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Sir John Wheeler : A copy of any surveys which are not confidential will be placed in the Library as soon as they become available.

Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 18 February, Official Report, column 1034, what is the budgeted and actual cost of each advertising and publicity campaign listed for 1993-94.

Sir John Wheeler : The information requested is set out in the table :


Campaign                               |Budgeted                              |Actual                                                                                                              
                                       |cost                                  |cost                                                                                                                
                                                                              |(to date)                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Annual Fire Safety Week                |30,000                                |27,000                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Drink Driving                          |333,000                               |312,000                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Speeding                               |58,000                                |20,000                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Seat Belts                             |139,000                               |139,000                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Dipped Headlights                      |38,000                                |25,000                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Organ Donor Card                       |20,000                                |17,000                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Keep Warm, Keep Well Winter Warmth                                                                                                                                                                 
 Campaign                              |40,000                                |39,648                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
NIE Share Offer                        |621,000                               |527,813                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Energy Management Assistance Scheme    |10,000                                |12,441                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Help the Earth Week                    |200,000                               |236,882                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Homes Insulation Scheme                |35,000                                |34,840                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Airport Signs                          |19,500                                |19,500                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
To promote the role of Innovation and                                                                                                                                                              
 Research and Development              |30,000                                |27,381                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Confidential Telephone                 |608,000                               |608,000                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Crime Prevention Awareness             |163,000                               |<1>115,000                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
The Business Radio Programme           |14,000                                |14,000                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
NVQ General Awareness Campaign         |46,000                                |46,000                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
YTP Campaign to Increase Recruitment   |15,000                                |14,800                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Jobscene (Northern Ireland) Exhibition |15,500                                |15,580                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Overseas Export Marketing Programme    |10,000                                |12,000                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Disablement Advisory Service Campaign  |33,500                                |33,786                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Employers Forum on Disability          |10,000                                |10,000                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
National Continence Week                                                                                                                                                                           
 (13-18 March 1994)                    |30,000                                |<2>-                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
European Year of Older People          |None                                  |21,798                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Overseas Awareness Raising Programme   |385,000                               |<2>-                                                                                                                
<1>Estimate.                                                                                                                                                                                       
<2>Not yet available.                                                                                                                                                                              

Reservoirs (Filter Sludge)

Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether contaminated filter sludge from reservoirs is being regularly dumped into rivers ; if such dumping requires the approval of the Department of Environment (Northern Ireland) ; and where contaminated sludge from Killylane reservoir is dumped.

Mr. Tim Smith : It is not the practice of the Department of the Environment to discharge filter sludges produced as part of the water treatment process to rivers. Sludge from Killylane water treatment works is spread on land within the catchment area above the reservoir.

Teachers

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many newly qualified teachers were appointed to permanent teaching posts by each education board in 1993.

Mr. Ancram : Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the latest figures available from the annual survey carried out by the Northern Ireland Council for Educational Research indicate that, in the


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spring term 1993, of those teachers holding permanent posts in grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland, 292 had qualified from initial teacher training institutions in 1992.

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people (a) graduated or qualified and (b) failed in teacher training in each of the teacher training colleges and universities in 1993.

Mr. Ancram : The information is as follows :


1993                             |Number who                         
                                 |graduated or                       
                                 |qualified                          
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Stranmillis College of Education |203                                
St. Mary's College of Education  |186                                
Queen's University               |220                                
University of Ulster             |160                                

Fire Services (Merseyside)

5. Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the standard spending assessment for fire services in Merseyside.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The Merseyside fire and civil defence authority's standard spending settlement for 1994-95 has been determined by reference to a distributional formula which was discussed with the local authority associations.

Right of Silence

17. Mrs. Angela Knight : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had from the police regarding his proposals on the right of silence.

Mr. Howard : The police have expressed their support for these proposals.

War Crimes Act 1991

18. Mr. Cyril D. Townsend : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are currently employed on work flowing from the War Crimes Act 1991.

Mr. Charles Wardle : There are 11 police officers, who form part of the Metropolitan police war crimes unit, engaged full time on work flowing from this Act.

Fire and Civil Defence Authorities

19. Mr. O'Hara : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at which point in the financial year he had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Environment over the funding of fire and civil defence authorities for the execution of their statutory duties in the following financial year.

Mr. Charles Wardle : Decisions about the local government finance settlement and service provision are taken collectively by Ministers and announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment.


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Discussions between the Department of the Environment and the Home Office at official level take place from time to time on the lead up to these decisions. My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary did not have separate discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment about fire and civil defence authorities.

Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the reasons for exemption from the requirement for local public inquiries of the combination schemes relating to proposed new fire authorities in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The proposal to establish three combined fire authorities in Wales in place of the present eight was made in the White Paper on the future of local government in Wales published in March 1993. It has since been discussed in the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council and interested parties have had the opportunity to make representations and, in the case of three of the existing fire authorities in Wales, to meet me to discuss the proposals. Also, clause 23 of the Local Government (Wales) Bill requires my right hon. and learned Friend to give notice of the general nature of the proposed combination schemes to the appropriate authorities and to consider any representations that they make. In the light of these factors, we see no need for public inquiries.


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Prisoners (Police Cells)

20. Mr. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are being held in police stations in Greater Manchester.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The number of prisoners held in police cells in Greater Manchester overnight on Tuesday 8 March was 169.

Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners on average were being held in each of the police stations in the Merseyside area for each month since January 1993, and for each day so far in March 1994 ; what is the consequent cost in police overtime in each police cell on Merseyside for these duties ; how many police officers are being taken off other duties for these purposes ; and what reasons he has established for the trends in these figures.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : From 1 January 1993 to 5 February 1993 an average total of 30 prisoners were held each night in police stations in the Merseyside area. The use of police cells ceased on 6 February 1993. Police cells in the Merseyside area came into use again on 20 February 1994, as follows :


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              Police Stations                                                                           
             |Bridewell   |Stanley Road|Kirby       |Crosby      |St. Helens  |Total                    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1994                                                                                                    
February 20  |54          |0           |0           |0           |0           |54                       
February 21  |54          |0           |0           |0           |0           |54                       
February 22  |54          |0           |0           |0           |0           |54                       
February 23  |54          |0           |0           |0           |0           |54                       
February 24  |62          |0           |0           |0           |0           |62                       
February 25  |60          |0           |0           |0           |0           |60                       
February 26  |65          |0           |0           |0           |0           |65                       
February 27  |27          |12          |12          |0           |0           |51                       
February 28  |39          |10          |9           |10          |0           |68                       
                                                                                                        
March 1      |35          |10          |8           |10          |0           |63                       
March 2      |41          |3           |3           |10          |0           |57                       
March 3      |41          |8           |0           |8           |8           |65                       
March 4      |44          |7           |0           |7           |7           |65                       
March 5      |44          |7           |0           |7           |6           |64                       
March 6      |44          |7           |0           |7           |6           |64                       
March 7      |36          |10          |9           |11          |9           |75                       

Information about costs is not yet available. The Prison Service will deal with reimbursement of expenditure incurred by police in accordance with the provisions of Home Office circular 36/1993, issued on 6 October 1993 to clerks to police authorities and chief officers of police.

Details of number of police officers performing duties concerned with the holding of prisoners is not yet available centrally. It is understood these duties are being carried out by officers working their rest days.

Between the end of December 1993 and the end of February 1994, the prison population in the north of England rose by just over 1,200. Prison accommodation pressures in the North will be eased by the reopening of Manchester prison, now under way, and the opening of the new prison at Doncaster in June. Rescheduling of refurbishment work at other prisons will also increase the availability of places during 1994.

Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of prisoner


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nights for which prisoners were held in police cells, for the months of January and February, broken down by police authority, and the cost to each authority.

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 Joan Ruddock, dated 10 March 1994 :

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of prisoner nights for which prisoners were held in police cells in January and February.

Details are as follows :


Month              |Prisoner nights   |Police force                         
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 1994       |16                |Greater Manchester                   
February 1994      |3,394             |Greater Manchester                   
February 1994      |474               |Merseyside                           
February 1994      |315               |Lancashire                           
February 1994      |156               |Humberside                           
February 1994      |139               |South Yorkshire                      
February 1994      |91                |Northumbria                          
February 1994      |3                 |Cumbria                              
Information about costs is not yet available. The Prison Service will       
deal with reimbursement of expenditure incurrerd by police in accordance    
with the provisions of Home Office Circular 36/1993, issued on 6 October    
1993 to Clerks to Police Authorities and Chief Officers of Police.          

Drugs

21. Mrs. Jane Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on his proposals to combat the use of drugs.

Mr. Maclean : Apart from several general inquiries from members of the public, we have had forwarded by Members of Parliament nine letters this year on the proposed increase in fines for the illegal possession of class B and class C drugs.

Prison Officers (Attacks)

23. Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of attacks made on prison officers in prisons in England and Wales during the year 1993.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : A total of 2,835 prisoners were found guilty of assaults on prison staff in 1993 under the prison disciplinary system. This includes offences of attempting, inciting and assisting assaults.

