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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 10 December 1992
HOME DEPARTMENT
Prison Officers' Quarters
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what fund the sums received from the selling of prison officers' quarters have been placed ; and if he will make a statement as to the use made of these sums.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Receipts from the sale of prison officers' quarters are taken as appropriations in aid to defray the costs of the prison service. Any sums in excess of those authorised to be used in that way are paid into the Consolidated Fund.
Terrorism
Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will review the advice and financial assistance given in respect of public buildings damaged by terrorist action on mainland Britain following the IRA bombing of Shrewsbury castle.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Advice on the protective security of buildings is available from chief officers of police. In Great Britain, where insurance cover is available in respect of criminal damage to property, including damage caused by acts of terrorism, the Government do not provide any financial assistance.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what selection criteria are used in determining the appointment of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.
Mr. Charles Wardle : When considering the suitability of senior police officers for the appointment, my right hon. and learned Friend had regard to the operational and managerial experience needed for leading the Metropolitan police service.
Immigration Detention Centres
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) suicides and (b) attempted suicides have occured at Harmondsworth immigration detention centre in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Charles Wardle : One suicide has occurred in Harmondsworth detention centre over this period. It occurred in 1990.
Records of incidents of self-injury by detainees which might amount to attempted suicide have been maintained only since 1986. The number of such incidents is as follows :
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|Number
----------------------
1986 |Nil
1987 |4
1988 |2
1989 |1
1990 |Nil
1991 |Nil
<1>1992 |Nil
<1> To date.
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the weekly cost of holding an immigration detainee at (a) Harmondsworth immigration detention centre and (b) Her Majesty's prison, Haslar.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The Harmondsworth detention centre is managed under contracts, and the costs involved are not disclosed on grounds of commercial confidentiality. The average net operating cost per inmate per week for all prison service establishments for the financial year to 31 March 1992 was £406, and it would be reasonable to assume that the cost of accommodating immigration detainees at Haslar is of a similar order.
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths in custody have occurred at Harmondsworth immigration detention centre in each of the last 10 years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : One death has occurred at Harmondsworth detention centre over this period. It occurred in 1990. A fire at the centre in 1989 resulted in the subsequent death in hospital of one detainee.
Illegal Immigrants
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate how many illegal immigrants are working in the London area ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Comprehensive information on the number of persons working in breach of the conditions imposed on their leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom is not available. In many cases it is not possible to determine whether a person is working illegally until he/she has been traced and interviewed.
President-elect Clinton
Mr. Kaufman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what purpose and at whose request officials of his Department examined Home Office files to ascertain whether President-elect Clinton had applied for United Kingdom citizenship.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information was passed on by his Department during 1992 to journalists in respect of Mr. Bill Clinton's period of temporary residence in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) when a search was authorised of Home Office records in respect of Mr. Bill Clinton's period of study in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the checking of Home Office files for information on Governor Bill Clinton.
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Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the reasons for the examination undertaken into his Department's records as to whether Mr. Bill Clinton had applied for United Kingdom citizenship while studying in Britain ; by whom the investigation was authorised ; on what dates the research was undertaken ; what were the total costs of the work involved ; and what was the result of the investigation regarding Mr. Clinton.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) on 9 December, at columns 662- 63, to which I have nothing to add.
War Crimes
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) of 30 November, Official Report, column 8, how many of the few records relating to the wartime Nazi occupation of the Channel islands that have been held by the Home Office on extended closure relate in any way to allegations of war crimes atrocities that may have been committed by (a) United Kingdom citizens and (b) non-United Kingdom citizens on the island of Alderney ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Only seven files have been retained on extended closure under section 5(1) of the Public Records Act 1958. It has been the practice of successive Administrations not to disclose the contents of records which are so withheld from public release. The papers will, however, be made available to any official prosecuting authority investigating alleged war crimes.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Walsall North (Mr. Winnick) of 30 November, Official Report, columns 7-8, how many records from the few records relating to the wartime Nazi occupation of the Channel islands that have been held by the Home Office on extended closure have been passed to prosecuting authorities in the United Kingdom or in Germany ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : None ; but none has been requested. It is the policy of the Home Office that such records--whether open or closed--may be made available to any official prosecuting authority which requests them for the purposes of investigations or prosecutions concerning alleged war crimes.
