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Mr. Eggar : I have today arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.
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Machine Tools
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what communication he has had with DG III of the European Commission in regard to the implications for EC non-proliferation and export control policy of the proposals put forward by CECIMO, to enhance the export potential of member state machine tool manufacturers.
Mr. McLoughlin : DTI Ministers have had no communication with directorate general III of the European Commission on this matter.
Mr. Henderson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what new measures his Department proposes to stimulate increased investment in machine tools in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Sainsbury : The latest machine tool survey by Benchmark Research found that 88 per cent. of companies invest in new machinery because of the levels of the orders they are taking rather than because of Government incentives. Machine tool companies will benefit most from measures to create the right climate for industry.
Mr. Henderson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he next expects to meet representatives of the machine tool industry to discuss levels of manufacturing investment.
Mr. Sainsbury : My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has no current plans to meet members of the machine tool industry. However, Ministers have met representatives of the industry nine times since June 1992 and are fully aware of their concerns. Officials continue to work closely with the sector to identify how best to help them increase competitiveness.
Combined Heat and Power
Mr. Barron : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what actions he is planning to take to include suitable arrangements for new combined heat and power schemes in the non-fossil fuel obligation.
Mr. Eggar : My Department is currently considering the detailed arrangements for a further renewables order under the non-fossil fuel obligation, including further support for schemes with the long-term potential to use CHP.
Nuclear Waste
Mr. Bennett : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all the establishments that have used (a) the intermediate level and (b) the low-level waste store at AEA Dounreay over the last five years ; how often they have used the store ; and how much intermediate waste they have stored.
Mr. Eggar : This is a management matter for the Atomic Energy Authority.
Shipbuilding
Mr. Hutton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the extent of implementation of the seventh directive on aid to the shipbuilding industry in each member state of the European Community.
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Mr. Sainsbury : The seventh directive on aid to shipbuilding provides a framework for regulating the amount of investment and operating aid to the industry. Member states may provide operating aid up to the ceiling imposed by the Commission each year.
Car Delivery Charges
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps the Director General of Fair Trading is taking to examine factory-to- salesmen delivery charges for cars.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : Delivery arrangements from factory or depot were considered by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission in its report on the supply of new motor cars, published in 1992. The Monopolies and Mergers Commission concluded that no case had been made for a change in these arrangements.
Nuclear Review
Mr. Tipping : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 21 April, Official Report , column 319 , when he expects to make an announcement about the review of nuclear power.
Mr. Eggar : A further announcement about the nuclear review will be made in due course.
Inspectors' Reports
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a list showing the cost of the reports completed by his Department's inspectors but which remain unpublished.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The following table lists the costs of unpublished inspectors' reports where the decision to publish remains under consideration.
Investigation |Accountancy firm |Law firm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Norton Group plc |Hacker Young |Taylor Joynson Garrett Edencorp Leisure plc |Ernst & Young |-
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many directors have been disqualified under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 as a result of the criticisms contained in DTI inspectors' reports.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 24 June, Official Report, columns 261-62, if he will list the accountancy and law firms criticised in the inspectors' reports published during the year to 31 March.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : Of the four reports detailed in the reply given to the hon. Member on 24 June, two contain
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criticism of either accountancy or law firms or both. The degree of criticism varies and reference should be made to the individual reports.Investigation |Accountancy firm |Law firm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Norton Group plc |Hacker Young |Taylor Joynson Garrett Edencorp Leisure plc |Ernst & Young |-
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Investigation |Accountant inspector |Legal inspector
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Completed
National Westminster Bank plc |David L. Spence, CA |Michael Crystal, QC;
|of Grant Thornton |Victor Temple
Norton Group plc |John Heywood, FCA |Richard McCombe, QC
|of Price Waterhouse
Edencorp Leisure plc |David Dean, FCCA |Anthony Fausset, LLB
|(DTI officer) |(DTI officer)
James Neill Holdings plc; |Brian Worth, FCA |D. Anthony Evans, QC
Francis Industries Ltd; |formerly of Clark Whitehill
F. H. Lloyd Holdings plc;
The Mersey Docks and
Harbour Company;
Metal Closures Group plc;
Winchmore plc
In progress
Guinness plc |Ian Watt, FCA |David Donaldson, QC
|formerly of KPMG Peat Marwick
Pennine Commercial Holdings plc |Peter Foss, FCA |Elizabeth Appleby, QC
|formerly of Moores Rowland
James Ferguson Holdings plc; |Walter Hoffman, FCA |Lawrence Ziman
Barlow Clowes Gilt Managers Ltd. |of Baker Tilly |of Nabarro Nathanson
Consolidated Gold Fields plc |Richard Lewis, FCA |Philip Heslop, QC
|of Kidsons
Atlantic Computers plc; |James Scott, FCA |Eben Hamilton, QC
Atlantic Computer Systems plc |of BDO Binder Hamlyn
London United Investments plc; |Angus Gilroy, FCA |William Gage, QC
C. R. Driver and Company Ltd. |of BDO Binder Hamlyn
Wace UK Holdings Ltd.; |Christopher Mayhew |Anthony Robertshaw
Tinsley Robor plc; |(DTI officer) |(DTI officer)
European Colour plc
Mirror Group Newspapers plc |Raymond Turner, FCA |John Thomas, QC
|of Neville Russell
In May 1993 the Institute of Chartered Accountants reported that it had decided to bring disciplinary proceedings against
Brian Worth, FCA.
