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Doctors (Work Permits)
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the criteria governing the issue of work permits to doctors from non-EC countries wishing to continue in training grade posts in the NHS after the expiry of their permit-free four-year period ;
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(2) what consideration is given to extending permit-free training status beyond the maximum of four years for hospital training posts undertaken by doctors from non-EC countries.Mr. Charles Wardle : Under the immigration rules there is no provision for a non-EC national doctor coming here for postgraduate training in a hospital to switch to work permit employment. Where a doctor requires longer than
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four years to complete his or her postgraduate training, we are prepared to consider, exceptionally, granting further leave to remain on a permit-free basis for a limited period.Anabolic Steroids
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of abuse of anabolic steroids on the incidence of violent crime ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has recently completed a review of the misuse of anabolic steroids, including the available evidence on their behaviourial side effects and the possible link with violent crime. We are currently considering the council's conclusions and recommendations, together with other ministerial colleagues.
Young Runaways
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has of the number of young people aged under 17 years who have run away from home within each police force area in Wales in each year since 1989.
Mr. Maclean : Figures are not available centrally. Limited information on missing persons is contained in the four Welsh forces' chief constables' annual reports.
Bank Customers (Political Views)
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will institute an inquiry on the keeping of records regarding the party political views of bank customers ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what assessment he has made of whether the Data Protection Registrar has sufficient funds and staff to initiate a full inquiry into the keeping of records on individuals' party political views by commercial organisations.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : It is for the Data Protection Registrar to determine whether a breach of the Data Protection Act has occurred in any particular case. I understand that the registrar is making some preliminary inquiries in the banking sector, following the stories which have appeared about the holding of data on political affiliations. He will consider whether further inquiries are appropriate, and what the resource implications of these may be.
Sheehy Report
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many copies of the Sheehy committee report on the police have been distributed free of charge to the police officers and other interested parties ; and how much expenditure has been incurred.
Mr. Charles Wardle : A total of 875 copies of the report of the inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards were produced for distribution by the inquiry to interested parties. The chief officer of each police force in the United Kingdom received two copies, as did the clerk to each police authority. Copies were also circulated to each organisation and individual who gave oral evidence to the inquiry. The cost of distribution was £20,000.
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Prisons (Racial Discrimination)
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many official complaints have been made by prison inmates in England and Wales of racial discrimination being shown or used against them during each of the last three years.
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 Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated26 July 1993 : The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent question about the number of complaints of racial discrimination recorded over the last three years.
Information is not held in the form requested. The request and complaints system does not record racial discrimination as a separate category, nor does it separate out requests from complaints. Governors are required to record all racial incidents and report them quarterly to Area Managers, and annually in aggregated statistical form. However, the definition of a racial incident goes wider than complaints of racial discrimination and includes, for example, incidents between prisoners and between staff. It is not therefore possible to separate out complaints of racial discrimination from the information available.
Fines (Non-payment)
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men and women were imprisoned for non-payment of fines for (a) not having television licences and (b) other offences involving fines in the last two years for which figures are available.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The available information is for 1991. A total of 258 males and 136 females were received into prison service establishments in England and Wales for defaulting on a fine after conviction for operating a television without a licence ; and 17,740 males and 840 females were received for fine default following other offences.
Hong Kong
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposal he has to grant full British citizenship to members of non- Chinese ethnic minorities in Hong Kong who will be without a right of abode elsewhere after 1997 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans for new legislation to provide British citizenship for this group. All British members of the non-Chinese ethnic minorities in Hong Kong will be entitled to retain or acquire an appropriate form of British nationality after 1997 and will be assured of full British consular protection. They are guaranteed the right of abode in Hong Kong, and the Government have given an assurance, repeated on many occasions, that if, against all expectations, members of this group came under pressure to leave Hong Kong and had nowhere else to go, the Government of the day would be expected to consider with considerable and particular sympathy their case for admission to the United Kingdom.
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Mr. Mark Jarvis
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the report of the Winsom Green prison security department on the suitability of Mark Jarvis for home leave.