Police (Firearms)
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has held with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the policy of stop and search exercises involving armed police officers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The exercise by the Metropolitan police of their statutory powers to stop vehicles and, if necessary, to search them is an operational matter and as such falls within the discretion of the Commissioner. So, too, does the decision when, and in what manner, armed police should be deployed in support of such operations.
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Remand Prisoners
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of persons currently held on remand in gaols in England and Wales ; and if he will give a breakdown showing (a) the number of male and female remand prisoners, (b) the number in each over 18 years but under 21 years and (c) the number under the age of 18 years.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 1 December 1992] : The latest readily available information which includes the age breakdown requested relates to 30 June 1992 and is given in table 1.
|c|Table 1|c|
|c|Estimated population of unsentenced prisoners in prison
service|c|
|c|establishments in England and Wales on 30 June 1992: by
type of|c|
|c|prisoner, sex and age group|c|
Type of prisoner and Number of persons
age group
|Males |Females |Persons
--------------------------------------------------------------
Untried:
Under 18 years |460 |5 |465
18 to 20 years |1,463 |30 |1,493
|------- |------- |-------
Total under 21 years |1,923 |35 |1,958
21 years and over |5,369 |231 |5,600
|------- |------- |-------
Total all ages |7,292 |266 |7,558
Convicted unsentenced:
Under 18 years |139 |4 |143
18 to 20 years |599 |24 |623
|------- |------- |-------
Total under 21 years |738 |28 |766
21 years and over |1,170 |65 |1,235
|------- |------- |-------
Total all ages |1,908 |93 |2,001
All unsentenced prisoners |<1>9,200|<1>359 |<1>9,559
<1> A further 142 males aged under 21, 684 males aged 21 and
over and 19 females aged 21 and over were held in police
cells.
Information excluding the under-18/aged 18 and under-21 breakdown is available for 31 October 1992 ; this is shown in table 2.
|c|Table 2|c|
|c|Estimated population of unsentenced prisoners in prison
service|c|
|c|establishments in England and Wales on 31 October 1992: by
type|c|
|c|of prisoner, sex and age group|c|
Type of prisoner and Number of persons
age group
|Males |Females |Persons
--------------------------------------------------------------
Untried:
Total under 21 years |1,654 |35 |1,689
21 years and over |5,081 |232 |5,313
|------- |------- |-------
Total all ages |6,735 |267 |7,002
Convicted unsentenced:
Total under 21 years |633 |20 |653
21 years and over |1,437 |71 |1,508
|------- |------- |-------
Total all ages |2,070 |91 |2,161
All unsentenced prisoners |<1>8,805|358 |<1>9,163
<1> A further 132 males aged under 21 and 310 males aged 21
and over were held in police cells.
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Ammonium Nitrate Fertilisers
Mr. Trimble : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which ammonium nitrate fertilisers banned from sale in Northern Ireland are on the market in England ; and what is the maximum percentage of ammonium nitrate in fertilisers on sale in England.
Mr. Soames : I have been asked to reply.
Ammonium nitrate fertilisers containing more than 79 per cent. ammonium nitrate are banned in Northern Ireland. Such fertilisers on sale in England may contain up to approximately 99 per cent. ammonium nitrate.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Industrial Sites
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in obtaining land for industrial sites in Kilkeel in the constituency of South Down.
Mr. Atkins : The Industrial Development Board--IDB--has no plans to acquire land for industrial sites in Kilkeel, as industrially zoned land is already available in private ownership in the town.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in obtaining land for industrial sites on the Ballydugan road, Downpatrick ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : The IDB is in negotiation with Dunleath Estates to acquire a six-acre site at Ballydugan road, Downpatrick. It is hoped that agreement can be reached soon.
Housing (Funding)
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which housing associations submitted applications for funding for the purchase of empty homes by the closing date for applications on 30 November ; and how many homes each of these housing associations submitted for consideration.
