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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 7 July 1993

HOME DEPARTMENT

Immigration

Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the 73 countries whose nationals require visas for all member states of the European Community referred to in the press release issued by Ministers responsible for immigration at the conclusion of their meeting in Copenhagen on 1 and 2 June.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The nationals of the following 73 countries at present require visas for all member states of the European Community.

Afghanistan

Albania

Algeria

Angola

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Bangladesh

Belarus

Bhutan

Bulgaria

Burma

Burundi

Cambodia

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

China

Comoros

Congo

Cuba

Djibouti

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Georgia

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Haiti

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kirgizstan

Laos

Lebanon

Liberia

Libya

Madagascar

Mali

Mauritania

Moldova

Mongolia

Morocco

Mozambique

Nepal

Nigeria

Oman

Pakistan

Philippines

Romania

Russia

Rwanda

Sao Tome-e-Principe

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Somalia

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Syria

Tajikistan

Tunisa

Turkey

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

Uzbekistan

Vietnam

Yeman

Zaire

Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many and what proportion of cases in each year since 1979 he and his predecessors have exercised their discretion outside the immigration rules where, on hearing an appeal under the Immigration Act 1971 the adjudicator has upheld the Home Secretary's decision to refuse indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom but made a recommendation for the exercise of such discretion ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The information requested is not available. All recommendations made by adjudicators receive careful consideration.

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Police

Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many free copies of (a) the recent White Paper on the future of the police and (b) the report of the Sheehy inquiry have been made available to the superintendents' associations, the police federations, the trade unions and police associations representing officers in the (i) British Transport police, (ii) Ministry of Defence police, (iii) Atomic Energy police, (iv) Northern Ireland Airports police, (v) Royal Parks constabulary, (vi) Port of Tilbury police, (vii) Port of Dover police, (viii) Port of Liverpool police and (ix) Port of Bristol police ;

(2) how many free copies of the White Paper on the future of the police have been made available to (a) the superintendents' associations and (b) the police federations of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Mr. Charles Wardle : Twelve complimentary copies of the White Paper on Police Reform were sent to the Superintendents Association of England and Wales. Six complimentary copies were sent to both the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Police Federation of England and Wales. The proposals contained in the White Paper relate to the police service in England and Wales and are concerned primarily with reforms to police forces maintained under the Police Act 1964 and the Metropolitan and City of London police forces. The Superintendents Associations and the Police Federations of Scotland and Northern Ireland were therefore not provided with complimentary copies. Nor were the trade unions and associations representing officers in the other forces mentioned.

Each of the associations and forces mentioned received two complimentary copies of the report of the Sheehy inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards. The Superintendents Association of England and Wales subsequently requested, and received, a further 60 free copies.

Heathrow (Passenger Questioning)

Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many intending passengers for Northern Ireland have been detained for questioning at Heathrow in the past 10 years ; how many were subsequently charged with terrorist-related offences ; and how many have been convicted.

Mr. Maclean : The information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, a search of records by the Metropolitan police reveals that in 1992 a total of 1, 627 people were asked, during examination under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 at Heathrow, to complete an embarkation card in accordance with paragraph 5 of schedule 5 to the Act. One passenger en route to Northern Ireland was detained under paragraph 6 of the schedule. He was not subsequently charged with a terrorist-related offence.

Belmarsh Prison

Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the weekly cost of remanding an individual in Belmarsh prison.

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Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange a reply.

Letter from Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. Peter Bottomley, dated 7 July 1993 :

The Home Secretary has asked me to write to you in response to your Parliamentary Question about the weekly cost of remanding an individual in Belmarsh prison.

The cost for 1992-93 is not yet available. It will be published in the Annual Report for 1992-93 on the work of the Prison Service in November 1993.

The 1991-92 figure for the average weekly cost of holding an individual in Belmarsh prison was £673. A rise in the average weekly population from 558 in 1991-92 to 732 in 1992-93 is expected to reduce this cost considerably.

Greater Manchester Chief Constable

Mr. Callaghan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the chief constable for Greater Manchester ; and what was discussed.

Mr. Charles Wardle : My right hon. and learned Friend has not yet met the chief constable of Greater Manchester Police.

Drug Squads

Mr. Callaghan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are now employed in regional crime squad drugs wings.

Mr. Charles Wardle : There are currently 375 police officers employed in regional crime squad drugs wings.

Tourist Resorts (Crime)

Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about property-related crimes in tourist resorts.

Mr. Charles Wardle : Centrally held statistics of reported crime do not distinguish between tourist and other areas.

Rochester Row Police Station

Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cells at Rochester Row police station are available to hold prisoners ; how many people have been held in those cells for more than 24 hours during the past three months ; what is the average June temperature in those cells at 5 am ; whether heating pipes are, in summer, increasing the temperature in those cells ; and how those cells are ventilated or cooled in summer.

Mr. Charles Wardle : There are 10 cells and 12 detention rooms at Rochester Row police station. Not more than five prisoners have been held at Rochester Row for more

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