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Qat
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to banning the import of the qat plant from Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia ; and what advice he has received on qat from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.
Mr. Jack : The plant is not subject to international control, and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs advised in 1988 that there was insufficient evidence to justify bringing the plant under the controls of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. That remains the present position, but the situation will continue to be monitored carefully.
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Gambling
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to monitor the effects of excess gambling.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Government do not routinely monitor the effects of excessive gambling. Research on specific issues is commissioned as necessary, most recently into the extent and nature of amusement machine playing by young people ("Amusement Machines : Dependency and Delinquency, Home Office Research Study 101, 1988").
Sentencing
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average sentence for someone convicted of murder.
Mr. Jack : The mandatory sentence for murder in England and Wales is life.
The average time served under sentence in prison service establishments by those first released on licence is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" (table 8.5 of the volume for 1990, Cm. 1800), a copy of which is in the Library.
Assaults on Women, Walsall
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many assaults, including rape, were committed against women in the H division of Walsall, since 1980.
Mr. Jack : The available information for H division has been provided by the West Midlands constabulary. It is in terms of notifiable offences recorded by the police, with the most appropriate offence categories being rape and indecent assault on a female. Other types of assault do not distinguish between male and female victim.
Year |Rape |Indecent assault on|Total
|a female
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980 |6 |77 |83
1981 |3 |58 |62
1982 |11 |72 |83
1983 |11 |56 |67
1984 |3 |47 |50
1985 |9 |77 |86
1986 |3 |56 |59
1987 |12 |61 |73
1988 |17 |78 |95
1989 |13 |56 |69
1990 |9 |63 |72
1991 |17 |60 |77
<1>1992 |9 |28 |37
<1> January to June.
Racial Incidents, Walsall
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded racial incidents have occurred in Walsall each year since 1985.
Mr. Jack : The information is not available centrally.
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Dangerous Dogs Act
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pit bull type dogs have been destroyed in each county or sheriff court area in the United Kingdom since the legislation permitting destruction was introduced ; and what assessment he has made of whether the court procedures to identify the characteristics of the breed of dogs destroyed are proving a satisfactory and consistent basis for court procedures.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Information on the number of pit bull terriers destroyed in each county and sheriff court area in the United Kingdom as a result of proceedings under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is not collected centrally.
The decision whether any particular dog is of the type known as the pit bull terrier is ultimately a matter for the courts, having regard to all relevant evidence and advice. Circulars on the Act were issued to the police, the Crown prosecution service and the courts, both at the time of coming into force of the Act and subsequently. These contained general guidance on the provisions, and on the assistance which may be available in determining whether a particular dog is of the pit bull type.
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce amendments to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to provide that a dog with a pure-bred pedigree as a Staffordshire bull terrier shall not be treated as a pit bull terrier.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 applies--amongst others--to dogs "of the type known as the pit bull terrier". It is ultimately for the courts to decide whether a particular animal falls within this definition, and they will take into account all relevant considerations. Evidence of pedigreee may in some circumstances be a factor in determining the question. A Home Office circular containing advice about the operation of the Act, issued last August, and sent to the police, the Crown prosecution service and the courts, drew attention to a list provided by the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed Council of clubs and societies willing to give advice in cases where there is doubt whether the dog is a Staffordshire bull terrier.
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 have been successful.
Mr. Jack : The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 did not come into force until August 1991. Information on the number of prosecutions under this Act for 1992, the first full year for which information will be recorded centrally, is expected to be available around the autumn of 1993.
