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Year |Revocations |Applications for
|renewal refused
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1987 |170 |276
1988 |239 |406
1989 |224 |309
1990 |192 |239
1991 |210 |173
Mr. Nigel Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of unlicensed guns seized in each police authority area for each year since 1979.
Mr. Charles Wardle : This information is not collected centrally.
Castington Young Offenders Institution
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacant places there are at the Castington young offenders institution ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : On Friday, 12 March 1993, there were 45 unfilled places at Castington young offender institution. The establishment has a capacity of 300 places, but this has been reduced temporarily to 240 because some staff have had to be deployed on duty elsewhere in the Prison Service estate.
Market Testing
Mr. Hall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 and the EC acquired rights directive on his market testing of establishments division 5 information systems and pay services.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The matter is under consideration. The effect of these provisions will depend on decisions regarding the sectors of business to be subject to competitive tendering and the terms on which tenders are to be invited.
Mr. Hall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has made, in his market testing of establishment division 5 information systems and pay services (ED5) for the return of work in-house from contractors where this becomes necessary.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Risks will be thoroughly assessed during the market-testing process and contingency plans will be developed as appropriate.
Secure Training Units
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the individuals and organisations he consulted in the process of deciding his policy of building secure training units for the 11 to 15 years age group announced on 2 March.
Mr. Jack : Before my right hon. and learned Friend made his statement on 2 March at columns 139-42, Ministers and officials considered representations and views about the problem of persistent juvenile offenders from a wide range of individuals and organisations.
Young Offenders
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many younger offenders in the Chelmsford and Mid Essex police division were (a) cautioned by the police and (b) prosecuted ; of those prosecuted, how many were convicted ; and what orders were made in respect of them in the last three available years.
Mr. Jack : The information readily available centrally is given in the table. The police force area is the smallest geographical unit for which information on cautioning is available centrally.
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Defendants prosecuted and sentenced<2> by type of sentence or order for all
offences, excluding summary motoring in Essex Police Force Area
and in Petty Sessional Divisions (PSD) in Chelmsford and Mid Essex<1> 1989 to 1991
Essex Police PSD's in
Force Area Chelmsford and Mid
Essex<1>
|1989 |1990 |1991 |1989 |1990 |1991
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cautioned
10-13 |697 |839 |774
14-16 |1,892|2,160|2,129
17-20 |485 |938 |1,075
Prosecuted
10-13 |71 |59 |80 |8 |5 |13
14-16 |811 |715 |797 |136 |43 |53
17-20 |4,625|4,266|4,490|788 |700 |730
Sentenced<2> by type of sentence or order
10-13 |20 |12 |23 |1 |- |5
14-16 |172 |157 |168 |25 |8 |8
17-20 |434 |494 |585 |74 |81 |121
Fine
10-13 |3 |10 |26 |- |1 |5
14-16 |140 |112 |94 |29 |7 |11
17-20 |1,761|1,488|1,172|295 |208 |165
Community penalty<3>
10-13 |17 |12 |6 |- |2 |1
14-16 |172 |153 |162 |27 |10 |11
17-20 |701 |700 |768 |124 |144 |131
Detention in a young offender institution
10-13 |- |- |- |- |- |-
14-16 |25 |22 |16 |- |3 |3
17-20 |348 |271 |333 |45 |42 |52
Otherwise dealt with
10-13 |2 |3 |2 |- |- |-
14-16 |21 |17 |16 |5 |2 |3
17-20 |101 |100 |79 |12 |14 |5
All sentences or orders
10-13 |42 |37 |57 |1 |3 |11
14-16 |530 |461 |456 |86 |30 |36
17-20 |3,345|3,053|2,937|550 |489 |474
=Not available.
<1>Chelmsford, Witham (up to February 1991), Dengie and Maldon (up to February
1991), Maldon and Witham (from February 1991), Freshwell and South Hinckford, and
Halstead and Hedingham.
<2>Includes persons sentenced at the Crown Court, following committal for trial or
sentence by the PSD's listed in footnote<1>.
<3>Attendance centre orders, community service orders, probation orders or
supervision order.
Child Abduction
Mr. Olner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made as to the adequacy of records kept in respect of prosecutions for child abduction ;
(2) how many prosecutions relating to child abduction offences there have been in England and Wales in each of the last five years.
Mr. Jack : Details of prosecutions for child abduction under sections 1 and 2 of the Child Abduction Act 1984 are contained in the annual publication "Criminal Statistics England and Wales". They include both prosecutions undertaken by the Director of Public Prosecutios and prosecutions instigated by individuals. As explained in appendix 2 to "Criminal Statistics England and Wales 1991", Cm 2134, statistics about court proceedings include some in which there has been no police involvement at the prosecution stage, for example in cases where the
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prosecution has been brought by a private individual, but the reporting of private prosecutions is known to be incomplete. The available information about the number of prosecutions for offences relating to child abduction under sections 1 and 2 of the Child Abduction Act 1984 for 1987 to 1991 is given in the table. 1992 data are not expected to be available until autumn 1993.