Mr. Atkins : The following 28 registered housing associations in Northern Ireland made application to purchase properties to rent under the Government's housing initiative announced in the Chancellor's autumn statement :
Housing Association |Number of Properties
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ballynafeigh |21
Belfast Community |4
BIH |81
Botanic |16
Church of Ireland |25
Clonard |28
Connswater |4
Craigavon and District |78
Craigowen |10
Derry |49
Dungannon |37
Flax |47
Fold |33
Gosford |30
Grove |1
Larne and District |34
Malone |18
Newington |13
Oaklee |14
Open Door |85
RBL |6
Rural |34
Students |76
Tennent Street and District |40
Triangle |5
Ulidia |46
Willowfield |28
Woodvale and Shankill |38
|--
Total |901
Surveys and Consultants' Reports
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish details of all surveys and consultants' reports commissioned by Northern Ireland Electricity and the Department of Economic Development since 1985 and the cost to Northern Ireland Electricity and the Department of Economic Development of each survey or consultant's report.
Mr. Atkins : Information on surveys and consultants' reports commissioned by Northern Ireland Electricity since 1985 is not readily available in the form requested and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
Information is not available on surveys and consultants' reports commissioned by the Department of Economic Development prior to 1988. Details of surveys and consultants' reports commissioned since then are as follows :
Consultant Title of Survey/Report
N.M.Rothschild/Coopers and Lybrand Feasibility Study of Privatisation of NIE
Coopers and Lybrand Competition and Interconnection Study Review of NIE Performance Aims 1989/90
Review of NIE Performance Aims 1990/91
P. J. R. Management Organisation Consultants NIE Organisational Capability Review
Ewbank Preece Ltd. Inspection of Generating Plant at Belfast West and Coolkeeragh
Development of Power Station Site
Touche Ross Advance Long Form Report
Supplementary Privatisation Study
Review of NI Capital Expenditure
Details of fees paid to consultants are commercially confidential.
Conductive Education
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial or administrative support has been offered by the Department of Education or the education
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and library boards to the Conductive Therapy Primary School established in Dungannon ; and if he will undertake to ensure that all suitable students requiring conductive education will have an opportunity to attend this school.Mr. Hanley : None. The Department of Education understands that the Buddy Bear Trust is proposing to establish an independent school in Dungannon for children with motor disorders. Independent schools do not receive assistance from public funds, though they are required to comply with statutory procedures regarding registration. To date, no such application has been received. Education and library boards are responsible for identifying, assessing and determining the special educational provision for children with special educational needs. If a board considers that provision should be made other than at a grant-aided school, it is obliged to seek the Department's approval. In considering such a placement, the board and the Department would seek to establish that this best meets the child's special educational needs.
Local Government Elections
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will announce the composition of district electoral areas for the local government elections in May 1993.
Sir Patrick Mayhew : I have today laid before Parliament the report of the District Electoral Areas Commissioner, Dr. Maurice Hayes, which contains his recommendations for the grouping of wards into district electoral areas for the purpose of local government elections in Northern Ireland. I have accepted the recommendations without modification and shall shortly bring forward for approval a draft Order in Council under section 38(1)(a) of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Act 1973 giving effect to the commissioner's recommendations.
ENVIRONMENT
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the council of the Association for the Conservation of Energy ; and if he will make a statement concerning the value he places upon the role of the association in the development of policies concerning the energy efficiency industry.
Mr. Howard : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 26 November, Official Report, column 827.
Business Rates
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to use their powers to reduce the burden of business rates in cases of hardship.
Mr. Redwood : Local authorities are able to offset 75 per cent. of the cost of granting hardship relief against the non-domestic rates pool. Guidance on the relief was issued to authorities in 1990, but discretion as to when, and whether, to use the powers lies entirely with them having regard to the interests of their community charge payers.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce an incentive
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for local authorities to notify the Valuation Office of new non-domestic property in their area to ensure that rating lists are kept properly up to date.Mr. Redwood : We have today laid regulations that will allow billing authorities to retain until the end of the year the benefit of any additional rates they collect when non-domestic property is improved or first included in the rating list. The new arrangements will apply from 1 April 1993. This will, I am sure, be a welcome incentive to local authorities.
