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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 1 July 1993
HOME DEPARTMENT
Buckingham Palace (Police)
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the numbers of additional Metropolitan police officers who will have to be deployed and the number of officers who will have to be redeployed consequent on the opening of Buckingham palace to the public ; and what assessment he has made of the implications.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The Metropolitan police have reviewed the policing of the palace in consultation with the royal household and other agencies. I understand that there will be no additional cost to the Metropolitan police.
Non-attendance of Witnesses
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to change the law to ensure that when a court case is withdrawn due to non-attendance of witnesses and it is subsequently shown that they were deliberately prevented from attending the court the case can be resubmitted.
Mr. Maclean : Although there are no current plans to amend the law in this area, we continue to keep the matter under close review. We shall wish to consider in particular any recommendations the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice may make that have bearing on the law in this area.
Inner-city Estates
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that adequate police resources are applied to countering intimidation on inner-city housing estates.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The deployment of resources is the responsibility of chief officers of police.
Homosexuality
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review and revise the law regarding the age of consent for homosexual adults.
Mr. Maclean : The criminal law is kept continually under review, but there are no current plans to amend it in this area.
Yugoslavia
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest number of (a) ex-detainees and (b) dependants from the former Yugoslavia who have arrived in the United Kingdom under the arrangements announced last November ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Charles Wardle : A total of 238 ex-detainees and 404 dependants from the former Yugoslavia have so far arrived under the arrangements which I announced on 30 November 1992.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the United Kingdom to receive refugees from the former Yugoslavia other than ex-detainees or their dependants ; what is the estimate of such persons now in (a) Bosnia, (b) Croatia and (c) Slovenia ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Our programme to receive 1,000 vulnerable individuals plus their dependants has concentrated on former detainees since the humanitarian organisations have given priority to this group. Outside the programme, refugees from former Yugoslavia--like individuals of other nationalities--may seek entry clearance to come to the United Kingdom if they feel that this would be a more appropriate country of refuge. I understand that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees latest estimates of refugees and displaced people in the region are : Bosnia 2,280,000 ; Croatia 572,000 ; Slovenia 35,000.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to restrict access through the criminal injuries compensation scheme to recompense for loss of earnings ; (2) whether he intends to apply his proposed tariff-based system for criminal injuries compensation to children who are victims of abuse ;
(3) which organisations and individuals he has consulted about proposals to reform the criminal injuries compensation scheme ; (4) when he plans to publish his White Paper for the future of the criminal injuries compensation scheme ;
(5) what account his proposed new criminal injuries compensation scheme will take of loss of wages ;
(6) what plans he has to exclude nurses, fire fighters and police officers from eligibility to compensation for criminal injuries ; (7) who will determine awards under his Department's proposed tariff-based scheme for criminal injuries compensation ;
(8) if he will make it his policy to ensure that victims of criminal violence continue to receive recompense under the criminal injuries compensation scheme for post-traumatic stress and similar distress.
Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike) on 30 June 1993 at column 498 in which I explained that we would be setting out our proposals for the new tariff scheme in a White Paper later this year. The issues raised by the hon. Member will be dealt with in that document. As I also indicated in my reply, while we are not conducting a formal consultation exercise we have already received observations from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, Victim Support and others.
Crime Clear-up Rates
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the proportion of the clear-up rate for each police force in (a) 1990 and (b) 1991 accounted for by offences taken into consideration.
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Mr. Maclean : The information requested is contained in the table.
Notifiable offences<1> cleared up by the police:
percentage of offences cleared up by being taken into consideration
England and Wales
Police force area |1990 |1991
|Per cent. |Per cent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon and Somerset |18 |15
Bedfordshire |24 |16
Cambridgeshire |19 |28
Cheshire |16 |15
Cleveland |19 |33
Cumbria |17 |18
Derbyshire |17 |20
Devon and Cornwall |16 |16
Dorset |15 |14
Durham |7 |12
Essex |19 |34
Gloucestershire |23 |18
Greater Manchester |16 |26
Hampshire |21 |18
Hertfordshire |20 |27
Humberside |26 |21
Kent |15 |20
Lancashire |27 |21
Leicestershire |33 |28
Lincolnshire |26 |21
City of London |6 |12
Merseyside |9 |15
Metropolitan police district |6 |7
Norfolk |18 |22
Northamptonshire |15 |18
Northumbria |13 |20
North Yorkshire |19 |25
Nottinghamshire |28 |24
South Yorkshire |11 |6
Staffordshire |14 |16
Suffolk |6 |1
Surrey |14 |16
Sussex |20 |22
Thames Valley |22 |26
Warwickshire |16 |21
West Mercia |14 |13
West Midlands |11 |16
West Yorkshire |14 |18
Wiltshire |18 |14
Dyfed-Powys |2 |4
Gwent |10 |10
North Wales |16 |17
South Wales |6 |4
|------- |-------
Total |15 |18
<1> Excluding offences of "other criminal damage" of value £20 and under.