Civil Servants (Bicycles)
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the current conditions on which civil servants in his Department are granted salary advances to enable the purchase of bicycles for home-to-office travel ; if he will make a statement on the current conditions in each agency of his Department ; what plans he has to change the conditions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The current conditions applying in the Department and its agencies are that there should be
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an operational need or other identifiable value for money improvement justifying the advance--maximum £100--and that the advance is repayable over one year. Only one such advance has so far been made to an official of my Department. Departments and agencies generally have recently been given discretion to offer a larger advance and to revise the eligibility and repayment rules. These changes are being considered in the context of a Departmental review of travel allowances, and revised rules are expected to be promulgated in the spring.Reed Report
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish his response to the Reed report.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The final summary report of the Department of Health and Home Office joint review of services for mentally disordered offenders--the "Reed report"--was published on 27 November 1992. In reply to a question on that day from my hon. Friend the Member for Teignbridge (Mr. Nichols), my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo) explained how the Government intended to respond or were already responding to the review.
So far as my Department is concerned, a key objective identified and endorsed by the review is the diversion of mentally disordered offenders from the criminal justice system wherever possible. Since my hon. Friend's announcement, this has been given a further boost by the issue of an invitation to local agencies to apply for funding to support court-based duty psychiatrist schemes. We are already funding a number of other diversion projects as well as a series of regional conferences organised by the Mental Health Foundation which are intended to promote inter-agency co- operation in this field.
Police Central Computer
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to privatise or contract out the operation of the police central computer in whole or in part.
Mr. Charles Wardle : As announced last year in "The Citizens' Charter : First Report" (Cm 2101), the operation of the police national computer is among the functions of the Home Department which are included in the current market testing programme.
Police Complaints
Mr. Sedgemore : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide police complaints figures, under the headings used in the annual report of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, for the following police stations for each of the past five years (a) Hackney, (b) City Road and (c) Stoke Newington.
Heading |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hackney Incivility |3 |6 |2 |0 |1 Assault |49 |24 |38 |26 |20 Irregularity in practice |2 |1 |0 |1 |4 Traffic irregularity |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 Neglect of duty |8 |3 |1 |0 |1 Corrupt practice |0 |0 |1 |1 |1 Mishandling of property |1 |0 |0 |1 |1 Irregularity in relation to evidence/perjury |0 |0 |7 |2 |0 Oppressive conduct or behaviour |4 |2 |3 |5 |3 Racially discriminatory behavour |1 |1 |0 |0 |1 Unlawful arrest or detention |4 |1 |2 |3 |5 Impropriety in connection with the search of premises |3 |2 |2 |0 |3 Other crime |1 |1 |0 |1 |3 Other |0 |0 |0 |0 |2
Complaints in the Metropolitan police are counted by the main allegation known at the time of receipt.
Heading |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Stoke Newington Incivility |2 |1 |3 |2 |1 Assault |22 |25 |46 |58 |35 Irregularity in practice |0 |0 |2 |1 |1 Traffic irregularity |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 Neglect of duty |2 |0 |1 |1 |1 Corrupt practice |2 |0 |0 |5 |0 Mishandling of property |2 |4 |0 |0 |0 Irregularity in relation to evidence/perjury |1 |0 |3 |6 |1 Oppressive conduct or behaviour |5 |2 |0 |5 |2 Racially discriminatory behavour |1 |0 |0 |0 |1 Unlawful arrest or detention |2 |1 |2 |7 |2 Impropriety in connection with the search of premises |3 |4 |1 |3 |0 Other crime |0 |0 |0 |0 |3 Other |0 |0 |1 |1 |0 Complaints in the Metropolitan police are counted by the main allegation known at the time of receipt.
Heading |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992 --------------------------------------------------------------------- City Road Incivility |5 |2 |1 |0 |0 Assault |13 |7 |6 |10 |10 Irregularity in practice |0 |1 |1 |0 |1 Traffic irregularity |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 Neglect of duty |1 |0 |0 |0 |1 Corrupt practice |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 Mishandling of property |0 |3 |1 |0 |0 Irregularity in relation to evidence/perjury |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 Oppressive conduct or behaviour |3 |4 |2 |1 |1 Racially discriminatory behavour |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 Unlawful arrest or detention |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 Impropriety in connection with the search of premises |0 |0 |0 |0 |2 Other crime |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 Other |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Complaints in the Metropolitan police are counted by the main allegation known at the time of receipt.
