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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 5 May 1993

HOME DEPARTMENT

Prison Service

Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost, including redundancy payments, incurred by his Department as a result of the abandonment of the prison service supply and transport market test.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. John McAllion, dated4 May 1993 : The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your Question about the costs incurred as a result of the abandonment of the Prison Service supply and transport market test.

In July 1992 approval was given for the award of a contract, subject to negotiation of satisfactory terms and consultation with the TUS, to Beck and Pollitzer for the operation of the warehousing and distribution function of the Prison Service Supply and Transport Branch. The operative date of the contract was to be 1 April 1993. At the time of this decision, it was anticipated that all staff working in the function would be made redundant, although some might be re-employed by Beck and Pollitzer. The estimated redundancy payments for all the staff were £875,000.

As it was not possible to negotiate a satisfactory contract with Beck and Pollitzer, a 3-year service level agreement was awarded to the next best bid, the in-house bid. Staff, who had received redundancy notices in September 1992, were given the option of accepting redundancy or agreeing to the withdrawal of the redundancy notice. Redundancy payments to those who decided to accept redundancy were £620,000.

The Prison Service did not incur any other costs as a result of the abandonment of the market test.

Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contract was awarded to Beck and Politzer following the abandonment of the prison service supply and transport market test ; whether it was a result of a competitive tendering exercise ; and whether an in-house bid was permitted.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. John McAllion, dated 4 May 1993 : The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the contract awarded to Beck and Politzer.

Following the decision to award a 3-year service level agreement for the in -house management of the Prison Service Supply and Transport warehousing and distribution function, a 1-year consultancy contract was agreed with Beck and Politzer to provide the in-house management team with advice and assistance in achieving operational and administrative improvements to the function.


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A great deal of preparatory work was carried out by Beck and Politzer in the seven months from the original decision to award them the contract for the management of the function up to the decision to retain the work in-house and this latter decision was made only 4 weeks before the operative date of 1 April 1993. There was therefore not time to arrange for competitive tendering, nor would it have been practical for either another contractor or an in-house team to act as consultants, as the new computer systems to be used after 1 April for stock control and distribution planning were based on the original Beck and Politzer proposal. They were therefore the only organisation capable of providing the necessary consultancy advice.

The agreement reached with Beck and Politzer is an example of the private sector working closely with the public sector to enhance services quality and provide value for money.

Prison Transport

Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requirements are laid down on how meals are to be provided by Group 4 to prisoners being held in court and police cells while awaiting or during trial ; and if these will be hot meals.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from I. Dunbar to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 4 May 1993 : In the absence of Mr. Lewis, the Director General, the Home Secretary has asked me to write to you directly in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what requirements are laid down on how meals are to be provided by Group 4 to prisoners being held in court and police cells whilst awaiting or during trial ; and if these will be hot meals.

The contract with Group 4 Court Services Limited requires the contractor to feed all prisoners who are in its custody at any time between the hours of 1100 and 1400. The lunchtime meal need not be regarded as the main meal of the day, but should be such as to sustain the prisoner until he or she is escorted to the prison or otherwise dealt with. Fresh drinking water should be available to prisoners on request throughout the day. This is in line with guidance to Governors in respect of prisoners held at courts staffed by the Prison Service. Breakfast and tea meals will ordinarily be given either by the police or Prison Service as appropriate.

Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost currently paid by the prison service for each new cellular van to be constructed.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from I. Dunbar to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 4 May 1993 : In the temporary absence of the Director General, Mr. Lewis, the Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your Question about the cost paid by the Prison Service for new cellular vans.

The last cellular van purchased by the Prison Service was in July 1991, for a 14-cell van with air-conditioning, at a total cost of £50,667 exclusive of VAT. The last 12-cell van was purchased in September 1990 at a total cost of £47,275 exclusive of VAT. Air-conditioning was fitted to this van in July 1991 at an additional cost of £7,173 exclusive of VAT.

Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the location, date, list of injuries and cost of repairs incurred in road accidents in


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1990, 1991 and 1992 involving (a) cellular vans and (b) other means of transporting prisoners (i) in England and Wales and (ii) in the east midlands and Humberside area.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from I. Dunbar to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 4 May 1993 : In the absence of the Director General, Mr. Lewis, the Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the transport of prisoners.

Only a relatively small number of prisoner movements are by cellular vehicle. In fact the use of cellular vehicles by the Prison Service only began in 1990 and so far only 26 are in use. Apart from those prisoners conveyed by Group 4 most prisoners are escorted to magistrates' courts and the Crown Court, and between establishments, by Prison Service staff but using contract hire taxis and coaches. Movements from magistrates' courts to prisons are undertaken by the police using their vehicles. (In some areas, eg in London, the police also convey prisoners to magistrates' courts, but are paid for this service by the Prison Service.) We do not therefore have the information with which to answer your question.

We do however have information on the amount spent on repairs, and in settlement of third party claims, in respect of accidents involving Prison Service cellular vehicles. The only years for which the information is complete are 1990 (when these vehicles first began to be used by the Prison Service) and 1991. The information is as follows :


                  |All areas        |East Midlands and                  

                                    |Humberside                         

                  |£                |£                                  

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

1990              |264              |nil                                

1991              |2,354.50         |618                                

Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoner custody officers are employed by Group 4 Court Escort Services Ltd.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from I. Dunbar to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 4 May 1993 : In the absence of the Director General, Mr. Lewis, the Home Secretary has asked me to write to you directly in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of prisoner custody officers employed by Group 4 Court Escort Services Ltd.

Group 4 currently have 288 staff employed to undertake prisoner custody officer duties as part of the court escort service in the East Midlands and Humberside.

Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the running costs incurred during 1992 for transporting prisoners in the east midlands and Humberside area ; and if he will give a breakdown of the costs.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from I. Dunbar to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 4 May 1993 : In the absence of Mr. Lewis, the Director General, the Home Secretary has asked me to write to you directly in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the running costs incurred during 1992 for transporting prisoners in the East Midlands and Humberside area.


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Our estimate of the operational staff costs in 1993-94 prices is £9.0 million. This excludes overheads, vehicle costs, catering and medical support. Neither the Prison Service nor the police can readily identify these additional costs. By contrast the total cost under the contract is £8.1 million (excluding VAT, which is reclaimable). This sum contains the cost of administrative and management back-up, together with costs of catering, medical support, accommodation (headquarters, control centre and vehicle bases), vehicles and IT. Of the £9.0 million, £6.0 million is attributable to police costs, and £2.8 million to Prison Service costs.

Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoner transport movements were made in the east midlands and Humberside area during 1992.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from I. Dunbar to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 4 May 1993 : In the temporary absence of Mr. Lewis, the Director General from the office, the Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of prisoner transport movements made in the East Midlands and Humberside area during 1992. Data on prisoner movements is not collected centrally. Survey work conducted last summer indicated an annual rate in the area of about 50,000 prisoner movements from police stations and prisons to courts. More detailed data for 1993 will become available in due course from the contractor's management information system.

Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the number and types of vehicles Group 4 has in its fleet for transporting prisoners under the private escort service in the east midlands and Humberside.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from I. Dunbar to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 4 May 1993 : In the absence of the Director General, Mr. Lewis, the Home Secretary has asked me to write to you directly in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about Group 4's fleet of vehicles for the court escort service in the East Midlands and Humberside. Group 4 are using 70 vehicles, of which 57 are cellular vehicles, three are personnel carriers and 10 saloon cars.

Mr. David Young : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost in (a) money and (b) man hours of retaking prisoners who escape while in the charge of Group 4 personnel.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from I. Dunbar to Mr. David Young, dated 4 May 1993 : In the absence of the Director General, Mr. Lewis, the Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the cost and man hours involved in the re-taking of prisoners who have escaped from the custody of Group 4 personnel.