Prison Service (Disciplinary Arrangements)
Sir Ivan Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for revising disciplinary arrangements in the Prison Service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Howard : Following a review of disciplinary procedures in the prison service, I have now approved revised arrangements, which include a new code of discipline for the service. Under the revised arrangements, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House, all prison service staff are now brought together under a single code of discipline, which replaces the different procedures which previously applied to various grades of staff. The primary aim of the revised arrangements, which are consistent with employment law and with guidance from the advisory, conciliation and
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arbitration service, and which will be implemented with effect from 1 July 1993, is to ensure that standards of conduct are maintained and to encourage improvement in individual conduct. The new code details the procedures for taking disciplinary action when conduct falls below those standards.In keeping with moves across the prison service to ensure that decisions are taken at the appropriate level, responsibility for taking disciplinary action up to and including dismissal is being devolved to prison governors and to heads of division at prison service headquarters.
The new code lays down timescales for completing each stage of the disciplinary process, and introduces a new system of progressive disciplinary warnings and penalties. Governors and heads of division will award penalties and will undertake all the administrative work connected with each case. There are rights of appeal built in to various stages of the disciplinary process.
Any disciplinary offences which are alleged to have been committed before 1 July 1993 will be dealt with under the disciplinary arrangements which were then in force.
I believe that the revised arrangements are a considerable improvement on the disparate arrangements previously in force, and that they represent a significant step forward for all concerned.
EDUCATION
EC Education Council
Mr. Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan) of 16 June, Official Report, column 600, what were the voting figures for each decision taken at the European Community's Education Council held on 11 June ; and if he will make it his policy to include in future statements on Council meetings information on whether formal votes were taken.
Mr. Boswell : No formal votes were taken at this Council meeting. I can confirm that it will be our policy to make this information available in future reports on Council meetings.
Smoking
Mrs. Peacock : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance he has issued to school governors and local education authorities on the introduction of no-smoking policies ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Forth : We believe that all schools should develop clear policies on smoking, and are currently considering what guidance we might offer to help them in this process.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Sheep Quotas
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has to introduce legislation to implement the quota transfer and leasing of sheep reference quantities.
Mr. Jack : The Sheep Annual Premium and Suckler Cow Premium Quotas Regulations 1993 were laid before
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Parliament on 30 June. These regulations implement the transfer and lease arrangements for both sheep and suckler cow quotas.Folic Acid
Mr. Peter Griffiths : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made since the publication by the Chief Medical Officer of his report on folic acid and the prevention of neural tube defects, in ensuring an increased range of breads and cereals fortified with folic acid.
Mr. Soames : My Department wrote to the relevant trade organisations commending the report to their members and encouraging them to follow the recommendation to increase the range of breads and breakfast cereals fortified with folic acid. The response has been positive and we are aware of some new fortified products already.
Diversification
Mr. Clapham : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what initiatives she is taking to help farmers to diversify and maintain rural employment.
Mr. Jack : In the negotiations that resulted in reform of the common agricultural policy the United Kingdom was successful in protecting many of the support mechanisms that are of benefit to United Kingdom farmers. This success will help maintain employment in an increasingly diversified rural economy.
Days at Sea
Mr. Harris : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fishing vessels have been allocated the basic 80 days provisional days at sea allocations in (a) England, (b) Cornwall and (c) Devon ; and how many owners in each category have lodged claims.
