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Mr. Key : Central Government support for local authority schemes in North Yorkshire has been provided as follows :
Year |Transport |Capital allocations
|supplementary |(until 1989-90) or
|grant (net) |credit approvals
|£ million |£ million
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985-86 |3.482 |8.500
1986-87 |3.562 |9.050
1987-88 |3.552 |8.870
1988-89 |1.925 |6.440
1989-90 |2.653 |7.330
1990-91 |3.444 |4.909
1991-92 |6.157 |9.321
1992-93 |6.452 |8.607
1993-94 |9.645 |12.463
1994-94 |4.298 |8.904
Motorcycles
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the research evidence on which he bases his Department's estimates on the effect of fitting leg protectors to all motorcycles on the incidence of death and serious injury to motorcylists.
Mr. Key : I refer the hon. Member to the Transport Research Laboratory's working paper WP/VS/213 entitled "TRRL Review of Research on Motorcycle Leg Protection--1991", a copy of which was placed in the Library in July 1992.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans exist for regulations applying to the United Kingdom requiring motorcycles to be fitted with leg protectors.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the European Commission proposal, Com 264B final, action programme on road safety, which refers to leg protection devices for mopeds, applies only to mopeds or to all motorcycles ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : The European Commission's action programme on road safety (COM 93 246 final) proposes, among other things, a new initiative in the field of "leg protection devices for mopeds", but translation inconsistencies in the document leave it unclear precisely what is intended. The United Kingdom proposes to clarify the matter in the Council working group to which consideration of the document has been remitted.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Videos
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were brought against those responsible for hiring video tapes of films with an 18 or 15 classification to those under age ; and how many resulted in convictions, for the last year for which figures were available.
Mr. Maclean : The Video Recordings Act 1984 does not differentiate the supply of a video recording of classified work for hire from other forms of commercial supply, such as the supply of a classified video for sale. In 1989, there was a total of 47 prosecutions and 42 convictions under the Act, of which one was a successful prosecution under section 11 of the Act relating to supply of a video recording in breach of the classification awarded. Information collected centrally from 1990 onwards does not identify separately offences committed under this specific Act from other summary offences.
Alexander Schweidler
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if immediate steps will now be taken to withdraw the United Kingdom citizenship of Alexander Schweidler ; and if he will make it his policy in future to refuse him entry into the United Kingdom on the grounds that his presence will not be conducive to the public good.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Where allegations of war crimes have been made against a British citizen or a person resident in the United Kingdom, they fall to be investigated by the police war crimes unit. Where a naturalised British citizen is involved, it would not be appropriate to consider deprivation of citizenship until those investigations had been completed. British citizens cannot be refused entry to the United Kingdom.
Dorothy Nwokedi
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 December, Official Report, column 535, whether valium was administered to Dorothy Nwokedi during her deportation on 9 July ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I understand that a port medical inspector at Gatwick airport made available to Mrs. Nwokedi a 5 milligram tablet of valium, which she took after take-off.
Marchioness
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many victims of the Marchioness disaster had their hands severed by the authorities ; and for what purpose this was done ; (2) who decided to sever the hands of some of the victims of the Marchioness disaster ;
(3) who decided which victims of the Marchioness disaster should have their hands severed.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I understand from the Westminster coroner that hands were removed from the
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decomposed bodies of 25 victims of the Marchioness disaster, for the purpose of enabling fingerprinting to be carried out to assist in the process of identification. This was done on the coroner's authority, in the light of advice from the Metropolitan police and the pathologist on the best methods of establishing the identity of the bodies concerned. The question of which bodies needed to have the hands removed was a matter for decision by a Metropolitan police senior fingerprinting officer. Coroners are independent judicial officers and Ministers have no authority to comment upon the way in which a coroner conducts his inquiries in any individual case.Fire Authority Report
Mr. O'Hara : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for what reasons he has not delivered to the chairman of the Merseyside fire and civil defence authority, Her Majesty's inspectorate's report on the inspection of the authority made in the summer of 1993 ;
(2) for how long he has had possession of the Her Majesty's inspectorate report on the inspection of the Merseyside fire and civil defence authority made in the summer of 1993 ;
(3) if he will instruct that Her Majesty's inspectorate's report on the Merseyside fire and civil defence authority be delivered immediately to the chairman of the authority ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The draft report was not completed and finalised until 17 November 1993. My right hon. and learned Friend approved publication of the report on 30 November and printing was completed on 20 December 1993.
