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Local Government Reform
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the reform of English local government to be completed.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 7 February 1994] : The Local Government Commission has been directed to make final recommendations for change to local government structure, boundaries or electoral arrangements of the shire counties in England by the end of 1994. We expect to have completed implementation of any changes following from these recommendations by April 1997, subject to Parliament.
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the average numbers of staff in each local authority in England who are engaged in work connected with his plans for the reform of local government.
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Mr. Baldry [holding answer 7 February 1994] : We have made no such assessment ; this is a matter for individual authorities.
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many members of his Department are engaged on work connected with his plans for local government reform.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 7 February 1994] : Numbers may vary from time to time, but the branch directly responsible for issues arising from the Local Government Commission's reviews has 12 members of staff at present. Staff elsewhere in the Department are involved as necessary.
Showmen Sites
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement concerning the provision of permanent sites for showmen in the west midlands following his refusal on 21 January of appeals by J. Owen and the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 2 February 1994] : It is for local authorities in the west midlands to consider the needs of showpeople when preparing their development plans and determining planning applications. Guidelines relating to the provision of accommodation for showpeople are set out in Government circular 22/91.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Campsfield Detention Centre
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average total daily cost of detaining (a) an adult and (b) a child at the detention centre at Campsfield in Oxfordshire.
Mr. Charles Wardle : This information is commercially confidential and it would not be proper to disclose it.
Prison Conditions
Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisons in the United Kingdom, indicating which have slopping out ; what is his definition of overcrowding ; and which prisons are currently overcrowded.
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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Roland Boyes, dated 8 February 1994 :
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about slopping out and overcrowding.
The attached table lists Prison Service establishments in England and Wales, indicating those at which there is slopping out or overcrowding. The Prison Service does not have responsibility for prisons in other parts of the United Kingdom.
There are 31 establishments where there is still some element of slopping out but in many cases this involves very small numbers. At the end of December 1993, 89 per cent. of prisoners had full access to night sanitation facilities and this will rise to over 95 per cent. by the end of 1994.
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A Prison Service establishment is said to be overcrowded when the number of prisoners held in it is higher than its certified normal accommodation (CNA).
Establishments with slopping out or
overcrowding on 4 February 1994
Establishment |Cells without|Population
|sanitation |exceeding CNA
|(per cent.)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Acklington |0 |0
Albany |0 |0
Aldington |0 |0
Ashwell |0 |0
Askham Grange |0 |0
Aylesbury |210 |0
Bedford |0 |133
Belmarsh |22 |0
Birmingham |18 |130
Blakenhurst |0 |0
Blantyre House |0 |0
Blundeston |0 |0
Brinsford |0 |102
Bristol |102 |119
Brixton |179 |114
Brockhill |0 |103
Bullingdon |7 |0
Bullwood Hall |0 |0
Camp Hill |0 |0
Canterbury |0 |133
Cardiff |0 |129
Castington |0 |0
Channings Wood |0 |0
Chelmsford |0 |147
Coldingley |0 |0
Cookham Wood |0 |0
Dartmoor |167 |0
Deerbolt |0 |0
Dorchester |0 |141
Dover |0 |0
Downview |0 |0
Drake Hall |0 |0
Durham |202 |131
East Sutton Park |0 |0
Elmley |5 |0
Erlestoke |60 |0
Everthorpe |10 |0
Exeter |9 |141
Featherstone |0 |0
Feltham |15 |0
Finnamore Wood |0 |0
Ford |0 |0
Frankland |0 |0
Full Sutton |0 |0
Garth |0 |0
Gartree |12 |0
Glen Parva |0 |0
Gloucester |0 |117
Grendon |0 |0
Guys Marsh |0 |0
Haslar |0 |0
Hatfield |0 |0
Haverigg |0 |0
Hewell Grange |0 |120
Highdown |0 |0
Highpoint |0 |0
Hindley |0 |0
Hollesley Bay |11 |0
Holloway |0 |0
Holme House |0 |0
Hull |0 |142
Huntercombe |0 |0
Kingston |0 |0
Kirkham |0 |0
Kirklevington |0 |0
Lancaster |0 |0
Lancaster Farms |0 |0
Latchmere House |0 |0
Leeds |508 |139
Leicester |0 |168
Lewes |130 |126
Leyhill |0 |0
Lincoln |88 |136
Lindholme |0 |0
Littlehey |0 |0
Liverpool |390 |144
Long Lartin |0 |0
Low Newton |0 |131
Maidstone |0 |0
Manchester |0 |0
Moorland |1 |0
Morton Hall |0 |104
The Mount |0 |0
New Hall |0 |0
North Sea Camp |0 |0
Northallerton |0 |106
Norwich |15 |0
Nottingham |0 |0
Onley |0 |0
Parkhurst |40 |0
Pentonville |200 |121
Portland |156 |0
Prescoed |0 |0
Preston |346 |141
Pucklechurch |0 |107
Ranby |0 |0
Reading |0 |0
Risley |0 |0
Rochester |21 |0
Rudgate |0 |0
Send |0 |0
Shepton Mallet |0 |115
Shrewsbury |0 |176
Spring Hill |0 |0
Stafford |0 |0
Standford Hill |4 |0
Stocken |0 |0
Stoke Heath |0 |0
Styal |0 |112
Sudbury |0 |0
Swaleside |0 |0
Swansea |0 |116
Swinfen Hall |0 |0
Thorn Cross |0 |0
Thorp Arch |0 |0
Usk |0 |0
The Verne |0 |0
Wakefield |36 |101
Wandsworth |288 |102
Wayland |0 |0
Wellingborough |0 |109
Werrington |0 |0
Wetherby |0 |0
Whatton |5 |0
Whitemoor |0 |0
Winchester |0 |0
The Wolds |0 |102
Woodhill |0 |0
Wormwood Scrubs |333 |123
Wymott |0 |0
Prisoner Accommodation
Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to use Army camps and prison ships for accommodating prisoners.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange to a reply to be given.