Crime Detection

24. Ms Coffey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what extra resources he is going to make available for the detection of crime.

Mr. Charles Wardle : Since 1978-79 the Government have increased expenditure on the police service by 87 per cent. in real terms and we are introducing measures to free up more police officers from administrative tasks for front-line duties.

It is for the chief constables to decide how to deploy their resources to the best effect within their force area and the Home Secretary has set key national objectives to assist them in determining their priorities.

Police Gloucestershire

25. Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about police levels in Gloucestershire.

Mr. Charles Wardle : My right hon. and learned Friend has received 12 letters from hon. Members and 20 letters from members of the public. A request from Gloucestershire police authority for additional officers is currently being considered.

Gallows

26. Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many operational sets of gallows there are in the United Kingdom ; and when he next expects them to be used.


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Mr. Maclean : There are no operational gallows in any Prison Service establishments in the United Kingdom.

Motor Vehicle Insurance

27. Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will require police authorities to take further steps to ensure that motor vehicles are properly insured and licensed.

Mr. Charles Wardle : No. The enforcement of road traffic law is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police.

Police Negotiating Board

29. Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he has received from the Police Negotiating Board concerning progress with the current round of negotiations.

Mr. Charles Wardle : None. My right hon. and learned Friend has asked the Police Negotiating Board to let him have its

recommendations by 3 April 1994.

Criminal Justice System

30. Mr. Heald : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what weight he attaches to the prison population as a measure of the success of the criminal justice system ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Maclean : The Government's criminal justice policy objectives include the prevention of crime as well as the conviction and appropriate punishment of those who commit it. Prison population figures cannot in isolation be seen as a measure of either the success or the failure of the criminal justice system in its response to crime.

Persistent Offenders

Mr. Harris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to ensure that cautions are not used for persistent offenders ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Maclean : The new guidance on cautioning which I am about to issue to the police will make it clear that a second caution should be considered only where the second offence is trivial, or where it has been committed long enough after the first caution to suggest that the first one had some effect. People who offend persistently must expect to be prosecuted.

House Breaking

Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the percentage increase in crimes of house breaking made known to the police over the most recent five-year period for which figures are available.

Mr. Charles Wardle : Recorded offences of burglary in a dwelling increased by 47 per cent. in England and Wales between 1987 and 1992.

Hilda Murrell

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will re-examine the case of the murder of Hilda Murrell of Shrewsbury.


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Mr. Howard : The investigation of this murder is the responsibility of the chief constable of West Mercia constabulary, who will consider any new evidence which becomes available.

Terrorism

Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve the legislation dealing with terrorism.

Mr. Howard : We keep the legislation under close review. In last year's Criminal Justice Act we strengthened the measures against terrorist finance. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill, which is currently in Committee, contains new powers for the police to stop and search vehicles and persons for counter-terrorist purposes and creates two new terrorist offences.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of victims compensated for criminal injury during the past year ; what was the total and average paid to them in that year and five, 10 and 15 years ago ; and if he will make a statement on proposals to alter the terms of compensation for victims of criminal injury.

Mr. Maclean : Details of the new arrangements for compensating blameless victims of violent crime were published in a White Paper on 15 December 1993--Cm. 2434. The new scheme is based on a tariff of awards and starts on 1 April. Victims will find the new scheme simpler and quicker than the one it supersedes. It will help restrain the spiralling costs of the present arrangements and make future expenditure more predictable and controllable.

Annex A to the White Paper gave full historical details of awards made under the scheme. The information is extracted from that table.


Financial year |Number of     |Total         |Average                      
               |awards made   |compensation  |award                        
                              |paid          |(£)                          
                              |£ (million)                                 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1992-93        |36,638        |152.5         |4,162                        
1987-88        |20,991        |52.0          |2,479                        
1982-83        |19,733        |29.4          |1,492                        
1977-78        |14,052        |10.1          |719                          

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was (a) the number of claims, (b) the total sum paid out, (c) the average amount per case and (d) the maximum, minimum and average time taken to deal with claims for criminal injuries compensation for the last available year.

Mr. Maclean : In the year ended 31 March 1993 the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board received 65,977 new applications and paid out a total of £152.217 million. The average award was £4,162.

The board does not maintain statistics on the time taken to deal with cases in the form requested. However, paragraph 6 of the 29th annual report of the board--Cm 2421--a copy of which is held in the Library of the House, provides some information about the time taken to resolve cases.