Copies of the report were sent to the chief fire officer and the clerk to the authority on 21 December 1993. Copies will be available in the Library of the House and to the public from 11 January 1994.
Sentencing Policy
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library copies of the guidelines issued to magistrates with regard to sentencing policy in respect of guilty pleas ; and why the question from the hon. Member for Ilford, South of 18 October received no answer.
Mr. Maclean : A copy of the sentencing guidelines issued by the Magistrates Association to its members on 17 September 1993 has been placed in the Library. I regret that the hon. Member's question of 18 October was not answered. As I explained when I wrote to him on 9 December, this was because of an administrative error that occurred when the question was transferred from the Lord Chancellor's Department to the Home Office. A copy of that letter has also been placed in the Library.
Body Belts
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 December, Official Report, column 534, on what occasions in the last year a body belt has been used in a police station ; and what were the circumstances surrounding that use.
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Mr. Charles Wardle : I am not aware of any occasion in the past year in which a body belt has been used in a police station.
Quangos
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of all individuals who are or were members of the House of Lords who since 1979 have been appointed to any quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as
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justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.Mr. Michael Howard : Our records show that the following Members of the House of Lords have been appointed to Home Office
non-departmental public bodies. Salary details where readily available have been provided. I will write to my hon. Friend concerning details of those salaries not included in the reply.
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|Position |Dates |Salary
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The advisory committee on animal experiments
Lady Warnock |Member |1975-1979 |Non-salaried
Lady Warnock |Chairman |1979-1984 |Non-salaried
Lord Adrian |Member |1980-1985 |Non-salaried
Animal procedures committee (which replaced the advisory committee in 1987)
Lord Soulsby |Member |1987-1991 (re-appointed for a|Non-salaried
| second four period in 1991)
Lord Nathan |Chairman |1990-1993 |Non-salaried
Community development foundation
Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede |Chairman |1978-1983 |Non-salaried
Central fire brigades advisory council<1>
Lord Boston |Chairman |January-April 1979 |-
Lord Belstead |Chairman |May 1979-March 1982 |-
Lord Elton |Chairman |April 1982-May 1985 |-
Lord Glenarthur |Chairman |June 1985-August 1986 |-
Lord Caithness |Chairman |September 1986-April 1988 |-
Lord Ferrers |Chairman |May 1988-May 1993 |-
Gaming Board of Great Britain
Lord Allen of Abbeydale |Chairman |1980-1985 |Salary details unavailable
Horserace Betting Levy Board
Lord Plummer |Chairman |1980-1982 |Salary details unavailable
Horserace Totalisator Board
Duke of Devonshire |Chairman |1980-1986 |Salary details unavailable
Lord Wyatt |Chairman |1987-1995 |Salary of £92,000
Lord Chapple |Member |1986-1990 |Salary of £7,772
Alcohol Education and Research
Council
Lord Windlesham |Chairman |1981-1984 |Non-salaried
Viscount Colville of Culross |Chairman |1984-1990 |Non-salaried
Parole Board
Lord Henniker |Independent member |1979-1982 |Salary details unavailable
Lord Harris of Greenwich |Chairman |1979-1982 |Salary details unavailable
Lord Windlesham |Chairman |1982-1988 |Salary details unavailable
Viscount Colville of Culross |Chairman |1988-1992 |Salary of £27,040
Lord Belstead |Chairman |1992-1997 |Salary of £45,060
Advisory Committee on Service
Candidates
Lady Birk |Member |1984-present |Non-salaried
Lord Renton |Member |1984-present |Non-salaried
Lord Wigoder |Member |1984-present |Non-salaried
Lord Ferrers |Member |1987-present |Non-salaried
Lord Barnett |Member |1987-present |Non-salaried
Lord Kilmarnock |Member |1987-present |Non-salaried
Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow |Member |December 1988-March 1995 |Non salaried
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow |Chairman |March 1989-March 1995 |Salary of £32,420
Lord Macaulay of Bragar |Member |January 1989-March 1995 |Non salaried
Firearms Consultative Committee
Lord Kimball |Chairman |August 1989-July 1994 |Non salaried
Lord Shrewsbury |Member |September 1993 |Non salaried
<1>Junior Ministers who have served, ex officio, as the Council's chairmen. No separate salary is payable for this post.
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Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of all former hon. Members who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.