England and
Wales-Offence
<1>Child Abduction
|Number
---------------------
1987 |52
1988 |56
1989 |67
1990 |66
1991 |89
<1> Child Abduction
Act, 1984, Sections
1 and 2.
Regulations
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 10 February, Official Report , column 624 , if he has now finished
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compiling and checked for accuracy and consistency of definition the comprehensive, provisional list of regulations for which his Department is responsible ; and when he intends to place this list in the Library.Mr. Kenneth Clarke [holding answer 16 March 1993] : As I explained in my reply to my hon. Friend on 10 February, a list of regulations that impact on business has been put together by my Department. Work on this has now been completed and it is being placed in the Library.
Immigration
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the entry clearance applications of Mrs. Khadija Bibi--Ref. : IMM/78676--and her children were referred to his Department by the United Kingdom post in Islamabad ; when a decision will be taken on these applications ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle [holding answer 11 March 1993] : Mrs. Khadija Bibi and seven children were refused entry clearances by the entry clearance officer in Islamabad on 4 October 1990. They appealed against the decision. The appeal hearing was listed for 18 September 1992 but was adjourned by the immigration appellate authority. In February 1993 Mrs. Bibi's representative sent the immigration department further evidence about the relationship between Mrs. Bibi and four of the children. This has now been considered and the entry clearance officer is being authorised to issue entry clearance to these applicants.
Entry Visas
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions his Department has given entry visas to the Iraqi citizens Amir Al-Saadi, Safa Al-Habobi, Sadik Taha, Raja Hassawali and Hussein Kamil since 1985.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I have been asked to reply.
A visa was issued to Safa Al-Habobi in 1988. There is no record of visas being issued to the others listed.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
European Armaments Agency
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to associate the countries of central Europe with the European armaments agency to be established by the Western European Union ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The Western European Union is continuing to examine the possibilities of enhanced co-operation in the field of armaments with the aim of creating a European armaments agency, in line with the declaration by WEU Heads of State and Government at Maastricht on 10 December 1991 and the declaration by the WEU Council of Ministers at the Petersberg on 19 June 1992. There has been no discussion to date of the possibility of associating the countries of central Europe with the eventual agency.
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Kosovo
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will agree to extend the UNPROFOR mission to Kosovo.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Decisions on the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping operations are a matter for the United Nations Security Council. There is already a CSCE mission in Kosovo whose aims are to monitor the human rights situation, promote dialogue between the communities and act as intermediary in disputes between the Serbian and local communities.
Yugoslavia
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to strengthen the present embargo against Serbia and Montenegro to the level recommended in recommendation 530 of the assembly of the Western European Union ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : We would support introduction of more rigorous sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro should the Serbs seek to block a settlement. In the meantime we are actively supporting international efforts to ensure existing sanctions are enforced more rigorously. We welcome the efforts of the Western European Union assembly to identify measures that could improve sanctions enforcement.
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards bringing to trial before the appropriate judicial bodies those responsible for war crimes committed during the present conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We fully supported the adoption of United Nations Security Council resolution 808 which decides, in principle, to establish an ad hoc war crimes tribunal to bring those accused of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia to justice.
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support the imposition of sanctions against sea or air transport operators in Western European Union member states found guilty of violating the United Nations embargo against Serbia and Montenegro ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : It is the responsibility of each individual state to enforce sanctions within its own territory and according to its own legislation. We are determined to ensure that sanctions are enforced rigorously ; there are severe penalties for those convicted of committing breaches. We have no legal powers to take punitive action against companies operating outside the United Kingdom involved in breaches of United Nations sanctions.
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he has offered in response to the request by Romania for help in policing the embargo against Serbia and Montenegro.
Mr. Goodlad : The United Kingdom contributes personnel and equipment to the sanctions assistance missions, now operating in a number of states including
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Romania. We are also making available £100,000 in practical sanctions enforcement to help states on the Danube. This will consist of communications and other equipment for customs authorities. Earlier today my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed ways to tighten enforcement with the Romanian Foreign Minister.Child Abduction
Mr. Olner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek a meeting with the Spanish ambassador regarding the position of British children abducted to Spain.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : As Spain is signatory to both the Hague and European conventions on child abduction, cases of British children abducted to Spain are dealt with by the Lord Chancellor's Department.