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Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Roland Boyes, dated 8 February 1994.The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about prison ships and Army camps. The Prison Service is considering a number of options, including marine detention facilities and Army camps, as part of its contingency planning. The aim is to identify means for coping with any emergency where the prison population exceeds the available accommodation. There are no current plans to use either option.
Prison Violence
Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of violence between prisoners took place in each year since 1990.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Roland Boyes, dated 8 February 1994.
Violence between prisoners--
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many incidents of violence between prisoners took place in each year since 1990.
The information you have requested is given in the attached table.
Prison adjudications where inmate found guilty<1> of assault on
an inmate
or fighting, England and Wales, 1990-1993
Year
Offence |1990 |1991 |1992 |1993<1>
----------------------------------------------------------------
Assault on an inmate<2> |1,917 |1,944 |2,060 |2,344
Fighting<3> |5,915 |5,644 |5,865 |6,397
<1> Provisional figures.
<2> Includes attempting, inciting or assisting an assault on an
inmate.
<3> Includes inciting or assisting fighting.
Source: Statistics of offences against prison discipline and
punishment, England and Wales, 1990 (Cm 1651), 1991 (Cm 2066),
and 1992 (Cm 2411).
Drugs Prevention Initiative
Sir Ivan Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with his Department's drugs prevention initiative ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : I am publishing today the drugs prevention initiative's third annual progress report, which sets out an encouraging record of community-based drugs prevention activity in the 12 months 1 July 1992 to 30 June 1993, particularly in the 20 areas with local drugs prevention teams. I have placed a copy of the report in the Library.
European Elections (Voting)
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to inform EC nationals resident in the United Kingdom of their right to vote in the European elections ; and what arrangements will be made to allow EC national to register on the electoral roll to enable them to vote in the European elections.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Birmingham,
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Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) on 2 February at column 703. Application forms for Community citizens to apply for inclusion in the electoral register will be made available once the European Parliamentary Elections (Changes to the Franchise and Qualifications of Representatives) Regulations 1994 have been approval by Parliament.Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases in the last year for which figures are available the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board paid out compensation where a conviction had not been secured.
Mr. Maclean : I regret that this information is not available. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board does not collate information in such a way as to distinguish cases in which there has been a conviction for the crime giving rise to the claim for compensation.
Forged Passport
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recent deportation of a woman who arrived at Gatwick airport to meet a flight as a sponsor and was found to have a forged passport.
Mr. Charles Wardle : On 15 December 1993 a Jamaican woman was recognised by police officers at Gatwick airport and arrested on suspicion of being in breach of the immigration laws. She was interviewed under caution in the presence of a solicitor. In the light of the information available, she was judged to be an illegal entrant and was detained as such. She subsequently signed a notice that she wished to leave for Jamaica as soon as possible and did so on 22 December.
DNA Genetic Fingerprint Database
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for a national DNA genetic fingerprint database ; whether the database will be held on the police national computer ; and whether the database will include personal data which relate to individuals who have committed no crime.
Mr. Charles Wardle : My right hon. and learned Friend announced on 3 February that the Forensic Science Service and the Metropolitan police forensic science laboratory are to carry out a pilot study on the running of a national DNA database. The pilot study will be completed in March 1994 and it will include the development of the necessary IT software and hardware for a national database. No decisions have yet been taken on who will, in the long term, run the national database. The national intelligence database will contain only DNA records of stains from unsolved crimes and of convicted criminals but of no one else.