Betting Shops
Mr. Tim Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what comments and advice were received from the Association of Chief Police Officers in answer to his consultation document on the evening opening of betting shops.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Neither the Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales and Northern Ireland nor the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland were opposed to the evening opening of betting offices, though both favoured the continuation of a prescribed latest closing time.
Alcohol and Drug Misuse
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he is making for payment in respect of treatment for alcohol or drug misuse ordered by the courts prior to 1 April 1993 but not completed by that date ; and who will pay (a) for that part of the treatment prior to 1 April and (b) that part of the treatment after 1 April.
Mr. Jack [holding answer 15 December 1992] : Treatment for drug or alcohol misuse may be ordered by the courts (as an additional requirement of a probation order, under provisions introduced on 1 October 1992 by the Criminal Justice Act 1991) only if suitable treatment is available.
Alcohol and drug misusers who are receiving treatment prior to 1 April 1993 and are eligible for income support will generally have preserved rights after 1 April to their existing level of benefit.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will pay for residential treatment for alcohol or drug misuse ordered by the courts after 1 April 1993.
Mr. Jack [holding answer 14 December 1992] : Residential treatment for drug or alcohol abuse may be ordered by courts--as an additional requirement of a probation order, under provisions introduced on 1 October 1992 by the Criminal Justice Act 1991--only if suitable treatment is available.
From 1 April 1993 local authorities will be responsible for assessing the social care needs of alcohol and drug misusers. People who commence treatment in a residential setting after 1 April 1993 and who are eligible, will be entitled to claim ordinary income support, including premiums, and a residential allowance. The local authority will take account of these payments and any other income when assessing the individual's ability to contribute towards the cost of care. Local authorities and probation services will need to liaise to ensure that the needs of those
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offenders supervised by the probation service who have drug and alcohol misuse problems are considered within community care. A special transitional grant of £539 million is being made available to local authorities in England in 1993-94 which is ring fenced for use on community care, including the provision of care for alcohol and drug misusers.Where such residential treatment is to be provided by local authorities then, from 1 April 1993, assessment, availability and funding will be in accordance with the community care arrangements which come into effect on that date. Other residential treatment (not under community care arrangements) could also be ordered--again, provided that was available.
Police Forces
Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by how many extra police officers the police forces in Thames Valley and Nottinghamshire have been supplemented in 1993-94 ; if these officers are permanent augmentations ; and for what duties they have been provided.
Mr. Charles Wardle : [holding answer 11 January 1993] : In common with all provincial police force, Thames Valley and Nottinghamshire have been given no increase in their permanent establishments for 1993-94. I understand that my right hon. and noble Friend has written to the hon. Member about detailed aspects of this matter.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
South Africa
42. Mr. Hain : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid is being given to South Africa in the current year.
Mr. Hurd : We expect our bilateral aid to black South Africans to rise to over £11 million this financial year. Our share of EC aid will add a further £11 million. This is money well spent.
Southern Africa
43. Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of aid from Her Majesty's Government to southern Africa is for educational purposes.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : In 1991-92, 13 per cent. of British bilateral aid to southern Africa was for educational purposes.
Somalia
44. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid has so far been paid to Somalia since the present food shortage began ; upon what items ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Since the beginning of the current crisis Britain has committed £45.2 million of humanitarian assistance to Somalia. So far £37.9 million has been spent on food supplies, transport and logistical support, medical supplies, water and sanitation equipment, and tools and seeds.
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India
45. Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on current aid levels to India.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Aid for India in 1992-93 is expected to be £95 million.
Aid Allocation
46. Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria are used to determine the proportion of overseas aid allocated (a) bilaterally and (b) multilaterally.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : A high proportion of our multilateral aid spending is determined by negotiated or assessed international commitments, including our share of the European Community's aid budget. Otherwise, our aid resources are mostly spent bilaterally.
