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Advertising
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of advertising by his Department has been for each year since 1979 and for each of the last 12 months.
Mr. Howard : Figures for advertising expenditure since 1979 are as follows :
|£
------------------------------
1979-80 |2,904,671
1980-81 |1,649,605
1981-82 |1,834,476
1982-83 |1,957,304
1983-84 |2,760,681
1984-85 |3,262,700
1985-86 |3,306,391
1986-87 |5,000,000
1987-88 |4,700,000
1988-89 |5,400,000
1989-90 |5,500,000
1990-91 |5,728,000
1991-92 |7,275,940
1992-93 |7,344,635
It is not possible to provide an accurate month by month breakdown of advertising expenditure for each of the last 12 months because campaigns are not booked monthly. Total expenditure for the financial year to date is £4,321,048.
Home Affairs Council
Mr. Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North of 7 December, Official Report, columns 167-68, what was the voting record of each member state on all items agreed and adopted at the
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meeting of the European Community's Home Affairs Council held on 29 to 30 November ; and if he will make it his practice automatically to record in future answers all such votes, including where no formal votes have been taken.Mr. Charles Wardle : All the items agreed by the Interior and Justice Council fell under title VI of the Maastricht treaty and were adopted by unanimity. In future the Government will inform Parliament of all votes published by the Council ; for title VI matters, publication of votes requires unanimous agreement. This was not sought by the Presidency on this occasion. If the Interior and Justice Council were to adopt Community legislation under the treaty of Rome, its votes would be published automatically unless a majority of the Council was opposed.
Embarkation Checks
Sir Ivan Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to alter the embarkation checks on passengers leaving the United Kingdom.
Mr. Charles Wardle : From 1 February passports will not normally be checked on departure from ferry ports and small airports for EC destinations. At the main airport terminals and on departure elsewhere for destinations outside the EC, the passports of non-EC nationals will continue to be examined ; EC nationals will, as now, be expected to present their documents, but the closer examination of a 10 per cent. sample will cease.
These changes should freqe staff resources for work which contributes more directly to the effectiveness of the immigration control. The immigration officer's power to examine the passport of any departing passenger will however remain, and it will still be possible to mount ad hoc checks where, for example, there is reason to believe that someone of interest to the police in connection with serious crime is likely to leave the country by a particular route. Police powers under the Prevention of Terrorism legislation are unaffected.
Criminal Cases Review Authority
Sir Ivan Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made towards establishing the proposed criminal cases review authority recommended by the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice.
Mr. Howard : The Government have decided to establish a Criminal Cases Review Authority to review alleged miscarriages of justice. We have put in hand the detailed preparatory work which will be necessary before any set out the issues, put forward our proposals for dealing with them and identify any practical problems which still need to be settled. I am sure that the paper will be of interest to many people and I look forward to receiving their views on what it has to say.
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Criminal Injuries Compensation
Sir Ivan Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the White Paper setting out more detailed proposals for changing the criminal injuries compensation scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Howard : I have today published the White Paper. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
The Secretary of State for Scotland and I are jointly responsible for the criminal injuries compensation scheme and for the new arrangements.
The main features of those arrangements are that compensation will no longer be assessed on a basis comparable to common law damages. Instead, payment will be made from a tariff (or scale) of awards for injuries of comparable severity. All eligible applicants with a similar injury will be treated in the same way. This will make the new scheme more straightforward and simpler to administer. It should also be easier for claimants to understand, and they should now have a much better idea when they apply what award they might expect to receive.
The tariff levels have been set by reference to awards made in the recent past by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. The lower limit will remain unchanged at £1,000, and there will be 25 tariff levels ranging from that threshold to £ million for the most serious category of injury. The basic rules of eligibility will remain broadly the same as under the present scheme.
The tariff scheme will be run by a non-departmental public body, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). There will also be a new independent appeals panel to which those dissatisfied with the authority's decision will be able to appeal.
Our compensation scheme is one of the most generous schemes in the world, and will remain so when the tariff scheme is introduced. We believe the new tariff scheme should enable us to provide a better service to the blameless victims of violent crime.