The nature and circumstances of incidents of escapes differ widely from one case to the next and the Prison Service is not charged for costs incurred in recapturing prisoners. The information requested is not, therefore, available.


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Mr. David Young : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the contract with Group 4 to provide prisoner escort services contains penalty clauses ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from I. Dunbar to Mr. David Young, dated 4 May 1993 : In the absence of Mr. Lewis, the Director General, the Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about penalty clauses in the contract with Group 4 Court Services Ltd. for the provision of the court escort service in the East Midlands and Humberside.

The contract with Group 4 contains mechanisms which allow adjustments to payments to be made in the event of circumstances occurring which fall outside the terms of the contract. Where a material failure is caused by circumstances within the contractor's control and is not corrected within 20 days of it being brought to his attention, the Prison Service may terminate the contract.

Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy to allow male and female prisoners to travel in the same vehicle while being escorted to court ; and if he will call for an investigation into an incident on Tuesday 20 April when a female prisoner was put with male prisoners in a vehicle operated by Group 4 Court Escort Services Ltd. with no female custody officer present.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Mr. D. Lewis to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 5 May 1993 : The Home Secretary has asked me to reply directly to your recent Parliamentary question about male and female prisoners being escorted in the same vehicle.

The Prison Service has no objection in principle to escorting male and female prisoners to court together as long as the escort is properly staffed and supervised. The contract with Group 4 requires the separation of male and female prisoners, but the Prison Service is content that such separation be achieved by placing prisoners in separate compartments of a cellular vehicle. Where it is judged in the prisoner's interest to be escorted rather than to await the arrival of a female PCO, a female prisoner may be escorted by male PCOs. The contract with Group 4 states that the general presumption will be that a female officer will accompany a female prisoner, and that escorts of females by male Prisoner Custody Officers will be very much the exception.

Prison Regime (Code of Standards)

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he is making with the establishment of a code of standards for the prison regime ; when he expects the code to be ready for issue ; what account he has taken of previous recommendations on the subject ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.


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Letter from I. Dunbar to Mr. Harry Greenway, dated May 1993 : In the temporary absence of the Director General, Mr. Lewis, the Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about progress on establishing a code of standards for the Prison Service. Following two public consultation seminars last year on the aims of a code of standards, drafting of the code is now well underway in the Prison Service. Standards are being drafted to reflect the Prison Service's responsibilities towards both the public and prisoners, and will take account of the views expressed in the Woolf Report, the Government White Paper "Custody, Care and Justice", and comments received during consultation.

The code will be published in December 1993.

Prison Education Service

Mr. Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many redundancies he expects as a result of the tendering out of the prison education service.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : The staff who provide education services in prison establishments are not employed by the prison service. Decisions on redundancy are a matter for the employer and it is not yet possible to quantify whether and to what extent staff currently employed in delivering education services in prisons may be made redundant following competitive tendering.

Fire Service, Wales

Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being taken to improve the efficiency and response times of each fire service in Wales.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Government are concerned to ensure that all fire authorities in Wales conform to the minimum nationally recommended standards of fire cover, and that they do so as efficiently and economically as possible. The primary responsibility for providing an efficient fire service rests with the fire authority and the chief officer of the fire brigade. Each brigade in Wales is inspected annually by Her Majesty's inspectorate of fire services to ensure that fire authorities are operating as efficiently as possible and continuing to meet acceptable standards of fire cover.

Neighbourhood Watch

Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many neighbourhood watch schemes exist in each county in Wales for each year since 1987.

Mr. Jack : Information on the number of neighbourhood watch schemes is recorded at police force level and so it is not possible to attribute schemes to individual Welsh counties. The number of schemes recorded by the police at the end of each year in question is given in the following table :


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Neighbourhood watch schemes in Wales                                

             Number of                                              

             neighbourhood watch                                    

             schemes                                                

Force       |1987   |1988   |1989   |1990   |1991   |1992           

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

Dyfed-Powys |108    |514    |719    |807    |940    |1,102          

Gwent       |3      |10     |17     |22     |35     |113            

North Wales |1,135  |1,572  |1,812  |1,787  |2,061  |2,615          

South Wales |500    |510    |638    |546    |821    |1,141          

            |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------        

Total       |1,746  |2,606  |3,186  |3,162  |3,857  |4,971          

Victim Support

Mr. Batiste : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the Government's policy for funding and supporting Victim Support.