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Mr. Howard : Our records show that the following former hon. Members have been appointed to Home Office non-departmental public bodies :
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|Position |Dates |Salary
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community development foundation
Richard Luce |Trustee |1978-1979 |Non salaried
Guy Barnett |Trustee |1979-1985 |Non salaried
Roger Thomas |Trustee |1985-1988 |Non salaried
Michael Meadowcroft |Trustee |1986-1994 |Non salaried
David Belotti |Trustee |1992-1994 |Non salaried
Sir David Lane |Chairman |1983-1985 |Non salaried
Horserace betting levy board
Anna McCurley |Member |1988-1997 |Salary of £12,000
Alcohol education and research council
Right Hon. Christopher Chataway |Chairman |1991-1994 |Non salaried
Police complaints authority
Right Hon. Roland Moyle |Deputy Chairman |1985-1991 |£28,369-£35,995
John Cartwright |Member |October 1992 |£38,020
John Cartwright |Deputy Chairman |August 1993 |£42,400
Parole board
Mrs. Sheila Faith |Independent member|Since 1991 |Non salaried
Criminal injuries compensation board
Norman Miscampbell |Member |March 1993-1995 |Non salaried
Firearms consultative committee
Ben Ford |Member |1989-1991 |Non salaried
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of all former British representative members in the European Parliament who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.
Mr. Howard : The information requested is as follows :
Parole Board
Mrs. Sheila Faith, independent member since 1991, non-salaried.
Bowbelle
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department where, and at what time, an officer of the Metropolitan police boarded the Bowbelle on 20 August 1989 for the purpose of taking any statement from any member of its crew ; what statements were taken ; if they were available to the inspector conducting the inquiry ; whether they have been published ; and if he will place them in the Library.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I understand from the Commissioner that no Metropolitan police officers boarded the Bowbelle on 20 August 1989 with the purpose of taking a statement from any member of the crew.
Deported Jamaicans
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of those passengers from Jamaica who were refused entry to the
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United Kingdom when they arrived at Gatwick on 21 December 1993 ; if he will list the names of those passengers who were given temporary admission to the United Kingdom ; if he will list the names of those passengers who were detained at Campsfield House immigration detention centre ; and if he will give a summary as to why each passenger was refused entry to the United Kingdom.Mr. Charles Wardle : It is not our practice to disclose personal details of individuals with whom the Department has contact. Most of the passengers were refused entry because the immigration officer was not satisfied that they were genuine visitors who would return to Jamaica at the end of their visit. A small number were refused entry because they were apparently coming for settlement without the required entry clearance.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the opportunity given, in the time between the refusal to grant entry to the United Kingdom as visitors to Jamaican nationals at Gatwick on 21 December 1993 and their deportation from the United Kingdom, for passengers and their legal representatives to apply for judicial review of the refusal to grant entry ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Removal is normally arranged as soon as practicable for passengers held in detention following refusal of leave to enter. Removal directions will normally be deferred for a short time if an application for judicial review is lodged.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when each passenger from Jamaica,
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detained at Campsfield House from 21 December 1993, after being refused entry to the United Kingdom, was informed of their rights to legal advice and representation ; on what dates written explanations of reasons to grant entry to the United Kingdom were passed to solicitors ; for how many passengers such explanations were supplied ; and how many written explanations were outstanding when detainees were removed from the United Kingdom on 25 December 1993.Mr. Charles Wardle : Each passenger was given written reasons for refusal of entry and advised that they were free to contact their High Commission or anyone else that they wished. One firm of solicitors acting for an individual detainee sought written details of the refusal decision and these were provided on 23 December. Oral explanations were given to various firms of solicitors acting for a further 12 detainess between 23 and 24 December. No requests for explanations, either written or oral, were outstanding at the time of removal.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why Michael Lennon (Ref. : GAT 14116) was refused entry to the United Kingdom as a visitor at Gatwick on 21 December 1993 ; why applications by the hon. Member for Bradford, West for Mr. Lennon to ge given temporary admission to the United Kingdom were refused ; whether Mr. Lennon applied to settle in the United Kingdom ; whether Mr. Lennon inidicated he intended to seek employment in the United Kingdom ; whether Mr. Lennon was known to have any criminal convictions or known to have criminal associates in the United Kingdom ; whether he was in possession of any illegal substance when personally searched ; who was his sponsor in the United Kingdom ; whether he had a return air ticket to Jamaica ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I have written to the hon. Member.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors on flight YULE 966 from Kingston, Jamaica, were detained at Gatwick airport on 21 December 1993 ; and what were the reasons for their detention.
