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number are held in dormitories, although this type of accommodation is being phased out. Our data, therefore, about work to achieve 100 per cent. access to sanitation is provided solely on the basis of prison places, without differentiating between cellular and non-cellular accommodation. Also, the programme is monitored in terms of work to be done.At the end of April there were still just over 4,000 cells in use without access to sanitation. Some 700 of these are being modernised in the course of projects which are already underway and the remainder in projects which are scheduled to start between now and February 1996. 91 per cent. of prison places in use now have full time access to sanitation.
The Prison Service continues to give very high priority to the sanitation programme. Our aim is to ensure that at least 95 per cent. of prisoners have access to sanitation by the end of 1994/95 and that 100 per cent. is achieved by February 1996, in line with the recommendations of the Woolf report.
Sex Offenders (Treatment)
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which prisons in England and Wales sex offender treatment programmes are available to prisoners ; and how many prisoners (a) commenced and (b) completed the programme in each prison in (i) 1992-93 and (ii) 1993-94.
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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 Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 26 May 1994 : The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the availability of sex offender treatment programmes in prisons in England and Wales and the numbers of prisoners commencing and completing the programme in (i) 1992-93 and (ii) 1993-94. The centrally managed sex offender treatment programme is now available in 17 adult male and one young offender male
establishments.
Other prisons where locally managed programmes are in operation include HMP Grendon and HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
The number of prisoners having their treatment needs assessed and those completing treatment on the centrally managed programme is as shown in the attached table.
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1992-93 1993-94
Prison |Number Assessed |Number completed|Number Assessed |Number completed
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acklington<1> |- |- |27 |-
Albany |27 |16 |40 |35
Channings Wood |24 |16 |44 |34
Dartmoor |97 |43 |54 |20
Full Sutton |33 |10 |70 |19
Leyhill<2> |- |- |14 |7
Littlehey |28 |12 |98 |24
Maidstone |40 |13 |45 |14
Risley |24 |22 |58 |28
Swinfen Hall<3> |22 |14 |19 |14
Usk |33 |25 |50 |41
Wakefield |69 |14 |103 |40
Wandsworth |21 |16 |48 |19
Wayland |56 |38 |60 |35
Whatton |40 |40 |50 |48
Whitemoor |30 |5 |79 |28
Woodhill |8 |- |33 |33
Wymott<4> |- |- |12 |-
|-- |-- |-- |--
Totals |552 |284 |904 |439
<1> HMP Acklington has offered the Core Programme 1993-94 only.
<2> HMP Leyhill has offered the Core Programme 1993-94 only.
<3> HMYOI Swinfen Hall is currently the only young offender institution which offers the Core
Programme.
<4> HMP Wymott has offered the Core Programme 1993-94 only.
Prisons (Overcrowding)
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps he is taking to deal with overcrowding in prisons ; what assessment he has made of the effect of overcrowding on the safety of prison staff and prisoners ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what measures he is taking to deal with prison overcrowding ; and what are his plans regarding the use of (a) police cells, (b) temporary buildings or portakabins and (c) prison ships or barges.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
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Letter from A. J. Butler to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated26 May 1994 : The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the measures being taken to deal with prison overcrowding and the use of police cells, temporary buildings and prison ships or barges ; and also about the effect of overcrowding on staff and prisoner safety. The majority of Prison Service establishments are not overcrowded. Despite the rise in the prison population, overcrowding has reduced markedly from the high levels of the late 1980s. In 1987-88, an average of over 5,000 prisoners shared three to a cell designed for one. By the end of March 1994, no prisoners were sharing in this way. In 1987-88, an average of nearly 13,400 prisoners shared two to a cell designed for one. By the end of March 1994 there were only 8, 500.To reduce overcrowding and maximise the use of available accommodation, sentenced prisoners are transferred as quickly as possible from local prisons and remand centres, where the population pressures are most acute, to training prisons and young offender institutions. In addition, some establishments
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have changed the type of prisoner they take to fit better with current needs and the court catchment areas of some local prisons and remand centres have been adjusted to equalise population pressures as far as possible. Further progress in reducing overcrowding will be made as additional accommodation at existing prisons and new places at new prisons come on stream.Some use of police cells has been necessary in the North of England since the beginning of 1994. The number of prisoners held in police cells peaked at 540 in mid-March but had reduced to 130 on 23 May. If there is no unplanned loss of accommodation or exceptional surge in the prison population, the current use of police cells should end during June. Every effort will be made to avoid future use of police cells.
There are no present plans to use accommodation such as military camps or floating facilities, but some use of temporary buildings within prison establishments will continue to be made to enable progress with the building and refurbishment programme to continue. Each establishment has an operational capacity which is set at the number of prisoners who can be held without serious risk to good order--including the safety of staff and prisoners--or to security and the proper running of the planned regime. It remains a top priority of the Prison Serice to ensure that the number of prisoners held in an establishment is kept within the establishment's operational capacity.
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Prison Statistics
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the (a) certified normal accommodation, (b) operational activity and (c) actual population at each prison in England and Wales at the latest available date.
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 Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 26 May 1994 : The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about Prison Service accommodation and population.