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 Mr. D. Lewis to Ms Lynne Jones, dated26 July 1993 : The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the publication of the report on the suitability of Mr. Mark Jarvis for home leave.
In considering applications for home leave, the home leave board will receive reports from a numbn 1991. In view of his history, the board decided that the decision should be deferred and further reports commissioned about the suitability of the place he intended to stay. His good behaviour continued over the next two months and the board was advised that his home leave address was suitable. The social services were also consulted, and his home leave was approved.
The report from the security department at Birmingham had referred to his criminal record, his failure on temporary release the year before and his having been refused four applications for parole. The report was compiled by a prison officer and expressed the view that Mr. Jarvis was not suitable
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for home leave at the time, but having taken that report into consideration, alongside other reports of a more positive nature, the home leave board decided he should be released.I am very concerned about any temporary release failure. The procedures were changed in October last year to improve the effectiveness of risk assessment. A further review is currently in progress. I have also written recently to all Governors to remind them of the need for great care before releasing a prisoner for home leave and reminding them to exercise caution in favour of public safety. It is right to refuse any application where there is doubt about a prisoner's likely behaviour while at liberty. Good behaviour in prison is a factor to be taken into account when considering a request for home leave, but the protection of the public has to be the overriding factor.
Alcohol
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many persons under the age of 18 years were found guilty or cautioned for buying intoxicating liquor within each police force area in Wales in each of the last three years ; and how many licensees were found guilty or cautioned for selling intoxicating liquor to persons aged under 18 years ;
(2) how many children and young people under the age of 18 years have been found guilty or cautioned for offences of drunkenness within each police force area in Wales in each of the last three years.
Mr. Maclean : The information requested is given in the tables. Data for 1992 will not be available until the autumn.
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Table A
Persons found guilty or cautioned under the Licensing Act 1964
by police force area in Wales 1989-91
Police force area |Year |Found guilty |Cautioned |Found guilty or
|cautioned
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Persons under 18 buying intoxicating liquor<1>
Dyfed-Powys |1989 |- |23 |23
|1990 |3 |27 |30
|1991 |- |10 |10
Gwent |1989 |8 |53 |61
|1990 |37 |54 |91
|1991 |1 |46 |47
North Wales |1989 |32 |60 |92
|1990 |15 |78 |93
|1991 |5 |31 |36
South Wales |1989 |8 |52 |60
|1990 |6 |76 |82
|1991 |- |21 |21
Wales |1989 |48 |188 |236
|1990 |61 |235 |296
|1991 |6 |108 |114
Selling intoxicating liquor to persons under 18<2>
Dyfed-Powys |1989 |4 |16 |20
|1990 |7 |7 |14
|1991 |- |4 |4
Gwent |1989 |16 |41 |57
|1990 |29 |22 |51
|1991 |6 |12 |18
North Wales |1989 |12 |14 |26
|1990 |11 |3 |14
|1991 |1 |10 |11
South Wales |1989 |16 |11 |27
|1990 |19 |15 |34
|1991 |14 |8 |22
Wales |1989 |48 |82 |130
|1990 |66 |47 |113
|1991 |21 |34 |55
<1>Section 169(2) Licensing Act 1964.
<2>Section 169(1) Licensing Act 1964.