Mr. Olner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when measures to prevent child abduction were last discussed at the level of the United Nations.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Article 11 of the United Nations convention on the rights of the child calls upon states to take measures to combat "the illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad". The convention was adopted by the General Assembly on 20 November 1989 after many years of detailed discussions.
Mr. Olner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what data his Department has on cases of British children being abducted and taken abroad in the last three years.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Cases of children abducted to countries which are signatory to either or both of the Hague and European conventions are dealt with by the Lord Chancellor's Department, which is the central authority within the United Kingdom under the conventions. No data are available in my Department on such cases.
Statistics involving children taken to non-convention countries which were brought to the attention of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are as follows :
|Children
---------------------------
1990 |149
1991 |108
1992 |98
There may have been others of which we were not made aware.
Mr. Olner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with other Commonwealth countries on the ratification of international conventions and bilateral agreements for the return of abducted children.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : It is our policy to encourage all countries, including Commonwealth countries, to adhere to the Hague convention. The Commonwealth Secretariat is hoping to put his subject on the agenda for the Commonwealth Law Ministers' meeting in November this year.
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Mr. Olner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will meet the National Council for Abducted Children to consider the appointment of a senior diplomat to mediate and negotiate for the return of abducted children.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : This proposal was one of the recommendations in the report of the Parliamentary working party on child abduction, published on 9 March 1993. I wish to study the report before considering such a meeting.
Mr. Olner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to (a) Italy and (b) Greece regarding signature and ratification of the Hague convention on child abduction.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : No. Both countries have signed the convention ; Italy is in the process of ratifying ; Greece has ratified but has not yet deposited instruments of ratification at the Hague.
Mr. Olner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives he will recommend to his European Community partners to prevent child abduction in the European Community.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : None : the resolution on custody and abduction of children across national borders was adopted by the European Parliament in March 1984. It stated that the Council of Europe and Hague conventions were the appropriate means of protecting children and called on member states to ratify the conventions as soon as possible.
Western European Union
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support the proposal in recommendation 528 of the assembly of the Western European Union to invite the central European countries to observe exercises co-ordinated by the Western European Union planning cell.
Mr. Garel-Jones : We note the suggestion made by the assembly of the Western European Union, and will consider it in due course. There is some way to go before the WEU is ready to conduct exercises.
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to ensure that an agreement between NATO and the Western European Union is so framed as to avoid duplication.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The modalities of the relationship between the Western European Union and the Atlantic alliance were set out in the declaration by WEU Heads of State and Government at Maastricht on 10 December 1991. Both NATO and the WEU have since agreed documents proposing guidelines for the practical working relations between the two organisations. The arrangements aim to ensure complementarity and transparency, not duplication, between the organisations.
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support recommendation 532 of the Assembly of Western European Union on the need for member states
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of the Western European Union to co-ordinate policy on export of military equipment, end-distination controls on exports of jointly-produced equipment and the requirement to notify such exports to the United Nations register of international arms transfers ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Garel-Jones : We are already working with our Western European Union partners, in the context of European political co-operation, for greater harmonisation and information exchange in national procedures on arms exports, including licensing procedures and procedures to ensure control of end use. We intend to notify the United Nations of all imports and exports covered by the United Nations register.
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of state for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support recommendation 531 of the Assembly of Western European Union for the Western European Union Council to draw up plans for military operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Mr. Garel-Jones : We share the Western European Union assembly's concern at the crisis in the former Yugoslavia. We have supported WEU actions and contingency planning on Yugoslavia on the basis that it takes account of the requirements of the situation, the availability of resources, and planning in other organisations such as NATO.
Nuclear Defence
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the adoption of a joint European position towards the American programme for global protection against limited strikes.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The new United States administration will wish to consult European allies on ballistic missile defences. NATO provides the natural forum for such discussion. The WEU may also have a role to play in defining European ballistic missile defence interests.
Palestine Liberation Organisation
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's relations with the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the Government's policy on the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 799.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : On 9 March my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office met Faisal Husseini, leader of the Palestinian negotiating team in the middle east peace process and two representatives of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. He stressed the importance of an early resumption of peace talks, and urged the Palestinians to accept the invitations to the next round. We continue to seek a solution to the deportations problem on the basis of Security Council resolution 799.
Israel
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on economic sanctions against the state of Israel.
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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We do not think economic sanctions against the state of Israel would be helpful.
River Danube
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what offers of expertise, technical assistance or equipment have been made to the Danube riparian states to prevent the use of the River Danube in avoiding the sanctions imposed by UN Security Council resolutions 713 and 757.
Mr. Goodlad : The United Kingdom took the lead in setting up EC/CSCE sanctions assistance missions to advise the Governments on the enforcement of sanctions. The United Kingdom has contributed both personnel and equipment to these missions. They are now in place in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, Ukraine and Macedonia. We have also offered £100,000 to enable states on the Danube to procure communications and other equipment for use by local customs authorities.
