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University Students
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students from (a) Germany and (b) the Republic of Ireland are currently enrolled at each university in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Ancram : Available information relates to full-time undergraduate students and is as follows :
|1993-94
---------------------------------------------
Germany
Queen's University, Belfast |23
University of Ulster |113
Republic of Ireland
Queen's University, Belfast |519
University of Ulster |1,556
Mount Oriel Clinic, Belfast
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when planning permission was issued to the south and east Belfast unit of management of the Eastern area health board to develop a car park at Mount Oriel clinic, Saintfields road ; if work commenced on site prior to planning permission being issued ; if the planning application was supported by (a) Castlereagh borough council and (b) the roads service of the Department of the Environment ; upon how many persons neighbour notices were served ; how many objections were received ; and if he will make a statement about traffic conditions on the roadway leading to this car park.
Mr. Tim Smith : Planning permission was granted on 29 March 1994 in relation to a retrospective application for development which had already commenced. Castlereagh borough council and the Department of the Environment's roads service raised no objections to the application. Eighteen neighbour notification notices were served. Subsequently 54 letters of objection were received from a total of 28 residences in the locality. As the road leading from the Saintfield road to the car park is not adopted into the public road network, it would not be appropriate for the Department to comment about the traffic conditions on it.
PRIME MINISTER
European Union Anti-Discrimination Law
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the competence of the European Union in regard to the adoption of European law against discrimination whether on the basis of sex, race, age or disablement following the entry into force of the Maastricht treaty.
The Prime Minister : The entry into force of the treaty on European Union has not altered the European Community's competence to legislate in respect of the principles under article 119 of the treaty of Rome against discrimination on the basis of sex, or its lack of specific competence to legislate against discrimination on the basis of race, age or disablement.
Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 19 May.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 19 May.
The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Civil Servants (Disability)
Mr. Byers : To ask the Prime Minister how many civil servants are employed in his Department ; and how many of them are registered disabled.
The Prime Minister : There are 107 civil servants employed in No. 10 Downing street, none of whom is
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registered disabled. For recruitment purposes, my office is part of the Cabinet Office. There are 16 registered disabled civil servants employed in the Cabinet Office, out of a total of 1,386. The Cabinet Office is an equal opportunities employer.Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Prime Minister what representations he received about the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill between 6 and 12 May ; what replies he has sent or will be sending ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : I have received a number of representations, to which replies are being sent.
My right hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People announced the Government's plans for combating discrimination against disabled people during the debate on Report stage of the Bill on 6 May, Official Report, column 996, and gave further details in his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Tiverton (Mrs. Browning) on 10 May, Official Report, column 136.
My right hon. Friend is currently working on the detail of the consultation he announced on 6 May. The full proposals will be issued as soon as possible.
EMPLOYMENT
Green Amanita
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the reasons for, and the costs and outcome of, the civil emergency exercise Green Amanita conducted recently.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Exercise Green Amanita was conducted to test the lead Department concept detailed in the Home Office guidance booklet "Dealing with Disaster".
The costs of setting up, organising and carrying out the exercise totalled £35,728. This figure does not include the participants' travelling costs or the cost of their time while at the exercise. I understand that the exercise has resulted in a better understanding of how the lead Department concept works in practice and will make a significant contribution to the rewriting of the relevant section of the "Dealing with Disaster" booklet.
Offshore Oil and Gas Industry
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has to ensure that British workers compete on a level playing field for jobs in the offshore oil and gas industry.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Although both British and foreign workers have open access to jobs offshore, British workers succeed in securing over 90 per cent. of the jobs available.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what United Kingdom employee costs are not paid by offshore oil and gas companies if they employ foreign nationals.
Mr. Hague : I have been asked to reply.
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For national insurance contribution purposes, employment of United Kingdom or foreign nationals in an area of the continental shelf outside United Kingdom territorial waters, which the United Kingdom has the right to explore and exploit, is treated as employment in Great Britain. In common with other employers who have a place of business in Great Britain, offshore oil and gas companies have to pay the employer's share of national insurance contributions in respect of United Kingdom and foreign employees, except in certain limited circumstances where the employer is liable to pay contributions to the Norwegian state insurance scheme instead. If the employer has no place of business in Great Britian, it is not liable to pay the employer's share of the contribution in respect of any employees, whether United Kingdom or foreign.Catering Industry
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for the number of people employed in (a) the hotel industry and (b) the catering industry.