Mr. Jack : The Government attach importance to the work of Victim Support in providing both practical help and advice and emotional support to victims of crime. There are currently about 380 branches and schemes with some 8,000 volunteer visitors covering 98 per cent. of the population of England and Wales. They handle about 800,000 cases a year.

Home Office grant to the national charity Victim Support will amount to £8.4 million this year. This is an


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increase of 15 per cent. over last year's provision, which itself represented a 28 per cent. increase over the previous year's.

Police Forces

Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, for each police authority in England, for the most recent year for which figures are available, (a) the number of police officers, (b) the number of civilian staff, (c) the population in the area covered and (d) the ratio of officers and staff to population ; and what were the comparable figures for 1978-79.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The information requested is as follows :


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Force                |Police strength     |Civilian strength   |Force population<1> |Police                                   

                                                                                    |authority/population                     

                                                                                    |ratio                                    

As at 31 March 1979                                                                                                           

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

Avon and Somerset    |2,825               |686                 |1,328,000           |1:378                                    

Bedfordshire         |902                 |277                 |490,000             |1:415                                    

Cambridgeshire       |1,064               |302                 |564,000             |1:413                                    

Cheshire             |1,778               |397                 |914,000             |1:420                                    

Cleveland            |1,334               |308                 |569,000             |1:363                                    

Cumbria              |1,056               |250                 |474,000             |1:363                                    

Derbyshire           |1,563               |636                 |897,000             |1:408                                    

Devon and Cornwall   |2,660               |752                 |1,361,000           |1:399                                    

Dorset               |1,128               |281                 |583,000             |1:414                                    

Durham               |1,312               |505                 |608,000             |1:335                                    

Essex                |2,461               |686                 |1,357,000           |1:431                                    

Gloucestershire      |1,076               |231                 |493,000             |1:377                                    

Greater Manchester   |6,419               |1,415               |2,675,000           |1:341                                    

Hampshire            |2,949               |698                 |1,564,000           |1:429                                    

Hertfordshire        |1,462               |370                 |799,000             |1:436                                    

Humberside           |1,849               |499                 |845,000             |1:360                                    

Kent                 |2,724               |887                 |1,445,000           |1:400                                    

Lancashire           |3,097               |879                 |1,368,000           |1:344                                    

Leicestershire       |1,701               |363                 |833,000             |1:404                                    

Lincolnshire         |1,171               |314                 |530,000             |1:357                                    

Merseyside           |4,472               |914                 |1,562,000           |1:290                                    

Norfolk              |1,223               |248                 |675,000             |1:459                                    

Northamptonshire     |905                 |254                 |514,000             |1:443                                    

Northumbria          |3,272               |768                 |1,465,000           |1:362                                    

North Yorkshire      |1,342               |338                 |654,000             |1:389                                    

Nottinghamshire      |2,117               |561                 |974,000             |1:364                                    

South Yorkshire      |2,546               |599                 |1,304,000           |1:414                                    

Staffordshire        |1,978               |571                 |994,000             |1:390                                    

Suffolk              |1,064               |329                 |588,000             |1:422                                    

Surrey               |1,440               |360                 |726,000             |1:403                                    

Sussex               |2,758               |723                 |1,278,000           |1:367                                    

Thames Valley        |2,639               |970                 |1,723,000           |1:477                                    

Warwickshire         |841                 |204                 |467,000             |1:447                                    

West Mercia          |1,743               |493                 |963,000             |1:431                                    

West Midlands        |5,981               |1,418               |2,730,000           |1:369                                    