Mr. Jack : The minimum 160 half-days allocation was issued provisionally in respect of 801 fishing vessels administered by fisheries offices in England. Of these, 148--including 60 Channel Islands vessels-- are administered by the south western fisheries district--Devon, Somerset and Avon--and 80 by the western fisheries district--Cornwall.
By 25 June 1993, applications for additional days at sea had been received in respect of 577 fishing vessels, administered in England, which had been provisionally issued with the minimum allocation. Of these, 110--including 40 Channel Islands vessels--are administered by the south western fisheries district and 54 by the western district.
Fur Farming
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on fur farming.
Mr. Soames : The Mink (Keeping) Order 1992, which was adopted following a debate in the House on 8 December 1992, requires that establishments keeping mink for fur must be licensed by Agriculture Departments. In order to obtain a licence specific standards of security
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must be met to prevent the escape of mink. There are currently 19 licensed establishments in England and two in Scotland. Welfare conditions on fur farms are monitored regularly by the state veterinary service on the basis of recommendations adopted by the Council of Europe.Intervention Board
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what key performance targets have been set for the Intervention Board ; and if she will make a statement.
Mrs. Shephard : In agreement with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland I have set the following targets :
to process 98 per cent. of claims within ministerial deadlines and all claims within regulatory deadlines or, in their absence, 60 days ;
to process at least 98 per cent. of claims correctly ;
to achieve 2 per cent. running cost efficiency gains ;
to achieve 5 per cent. improvement in productivity ;
to keep disallowance to within 0.4 per cent. of EC funds handled ; to keep expenditure within vote provision and running cost and cash limits ; and
to achieve 5 per cent. new value for money savings in the procurement of goods and services.
Fisheries Council
Mr. Steen : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Luxembourg on 24 July.
Mr. Jack [pursuant to his reply, 28 June, cols. 383-84] : No votes were taken on any matter before the Council.
ENVIRONMENT
Radiation
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy in relation to the 1991 recommendation from the National Radiation Protection Board relating to a dose constraint of 0.3 mSv of radiation per year for members of the public.
Mr. Yeo : Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, acting jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the case of nuclear licensed sites, have taken account of the dose constraint of 0.3 mSv in developing authorisations under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 for disposals of radioactive waste since this was first recommended by the International Commission for Radiological Protection in 1990.
THORP
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations were held between his Department and the European Commission in its preparation of the reply to written question No. 2486/92 to the Commission by Anita Pollock MEP on the matter of the requirement of an environmental impact assessment on the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield, as published in the Official Journal of the European Communities, 7 June, C155 volume 36, page 12.
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Radioactive Waste (Advisory Committee)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who have been nominated by Her Majesty's Government to represent the United Kingdom on the Advisory Committee for the community plan for action in the field of radioactive waste management under council resolution of 29 June 1984 ; what criteria are used in choosing United Kingdom nominations ; and if he will set out the qualifications of the current United Kingdom representatives.
Mr. Yeo : The United Kingdom representatives on the committee are the head of the Department's radioactive substances division and his counterpart in the Scottish Office. The occupants of these posts are well placed to provide appropriate advice to the Commission.
Water Charges
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what system exists for persons wishing to appeal against the level of water rates or water charges in respect of a property to do so to an independent tribunal or court.
Mr. Yeo : Water charges are in respect of most properties based on rateable value and there has never been a specific right of appeal against their level--though there was a right of appeal against domestic rateable values and a time limited right still remains in the case of non-domestic rateable values. The independent Director General of Water Services has a duty to protect customers' interests and to ensure that there is no discrimination in setting charges. Complaints about the application of charges in individual cases, which customers are unable to resolve with their local water company, can be taken up with the appropriate local customer service committee (CSC) of the Office of Water Services. These committees are not appellate bodies but were established specifically to represent customers' interests and to investigate complaints.
Where a customer receives a metered supply of water, and disputes the accuracy of the meter reading, he may, under the Water (Meters) Regulations 1988, request the water company to test the meter. Any dispute arising under the regulations may be referred to the arbitration of a single arbitrator appointed by agreement between the parties or, in default of agreement, by the Secretary of State.
Noise Abatement Zones
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations his Department has received on noise abatement zones ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : I have received no recent representations, apart from those from the hon. Member.