Miss Widdecombe : In December 1993, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 285,000 employees in employment in the hotel industry and other tourist or short-stay accommodation industry-- standard industrial classification 665 and 667--and 882,000 in the catering industry--standard industrial classification 661-664--in Great Britain.
Privatisation (Consultants)
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 4 May 1994] : Fees paid to date to legal and professional advisers necessary for the conduct of the privatisations total £2,450,261.
Hound Point Terminal
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with the Health and Safety Exexcutive over the investigation by the HSE into safety at the Hound Point terminal in the Linlithgow constituency.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 17 May 1994] : The Health and Safety Executive has kept me informed of the inspection arrangements at the new Hound Point marine 2 terminal. Particular concerns about the safety of the design and construction of the hydraulically operated, swivelling loading arms which are used to load crude oil into tankers and the possibility of spillage have been carefully considered. I gave the hon. Member details of this and HSE's continuing inspection plans in my response to his recent letter.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Terrorism
13. Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve the legislation dealing with terrorism.
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Mr. Howard : As my hon. Friend will be aware, Parliament recently renewed the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill contains new police stop and search powers, creates two new offences and improves the legislation relating to the investigation of terrorism.
Crime Prevention
18. Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives he has taken to maximise the use of new technology in crime prevention.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Recent initiatives by the Home Office in this area include a number of studies on CCTV as a crime control measure, and close co-operation with the vehicle manufacturers to promote the use of effective car immobiliser systems.
25. Mr. Heppell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to establish a coherent national crime prevention strategy.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The Government have developed a comprehensive crime prevention strategy. The Police and Magistrates Courts Bill and the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill will strengthen the powers of the courts to deal with offenders and lay the foundations for a new partnership between the police, the Government and the public to fight crime. We have also set up the National Board for Crime Prevention to disseminate best practice and we are expanding our successful safer cities programme.
Corporal Punishment
20. Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the introduction of corporal punishment for crimes of violence.
Mr. Maclean : No. The reintroduction of corporal punishment would contravene the European convention on human rights.
Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill
21. Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill.
Mr. Maclean : The Bill has been widely welcomed inside and outside Parliament. It responds to a range of concerns which I know are deeply felt.
Secure Training Centres
22. Mr. Watts : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in drawing up plans for the new secure training centres for persistent juvenile offenders.
Mr. Maclean : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Coe).
Sentencing
23. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last had a meeting with the Attorney-General to discuss the policy of appealing against lenient sentences ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 569
Mr. Maclean : I meet my right hon. and learned Friend frequently. We discuss a wide range of matters of common interest. We share the same view of the importance of the power contained in section 35 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
Prison Statistics
24. Sir David Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were in prison at the most recent count.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : On Wednesday 18 May 1994, there were 48,447 prisoners in Prison Service accommodation and 146 prisoners in police cells, giving a total of 48,593 prisoners in custody.
Obscene Publications Branch
26. Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received from right hon. and hon. Members concerning the future of the obscene publications branch of the Metropolitan police.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle under Lyme (Mrs. Golding) on 16 May at column 341 .
Drug Abuse
27. Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further steps he proposes to combat the spread of drug and alcohol abuse by teenagers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : My Department will continue to work closely with other Government Departments to ensure that the law and the wide range of policies for tackling the misuse of drugs and alcohol, particularly by young people, are effective.
HM Prison, Gartree
28. Mr. Garnier : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next intends to pay an official visit to HM Prison, Gartree.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : At the present time my right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to make an official visit to Gartree prison.
Residence Arrangements
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to clarify the arrangements whereby persons of independent means are admitted to reside in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Charles Wardle : We are planning to lay consolidated immigration rules before the House, which will create a new category of investor, designed to attract investment into the country without weakening immigration control. The category of persons of independent means will continue, but with a minimum age of 60.
Asylum
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requirements the British Government have stipulated as conditions for their support for application to asylum policy of article K9 of the treaty on European Union.
Column 570
Mr. Charles Wardle : Nothing has occurred to cause the Government to change their view that asylum policy issues are appropriately dealt with under title VI of the treaty on European Union.
Identity Cards
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Association of Chief Police Officers of the desirability and practicality of introducing either compulsory or voluntary identity cards.
