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BirminghamBedford
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Commission for Racial Equality
Birmingham
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Manchester
Leicester
Edinburgh
Correspondence
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of correspondence received by (a) his Department and (b) each of his Department's agencies receives (i) an acknowledgement within five days and (ii) a substantive reply within 15 days.
Mr. Howard : Various targets are set for acknowledging and answering different types of correspondence in different areas of the Home Office and its agencies. Information in the form requested by the hon. Member is not, however, readily available for the Department as a whole, nor for individual agencies.
Richmond Fellowship
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has received from the Charity Commission concerning his investigation of the Richmond Fellowship.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand that the commissioners' inquiry into the Richmond Fellowship has been concluded and that the charity appears to be on a stable footing.
Essex Police
Mr. Channon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the strength of the Essex police force for each of the past 10 years.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The information requested is set out in the table. The latest figure available for 1993 is August :
Essex Police-Strength as at 31 December Year -------------------------- 1984 |2,649 1985 |2,678 1986 |2,718 1987 |2,725 1988 |2,763 1989 |2,799 1990 |2,884 1991 |2,878 1992 |2,917 1993 (August) |2,985
Secure Training Centres
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department where the five proposed secure training centres will be sited ; and if he will list the county and region in which each centre is located and the counties and region or regions to be served by each.
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Mr. Maclean : No final decisions have been taken about where the secure training centres will be sited or the areas which they will serve.
Category C Prisoners
Ms Corston : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what point during a life sentence or a prisoner's term of imprisonment might he or she be considered for category C status.
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 Ms Jean Corston, dated 17 December 1993 :
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the point at which a life sentence prisoner might be considered for category C conditions.
In the case of male prisoners, there is no fixed point at which a life sentence prisoner is considered for category C conditions. Each case is considered on its merits and in the light of reports from the establishment in which he or she is held. Factors which influence the decision to move a life sentence prisoner to a category C prison are whether the risk he or she presents is commensurate with category C security ; whether the prisoner has addressed any areas of concern, such as alcohol addiction, and the timing of the first review of his or her case by the Parole Board.
Establishments for women are not categorised on the same basis as those holding men. But the same general principles for a move to less secure conditions apply.
Crime Prevention
Mr. Channon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of police expenditure is devoted to crime prevention ; and what steps he is taking to increase the proportion.
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Mr. Charles Wardle : Many of the 128,000 police officers in England and Wales are involved in crime prevention to a greater or lesser extent but it is not possible to identify what percentage of police expenditure this represents. Nearly 1,000 of these officers are employed as crime prevention specialists. In 1992-93 the estimated expenditure on the police increased to £5.9 billion, an increase in real terms of 83 per cent. since 1978-79.
On 13 November 1992, following consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Home Office sent a circular letter to chief officers of police with the aim of consolidating and expanding crime prevention activities through each force. The circular recommends that each force should develop a crime prevention strategy and that specialist crime prevention officers should be integrated into local command management units in order to allow greater co-ordination of crime prevention and operational policing. Chief officers are encouraged to deploy beat officers for crime prevention surveys while employing the expertise of the crime prevention specialist within crime management teams.
Crimes Committed on Bail
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many defendants have committed further crimes while on bail in each of the last seven years ; and if he will provide a breakdown of the seriousness of the crimes committed in the first instance, and those committed while on bail.
Mr. Maclean : Figures on the numbers remanded on bail are published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", table 8.5. These are broken down by seriousness of offence into indictable, summary, other than motoring, and summary motoring. The figures for the last seven years are shown in the following table.
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Number of persons remanded on bail
(Thousands)
Offence Group |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indictible |248.1 |268.0 |277.2 |271.0 |304.6 |314.7 |321.8
Summary (other than motoring) |36.9 |43.8 |48.7 |69.9 |76.0 |72.8 |71.0
Summary motoring |28.8 |33.5 |38.2 |51.7 |61.3 |65.0 |65.9
|--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Total |314.0 |345.2 |364.0 |392.6 |441.9 |452.5 |458.7
Information on the numbers offending while on bail is not collected centrally. A Home Office research report, "RPU report 65, Offending while on bail ; a survey of recent studies", gives some information on recent studies relating to offences while on bail. The survey concludes that, on average, between 10 and 12 per cent. of defendants are subsequently convicted of an offence committed while on bail and nowhere was the figure more than 17 per cent. A copy of this report is available in the Library of the House.