Table B
Persons found guilty or cautioned for offences of drunkenness
by age and police force area in Wales 1989-1991
Police force area |Year |Found guilty |Cautioned |Found guilty or
|cautioned
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aged 10 to under 14 years
Dyfed-Powys |1989 |- |1 |1
|1990 |- |1 |1
|1991 |- |- |-
Gwent |1989 |- |4 |4
|1990 |- |7 |7
|1991 |- |1 |1
North Wales |1989 |1 |- |1
|1990 |- |- |-
|1991 |- |- |-
South Wales |1989 |- |- |-
|1990 |- |2 |2
|1991 |- |- |-
Wales |1989 |1 |5 |6
|1990 |- |10 |10
|1991 |- |1 |1
Aged 14 to under 18 years
Dyfed-Powys |1989 |8 |12 |20
|1990 |12 |13 |25
|1991 |8 |11 |19
Gwent |1989 |72 |77 |149
|1990 |69 |59 |128
|1991 |29 |38 |67
North Wales |1989 |29 |9 |38
|1990 |36 |15 |51
|1991 |26 |15 |41
South Wales |1989 |114 |68 |182
|1990 |89 |52 |141
|1991 |69 |29 |98
Wales |1989 |223 |166 |389
|1990 |206 |139 |345
|1991 |132 |93 |225
Aged 10 to under 18 years
Dyfed-Powys |1989 |8 |13 |21
|1990 |12 |14 |26
|1991 |8 |11 |19
Gwent |1989 |72 |81 |153
|1990 |69 |66 |135
|1991 |29 |39 |68
North Wales |1989 |30 |9 |39
|1990 |36 |15 |51
|1991 |26 |15 |41
South Wales |1989 |114 |68 |182
|1990 |89 |54 |143
|1991 |69 |29 |98
Wales |1989 |224 |171 |395
|1990 |206 |149 |355
|1991 |132 |94 |226
Blind and Partially Sighted People
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's policy on which information produced by his Department is published in alternative media to standard print such as Braille, tape or large print.
Mr. Howard : Our criteria are to target publicity material in alternative media, according to need, within available funding. My Department currently makes available the following :
"Fire Safety Advice for Disabled People" in 18 pt bold type. "Fire Safety in the Home" audio cassette.
"Practical Ways to Crack Crime--Family Version" audio cassette. We have not produced any material in Braille.
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements his Department makes to ensure that blind and partially sighted people have access to information produced by his Department where it has not been published in alternative media such as Braille, large print or tape.
Mr. Howard : Publicity material produced by the Home Office is available, free of charge, to the public from relevant local services such as police forces and fire brigades. Blind and partially-sighted people can obtain such material by contacting those services.
Contracting Out
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all those services or functions contracted out in his Department and agencies, since November 1991, in which the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 were not applied.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Whether or not the regulations apply in any particular case will depend on the nature of the work awarded and the contractors' own proposals for carrying it out. The replies of 9 March at column 476 and 18 June at column 753 listed the areas of the Home Office which have been contracted out. The regulations did not apply to the following :
Management of Wolds prison
Management of Blakenhurst prison
Court escort and custody services in Humberside and the east midlands
Catering services (Downview, Belmarsh, Bullingdon, Holme House, Woodhill, Highdown and Lancaster Farms)
Forensic Science Service waste disposal
Information concerning whether the regulations applied to any other Home Office services for which contracts have been awarded since November 1991 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Wandsworth Prison
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the building projects and their cost now being undertaken at Wandsworth prison as of 16 July.
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 Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 26 July 1993 : The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the building projects, and their cost, now being undertaken at Wandsworth prison.
After completion of the modernisation of D Wing in March 1993, at a cost of £5.5 million, enabling works are under way to allow the modernisation of C Wing. The enabling works (including the removal of asbestos and electrical wiring) will be completed in September 1993, at an estimated cost of £175,000. Work on the 15 month refurbishment of C Wing will then commence in September 1993, at an estimated cost of £7.15 million.
Jason Georgiou
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of custody for Jason Georgiou ; for what period he was held in custody ; and if he will list the prosecution witnesses.
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 Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. Peter Bottomley, dated 26 July 1993 :
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the costs of holding Jason Georgiou in custody and the period for which he was held.
Jason Georgiou was held at Belmarsh Prison from 27 October 1992 until 30 April 1993 when he was transferred to Brixton Prison where he remained until his release on 12 July 1993.
We do not collect costs of individual prisoners, but the average cost of holding a person in custody for this period in local and remand prisons would have been £17,197 at 93/4 prices.
I regret that we are unable to furnish you with details of the prosecution witnesses in the case since the Lord Chancellors Department have advised that none of them were called to give evidence and therefore their details are not a matter of public record.