Mr. Charles Wardle : In June 1993 the Association of Chief Police Officers sent us a copy of its report "National Identity Card Scheme" which favoured the introduction of a voluntary identity card scheme. My right hon. and learned Friend met Sir John Smith, president of ACPO, on 17 November 1993 to discuss the report.
Custodial Sentences
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made as to the effect on crime levels of reducing the use of custodial sentences.
Mr. Maclean : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given a question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Selby (Mr. Alison) on 3 March, columns 823-24.
Operation Elgar
Ms Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who authorised Operation Elgar on Wednesday 27 April.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Operation Elgar was authorised by the director of enforcement in the Immigration Service, with the knowledge of my right hon. and learned Friend and myself.
Immigration Detection Centres
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for the lastest date for which figures are available by Her Majesty's detention centre and by Her Majesty's prison the number of persons held in respect of alleged immigration irregularities ; and if he will show the port where each of the individuals was originally apprehended.
Mr. Charles Wardle [holding answer 4 May 1994] : The following is the information available as at 11 May 1994.
Place of detention |Illegal entrants |On entry |<1>Port of arrival
|to deportation
|action
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belfast Prison |1 | |
Belmarsh Prison |1 | |
Birmingham Prison |28 |7 |Heathrow 4
|Birmingham 2
|Portsmouth 1
Blakenhurst Prison |19 | |
Brinsford YOI |5 | |
Bristol Prison |4 | |
Brixton Prison |8 | |
Camp Hill Prison |1 | |
Campsfield House Immigration
Detention Centre |104 |94 |Heathrow 64
|Gatwick 17
|Manchester 3
|Harwich 3
|Newhaven 2
|Stansted 2
|Birmingham 1
|Dover 1
|Ramsgate 1
Canterbury Prison |7 |13 |Dover 9
|Ramsgate 3
|Folkestone 1
Cardiff Prison |3 | |
Chelmsford Prison | |1 |Stansted 1
Cookham Wood Prison 2
Dorchester Prison |1 | |
Dover YOI |8 |16 |Dover 8
|Heathrow 4
|Ramsgate 2
|Gatwick 1
|Portsmouth 1
Dover Harbour Police 9 Ramsgate 5
|Dover 3
|Folkestone 1
Durham Prison |2 | |
Edinburgh Prison |1 | |
Elmley Prison | |3 |Ramsgate 2
|Dover 1
Exeter Prison |6 | |
Feltham YOI |4 |1 |Heathrow 1
Gatwick Airport |2 |12 |Gatwick 11
|Heathrow 1
Glenparva YOI |2 | |
Gloucester Prison |3 | |
Greenock Prison |12 |1 |Glasgow 1
Harmondsworth Immigration
Detention Centre |43 |55 |Heathrow 35
|Gatwick 14
|Dover 3
|Ramsgate 2
|Stansted 1
Haslar Holding Centre 56 59 Heathrow 42
|Gatwick 5
|Stansted 5
|Harwich 3
|Portsmouth 2
|Manchester 1
|Ramsgate 1
Highdown Prison |15 |3 |Heathrow 3
Holloway Prison |5 |3 |Gatwick 3
Holme House Prison 2 Teesports 2
Hull Prison | |3 |Hull 3
Leeds Prison |4 | |
Leicester Prison |1 | |
Lewes Prison |3 | |
Lincoln Prison |1 | |
Liverpool Prison |3 | |
Manchester Airport |2 | |
Manchester Prison |7 | |
Newhaven | |2 |Heathrow 1
|Gatwick 1
Norwich Prison |3 |2 |Felixstowe 2
Pentonville Prison |23 | |
Queens Building Heathrow 19 Heathrow 19
Reading Remand Centre 3
Risley Prison | |1 |Leeds/Bradford Airport 1
Shrewsbury Prison |1 | |
Stansted Airport | |11 |Stansted 4
|Heathrow 7
Stoke Heath Prison |1 | |
Swansea Prison |3 |1 |Swansea 1
Wandsworth Prison |6 |1 |Gatwick 1
Wellingborough Prison 1
Winchester Prison |3 | |
Wolds Remand Prison 1 Hull 1
Wormwood Scrubs Prison 3 1 Heathrow 1
| --- | ---
Total |411 |321
<1>Illegal entrants and those subject to deportation action are not normally apprehended at ports.