Mr. Charles Wardle : One hundred and seventy eight passengers were required to submit to further examination under the Immigration Act 1971 and were therefore detained at the airport while awaiting interview.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the decision to detain visitors from Kingston, Jamaica, at Gatwick airport on 21 December 1993 was a reflection of a change in policy by the Home Office.
Mr. Charles Wardle : No. We continue to welcome genuine visitors from all countries. There has been no change in the criteria for visitor cases generally or Jamaican citizens in particular.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from solicitors and others concerning entry procedures for those wishing to visit the United Kingdom following the deportation of Jamaicans on 25 December 1993 ; what action he has taken following such representations ; and what action he proposes to take.
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Mr. Charles Wardle : We had received on 7 January 44 letters from various individuals and organisations. They raised various issues but most were supportive of the action taken. Replies will be sent to individual correspondents as appropriate.
EC Visas
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the provisional list of countries whose nationals will require visas to visit the EC from 1996 ; what plans he has to include (a) Barbados and (b) the Bahamas on the list ; and what representations he has received from (i) these or (ii) other countries concerning their inclusion on any common visa list.
Mr. Charles Wardle : We await receipt from the Council Secretariat of the European Commission's proposals in respect of the list of countries whose nationals must be in possession of a visa when crossing the external borders of the member states. As soon as these proposals are received, they will be made available to Parliament in accordance with the normal scrutiny arrangements. No representations of the kind mentioned have been received.
Yardie Murderers
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of Yardie murderers entering the United Kingdom by absconding from temporary admission licences ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I am not aware of any case in which a convicted Yardie murderer has been granted temporary admission to the United Kingdom.
Immigration Documents
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of current instructions issued to immigration officers relating to those seeking to visit the United Kingdom ; and copies of documents given to those refused entry to the United Kingdom as visitors, including advice given about rights to legal advice and legal representation.
Mr. Charles Wardle : No. It is not the normal practice to publish internal instructions. The written notice given to passengers refused entry as visitors informs them that they may contact their high commission or anyone else who they think may be able to help. I shall send a copy of the relevant notice to the hon. Member and arrange for one to be placed in the Library.
Illegal Substances
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what illegal substances were found by (a) immigration officers and (b) police officers on passengers who arrived on charter or scheduled flights from the Caribbean arriving at Gatwick on 21 December 1993 ; if he will give details of the circumstances ; and how many passengers were charged with drugs-related offences.
Mr. Charles Wardle : No illegal substances were found by immigration officers. One passenger who had arrived on
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flight JQ001, on being searched by police prior to detention, was found to have in his possession a small amount of herbal cannabis. No passenger was charged with a drugs-related offence.Immigration Controls (Gatwick)
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) immigration officials and (b) police officers were on duty during the day at Gatwick South Terminal on 7 December 1993, 14 December 1993, 21 December 1993, 28 December 1993 and 4 January.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The total numbers of immigration officers, chief immigration officers and immigration inspectors on duty at Gatwick South over the 24 hour periods in question were :
|Numbers
---------------------------------
7 December 1993 |86
14 December 1993 |95
21 December 1993 |114
26 December 1993 |77
4 January 1994 |91
In addition, on 21 December an additional 20 officers from other Gatwick offices were deployed at Gatwick South on an ad hoc basis for varying periods throughout the day.
For security reasons it is not the normal practice for the police to provide details of the numbers of officers on duty on particular days. However, the number of police officers involved in handling the consequences of flight JQ001 at Gatwick South on 21 December varied during the day up to a maximum of 15.
Jamaican Citizens
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Jamaican citizens were (a) granted entry to visit the United Kingdom and (b) refused entry to visit the United Kingdom during 1993 ; and how many of these Jamaican citizens were in possession of visas to visit the United Kingdom.
Mr. Charles Wardle : In the period January to September 1993, 12, 000 Jamaican citizens were given leave to enter the United Kingdom as visitors and 418 were refused leave to enter, of whom six had an entry clearance or work permit. Correspondence data for the fourth quarter of 1993 are not yet available.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Jamaican high commissioner concerning the treatment of Jamaican nationals who arrived at Gatwick on 21 December 1993 and were refused entry to the United Kingdom as visitors ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : No written representations have been received from the Jamaican high commission, which has nonetheless maintained a close interest in the treatment of Jamaican citizens refused entry at Gatwick on 21 December.