Astra Holdings
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he will be taking against Stoy Hayward in relation to criticisms of the firm by the Department of Trade and Industry inspectors in their report on Astra Holdings.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : A copy of the inspectors' report has been sent to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales for them to consider the conduct of their members.
Public Bodies, Merseyside
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the names, addresses, occupations, current employers and addresses of any chairmen and appointers which are within his power to make to any bodies on Merseyside.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 19 July 1993] : My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has no responsibility for any public bodies on Merseyside.
Environmental Information
Mr. Ainger : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to review and set out the environmental information his Department holds for the purpose of the Environmental Information Regulations 1992.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 19 July 1993] : My Department is fully committed to dealing with all relevant requests for information in accordance with the provisions of the regulations. Given the diversity of activities potentially affected within DTI and the form in which information is held, requests for access to particular types of information will be dealt with on an individual, case by case basis.
As an example of this, I refer the hon. Member to the answer that my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy gave to the hon. Member for Staffordshire, South (Mr. Cormack) on 16 July, Official Report, column 705, which deals with disclosure of information regarding the special conditions attached to oil and gas licences awarded in the 14th round.
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EC Patent Offices
Mr. Flynn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade in which EC countries the patent offices are privately owned or controlled.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 12 July 1993] : Financing and control arrangements vary in Europe and a number of patent offices are currently the subject of reviews, as is the case with the United Kingdom Office. No EC patent office is privately owned or controlled at present, but some reviews may consider the scope for greater private sector involvement.
Patent Office
Mr. Flynn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements he intends to make to publish the consultants' report on the Patent Office.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 12 July 1993] : I have said that I will report to the House on my conclusions. I will consider whether it would be appropriate to publish the report after it has been received.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the total costs of relocating the Patent Office in Newport incurred in (a) building, (b) staff and (c) other costs.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 12 July 1993] : The gross costs were respectively (a) £29.3 million, (b) £13.0 million and (c) £6.7 million. However, they are being offset by major consequential savings on accommodation and staff costs of approximately £6.0 million per annum.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the market-testing exercise at the Patent Office will be suspended during the period of the consultants' study.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 12 July 1993] : No. The purpose of market testing is to ensure value for money and applies to Government activities whether or not they are subject to other reviews.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the full range of options that will be considered by consultants on the future of the Patent Office.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 12 July 1993] : The review will consider whether other forms of ownership and
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management might offer better value for money and enable the Patent Office to offer a better service to its customers. Consultants will be asked to identify as wide a range of options as possible.HOME DEPARTMENT
Personal Crime Victims
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the age profile of the victims of personal crime ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Maclean : The latest police recorded crime figures on victims of offences against the person relate to 1989, although only 10 of the forces were able to provide data. The figures show that the highest rate of victimisation was in the 16 to 24 age group, which accounted for nearly 40 per cent. of offences. The lowest rate was in the age group 60 and over. A full breakdown of rates of victimisation, by age group and sex of victim, is contained in figure 2.10 and table 2E of "Criminal Statistics 1990," copies of which are in the Library.
British crime survey results for 1987 present a similar picture for the risks of assault. A comparison of these results with those of the 1987 police figures are described in "Recent trends in crimes of violence against the person in England and Wales", Davidoff and Dowds, Research Bulletin No. 27, Home Office Research and Planning Unit, also in the Library.
Corresponding figures from the 1992 British crime survey, covering 1991, will be published in the early autumn. A new survey of police violent crime statistics is planned for later this year.
Missing Children
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children under the age of 17 years were reported missing in each year since 1988.
Mr. Maclean : The available information is collated by the Metropolitan police and comprises missing persons reported to the Metropolitan police and those notified by provincial forces. It is published in the annual report of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis ; copies of it are available in the Library.
Notifiable Offences
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 12 July, Official Report, column 339, on notifiable offences in the metropolitan area in the first three months of 1993, when the information will be available.
Mr. Maclean : I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that he intends to publish these figures towards the end of this month.