Arms Limitation Agreements
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what technical assistance is being offered to the countries of central Europe to enable them to participate in operations to verify disarmament or arms limitation agreements to which they may be party.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The joint arms control implementation group has a programme of training exchanges with verification agencies in the former Warsaw pact states and recently hosted a highly successful seminar on the practical implementation of arms control agreements. The United Kingdom is also offering places to inspectors from former Warsaw pact states on forthcoming national inspections under the treaty on conventional armed forces in Europe.
Macedonia
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Macedonia with a name acceptable to its population ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : The Edinburgh European Council decided to set aside the recognition of Macedonia to concentrate on issues that would be of practical assistance, including UN membership. The question of recognition is, therefore, still under consideration.
Greece and Turkey
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts Her Majesty's Government have made in resolving the differences which exist between Greece and Turkey.
Mr. Garel-Jones : Where we have a direct interest in issues of difficulty between Greece and Turkey, such as Cyprus, we continue our efforts to help find a lasting solution acceptable to all sides.
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Serbia and Montenegro
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to publish evidence of any breach of the embargo imposed against Serbia and Montenegro.
Mr. Goodlad : It would not be proper for us to publish any allegations of sanctions breaches in advance of any prosecution that may take place and indeed to do so may prejudice the chances of a successful prosecution.
The United Nations sanctions committee investigates allegations of sanctions breaches and brings them to the attention of those responsible. It is not, however, the practice of the committee to publish its discussions.
Brussels Treaty
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to refer the dispute on the expiry of the period of 50 years laid down in article XII of the modified Brussels treaty to a group of independent legal experts.
Mr. Garel-Jones : We have no plans to do so.
Overseas Missions
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 12 February, Official Report, column 842, at how many missions there is more than one swimming pool ; and for what reason. Mr. Goodlad : Swimming pools are officially provided for two reasons : for the representational use of the head of post and/or for amenity use by the staff at post, especially where staff live in a compound, or where such facilities are not locally available, accessible or suitable. Of the 135 swimming pools at posts overseas, about 80 are primarily representational and about 55 primarily for amenity use. In the 26 FCO posts at which there are two swimming pools, one in each post is solely for representational use and the other solely for amenity use by the staff at post.
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 12 February, Official Report, column 842, at how many missions there is more than one tennis court ; and for what reason.
Mr. Goodlad : Tennis courts are officially provided for two reasons : for the representational use of the head of post and/or for amenity use by the staff at post, especially where staff live in a compound, or where such facilities are not locally available, accessible, or suitable. Of the 81 tennis courts at posts overseas, about 24 are primarily representational and about 57 primarily for amenity use. In the 10 FCO posts at which there are two tennis courts, one in each post is solely for representational use and the other solely for amenity use by the staff at post.
Departmental Officers (Travel)
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 2 March, Official Report, column 62, of the families accompanying the nine officers in first class, how many were dependent children.
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Mr. Goodlad : Included in the families accompanying the nine officers in first class were two dependent children.
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 2 March, Official Report, column 62, what was the cost in the last year for which figures are available for officials and advisers travelling first class on duty journeys in the company of Ministers.
Mr. Goodlad : For the diplomatic wing, in the 12 months to 31 January 1993, the cost of first-class air travel for officials and advisers accompanying Ministers was £98,763, less rebates which the FCO will receive as part of its travel management contract. For the overseas development wing, in the 12 months to 31 January 1993, the cost of first- class air travel for officials and advisers accompanying Ministers was £39,805, less rebates which the ODA will receive as part of its travel management contract.
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 2 March, Official Report, column 62, what were the operational reasons which required 12 officers to travel first class to their posts abroad in the last year ; and what was the grade of the officer who travelled first class by virtue of his grade.
Mr. Goodlad : It is policy that ambassadors and high commissioners should fly first class on first arrival at and on final departure from the country to which they are accredited. It is expected that they will have to meet high-ranking members of the host Government and that they may have to give a statement to the press immediately before or after their journeys. They should not, therefore, travel below the status expected of them. They are also usually travelling at the end of hectic periods of briefing or debriefing. These were the operational reasons in the 12 cases cited. The other officer, also being appointed as ambassador, who travelled first class by virtue of his grade, was graded at salary point 1 of the senior grade.
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 2 March, Official Report, column 62, how many private secretaries and officers travelled first class in the 12 months to January.
Mr. Goodlad : For the diplomatic wing, in the 12 months to 31 January 1993, 36 private secretaries and officers travelled in first class on duty journeys overseas.
For the overseas development wing, in the 12 months to 31 January 1993, 55 private secretaries and officers travelled first class on duty journeys overseas.
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