ACP Countries
47. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken to enable ACP countries to get real increases in prices paid for primary products.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Prices for primary products are primarily determined by international markets. We participate, however, in the European Community's Stabex and Sysmin schemes under the Lome convention to help compensate African, Caribbean and Pacific countries for falls in their commodity export earnings.
Black Rhino
48. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what allocations have been made by his Department to schemes for the protection of the black rhino.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Since 1990, Britain has committed £167,200 to projects which aim to protect the rhinoceros, including £33,600 specifically for a project in Tanzania on the black rhino. We are also supporting a number of projects, worth over £18 million, concerned with the protection and conservation of wildlife. Many of these should also benefit the rhinoceros.
Rwanda
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what attempts have been made by his Department's Overseas Development Administration to assist refugees from Rwanda.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Rwandian refugees are being assisted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to which Britain is a major contributor. We are, not assisting Rwandan refugees bilaterally. We are, however, funding an agricultural resettlement project run by ACORD in Sud- Gisaka, Rwanda, which has existed since 1986 and was set up following the arrival of 2,000 refugees of Rwandese origin from Uganda.
Children
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration his Department's Overseas Development Administration
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has given to the recent report by UNICEF on the state of the world's children, in regard to the effects of United Kingdom's aid policy on children abroad.Mr. Lennox-Boyd : UNICEF's annual "State of the World's Children" report is a valuable guide to issues affecting mothers and children. Staff in the ODA value its information.
Kashmir
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are for an aid Minister to visit Kashmir to discuss aid projects ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : There are no plans for my noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development to visit Kashmir. Aid projects are clearly difficult in the current situation, but we would be happy to consider appropriate projects when circumstances permit.
Developing Countries
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list (i) Britain's official flows to developing countries, broken down into official development assistance and other official flows in 1991, (ii) Britain's private flows to developing countries, broken down into private export credit, direct investment, bank lending and voluntary agencies, in 1991 and (iii) the percentage shares of gross national product for net overseas development aid and total flows to developing countries in 1991.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The information is as follows :
United Kingdom net aid flows
|1991
|£ million
---------------------------------------------------------------
Official development assistance (oda) |1,814
Other official flows |293
|----
Total official flows |2,107
|----
Guaranteed private export credits |-2
Direct investments<1> |3,000
Other bilateral securities and claims |-680
|----
Total private flows |2,318
Net grants by private voluntary agencies |215
|----
Total flows |4,640
|----
Percentage share of gross national product
Net oda |0.32
Total flows |0.81
<1> The 1991 figure for direct investment is a preliminary
estimate.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. and noble Friend, the Minister for Overseas Development, in another place on 25 November 1992, Official Report, column 69-70, corrected on 9 December 1992 at column 9-10, which set out revised figures for 1990 and the basis on which banking flows were calculated.
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Yugoslavia (Aid)
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received regarding aid to former Yugoslavia ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Government have received a great many representations from many sources.
PRIME MINISTER
Engineers
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to restrict the use of the term "engineer" in official Government documents to only chartered or incorporated engineers.
The Prime Minister : In referring to engineers, Government documents should make it clear whether particular qualifications are envisaged but, in the absence of any general restriction on the use of the term "engineer", it would not be appropriate to restrict its use to specified categories of engineer which form only part of the wider engineering profession. The Fairclough initiative is, however, examining this issue and the Government will consider its recommendations when received.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations he has received from the Institution of Electrical Engineers.
The Prime Minister : I have recently received a letter from the institution concerning vocational qualifications and my office will respond in due course.
Travel Expenses
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his reply on 9 December 1992, Official Report , column 668 , if he is now in a position to publish the total cost to the Exchequer for his travels within the European Communities since 1 July 1992.
The Prime Minister : The total cost of my travels within the European Communities between 1 July and 31 December 1992 is estimated to be £328,000.
Polling Stations (Access)
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has to co -ordinate policies between Scotland and England and Wales on the operation of schemes to purchase temporary ramps to improve access to polling stations ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : None. In England and Wales and in Scotland, a grant of 50 per cent. of the cost is available towards the purchase of temporary ramps to provide access to polling stations for disabled voters.
