states of persons removed or deported ; work on the common interpretation of the concepts used in the Dublin convention, and on extension of the system of the convention to third countries by means of a parallel convention ; and the definition, for the purposes of considering asylum applications, of "first host country". Further work in all of these areas remains to be carried forward under the United Kingdom presidency.
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the achievements of his Department and his policies in helping small businesses over the last 12 months relative to the previous 12 months ; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The Home Office continues to place a high priority on helping small firms to obtain business from the various divisions of the Department by improving access and the information necessary to ensure they have opportunities to submit competitive bids.
We are currently updating our booklet "Selling to the Home Office" which summarises our purchasing needs and lists contact points for potential suppliers. This booklet
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receives wide circulation through our attendance at "Meet the Buyer" functions, requests from manufacturers' associations and local councils', development initiatives for businesses in their areas. Home Office performance indicators do not differentiate between the size of firms to which contracts are awarded and we cannot, therefore, provide statistical information about the volume of business we place with small firms.Prisoners (Personal Property)
Ms. Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are taken to secure the personal belongings of prisoners inside prison.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Personal belongings authorised to be retained in a prisoner's own possession remain that prisoner's responsibility. Other property may be taken into store at a prison and will be held under suitably secure conditions. Under arrangements introduced in 1990, prisoner's property is stored and transported, where possible, in sealed bags to prevent accidental loss or theft.
EFTA Nationals
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what transitional provisions will be made in respect of nationals of European free trade area countries who are present in the United Kingdom and wish to remain here pending the coming into force on 1 January 1993 of the agreement on the European economic area signed on 2 May.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The agreement has yet to be ratified and it is not yet certain that it will come into effect on 1 January 1993. A decision on any necessary transitional arrangements will be taken nearer the time.
Data Protection
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he has received from charities about the effect of the EC data protection directive on their fund-raising activities ;
(2) what is his assessment of the effects of the EC data protection directive, if implemented ; and if he will make a statement ; (3) what representations he has received from direct mail organisations about the effect of the EC data protection directive on their business ;
(4) what representations he has received concerning the EC data protection directive ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Government have received a substantial number of representations about the likely effects of the draft data protection directive, SYN 287. Many have come from charities and direct mail organisations. The Government consider that the draft, if implemented in its present form, would place considerable burdens on many data users, and would curtail some legitimate and beneficial areas of activity altogether. The Government are seeking to modify those provisions in the draft directive which go beyond the European convention on data protection, which is the basis of United Kingdom law, and which the Government believe strikes the right balance between the interests of data users and data
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subects. The Government await the Commission's redraft of the directive, which is being drawn up in the light of the views of the official working group in Brussels, the European Parliament, the data protection registrars or commissioners of the Community countries and data users groups.Prisoners (Hospitalisation)
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedure is followed by his Department when a prison inmate requires urgent hospital or medical treatment with a trust hospital and the inmate had no permanent abode prior to being sent to prison ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : When a prisoner needs to be taken for treatment to an outside NHS hospital, arrangements are made by the prison doctor. The costs of such treatment, whether provided by an NHS trust hospital or by a hospital which continues to be directly managed, fall ordinarily to the prisoner's district health authority of origin. Where this cannot be determined, they fall to the district in which the offence or alleged offence was committed.
Tyre Treads
Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the availability to police forces of tyre tread depth gauges of a suitable standard to be accepted as evidence by the courts in cases of prosecution for illegal tyres.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The provision of equipment for use by police forces is a matter for chief constables. The Association of Chief Police Officers sent information on suitable gauges to each chief constable in September 1991.
Stolen Cars
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of stolen cars in (a) the Northumberland police area and (b) the Durham area in 1991 that were (i) recovered undamaged, (ii) recovered damaged and (iii) not recovered.
Mr. Jack : The available information held centrally shows that, of 30,356 recorded offences of theft of a vehicle in the Northumbria police force area in 1991, 19,275 vehicles were recovered. The corresponding figures for the Durham police force area were 8,640 and 4,383 respectively. Information is not collected centrally on whether or not the recovered vehicles were damaged.
Duty Psychiatrist Schemes
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the role of duty psychiatric rota schemes for defendents with mental health problems ; and when the relevant legislation is due to come into force ; (2) how many duty psychiatric rota scheme applications have been received by his Department to date ; how many have been approved ; how much of his Department's allocation is committed to diversion schemes in the current financial year ; and how many courts will have the benefit of new schemes by 1 October ;
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(3) what sum he has allocated for expenditure on duty psychiatric rota schemes in magistrates courts in England and Wales after April ;(4) what efforts his Department has made to publicise the availability of moneys from duty psychiatric rota schemes to courts and others who may wish to apply for grants to finance such schemes.
Mr. Jack : Duty psychiatrist schemes are local initiatives which entail a psychiatrist attending a magistrates court, on call or on a regular sessional basis depending on demand, to examine defendants thought to have some mental disorder and to advise the court on a suitable outcome. Typically, this may involve discontinuing proceedings or diversion to the health or social services. In addition, such schemes help to reduce the need for lengthy remands in custody to await psychiatric assessment. Implementation of duty psychiatrist schemes is not dependent on new legislation. A recent survey of magistrates courts and the probation service identified 19 schemes in operation. To facilitate the development of further schemes throughout England and Wales, funding of £4 million over a three-year period will be available. Of this, £500,000 has been allocated for expenditure in the current financial year. We are currently discussing the arrangements for administering these payments with the Department of Health. As soon as these have been decided, we will publicly invite properly costed bids for a share of this funding.