Immigration
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will review the workings of the immigration section of his Department to ensure that no racial prejudice is demonstrated against Thai citizens seeking to enter the United Kingdom as legal spouses of a British citizens ;
(2) if he will review the workings of his entry visa system to ensure that United Kingdom citizens who have married a spouse in Thailand are allowed to bring that spouse back to reside in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : A Thai citizen who wishes to enter the United Kingdom as the spouse of a British citizen must meet the requirements of the immigration rules in the same way as any other foreign national seeking entry on this basis. I see no need for reviews of the kind that the hon. Member has in mind, but if he has a particular case in mind which has caused concern I shall be glad to enquire into it. Under the immigration rules, officials are required to carry out their duties without regard to race, colour or religion.
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Stolen Vehicles
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what figures he has on the use of stolen motor vehicles in the course of other criminal offences in the latest available year.
Mr. Maclean : The information is not collected centrally.
M11 Link Road
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Metropolitan Commissioner on the cost of policing so far incurred in relation to demonstrations against the M11 link road in Wanstead.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Ilford, South (Mr. Gapes) on 14 December at col. 531 concerning the cost of policing the demonstration on 7 December. Information on the total cost of police operations in connection with the M11 link road is not available.
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Metropolitan Commissioner as to the reasons for the procedures adopted by police officers in relation to demonstrations against the M11 link road in Wanstead ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I understand from the Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis that his officers were assisting the under sheriff of Greater London to execute an order of the High Court for possession of the land.
Firearms
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the recommendations of the firearms consultative committee that have been implemented nationally, from each of its annual reports.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Implementation of a considerable number of the Firearms Consultative Committee's (FCC) recommendations will require primary legislation to amend the Firearms Acts. I am unable to say when parliamentary time might be available for legislation on firearms matters. Other recommendations which have already been implemented by means of subordinate legislation or through administrative action are listed. Work is in hand towards the implementation of a number of other recommendations of the committee.
First Annual Report--
Approved Rifle and Pistol Clubs
The changes to the revised criteria for club approval which the committee recommended were incorporated in the final list of revised approval criteria and have been in place since January 1990. Countersignatures
I understand from the committee's recommendations that no class of person should be automatically excluded from being accepted as a countersignatory to a firearm or shot gun certificate application ; that flexibility should be applied in interpretation of the definition of a countersignatory ; and that any inconsistency should be reported to chief officers of police have been promulgated to forces by the Association of Chief Police Officers.
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Visitor's Permit SchemeI understand that police forces are following the committee's recommendations that British visitor's permits should in general be issued for the full twelve months allowed in law and that applications should be supplied in English.
Second Annual Report--
European Commission Proposal for a Council Directive on the Acquisition and Possession of Weapons
The regulations which transposed the directive's provisions into our domestic legislation (Firearms Acts (Amendment) Regulations 1992--SI 1992 No. 2823) retained the British visitor's permit scheme and also made the issue of European firearms passes a police responsibility.
Control of Explosives Regulations
A number of the committee's recommendations were given effect in the final version of the regulations (SI 1991 No. 1531) which it had seen in draft. To minimise bureaucracy the regulations provided for explosives certificates to be issued coterminously with an existing firearm or shot gun certificate. Limits on the quantitites of explosives which can be kept for private use were also increased. Third Annual Report--
Definition of antique weapons and Collecting of firearms Revised guidance to police on which weapons should be considered as antiques was issued in November 1992.
Provision was made in the Firearms Acts (Amendment) Regulations 1992 allowing the continued private possession by collectors of certain items which are prohibited from general public possession by virtue of the EC Weapons Directive.
Carrier of Prohibited Weapons
The Home Office issued an addendum to its guidance to carriers of prohibited weapons covering the carriage of weapons to and from the gun barrel proof houses.
Leaflet on the Security of Firearms and Shot Guns
The Home Office published a leaflet on firearm and shot gun security in October 1992.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will advise police forces to stop the practice of stamping envelopes containing correspondence to firearms and shotgun holders information to the effect that if the envelope is found it should be returned to the firearms unit of the force concerned.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The administration of the firearms licensing system is the responsibility of individual chief officers of police. We have no plans to issue guidance to the police on this subject but the matter has been brought to the attention of the Association of Chief Police Officers for any action which it considers necessary.