Juvenile Offenders
Mr. Marland : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juveniles were convicted of offences in Gloucestershire in the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Maclean : Information for 1992 is given in the table. Data for 1993 will not be available until the autumn.
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Number and percentage of juveniles<1> convicted at all
courts in
Gloucestershire police force area by type of offence 1992
Type of offence Juveniles All ages<2>
|Number |Per cent.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Indictable |236 |8 |2,916
Summary non-motoring |74 |2 |4,410
Summary motoring |36 |0 |9,728
Total |346 |2 |17,054
<1> Persons aged 10 and under 17 years.
<2> =100 per cent.
Mr. Marland : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the rate of re-offending by juveniles who have (a) been placed in secure accommodation and (b) been placed in alternative private residential homes or schools.
Mr. Maclean : The information requested is not available centrally.
Prisoners' Compact
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those prisons that, as at July 1993 (a) operated a prisoners' compact explaining the facilities available to prisoners whilst in prison and what was expected from them and (b) did not operate a prisoners' compact.
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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Hugh Bayley, dated 8 February 1994 :
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking him to list those prisons that, as at July 1993 (a) operated a prisoners' compact explaining the facilities available to prisoners whilst in prison and what was expected of them and (b) did not operate a prisoners' compact.
Listed below are those establishments which in June 1993 were operating prisoner compacts similar to the type described in the question :
Blantyre House
Brinsford
Bristol--(Pilot scheme in one wing)
Canterbury--(Unconvicted wing and Resettlement wing)
Cardiff--(Remand wing)
Deerbolt--(Pilot scheme)
Drake Hall
Erlestoke--(Education Department)
Haslar
Kirklevington Grange
Leyhill
Lindholme--(One wing)
Low Newton
Manchester--(Education Department)
Moorland
Swinfen Hall
Thorn Cross
Thorpe Arch
Werrington
Wetherby
Compacts were also being experimented with at the following establishments :
Bullwood Hall
Downview
Frankland
Hull
Column 157
Latchmere HouseMorton Hall
North Sea Camp
Norwich
Rudgate
Swaleside
Usk/Prescoed
Wakefield
Whitemoor
Wolds
Inspectorate of Constabulary
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inspectors the inspectorate of constabulary had in May 1993 ; and how many of these were lay inspectors.
Mr. Charles Wardle : In May 1993, there were seven inspectors of constabulary and one chief inspector of constabulary in Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary. There were no lay inspectors in post at that time.
Data Protection
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has held with the Data Protection Registrar on the applicability of each data
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protection principle to the definition of record in clause 43(4) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Peter Lloyd : Officials met with representatives of the Data Protection Registrar on 20 January to discuss the data protection issues arising from those clauses in the Bill which are concerned with the taking and retention of body samples. The views of the Data Protection Registrar will be taken fully into account during the passage of the Bill.
Remand Prisoners
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of remand prisoners brought to trial (i) between July 1992 and 30 June 1993 and (ii) 1 July 1991 and 30 June 1992 (a) had spent more than 56 days in custody since their first appearance at a magistrates court and (b) had spent more than 70 days from first appearance before magistrates to committal in the Crown court.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The readily available information, which is collected in sample weeks in February, June and October of each year for indictable offences--including either way--is given in the following table :
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Table 1 Period from first listing to completion in magistrates courts, for defendants remanded in custody throughout their proceedings, for indictable
offences, by type of proceedings
England and Wales Number and percentage
October 1991 to October 1992 to
June 1992<1> June 1993<1>
Type of proceedings |Number in |More than |More than |Number in |More than |More than
|sample |56 days |70 days |sample |56 days |70 days
|Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary trial
Guilty plea |254 |11 |6 |255 |7 |4
Not guilty plea |83 |22 |13 |77 |25 |13
Plea not recorded |27 |30 |12 |17 |24 |24
All summary trials |364 |15 |8 |349 |12 |7
Committal proceedings
Full committal |100 |71 |50 |91 |54 |35
Paper committal |617 |37 |19 |532 |18 |10
All committal proceedings |717 |42 |24 |623 |23 |14
Other proceedings |65 |14 |2 |82 |5 |4
All proceedings |1,146 |32 |17 |1,054 |18 |11
<1>Based on proceedings completed in sample weeks of February, June and October of each year.
Name Badges (Police Officers)
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those police services in Great Britain in which uniformed police officers on the beat (a) wear and (b) do not wear name badges.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Information is not available in the form requested. Name badges are worn by some or all officers in the following police forces in England and Wales :
Bedfordshire
Cheshire
Cleveland
Devon and Cornwall
Dyfed-Powys
Essex
Greater Manchester
Kent
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
South Wales
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