This initiative is one of several in which the Home Office and the Department of Health are involved to promote the diversion of mentally disordered offenders from the criminal justice system.
Neighbourhood Watch
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reductions in levels of recorded crime have been achieved by the introduction of neighbourhood watch schemes.
Mr. Jack : There are many factors that can have a bearing on changes in the level of recorded crime. However, in one carefully researched area in Kirkholt, Greater Manchester, it was demonstrated that neighbourhood watch was a major contributory factor in reducing the number of burglaries by 75 per cent. Similarly, in Wythenshawe, Manchester, following the introduction of neighbourhood watch on a large council estate the number of burglaries reduced by 25 per cent. and this fall has since been maintained. Studies elsewhere have shown that neighbourhood watch schemes have contributed to a reduction in crime and fear of crime. Data from the British crime survey have also shown that members of neighbourhood watch schemes are more likely than others to take crime prevention measures.
Mr. Andrew Ohene
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the prisons, with dates, which Mr. Andrew Ohene had been in during the course of his sentence ; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the transfers ; (2) what were the circumstances surrounding the death of Andrew Ohene, prison number RA0954, at Swaleside prison, Kent on 13 June ;
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(3) for what reason Mr. Andrew Ohene was in isolation in Swaleside prison immediately before his death ;(4) how many times Mr. Andrew Ohene complained about his conditions and treatment ; and if he will give dates and brief details about the complaints and what was done about them ;
(5) what requests or complaints Mr. Andrew Ohene made during the 48 hours prior to his death in Swaleside prison, and to whom ; and if he was under unimpeded observation during this time.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The circumstances of this very sad death will be fully and openly investigated at the coroner's inquest. It would not be right for me to comment on matters which may be relevant to the cause of death until the jury has reached its verdict.
Racial Discrimination, Swaleside
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of racial discrimination there have been at Swaleside ; and what the conclusions of the resulting inquiries were.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Since records began in 1991, there has been one complaint from a prisoner alleging racial discrimination at Swaleside prison. This complaint was investigated but not substantiated.
Explosives
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will refer to the explosives inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive the question of the storing, security and registration of supplies of ammonium nitrate and associated substances suitable for the making of explosives.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I understand that ammonium nitrate is classified, in line with United Nations recommendations, as an oxidising substance rather than as an explosive. It is in widespread use in agriculture, and the Health and Safety Executive has published guidance on its safe storage. I do not believe that further controls would be workable. Accordingly, I have no plans to refer the matter to the explosives inspectorate.
Prisoners
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to ensure that prisoners who make complaints to their Members of Parliament are not intimidated by prison staff or prison authorities.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : No staff should intimidate prisoners for this or any other reason. Any prisoners who consider they are being intimidated can use the prison service requests and complaints system to approach the governor, area manager, chairman of the board of visitors, or a range of individuals and bodies outside the prison service.
Prisoners, Swaleside
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths there have been in custody at Swaleside prison during the last five years ; and what was the ethnicity of the prisoners.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : Swaleside prison opened in July 1988. Since then two prisoners have died at Swaleside prison. Both were black. One was of Afro-Caribbean origin and one was of African origin.
Public Interest Immunity Certificates
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on public interest immunity certificates and state (a) who issues them, (b) who authorises them, (c) their frequency of use, (d) the number of trials in which they have been used and (e) what authority drew up the rules relating to them ; and what these rules are.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the former Home Secretary, my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Waddington, to a question from the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 1 November 1990, at column 746.
Prison Escapes
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the numbers of those prisoners who escaped from detention and who have not been recaptured in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The table gives the available information, detailing the numbers of prisoners who have escaped from penal establishments, or while being escorted outside penal establishments, and the numbers of escaped prisoners who have been recaptured or who have surrendered. The information is available from 20 June 1988, when a new centralised system for recording incident details was introduced.
|Escapers |Escapers |Recaptured/
|from penal |from escort|surrendered
|establish- |prisoners
|ments
---------------------------------------------------------------------
20 June 1988 to 31
December 1988 |110 |55 |43
1 January 1989 to 31
December 1989 |179 |112 |115
1 January 1990 to 31
December 1990 |197 |119 |142
1 January 1991 to 31
December 1991 |311 |145 |251
1 January 1992 to 11
July 1992 |140 |63 |109
Primates
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will withdraw or amend licences to supply primates for United Kingdom laboratories to prevent the supply of wild-caught primates and those captive-bred in their country of origin.
Mr. Charles Wardle : While the purpose-breeding of primates in this country for use in research meets some of the demand for the supply of such animals, the numbers and species bred does not meet all the demand. Where the use of primates in research is justified under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, there may be no alternative to the use of wild-caught primates or those
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captive-bred abroad. Inspectors do, however, encourage the use of primates purpose-bred in this country where such animals are available.We have no plans to withdraw or amend the certificates of designation of breeding and supplying establishments issued under section 7 of the 1986 Act to prevent the supply of wild-caught primates or those captive-bred abroad.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate a review of the care and use of primates in research in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The use of primates in research is strictly controlled and special justification is required under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 before the use of primates in research is allowed. The special considerations applying to the housing and care of laboratory primates are recognised in the Home Office code of practice.
The Home Office is carrying out a survey of large non-human primates holding facilities this year. One of the main aims of this special survey will be to examine the progress made in improving holding facilities since an earlier review carried out in 1988. I understand that the Animal Procedures Committee intends undertaking a review of laboratory primates later this year as part of its continuing interest in this area. The Government look forward to receiving the conclusions of this review in due course.
Passport Applications
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy for passport application forms to be made available at sub-post offices.
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