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Convictions and Acquittals
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many defendants have been convicted in (a) the magistrates courts and (b) the Crown courts in each of the last seven years ; how many cases have been dismissed in the magistrates courts and how many acquittals there have been in the Crown courts ; and what each figure represents as a percentage of the cases brought.
Mr. Maclean : The information is given in the tables.
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Table A Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for all offences by type of offence and result 1986-1992 England and Wales Year/result Indictable Summary non-motoring Summary motoring All offences [NL] |Number |Per cent |Number |Per cent |Number |Per cent |Number ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1986 Prosecutions |460,152 |100 |501,533 |100 |1,166,729 |100 |2,128,414 |100 Found guilty |302,311 |66 |438,300 |87 |1,041,657 |89 |1,782,268 |84 Dismissed |14,324 |3 |11,471 |2 |14,664 |1 |40,459 |2 1987 Prosecutions |485,175 |100 |499,920 |100 |829,135 |1rosecutions|491,455 |100 Found guilty |292,581 |60 |451,317 |84 |699,618 |86 |1,443,516 |79 Dismissed |16,218 |3 |13,599 |3 |13,654 |2 |43,471 |2 1989 Prosecutions |445,742 |100 |563,641 |100 |827,713 |100 |1,837,096 |100 Found guilty |253,646 |57 |466,937 |83 |705,905 |85 |1,426,488 |78 Dismissed |15,282 |3 |15,979 |3 |15,585 |2 |46,846 |3 1990 Prosecutions |464,939 |100 |571,737 |100 |828,272 |100 |1,865,948 |100 Found guilty |259,412 |56 |461,102 |81 |690,273 |83 |1,410,787 |76 Dismissed |16,601 |4 |17,476 |3 |17,387 |2 |51,464 |3 1991 Prosecutions |486,241 |100 |567,862 |100 |876,790 |100 |1,930,893 |100 Found guilty |257,512 |53 |448,234 |79 |699,156 |80 |1,404,902 |73 Dismissed |18,916 |4 |18,349 |3 |22,186 |3 |59,451 |3 1992 Prosecutions |487,636 |100 |595,784 |100 |921,909 |100 |2,005,329 |100 Found guilty |247,282 |51 |465,795 |78 |710,227 |77 |1,423,304 |71 Dismissed |19,338 |4 |19,153 |3 |25,512 |3 |64,003 |3 Note: Found guilty and Dismissed will not total to Prosecutions which also includes "discontinuances", "discharge under section 6 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980", "charge withdrawn" and "committed for trial".
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Table B
Persons tried at the Crown Court for all offences by type of offence and result
1986-1992
England and Wales
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Immigration Procedures
Sir Ivan Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what effect the European Economic Area agreement will have on immigration procedures.
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Mr. Charles Wardle : As from 1 January 1994, when the European Economic Area agreement enters into force, nationals of Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden will benefit from European Community rights of free movement and residence. Nationals of these countries will be treated in the same way as European Community nationals for immigration purposes. This means they may work here and reside freely in accordance with Community law and they will be admitted to the United Kingdom on production of a valid passport or national identity card and may use the separate channel for EC/EEA nationals at major ports and airports.
Active Termination of Life
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what inquiries have been made by his Department in connection with the statement of 11 November by Mr. Richard Turner of the western European department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, that non-voluntary active termination of life is a practice which occurs in the United Kingdom, although it is illegal ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) how many cases of non-voluntary active termination of life by medical personnel have been notified to his Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available ; in how many of those cases prosecutions were brought ; and in how many convictions were obtained.
Mr. Maclean [holding answers 14 December 1993] : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to her question by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 14 December, column 574.
Drugs
Sir Malcolm Thornton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to publish the findings of his Department's surveys of drug usage.
Mr. Maclean : I am today publishing a report by the university of Sheffield, "Drug usage and Drugs Prevention : the views and habits of the general public" ; together with a summary of that report ; and "Research Findings No. 7 : self-reported drug misuse in England and Wales : main findings from the 1992 British Crime Survey". Copies of all three documents are being placed in the Library.