Tracker Security Devices
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which police forces have equipment that enables them to recover stolen vehicles that are fitted with Tracker security devices ; (2) what his Department is doing to encourage the fitting of Tracker devices to help locate stolen vehicles ;
(3) what assessment he has made of the use of Tracker devices in the recovery of stolen cars (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in other countries.
Mr. Charles Wardle : All mainland United Kingdom police forces are equipped to pick up signals from Tracker devices.
While concealed tracking devices can provide a valuable weapon in the fight against vehicle crime, it is not appropriate for the Home Office to endorse or promote individual tracking systems.
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The Home Office has made no assessment of the operational value of tracking devices. It has, however, carried out a technical assessment of the available equipment on behalf of the police.Police Establishment
Mr. Mike O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the (a) authorised establishment, (b) actual strength and (c) number of vacancies for the police services establishment of the Metropolitan police in each month of 1993 ; (2) what was the authorised establishment of police service officers in England and Wales, in each constabulary including the Metropolitan police, on 1 January ;
(3) if he will list the constabularies in England and Wales which are under strength ; and if he will set out in each case the numbers under strength and the percentage under strength in each establishment (a) at 1 January 1993 and (b) for the latest month available.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I will write to the hon. Gentleman.
Police Authorities (Budget)
Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total budget for the police authorities in England and Wales for (a) 1992-93 and (b) 1993-94 ; and what is the planned budget for 1994-95.
Mr Charles Wardle : The latest estimates by police authorities indicate total expenditure as £5,797 million in 1992-93 and £6,114 million in 1993-94. No figure for 1994-95 is yet available.
Election Leaflets
Ms Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 1 December, Official Report, column 627, if he will examine the feasibility of bringing forward amendments to the Representation of the People Acts to outlaw the production of fraudulent election leaflets purporting to come from a rival political party.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We have no immediate plans to do so. The issue may arise in discussions with the political parties next year and I shall consider any representations which might then be made on this issue.
Domestic Violence
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received calling for a review of the Homicide Act 1957 and the criminal justice system with regard to reforming the definition of provocation to include prolonged domestic violence ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : We have received many letters on this subject from parliamentary colleagues and from members of the public.
The Government's position is set out in our response to the recent Report of the Home Affairs Select Committee on Domestic Violence (Cm 2269), a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The Government do not accept that the case has been made for a change in the law. In our view,
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the present law on provocation reflects a proper balance between a reluctance on the one hand to exonerate pre- meditated revenge killing and a desire on the other to leave a judgment on the facts of the individual case to the jury. Nevertheless, the law in this area is kept under careful review.Deportation
Ms Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women who were initially granted entry permits in order to join their husbands have been deported from Britain in each of the last five years.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her on 1 December at column 627.
Director General of Prison Service
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current salary paid to Mr. Derek Lewis, the director general of the prison service.
Mr. Howard : Mr. Lewis's salary is £125,000 a year. He is also eligible for a performance bonus of up to 35 per cent. of basic salary.
Prisoner Escape
Mr. David Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the circumstances which allowed the escape of a high-security prisoner, from his escort in or in the vicinity of the Bell public house, Pokesdown, Bournemouth on Friday 3 December.
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. David Atkinson, dated 15 December 1993 :
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the circumstances which allowed the escape of a high security prisoner, from his escort in the vicinity of the Bell public house, Pokesdown, Bournemouth on Friday 3 December.
Richard James Tyres was granted temporary release from HMP Albany under Rule 6 of the Prison Rules. This provides for prisoners to be released outside the custody or control of a prison officer for any special purpose which will assist them in their transition from prison life to freedom.
Mr. Tyres was not a high security prisoner ; he had been recategorised to category C (low risk) in October 1993 as a result of his behaviour and progress in prison and in consequence was considered a suitable risk for temporary release. He was accompanied, but not escorted, by his personal case officer who had been working closely with Mr. Tyres and the Probation Service to develop realistic resettlement plans for his eventual release.
The purpose of this release was to attend an interview in Bournemouth with the community drug team. Following the Community Care Act it is now necessary to have a needs assessment completed before the local authority will agree to recommend the funding of a place in a residential drug unit on release.