The report of the Noise Review Working Pary 1990, copies of which are in the Library, found that the application of NAZs was limited by their complexity and the demands on local authority resources. Subsequent research by the Building Research Establishment considered this further and demonstrated that the principal problems are the complexity of the regulations
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for setting up NAZs and the intensive use of manpower in monitoring the statutorily required noise level registers. My Department is considering these findings.Specialist Advisers
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the specialist advisers appointed to each Minister in his Department.
Mr. Gummer : I have appointed Keith Adams as my political adviser and have reappointed James Gray as a political adviser working primarily with my Department's Ministers of State. I have reappointed Tom Burke as an expert adviser on environmental affairs and Professor Peter Hall as an expert adviser on planning affairs.
Housing
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the total specific capital grant and credit approvals for housing purposes to each local authority in England for 1992-93 and 1993-94 and the receipts taken into account for the 1993-94 figures.
Mr. Baldry : A table setting out information on allocations of specified capital grant, which forms part of the annual housing investment programme (HIP) allocations, for each local authority in England has been placed in the Library of the House.
There are two types of credit approval--basic credit approvals and supplementary credit approvals.
Basic credit approvals can be used to support capital expenditure in any local authority service, and are not allocated to individual services. I refer the hon. Member to the documents "Basic Credit Approvals 1992-93" and "Basic Credit Approvals 1993-94" for information on basic credit approvals and receipts taken into account. Both documents are available in the Library.
Supplementary credit approvals provide additional authority for local authority borrowing. As indicated in the answer by the then Secretary of State for the Environment to the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Shaw) on 5 March, Official Report, column 333, information on supplementary credit approvals issued by the Department in the years 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992- 93, including those relating to housing capital expenditure, will be placed in the Library of the House shortly.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish for each year since 1978 the number of local authority housing units built by each authority (a) in total, (b) for sheltered housing and (c) for general need ; and what he forecasts the situation to be for the current year and each of the next five years.
Sir George Young : Estimates of the total numbers of local authority house-building completions within each local authority area in England are in the following publications :
Year and Publication title and issues :
1978
"Local Housing Statistics" Issue No. 49.
1979
"Local Housing Statistics" Issue No. 59.
1980-84
"Housebuilding in England by Local Authority Areas 1980 to 1989". 1985-1990
"Local Housing Statistics" Issue No. 103.
1991-1992
"Local Housing Statistics" Issue No. 105.
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The Department collects information about special types of housing for the elderly, including sheltered dwellings-- referred to as "dwellings with a warden" before 1986--and about dwellings for chronically sick and disabled people.Figures for individual local authorities are shown in certain issues of "Local Housing Statistics". Annual data for each year from 1982 to 1991 are in issues Nos. 66, 70, 74, 78, 82, 86, 90, 94, 99 and 102 respectively. Combined figures for July 1980 to December 1981 for dwellings built for the elderly and also for August 1970 to December 1981 for dwellings built for the chronically sick and disabled are in issue No. 66. Data were not collected before July 1980 on dwellings specially built for the elderly.
The Department does not prepare forecasts of housebuilding activity.
Entry on Land (Local Government Officials)
Mr. Clifton-Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the powers local government officials have to enter land without prior notification.
Mr. Baldry : This question cannot be answered without disproportionate cost. Such powers of entry are, however, conferred only in cases where it may be necessary for officials to enter land to deal with an emergency in a situation in which it is not possible to contact the owner or his agent in advance.
Home Improvement Grants
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the number and percentage of housing improvement grant applications refused in (a) full and (b) part due to means testing since means testing was introduced for grant purposes.
Sir George Young : This information is not collected by the Department.
Solent Wetlands
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish his plans for the wetlands of the Solent under the Ramsar convention ; and if he will make a statement on the timing of the publication.
Mr. Yeo : English Nature is preparing a detailed case for submission to my Department but is unlikely to be in a position to make a formal recommendation before the end of this year. Good progress continues to be made in listing sites under the Ramsar convention. The United Kingdom has now listed 66 such sites, the largest number of any contracting party to the convention.
Smoking
Mrs. Peacock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance he has issued to local authorities on the introduction of no- smoking policies in their workplaces and in places they own which are entered by members of the public ; and if he will make a statement.
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