Child Prostitution
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being taken in Wales to tackle child prostitution ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The chief constables of the four Welsh police forces are not aware of any widespread
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problem of child prostitution in Wales. Wherever it is suspected, they tackle it with a combination of high-profile uniform patrols and discreet observation.The police also work very closely with local authorities and voluntary agencies in order to identify any abuse of children and in order to give high priority to the protection of the children involved.
Kerb Crawling
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of kerb crawling in each county in Wales in each year since 1987.
Mr. Maclean : Information given in the table is by police force area. 1992 data will not be available until the autumn.
Number of males convicted in Wales of the offence of kerb crawling
under Section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 1985 by police force
area 1987-91
Police force area |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dyfed-Powys |- |- |- |- |-
Gwent |- |- |- |- |-
North Wales |- |- |- |- |-
South Wales |- |3 |15 |21 |1
|--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Wales |- |3 |15 |21 |1
|--- |--- |--- |--- |---
England and Wales |275 |517 |891 |1,215 |1,132
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being taken to tackle kerb crawling in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The chief constables of the four Welsh police forces are not aware that kerb crawling is a particular problem in Wales. Any complaints made by the public about specific incidents will be thoroughly investigated. The police themselves occasionally mount an operation to deal with kerb crawling in residential areas.
Welsh Police
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being taken to encourage the recruitment of a higher number of black and Asian officers into the Welsh police forces.
Mr. Charles Wardle : All forces in England and Wales have been encouraged in recent years to recruit from ethnic minority groups, in proportion to the ethnic minority population in the communities which they serve.
Welsh forces have taken a number of initiatives. For example, Gwent constabulary have forged a close liaison with Gwent racial equality council, which supports the force in its attempts to increase applications from ethnic minorities. The force also held a careers information day in 1992 for those from ethnic minority backgrounds which resulted in the appointment of four officers.
New Age Travellers
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being taken in Wales to protect farms from damage caused by new age travellers ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Charles Wardle : The policing of such gatherings is a matter for the appropriate chief constable. Chief officers have this year improved their intelligence on new age travellers, which is now co-ordinated nationally.
On 31 March my right hon. and learned Friend the then Home Secretary announced our proposals to strengthen section 39 of the Public Order Act 1986, which gives the police powers to deal with aggravated trespass on land, and to introduce new police powers to prevent illegal rave parties on land.
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Miscarriages of Justice
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of possible miscarriage of justice have been reviewed by his Department for each of the last five years ; and how they were disposed of.
Mr. Maclean : The information requested is set out in the table as follows :
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Representations of wrongful conviction and action taken
Year NumberReferences tOutcome of Appeal Free Pardon
considCourt of Appeal<1>granted<2>
(individual
defendants)
Cases Allowed Dismissed
(defendants)
------------------------------------------------------------
1988 |536 |<3>2 | (2) |- |- |1 |(1) |39
1989 |568 |3 | (6) |3 | (6) |- |- |50
1990 |731 |7 |(20) |7 |(20) |- |- |47
1991 |714 |10 |(12) |<4>10|(12) |- |- |37
1992 |763 |<5>8 |(11) |2 | (5) |1 |(1) |19
<1> Under section 17(1) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968.
<2> These were granted in summary cases where there is no
power to refer back to the courts.
<3> One case later abandoned.
<4> Court ordered a re-trial in one case: defendant later
acquitted.
<5> Five cases outstanding.
In the other cases there were found to be no grounds to
justify any action by my right hon. Friend.
Cautions
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set up a central register to record cautions ; and what is his policy on multiple cautions and cautions for second or further offences.
Mr. Charles Wardle : It is planned that details of those who are cautioned in respect of reportable offences will be recorded on the police national computer from the second half of 1994. Whilst policy on cautioning does not preclude the issue of more than one caution to an offender where this is warranted by the circumstances of a particular case.
Home Office guidance reminds chief officers that repeated use of cautions may undermine the credibility of the police and ultimately of the law.
Criminal Offences
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criminal offences he has introduced in the last five years under delegated legislation.
Mr. Maclean : The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Immigration Offences
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many operations against people alleged to be in the United Kingdom illegally involving both immigration officers and police took place during 1992, and 1993 to the latest convenient date ; and for each operation by date and by name, how many (a) immigration officers and (b) police officers were involved ; how many people were arrested and found to be (i) legally
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in the United Kingdom, (ii) in breach of immigration conditions, (iii) alleged illegal entrants and (iv) British citizens ; how many requested and were granted legal advice before interview ; how many were detained for (x) one day or less, (y) between a day and a week and (z) over a week ; and how many subsequently have left the United Kingdom.Mr. Charles Wardle : Joint immigration service/police operations are undertaken at local level and many are on a relatively small scale. Information in the form requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications from over-age reapplicants from the Indian sub- continent seeking to join a sponsor settled in the United Kingdom have been (a) made, (b) deferred, (c) refused and (d) granted in each year since 1988, to the first quarter of 1993 ; and how many such reapplicants in each category had undergone successful DNA tests.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is not readily available and could not be provided except at disproportionate cost.