PRIME MINISTER
Policy Objectives
Mr. Tracey : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the policy objectives of the Government which have been fulfilled since the general election of 1992.
The Prime Minister : Among the more important objectives fulfilled since the last general election have been getting inflation down and keeping it down so that it now stands at 1.4 per cent., the lowest level for 26 years ; the continuing fall in unemployment, for the eighth month running this year ; the achievement of a successful GATT deal which will benefit industry and consumers alike ; the continuing rise in retail sales and manufacturing output ; reforms of the education system to provide children with a better education and a wider choice of qualifications and parents with more information ; an intensified fight against crime ; the continuing progress with the citizens charter, with resulting improvements in public services ; and further progress with NHS reforms and an increase in the number of patients treated.
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Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister when he received a copy of the letter signed by members of the United States Congress, the Japanese Diet and right hon. and hon. Members appealing for a public inquiry on and review of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.
The Prime Minister : A copy of the letter was received in my office on Monday 13 December and has now been passed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment for consideration.
Regional and Urban Policy
Mr. Stern : To ask the Prime Minister if he will detail the duties of sponsor Ministers in relation to regional and urban policy.
The Prime Minister : The duties of sponsor Ministers in relation to regional and urban policy are set out in a note placed in the Library of the House by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 4 November, Official Report, columns 515-24, when he announced the package of urban and regional policy measures. A copy of that note has been sent to my hon. Friend. In carrying out their duties, sponsor Ministers will liaise as necessary with hon. Members.
Scott Inquiry
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy towards the correction of answers given to Parliament where civil servants responsible for drafting, or Ministers or former Ministers have told the Scott inquiry that they were inaccurate.
The Prime Minister : Lord Justice Scott's inquiry is still in progress : his conclusions will be published in the inquiry's report. The Government will respond to the report when it is published and hon. Members will then be able to table questions on the report and on the Government's response.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister what contact, either by written communication or telephone or telefax, his office has had with Mr. Frank Machon of Glasgow in regard to matters raised at the Scott inquiry.
The Prime Minister : Mr. Machon wrote to my office once during 1991, and once in 1992. In addition, the Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Mr. Marshall) wrote on three occasions on Mr. Machon's behalf during 1992.
Ex-Ministers
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to this answer of 7 December, Official Report, column 143, if he will name (a) the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office who recieved a severence payment on 14 April 1992 (b) the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office who received a severance payment on 27 April 1992.
The Prime Minister : Lord Belstead's appointment as Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, ceased on 14 April 1992. On 27 April, Lord Cavendish resigned as a Lord in Waiting, but was erroneously referred to as Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office.
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EC Directives
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral statement of 13 December, Official Report, ‡column 686, if he will publish a list of the 17 directives which the European Council agreed should be repealed, withdrawn or amended.
The Prime Minister : The 17 directives are listed in an annexe to the Commission's report on subsidiarity, which has been made available to the House. The Brussels European Council on 10 and 11 December called for early action to put the report into effect.
Home and Justice Affairs
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Prime Minister what matters were agreed in principle at the European Council in Brussels on 10 to 11 December concerning home and justice affairs ; when such matters were debated in the House, or any of its Standing Committees ; and when he expects publication of conventions of the European Union incorporating these matters.
The Prime Minister : The European Council expressed its determination to use the new provisions of the Maastricht treaty on co- operation in the field of justice and home affairs to the full. It noted the work which had already been done in these areas and approved the action plan prepared by the Interior and Justice Council, in particular in relation to a number of specific areas. The Government followed the practice adopted for the former immigration/Trevi ministerial meetings and deposited in the Library of the House documents approved by the Interior and Justice Council on 29 and 30 November. The action plan and work programmes sent to the European Council have now also been placed in the Library. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department has made proposals for future parliamentary oversight of title VI work, which will include sending to Parliament important documents before they go to the Council. We look forward to the House's reaction to these proposals and to putting an effective scrutiny procedure in place. Any conventions that are found to be necessary to achieve the aims of the interior and justice programme of work will be dealt with in accordance with this procedure.