Column 358

Amusement with Prizes Machines

Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what discussions he has had with the Department of Trade and Industry over the task force recommendation in respect of amusement with prizes machines in licensed betting offices ; and whether he will make a statement ;

(2) what correspondence he has received in respect of amusement with prizes machines in licensed betting offices ; whether he will make a statement ;

(3) whether he has plans for future discussions with the Betting Office Licencees Association in respect of amusement with prizes machines in licensed betting offices.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Policy on this issue is currently under review following the task force recommendation, and we will consult as necessary with interested parties. The outcome of the review will be made known in due course.

Correspondence on the issue has been received from a number of Members of the House.

Mandatory Life Sentences

Mr. Gunnell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners serving the mandatory life sentence for murder have been released on life licence during the last 15 years.

Mr. Maclean : The available information is published annually in successive volumes of "Prison Statistics England and Wales"--table 8.5 of the latest volume, for 1991, Cm 2157--a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.

Mr. Gunnell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a list of those prisoners serving the mandatory life sentence for murder who have been released on life licence during the last 15 years.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : I will write to the hon. Member.

Bridgewater Three

Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the safety of the convictions of the Bridgewater Three ; and when he plans to make a statement.

Mr. Maclean : A number of representations have been received from hon. Members and others about the safety of these convictions. The latest representations from the men's solicitors were received between June 1993 and February 1994. We understand that more may follow. We have asked the police to make inquiries into some of the matters raised. When those inquiries have been completed, my right hon. and learned Friend will consider, in the light of all the information available, whether there are grounds on which it would be right for him to take action in respect of any of the convictions.

Neck Holds

Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the police forces whose officers have been trained in the use of neck holds as a restraint technique-procedure ; in the case of each such


Column 359

police force, what guidelines, advice or training has been given to officers as to the potential dangers of the use of neckholds ; and when such guidelines, advice or training were issued ;

(2) whether police officers in Cleveland police force had had the benefit of guidelines, advice or training in the use of neck holds in July 1990 ;

(3) whether police officers in the West Midlands police force had had the benefit of guidelines, advice or training in the use of neck holds in February 1987 ;

(4) what circular instructions, guidelines or advice the Home Office has issued to police forces in England and Wales concerning the potential dangers of the use of neck holds as a restraint.

Mr. Charles Wardle : Training in self-defence and restraint is included in the initial training given to all police probationers at police district training centres. Cleveland and West Midlands police officers have received the same basic training as all forces. In 1992 a manual on police self-defence and restraint was issued by the central planning unit. A copy of the manual is in the Library of the House.

The manual is being reviewed and the incidents in Cleveland in July 1990 and in the West Midlands in February 1987 will be taken into account. It is not feasible for the guidance to be prescriptive. What particular means of restraint is reasonable will depend on the circumstances of the case, the nature of any struggle and any weapons which the subject may be attempting to use to resist arrest. In all circumstances, police officers are bound by section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967 which provides that only such force as is reasonable to the circumstances may be used in making an arrest.

Doncaster Prison

Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Doncaster prison will receive its first prisoners ; how many prisoner places it will provide ; and when he expects that it will reach full capacity.

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 Joan Ruddock, dated 10 March 1994 :

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about Doncaster Prison.

The present plan is that Doncaster Prison will receive its first prisoners in July, although we shall accelerate this if possible. Premier Prison Services are contracted to provide 771 prisoner places, which is the certified normal accommodation. We expect to reach this level approximately two months after opening, depending on the requirements for places at the time.

Escorted Prisoner (Death)

Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Prison Service has yet received a copy of Commander Alex Marnoch's report into the death of Ernest Hogg, the prisoner who died while in the custody of Group 4 Court Escort Services Ltd. ; and if he will place a copy in the Library.


Column 360

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 Mrs Joan Ruddock, dated 10 March 1994 :

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about Mr. Marnoch's report into the death of Mr. Ernest Hogg. I have not yet received Mr. Marnoch's final report but I expect to do shortly.

It is not intended to place a copy of the report in the Library. It is not our practice to publish the reports of internal investigations which the Prison Service carries out for its own management purposes. There are two main reasons for this.

First, given the closed and potentially volatile nature of the prison environment, publishing reports into incidents could cause problems for the day to day operation and management of the prison system. Knowledge of their contents and conclusions could, for example, lead to reprisals against staff. Second, the prospect of publication could discourage witnesses from being totally candid in the information they provide. If they knew their identities were to be revealed, they might be at risk of being treated as informers. This could make it more difficult for the Prison Service to discover the truth, learn the appropriate lessons and take prompt and effective follow up action.

We will, however, publish the substance of Mr. Marnoch's main recommendations and the action taken to implement them as soon as we are in a position to do so.


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