West Yorkshire       |4,727               |1,186               |2,073,000           |1:351                                    

Wiltshire            |997                 |251                 |514,000             |1:412                                    

City of London       |829                 |275                 |6,000               |1:5                                      

Metropolitan         |22,214              |12,443              |7,445,000           |1:215                                    

<1> Population figures provided by OPCS June 1977.                                                                            


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Force                |Police strength     |Civilian strength   |Force population<1> |Police                                   

                                                                                    |authority/population                     

                                                                                    |ratio                                    

As at 31 December                                                                                                             

1992                                                                                                                          

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

Avon and Somerset    |3,065               |1,120               |1,431,000           |1:342                                    

Bedfordshire         |1,119               |391                 |534,000             |1:354                                    

Cambridgeshire       |1,265               |446                 |670,000             |1:392                                    

Cheshire             |1,901               |543                 |967,000             |1:396                                    

Cleveland            |1,492               |473                 |558,000             |1:284                                    

Cumbria              |1,197               |414                 |490,000             |1:304                                    

Derbyshire           |1,810               |588                 |940,000             |1:392                                    

Devon and Cornwall   |2,920               |1,048               |1,515,000           |1:382                                    

Dorset               |1,318               |553                 |663,000             |1:354                                    

Durham               |1,377               |541                 |604,000             |1:315                                    

Essex                |2,917               |1,088               |1,477,000           |1:369                                    

Gloucestershire      |1,148               |373                 |539,000             |1:354                                    

Greater Manchester   |7,055               |2,539               |2,562,000           |1:267                                    

Hampshire            |3,287               |1,089               |1,705,000           |1:390                                    

Hertfordshire        |1,688               |594                 |843,000             |1:369                                    

Humberside           |2,033               |699                 |874,000             |1:320                                    

Kent                 |3,106               |1,107               |1,539,000           |1:365                                    

Lancashire           |3,209               |1,071               |1,408,000           |1:329                                    

Leicestershire       |1,834               |667                 |891,000             |1:356                                    

Lincolnshire         |1,191               |483                 |593,000             |1:354                                    

Merseyside           |4,656               |1,638               |1,441,000           |1:229                                    

Norfolk              |1,426               |460                 |759,000             |1:402                                    

Northamptonshire     |1,203               |436                 |587,000             |1:358                                    

Northumbria          |3,586               |1,232               |1,433,000           |1:297                                    

North Yorkshire      |1,408               |454                 |721,000             |1:387                                    

Nottinghamshire      |2,329               |742                 |1,016,000           |1:331                                    

South Yorkshire      |3,000               |960                 |1,293,000           |1:327                                    

Staffordshire        |2,172               |736                 |1,047,000           |1:360                                    

Suffolk              |1,237               |520                 |662,000             |1:377                                    

Surrey               |1,674               |604                 |768,000             |1:337                                    

Sussex               |2,980               |971                 |1,430,000           |1:362                                    

Thames Valley        |3,833               |1,458               |1,972,000           |1:373                                    

Warwickshire         |1,002               |332                 |490,000             |1:367                                    

West Mercia          |2,060               |927                 |1,099,000           |1:368                                    

West Midlands        |6,952               |2,471               |2,619,000           |1:278                                    

West Yorkshire       |5,070               |1,878               |2,066,000           |1:297                                    

Wiltshire            |1,262               |490                 |575,000             |1:328                                    

City of London       |805                 |309                 |4,000               |1:4                                      

Metropolitan         |27,812              |14,584              |7,285,000           |1:172                                    

<1> Population figures provided by OPCS June 1991.                                                                            

Racial Attacks

Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports have been recorded by the police of racial abuse or racial attacks in south-east London in each year since 1987.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The number of racial incidents recorded for 3 Area of the Metropolitan police, which consists of the London boroughs of Southwark, Lewisham, Bromley, Greenwich and Bexley, is as follows :


Year   |Number       

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

1987   |244          

1988   |292          

1989   |396          

1990   |394          

1991   |596          

1992   |811          

Public Order Act

Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will propose amendment of the Public Order Act 1986.