Correspondence
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Prime Minister what proportion of correspondence received by (a) his office and (b) each of his office's agencies receives (i) an acknowledgement within five days and (ii) a substantive reply within 15 days.
The Prime Minister : My office aims to acknowledge correspondence within five days and provide a substantive reply within 15 days.
South Africa
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister if it is Her Majesty's Government's policy to encourage South Africa under a majority Government to join the Commonwealth.
The Prime Minister : While it will be for the new democratically elected Government in South Africa to
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decide on whether it should seek to return to the Commonwealth, Her Majesty's Government and their Commonwealth partners look forward to welcoming a non-racial and democratic South Africa back into the association at the earliest opportunity.Civil Servants
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Prime Minister what Civil Service rules or guidelines exist in relation to contact between civil servants and hon. Members and their personal staff ; whether there have been any recent changes to any such rules or guidelines ; and if he will place copies of any such rules or guidelines in the Library.
The Prime Minister : There have been no recent changes in guidelines concerning briefing of MPs by civil servants.
It is an established principle that civil servants should not engage in activities likely to call into question their political impartiality, or to give rise to criticism that people paid from public funds are being used for party political purposes. Accordingly, the following rules apply :
(a) civil servants in their official capacity are prohibited from attending conferences arranged by political parties ;
(b) they may not attend meetings of policy or subject groups of the parliamentary parties ;
(c) they may not attend all-party subject groups or committees except to accompany a Minister and to respond to factual questions ; (d) these rules need not inhibit factual briefing by officials of MPs on overseas or regional visits ;
(e) Ministers may also arrange factual briefings by officials, for MPs of one party provided that a Minister attends the meeting and similar facilities are offered to MPs of other parties ;
(f) Ministers should always be present when MPs are to discuss sensitive areas of public policy with officials.
Written briefing material provided by officials to Ministers may be distributed to Back-Bench Members provided that it would be released to any bon fide inquirer and that hon. Members of all parties may have access to it.
The rules do not prevent agency chief executives and managers of local offices, with the Minister's approval, from communicating with hon. Members about problems of individual constituents.
The convention governing pre-election contacts between senior civil servants and Opposition leaders was set out in my reply to a written question by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 27 November 1991, at column 527.
Post Office Privatisation
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Prime Minister when he received the report from the hon. Member for Gainsborough and Horncastle (Mr. Leigh) on the privatisation of the Post Office ; and if he has now completed his consideration of it.
The Prime Minister : I have received a number of papers from colleagues at the Department of Trade and Industry arising from the review of the structure and organisation of the Post Office, both before and since the departure from the Government of my hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough and Horncastle. No decisions on the outcome of the review have been taken.
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Northern Ireland
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out his views on the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The Prime Minister : I support it and will uphold it for so long as it remains the democratic wish of a greater number of the people in Northern Ireland.
Subsidiarity
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the European Commission's lists of (a) proposals which fail the subsidiarity test and will be dropped or changed and (b) Community laws which the Commission believes must be simplified or abolished, to which he referred in his oral statement of 14 December 1992, Official Report, column 24, on the European Council at Edinburgh ; and what progress has been made in the past year on each of those directives.
The Prime Minister : The lists referred to by my hon. Friend were included as an annexe to the conclusions of the Edinburgh European Council, copies of which were made available to the House. Details of progress are contained in the Commission's report on subsidiarity, which has been made available to the House.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Special Advisers
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are made to ensure that special advisers to Ministers in his Department do not have access to the kind of information, and are not involved in the type of business, that would be likely to create suspicion of impropriety in relation to subsequent employment.
Mr. Goodlad : Care is taken to ensure that special advisers do not have access to the kind of information likely to create suspicion of impropriety. They are not involved in evaluating tenders or letting contracts.
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names and job descriptions of each special ministerial adviser employed in his Department showing any particular outputs for which each adviser is responsible.
Mr. Goodlad : The special advisers to this Department are Michael Maclay and Maurice Fraser.
Their duties vary.
European Election Boundaries
Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the progress towards ratification of the new European election boundaries in each member country of the EC.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Ireland, Denmark, Belgium and Germany have notified the Council secretariat that they have completed the necessary procedures for the implementation of the Council decision increasing the
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