Standards of Conduct
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will introduce legislation to require (a) political parties in advertisements, (b) lawyers in court and (c) journalists in newspapers to (i) tell the truth, (ii) provide equal length or space to a right to reply, (iii) submit controversial claims
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to a statutory tribunal and (iv) submit themselves to fines for transgressing or for appearing at the time of judgment to have transgressed good taste or a code of conduct.The Prime Minister : I have no plans to do so.
Forestry
Mr. Hanson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals to introduce an integrated United Kingdom policy on forestry, covering (a) consumption of forests, (b) problems caused by deforestation, (c) the links between forestry and third world debt and (d) import controls on hardwoods.
The Prime Minister : The Government are committed to working for the effective implementation of the statement of principles on the world's forests agreed at the United Nations conference on environment and development in Rio last June. As part of this process we are preparing a United Kingdom national plan for forests. Policies on the issues listed in the question need to be integrated and co-ordinated with our broader environmental aid and trade policies. Co-ordination is achieved by regular contact between the Government Departments responsible for these matters.
Office and Travel Costs
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister what is the total cost to public funds of overseas travel by himself and those accompanying him on official business since he has held his present position to the most recent available date.
The Prime Minister : The total cost of my overseas official visits undertaken between 22 November 1990 and 31 December 1992 is estimated to be £1,816,000.
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister what are the total costs of running his office, including travel, in each year since 1989-90.
The Prime Minister : The costs are as follows :
|£
------------------------------
1989-90 |7,669,276
1990-91 |8,225,816
1991-92 |8,663,758
Note: Salaries and wages,
notional pension liability,
administration costs, the
costs of office and the
grant-in-aid to the Chequers
Trust are included. The Prime
Minister's salary is
excluded.
Jamaica
Mr. Kaufman : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make representations within the European Community for the suspension of all economic aid to, and favourable trade arrangements with, Jamaica until that country improves its human rights record.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 15 January 1993] : We discuss aid policy towards specific developing countries regularly with other member states and with the European Commission. Full account of human rights considerations is taken in these discussions. We have no plans to argue for the suspension of economic aid to, and favourable trade arrangements with, Jamaica.
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Company Directors
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the progress made to date in his policy of encouraging company directors to voluntarily keep their wages and other remunerations at levels that do not promote wage inflation.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 15 January 1993] : As I have previously made clear, pay in the private sector is a matter for the private sector to determine. However, I am encouraged by evidence that average boardroom pay increases are now falling to more realistic levels.
Press Office
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Prime Minister how many staff were employed by his press office in each year since 1979.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 15 January 1993] : Ten people including support staff are currently employed in 10 Downing street on press and public relations activities. Detailed figures were not recorded separately prior to 1987-88, but until 1 April 1992 the complement was eight. This was then increased to 10 by the addition of one press officer and one typist, to enable the press office to respond effectively to the growing number of press inquiries.
Value Added Tax
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe on the level of value added tax on bloodstock in the United Kingdom and the rates levied in France and Ireland, Official Report, 28 October 1992, column 288, what subsequent representations he has received on the issue ; what replies were made ; what action has now been taken ; and if he will make a statement on the Government's current policy on this issue.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 10 December 1992] : The Commissioners of Customs and Excise have just received the Jockey Club's report to the Paymaster General on this subject. It is being considered as quickly and constructively as possible.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Exports
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, as a percentage of the total value of United Kingdom exports, for each year since 1979, the value of (a) manufactured goods and (b) services.
Mr. Nelson : Information on exports for manufactured goods is published regularly in the Central Statistical Office (CSO) "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics" and is also available on the CSO database which may be accessed by the House of Commons Library. Information on services credits and exports of goods and services is available on the CSO database.
European Communities (Budget)
Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes he will be making to the cash limit on the vote of the budget of the European Communities.
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