Carrier Fines
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of carriers who have been fined under the Immigration (Carriers Liability)
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Act 1987 in connection with charter or scheduled flights to Gatwick from the Caribbean since 1 January 1993 to date ; if he will detail the total fine in each case ; what information officials received from any carrier or others about passengers from Jamaica arriving at Gatwick on 21 December 1993 ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Charles Wardle : It is not the practice to disclose information about individual carriers. Payments of £2,000 each were demanded in three such cases between 1 January 1993 and 7 January 1994. One of the passengers had travelled from Jamaica but none was a Jamaican citizen. The immigration service received information, including a passenger list, from United Kingdom Leisure about its flight on 21 December.
Legal Assistance Treaty
Sir Ivan Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States of America on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters comes into force and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Howard : I signed the treaty in Washington on 6 January 1994. The other co-signatory was the United States Attorney-General. The treaty will enter into force upon exchange of the instruments of ratification, which, in accordance with the terms of the treaty, will be as soon as possible. The treaty continues in force the drugs agreement entered into by the United Kingdom with the United States of America in 1988 and provides a binding framework within which the United Kingdom and the United States of America may provide a full range of mutual legal assistance covering all crimes. The United States of America is one of the United Kingdom's largest and most important mutual legal assistance partners. In the last two to three years, the United Kingdom and the United States of America have jointly handled more than two hundred requests for mutual legal assistance concerning fraud, drug trafficking and other serious offences. The treaty is a logical next step in the continuing process of collaboration between our two countries in the fight against serious and international crime.
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what amount of compensation Mr. James Bloomfield received under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board ; and what amount of compensation a person with identical injuries would receive under the new system.
Mr. Maclean : The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board does not give details of awards in individual cases, nor will its successor body, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
Deportation
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 December, Official Report, column 535, what plans he has to ensure that deportees are advised of the immunisations which the Department of Health recommended for the country to which they are travelling, and that they and any children accompanying them are entitled to such immunisations.
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Mr. Charles Wardle : The immigration service is considering the question of immunisation for those removed or deported under powers contained in the Immigration Act 1971, and their dependants, in consultation with other interested parties including the Department of Health. I will inform the hon. Member of the outcome.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) non-visa nationals, (b) asylum seekers and (c) others were refused entry to the United Kingdom, detained and deported, since the enactment of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 ; what was the minimum and maximum period in each case between an application to enter being lodged and deportation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Two hundred and twenty-one asylum seekers were refused leave to enter in the period 26 July to 31 December 1993 and have been removed from the United Kingdom. The majority were detained throughout their period of stay.
The minimum and maximum time periods between arrival and removal, and corresponding information on persons other than asylum seekers, is not readily available and could be obtained only at
disproportionate cost. The total number of persons removed in August and September as a result of being refused leave to enter was 2,973 ; some may have been refused leave to enter prior to August. Corresponding data for October 1993 onwards are not yet available.
Post Office (Thefts)
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of (a) assaults in the pursuit of robbery on Post Office delivery personnel and (b) theft of money or registered mail from Post Office vehicles have occurred in each of the last five years.
Mr. Maclean : The information requested is not collected centrally.
Squatters
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the police operation to remove the squatters from Rutland Park mansions on the morning of Sunday 12 December ; how many officers were involved ; how many people were arrested ; what led officers to believe that there would be violence ; what acts of violence were committed ; and whether the cost of the operation will be recovered from Brent council.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I understand from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police that approximate additional police costs, excluding the use of support services, for the operation were £11, 000. A total of 373 Metropolitan police officers were present. The police role was to prevent a breach of the peace. Prior intelligence had indicated that stong resistance might be offered to the enforcement of the order. In the event, there were no arrests and no acts of violence were committed. The Metropolitan police regard the orderliness of the eviction as a measure
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of the effectiveness of the police operation. They do not intend to seek recovery of any of the costs of the operation from the London borough of Brent.Rutland Park Mansions
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration is being given to charging councillors in Brent with wasting police time, following the eviction of squatters from Rutland Park Mansions on 12 December.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I understand from the Commissioner that no consideration is being given by the Metropolitan police to charging councillors in Brent with wasting police time.
Press Officers
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many press officers his Department has employed in each year since 1983.
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