Following the interview there was an interval before the afternoon ferry booking. Both the officer and inmate went into a pub where the officer drank orange juice and the prisoner brown ale. No specific instructions had been given about this. Had the prisoner been released, as normal, without an officer accompanying him, it would have been a matter over which we would have had no control.
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On leaving the public house Mr. Tyres ran off. The officer immediately alerted the police who had been informed, in advance, of Mr. Tyres presence in the area.Although Mr. Tyres had been sentenced to five years imprisonment in May 1992, he was eligible for release on licence in August 1993, taking into account time spent on remand. His first application was not successful and he was due to be reviewed again in May 1994. If he were to have any realistic chance of success in this review it would be essential for him to demonstrate satisfactory release plans were in place.
Mr. Tyres was recaptured by the police on 9 December. The governor is conducting a full inquiry into the incident to establish whether there were any weaknesses in the procedures which led to the decision to release Mr. Tyres.
Government Car Service
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers in 1990-91 ; and how many vehicles were involved.
Mr. Howard : In 1990-91, the Home Secretary's three cars cost £75, 700, including £2,700 for maintenance. The current costs given in my reply to the hon. Member's earlier question on 3 December at column 783 included a provision of £25,000 for maintenance which is unlikey to be fully taken up.
Other Home Office Ministers used four cars supplied by the Government car service. In addition, cars were supplied for the transportation of ministerial despatch boxes. The total cost of these cars in 1990-91 was £191,000. The increased cost since then is attributed to price increases (18 per cent.), an increase in VAT (2.5 per cent.) and an increase in usage of the service (8.5 per cent.).
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Hong Kong
17. Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of talks on future of democracy in Hong Kong.
Mr. Goodlad : We have sought agreement with China on the electoral arrangements for 1994 and 1995 in Hong Kong. But after seventeen Rounds of talks, the pressures of the legislative timetable have obliged the Governor to introduce draft legislation today into the Legislative Council covering the more urgent issues. Our aim was to gain a little more time to continue talks with China on the remaining electoral issues. We remain ready for further talks. Co-operation between Britain and China is the best way of securing a smooth transition for Hong Kong in 1997.
27. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the Governor of Hong Kong's proposals to advance democracy in the Crown Colony.
28. Mr. Garnier : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in the talks between the United Kingdom and China with regard to the future of Hong Kong ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : We have sought agreement with China on the electoral arrangements for 1994 and 1995 in Hong
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Kong. But after seventeen Rounds of talks, the pressures of the legislative timetable have obliged the Governor to introduce draft legislation today into the Legislative Council covering the more urgent issues. Our aim was to gain a little more time to continue talks with China on the remaining electoral issues. We remain ready for further talks. Co-operaton between Britain and China is the best way of securing a smooth transition for Hong Kong in 1997.Angola
18. Mr. Miller : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what sanctions he will now propose in the UN Security Council against UNITA of Angola.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : It would not be sensible to propose additional sanctions against UNITA at a time when the organisation is holding direct talks with the Government.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the latest situation in Angola ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennnox-Boyd : Fighting in Angola has diminished since UNITA announced a unilateral ceasefire on 20 September, but sporadic fighting continues in some parts of the country. The United Nations Secretary General's special representative, Mr. Beye, has been chairing talks in Lusaka between the Government of Angola and UNITA. The Secretary General is due to report on the outcome to the Security Council on 15 December. We understand that progress has been made in the negotiations, but there are still many issues to be resolved.
32. Mr. Clapham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on current Government policy towards Angola.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have been active in the Security Council, bilaterally with the Angolan Government and UNITA.
Libya
20. Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in negotations with Libya over the trial of the two Libyan nationals suspected of involvement in the Lockerbie bombing.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Libyan Government are aware of the demands of the United Nations Security Council, and in particular that it must ensure the appearance of those charged with the Lockerbie bombing for trial in the appropriate United Kingdom or United States court and satisfy the French judicial authorities over the bombing of flight UTA 772.
European Community Enlargement
21. Mr. Streeter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made towards the enlargement of the European Community.
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