DEFENCE
Public Bodies
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 17 March, Official Report, column 850, whether the United Kingdom Polar Medal Assessment Committee deals with sensitive issues ; on what date he first sought to establish whether the members of the committee would be content for their names to be published ; from how many members of the committee he has heard ; how many have not replied ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member on 18 May at columns 502-4 .
Dockyard Projects
Mr. Streeter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current cost of dockyard projects ; when the estimated cost last increased ; and when he made the decision to award this work to Devonport royal dockyard.
Mr. Aitken : My Department spends around £420 million per annum on ship refitting and works projects, most of which is undertaken at the royal dockyards. Individual projects are rigorously controlled and monitored.
My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced last year that we shall, subject to satisfactory contractual negotiations, proceed with the Devonport nuclear refitting facility proposals. The project is proceeding satisfactorily to time and cost.
Land Mines
Mr. Simpson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will arrange a meeting with the mines advisory group to discuss the recent reports by the group and by Oxfam on the effects of land mines.
Mr. Aitken : I have no plans to arrange such a meeting but my Department welcomes initiatives aimed at increasing public awareness of this problem.
Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
Mr. Gerrard : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safeguards exist to ensure that civil plutonium separated in THORP will not be diverted into a military programme.
Mr. Aitken : The measures which the Government apply to civil reprocessed plutonium to prevent its theft,
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sabotage or diversion are set out in the statement of Government policy on reprocessing and the operation of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield, which was made public on 4 August 1993. A copy of the statement is available in the Library of the House.Recruitment
Ms Janet Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the type of vetting his Department uses in respect of higher executive officers on the graduate recruitment scheme ; and what account is taken of their party political and other high-profile activities prior to their employment in his Department.
Mr. Aitken : Higher executive officers on the graduate recruitment scheme are vetted to positive vetting (secret) level and will be subject to higher levels of vetting appropriate to the nature of work upon which they are employed. They are expected to perform their duties as civil servants with complete political impartiality, regardless of any previous political associations or activities.
Front Line First"
Mr. Churchill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of man-hours involved in the formulation and implementation of his "Front Line First" exercise in the case of (a) officials, (b) military personnel and (c) management consultations ; and what is the respective cost to the Exchequer of the hours expended.
Mr. Aitken : No estimate has been made of the total number of man hours so far expended on the defence costs study or of its future implementations.
Defence Sales
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when discussions began with the Government of South Africa about the possibility of agreeing a memorandum of understanding on defence sales ; when he expects such a memorandum to be entered into ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : No such discussions have taken place.
Arms Testing Centre, Pendine
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy that the NATO small arms testing and proofing facility will remain in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Aitken : This is a matter for collective decision by the NATO authorities.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy that the NATO small arms testing and proofing facility will continue to be based at the Pendine regional test centre.
Mr. Aitken : The proof and experimental establishment at Pendine is, in common with all such test and evaluation facilities, subject to a review by the director general of test and evaluation. Options arising from this are still being considered, but I hope that an announcement can be made in the not too distant future. This will be followed by a period of consultation with interested parties.
Column 574
United Nations Operations
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what standard operating procedures are made available by United Nations staff to British military forces prior to their deployment on United Nations operations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : The United Nations secretariat issues guidelines to troop contributing states for each United Nations operation. These cover the administrative and logistic procedures for the operation in question.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the United Nations military staff committee.
Mr. Hanley : The United Nations military staff committee played a useful role in the Gulf crisis as a forum for the exchange of information. We do not envisage its reactivation in current circumstances.
Dr David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements currently exist to provide headquarters support for the deployment of British forces on United Nations operations.
Mr. Hanley : Depending on the scale and complexity of the British military contribution to a UN operation, appropriate support is provided either direct from the MOD headquarters or from a designated joint headquarters.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the establishment of a section within his Department to deal specifically with United Nations operations.
Mr. Hanley : MOD responsibility for the conduct of UN operations already lies with that part of the defence staff under the charge of the deputy chief of the defence staff (commitments).
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance his Department's press office gives to the British United Nations information centre ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : My Department's press office provides no assistance to the British United Nations information centre.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the ability of British forces on United Nations duties to adjust to changing circumstances and demands in the course of an operation.
Mr. Hanley : British forces are highly adaptable and have a thorough professional grounding in military skills. Nevertheless, the Government monitor closely the changing circumstances of all UN operations to which British forces are committed to ensure that the British contingents' capabilities match the demands placed upon them.
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