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Mr. Charles Wardle : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. and learned Friend gave to a question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Sir J. Wheeler) on 31 March at column 225.

Dangerous Dogs

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had from the Association of Chief Police Officers concerning the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The Department has received one letter from the Association of Chief Police Officers concerning the operation of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost of consulting canine experts to determine whether or not dogs at the centre of the Mold Hendre Woods trial are pit bulls.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The cost to the prosecuting authorities of obtaining advice as to the identification of the 29 dogs involved in this case is £2,514.50.


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Identity Cards

Mr. Luff : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a national identity card for all United Kingdom citizens ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jack : Although I remain ready to consider any arguments which may be advanced in favour of introducing an identity card system, I am not at present persuaded that the case for such a system has been made.

Child Abuse

Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response he is making to the recommendations in the NSPCC report into "Joint Enterprise and Parents", relating to (a) seeking separate trials in such cases, (b) reviewing the guidelines on what constitutes neglect or cruelty for the purposes of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, (c) making admissible evidence of behaviour of one parent against a child and (d) clarifying the extent to which a trial judge may comment on a defendant's choice not to give evidence.

Mr. Jack : The principal recipient of the NSPCC report into "Joint Enterprise and Parents" was the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice, which is expected to report in the summer. The Government will very carefully consider any proposals the commission may make that have a bearing on the issues raised in this question. A copy of the report was also sent by the director of the NSPCC to my right hon. and learned Friend, who in his reply offered the view thatthere were no easy answers to the problems identified.

Corporal Punishment

Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 March, Official Report, column 169, on corporal punishment, if he will list the evidence referred to in his answer.

Mr. Jack : The evidence referred to in that answer is the same evidence which informed policy in 1948.

Boards of Visitors

Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has to report on Lord Justice Woolf's recommendations concerning a president of boards of visitors.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I have been considering the report of a working group which was established to look at this recommendation, together with the representations that have been made to me by interested parties.

I have decided against appointing a president of boards of visitors. There is no strong consensus of opinion amongst boards in favour of a president and some concern from them that their local, autonomous and voluntary nature might be compromised by such an appointment. Lord Woolf suggested that a president migh develop more effective methods for recruiting new members to boards and give guidance on good practice to be followed by boards, including the provision of training. These areas are


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already being addressed by my hon. Friend the Minister of State in conjunction with the board of visitors representative bodies and the prison service liaison section for boards of visitors.

Consequently, I am not convinced that the appointment of a president is required.

Boards of visitors have served the Crown and the public for many years and as Lord Woolf pointed out, we have good cause to be grateful to them for the work they do. The many changes that are happening now within the prison service have resulted in boards of visitors being faced with increasing demands upon their time. With this in mind, I have asked that once the prison service agency has had time to adjust to its own new status, consideration should be given to Lord Woolf's other recommendations and conclusions regarding boards of visitors to see whether we can assist boards further in carrying out their important role.

Directorate of Telecommunications

Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for privatising the directorate of telecommunications.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : As I announced on 3 February 1993 at column 204, I have been given approval for advisers to be engaged in preparation for the privatisation of DTELS (formerly the Directorate of Telecommunications). The aim is privatise during 1993-94 by means of a trade sale.

Expenses in connection with the sale will be met from sale receipts. Parliamentary approval of this new service will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate for the Home Office's privatisation of DTELS vote (class VIII, vote 5). Pending that approval, urgent expenditure incurred in advance of the sale will be met by repayable advances, not expected to exceed £1 million, from the Contingencies Fund.

Racism and Homophobia

Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that all police forces monitor racial and homophobic attacks.

Mr. Charles Wardle [holding answer 4 May 1993] : All police forces monitor racial incidents reported to them, and report to HM inspectorate of constabulary each year the number of incidents. The introduction of systematic monitoring of homophobic attacks is a matter for chief officers.


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