Posts in the sub-continent would have to search all settlement applications made since 1983 to find out in which cases DNA tests had been made.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) husbands, (b) wives and (c) dependent children applying for settlement entry clearance in the Indian sub-continent in each quarter since January 1992 were (i) successful and (ii) refused (1) on first application and (2) on second or subsequent application.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The available information is given in the table.
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Applications for entry clearance made by husbands, wives and dependent children in the Indian
subcontinent, 1992 to 1st quarter 1993<1>
Indian subcontinent
1992 1993
|1st quarter|2nd quarter|3rd quarter|4th quarter|1st quarter
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications granted initially
Husbands |510 |670 |1,380 |1,110 |1,100
Wives |1,550 |1,200 |1,290 |1,360 |1,430
Dependent Children |610 |470 |520 |520 |570
Applications refused initially
Husbands |660 |420 |460 |530 |680
Wives |250 |160 |200 |260 |280
Dependent Children |170 |13 |140 |190 |275
Applications granted on appeal<2>
Husbands |130 |170 |180 |170 |150
Wives |40 |40 |30 |40 |30
Dependent Children |40 |20 |30 |30 |30
All figures have been rounded to the nearest ten.
<1> Latest available information.
<2> Initial refusals and numbers granted on appeal do not necessarily refer to the same individuals as an
appeal may not be decided in the same year.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for settlement by wives and children in (a) Dhaka and (b) Islamabad were
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(i) received, (ii) granted, (iii) refused (iv) deferred at first interview, (v) lapsed and (vi) outstanding and awaiting first interview for each quarter since the beginning of 1992.Mr. Charles Wardle : The available information is given in the table.
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Applications for entry clearance made by wives and children in Dhaka and
Islamabad 1992 to 1st quarter 1993<1>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications newly received
Dhaka |490 |540 |650 |710 |570
Islamabad |1,000|750 |810 |840 |1,020
Applications granted initially
Dhaka |410 |330 |390 |490 |540
Islamabad |980 |730 |740 |740 |850
Applications granted on appeal<2>
Dhaka |10 |10 |30 |20 |20
Islamabad |50 |30 |20 |30 |30
Applications refused initially
Dhaka |130 |80 |80 |160 |270
Islamabad |170 |110 |150 |170 |200
Applications withdrawn or lapsed this quarter
Dhaka |1,950|2,040|2,250|2,430|2,340
Islamabad |70 |60 |70 |60 |80
Applications outstanding at end of period
Dhaka |30 |70 |20 |40 |20
Islamabad |2,290|2,150|2,070|2,000|1,990
Applications awaiting 1st interview
at end of period
Dhaka |660 |750 |760 |860 |980
Islamabad |660 |290 |<3> |560 |760
Note: All figures have been rounded to the nearest ten.
<1> Latest available information.
<2> Initial refusals and numbers granted on appeal do not necessarily refer to
the same individuals as an appeal may not be decided in the same year.
<3> Not available.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for entry clearance as (a) wives, (b) husbands, (c) fiance s and (d) fiance es in each British post in all countries for which figures are available apart from those of the Indian sub-continent
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were (i) granted and (ii) refused in each quarter since January 1992 ; how many such applications in each category, at each post and in each quarter were refused (1) wholly and (2) partly because of the primary purpose rule ; what was the refusal rate at each post ; and what percentage of those refusals were (x) wholly and (y) partly on primary purpose grounds.Mr. Charles Wardle : This information is not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate expense.
Prison Jobs
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are made by his Department to ensure that in prisons in England and Wales there is a fair allocation of wing No. 1 jobs being given to inmates of ethnic minority origin.
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. Tom Cox, dated July 1993 : The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about what checks are made by the Home Department to ensure that in prisons in England and Wales there is a fair allocation of wing No. 1 jobs being given to inmates of ethnic minority origin.
The race relations policy of the Prison Service seeks to ensure that prisoners have equal access to all facilities provided in prison, including all types and grades of jobs. To check the fair allocation of work, ethnic monitoring is undertaken by all prisons. Monitoring will cover most areas of work, and should include wing No. 1 jobs where these exist.
The results of monitoring will be checked and acted upon by the prison's Race Relations Management Team, advised by the Race Relations Liaison Officer. The Team is also expected to undertake audits of the adequacy of its monitoring and to send a quarterly report detailing the results of monitoring to Area Managers and the national Prison Service Race Relations Group.
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