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the achievements of (a) his policies and (b) his Department in helping small businesses over the last 12 months as against
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the previous 12 months ; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.Mr. Howard : The Government continue to help small businesses, through improvements to the business climate, through deregulation and through specific programmes of support and assistance. During the past 12 months my Department has substantially increased the resources it devotes to taking forward the Government's deregulation initiative and has taken a number of steps to help small businesses. We have proposed legislation which aims to clarify the law on Sunday trading ; we have withdrawn draft fire regulations which representatives of some small businesses feared would be unduly burdensome and we are preparing new regulations which take account of these concerns ; we have undertaken consultation exercises on greyhound racing and liquor licensing ; and we have set in hand a full review of all regulations affecting business for which the Home Office has responsibility. We propose to remove the restrictions on weekday shop opening hours in England and Wales (and throughout the week in Scotland) as soon as parliamentary time permits.
The main deregulatory achievements in 1991 were in betting and gaming. The greyhound industry was given greater flexibility to set deductions according to market forces by increasing from 17.5 per cent. to 29 per cent. the maximum permitted amount which may be retained by the operators of a totalisator on a dog racecourse. Gaming clubs were allowed to increase from one to two the number of multiple bingo games that can be played on a Saturday.
The target is to complete the current review of Home Office regulations by April 1994. Targets have also been set for other work such as consultative exercises and developing proposals for legislation. In addition the Home Office will contribute to the Department of Trade and Industry's central record of Government regulations against which progress on deregulation is being monitored.
The work on deregulation complements continuing efforts to assist firms who wish to bid for Home Office business. Over the last 12 months we have again revised and reissued a booklet entitled "Selling to the Home Office" which details the Home Office's purchasing needs and gives specific contact points for initial approaches. A central contact point for general enquiries is also available. It is Home Office policy to give encouragement and assistance to small businesses wherever possible. The Home Office does not hold statistical information regarding the volume of business placed with small firms.
Drug Addicts
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug addicts in Wales notified to his Department are aged under 21 years ; and how many of them are (a) female and (b) male.
Mr. Maclean : The information requested is contained in tables A9 and A10 of the Home Office statistical bulletin "Statistics of drug addicts notified to the Home Office, United Kingdom, 1992" (area tables), a copy of which is in the Library.
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Ethnic Minorities (Employment)
Mr. Gerrard : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 8 June, Official Report, columns 178-80, how many letters of representation regarding proposed cuts in funding under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 he has received from, or on behalf of, (a) school governing bodies, (b) schools, (c) other educational institutions and (d) parents and other individuals.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The numbers are :
(a) 119 ; (b) 192 ; (c) 10 ; (d) 311.
Computer Consultancies
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all the computer consultancies employed by his Department and agencies, since November 1991, the tasks for which they were engaged, and the total cost to his Department.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The Home Office has committed approximately £4.5 million to 186 computer consultancy contracts let since 1 November 1991. During this period the statistical database has been automated and the tasks are not recorded in a manner which enables a general description to be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. The suppliers of the consultancies are as follows (figures in brackets indicate the number of contracts to that company if more than one) :
Supplier
Admiral ( 3)
Aims systems ( 3)
Axis Consultants Ltd. ( 2)
Bristol Transputer Centre
Bull Information Systems ( 2)
CCTA ( 7)
Civil Service College
CMG Information Services
Computer Capacity Management
Computer People North
Concorde Services
Coopers Lybrand and Deloitte ( 2)
CSC ( 2)
CSS Trident ( 4)
Data Sciences UK
Database Management
Daton Systems
Daymount Computing
DBI Associates Limited ( 5)
DEC ( 2)
Dell Computer Corporation ( 3)
Doric Computer Systems
Easams
Edinburgh Parallel
EDS Scicon Defence
Ernst and Young ( 2)
Express Computer Consultants
Ferranti International
Grafton ( 4)
Hans Grefte ( 3)
Harvey Consultants
HDX
Hedra ( 2)
Holdene Group Plc ( 2)
Hoskyns Group Plc ( 7)
Hunterskil ( 7)
IBIS
ICL ( 4)
ITA
Kermon ( 9)
Keyford Precision
KGB Micros
Kode
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