Housing
Mr. Bell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received regarding increasing the stock of rented accommodation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : I have received a number of representations from the National Federation of Housing Associations and others about the need to maintain output from the Housing Corporation's programme. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his autumn statement plans to allocate around £6 billion to the Housing Corporation over three years from 1992-93. Over these years, housing associations will be able to provide considerably more than the 153,000 new social homes forecast in our election manifesto. Over the four years to 1995-96, the Government plan to provide £7.5 billion in support of the corporation's capital expenditure. In addition, we hope that associations will be able to attract a further £3 billion from the private sector.
Mr. Bell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new housing association properties have been made available in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year since 1974.
Mr. Baldry : New housing for rent made available by housing associations in England and Wales since 1974-75, with subsidy from the Housing Corporation and Tai Cymru--from 1989-90--has been as follows :
|England|Wales
--------------------------------
1974-75 |242 |4
1975-76 |4,288 |105
1976-77 |10,260 |355
1977-78 |20,521 |644
1978-79 |23,782 |1,057
1979-80 |20,693 |1,534
1980-81 |25,956 |1,173
1981-82 |20,014 |2,328
1982-83 |21,637 |2,115
1983-84 |20,658 |1,535
1984-85 |25,335 |1,487
1985-86 |21,329 |1,520
1986-87 |19,981 |1,424
1987-88 |18,183 |1,767
1988-89 |13,925 |1,662
1989-90 |17,728 |2,442
1990-91 |19,843 |3,060
1991-92 |25,815 |3,548
These figures include housing made newly available for rent when tenants take advantage of grants to help them to move into owner occupation.
Mr. Bell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many families were housed in
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temporary bed-and-breakfast accommodation by local authorities in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year since 1985 ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Baldry : Estimates of the average number of households who were being dealt with under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Act 1985 and were temporarily placed in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in England are as follows :
Averages for years |Households in bed ending September |and breakfast --------------------------------------------------------- 1985 |4,250 1986 |6,350 1987 |9,970 1988 |11,240 1989 |11,550 1990 |11,960 1991 |12,470 1992 |11,880
For information about Wales I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Mr. Bell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was spent by local authorities in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year since 1985 on the provision of temporary
bed-and-breakfast family accommodation.
Mr. Baldry : The net cost to local authorities since 1985 of providing bed-and-breakfast accommodation in England was as follows :
|Net expenditure (£
|million)
---------------------------------------------------------
1985-86 |33.9
1986-87 |75.5
1987-88 |104.5
1988-89 |90.2
1989-90 |72.6
1990-91 |66.3
For information about Welsh authorities I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
London Residuary Body
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 3 December, Official Report, column 295, for what period Mr. Wallace Mackenzie, Mr. Michael Roberts, Mr. Jack Wolkind and Sir Godfrey Taylor have been reappointed to the board of the London residuary body.
Mr. Robin Squire : Mr. Mackenzie, Mr. Roberts and Mr. Wolkind have not yet been reappointed. Sir Godfrey Taylor has been reappointed to serve until 31 March 1995 or until the winding up of the London residuary body, whichever is the sooner.
Market-testing
Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to which of those of his Department's activities due to be market-tested by 30 September 1993
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the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 and the EC acquired rights directive 77/189/EEC will apply.Mr. Redwood [holding answer 9 December 1992] : It is too early to say whether the EC acquired rights directive 77/187 and the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981--TUPE- -will apply to any of the Department's activities due to be market-tested before 30 September 1993. The nature, scope and terms and conditions for market-testing each activity will be carefully considered in a case-by-case basis by the Department's legal advisers to determine whether they amount simply to contracting-out, or involve the transfer of an undertaking or part of an undertaking to which the TUPE regulations will apply.
Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a timetable showing when he plans to market-test those activities listed for testing before 30 September 1993.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 9 December 1992] : Market-testing of the following activities, of which the main ones are listed under my Department in Cm 2101, is expected to have been completed by the end of September 1993 :
Accommodation Facilities Management
Accountants
Central Reprographics
Conveyancing
Design, Drawing and Print Services
Economists
Professional Property Services
Registry Services
Statistical Support Services
Training
Travel Services
Workshops and Stores
All these market-testing exercises are well under way and are proceeding as planned. The Department expects to invite tenders for these functions in the period February to June 1993 if they are shown to be viable areas for testing following the more detailed investigations into the scope for market-testing which are now under way.
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