The attached table shows the certified normal accommodation (CNA), operational capacity and actual population in each establishment in England and Wales on 24 May 1994. A copy of the table has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
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24 May 1994
Establishment |Certified normal|Operational |Population
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acklington |658 |658 |606
Albany |436 |436 |391
Aldington |127 |127 |118
Ashwell |404 |404 |383
Askham Grange |126 |127 |101
Aylesbury |241 |246 |213
Bedford |303 |329 |308
Belmarsh |841 |841 |736
Birmingham |558 |869 |786
Blakenhurst |649 |649 |615
Blantyre House |95 |95 |95
Blundeston |408 |408 |385
Brinsford |446 |446 |465
Bristol |423 |473 |430
Brixton |483 |656 |630
Brockhill |135 |135 |132
Bullingdon |635 |635 |607
Bullwood Hall |125 |125 |121
Camp Hill |378 |441 |365
Canterbury |184 |275 |263
Cardiff |334 |450 |431
Castington |300 |300 |296
Channings Wood |594 |594 |560
Chelmsford |230 |393 |353
Coldingley |292 |292 |284
Cookham Wood |120 |120 |115
Dartmoor |538 |538 |515
Deerbolt |450 |450 |383
Dorchester |138 |200 |205
Dover |316 |316 |228
Downview |287 |291 |270
Drake Hall |255 |255 |200
Durham |399 |577 |611
East Sutton Park |94 |94 |84
Elmley |627 |627 |621
Erlestoke |250 |250 |234
Everthorpe |228 |228 |223
Exeter |274 |473 |383
Featherstone |599 |599 |580
Feltham |842 |842 |776
Finnamore Wood |106 |106 |50
Ford |536 |536 |455
Frankland |447 |432 |425
Full Sutton |604 |576 |542
Garth |512 |512 |496
Gartree |277 |277 |271
Glen Parva |767 |788 |757
Gloucester |215 |271 |238
Grendon |190 |186 |177
Guys Marsh |240 |180 |182
Hollesley Bay |365 |365 |316
Haslar |131 |131 |130
Hatfield |180 |180 |155
Haverigg |381 |381 |351
Hewell Grange |156 |174 |161
Highdown |549 |549 |519
Highpoint |679 |679 |589
Hindley |280 |319 |292
Holloway |517 |532 |489
Holme House |649 |649 |617
Hull |328 |430 |428
Huntercombe |226 |225 |201
Kingston |154 |154 |137
Kirkham |644 |620 |598
Kirklevington |74 |74 |72
Lancaster farms |364 |364 |359
Lancaster |260 |246 |259
Latchmere House |145 |145 |140
Leeds |814 |1,168 |1,093
Leicester |192 |348 |341
Lewes |282 |377 |319
Leyhill |410 |410 |392
Lincoln |444 |628 |617
Lindholme |567 |567 |533
Littlehey |593 |583 |547
Liverpool |931 |1,267 |1,228
Long Lartin |362 |362 |347
Low Newton |198 |343 |252
Maidstone |485 |485 |463
Manchester |620 |632 |682
Moorland |635 |635 |640
Morton Hall |168 |168 |169
New Hall |169 |169 |175
North Sea Camp |201 |201 |203
Northallerton |150 |219 |119
Norwich |327 |476 |405
Nottingham |222 |222 |209
Onley |540 |540 |469
Oxford |107 |120 |27
Parkhurst |286 |258 |235
Pentonville |559 |765 |713
Portland |420 |420 |347
Preston |382 |545 |498
Pucklechurch |56 |81 |58
Ranby |347 |347 |338
Reading |182 |205 |150
Risley |751 |716 |702
Rochester |294 |330 |220
Rudgate |287 |300 |269
Send |113 |113 |106
Shepton Mallet |158 |211 |173
Shrewsbury |168 |307 |279
Spring Hill |210 |210 |205
Stafford |362 |534 |521
Standford Hill |384 |384 |345
Stocken |396 |396 |391
Stoke Heath |300 |300 |281
Styal |180 |209 |223
Sudbury |413 |348 |341
Sudbury Foston |96 |96 |92
Swaleside |512 |512 |503
Swansea |155 |220 |227
Swinfen Hall |182 |182 |181
Thorn Cross |209 |209 |195
The Mount |484 |484 |494
The Verne |552 |538 |529
The Wolds |320 |368 |371
Thorp Arch |166 |166 |165
Usk |241 |241 |217
Wormwood Scrubs |714 |1,050 |910
Wakefield |718 |718 |686
Wandsworth |821 |1,033 |866
Wayland |580 |580 |542
Wellingborough |344 |314 |306
Werrington |110 |110 |105
Wetherby |196 |196 |150
Whatton |216 |216 |211
Whitemoor |534 |524 |476
Winchester |368 |492 |391
Woodhill |566 |566 |509
Wymott |432 |384 |327
|------- |------- |-------
Total |47,979 |52,443 |48,586
Forbidden Knowledge"
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 24 March from the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North regarding the computer disc entitled "Forbidden Knowledge".
Mr. Maclean : I wrote to the hon. Member on 25 May 1994.
Parliamentary Boundaries
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the redistribution of parliamentary boundaries within the Greater London area.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : My right hon. and learned Friend has received no representations concerning the boundary commission's specific proposals for the Greater London area.
Young Offenders
Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to introduce the penalties for young offenders that are contained in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill.
Mr. Maclean : The timetable for implementation will be substantially dependent on the progress of the Bill in Parliament and is likely to be different in respect of the Bill's provisions relating to different sentences. For example, the timing of the introduction of the new secure training order for 12 to 14-year-old persistent offenders will be dependent also on the availability of the new secure accommodation for which the Bill makes provision. It is the Government's firm intention that all the Bill's provisions on sentencing young offenders should be in force as soon as possible after Royal Assent, but at this stage, it would be premature to set firm implementation dates.
Fire Safety
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the final report of the fire safety scrutiny team.
Mr. Charles Wardle : My right hon. and learned Friend expects to receive the report from the scrutiny team very shortly. Thereafter he will be considering along with my right hon. Friends, the President of the Board of Trade, the Secretary of State for Employment and the Secretary of State for the Environment, how best to take things forward.
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Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations have taken place between his officials and the construction industry task force on fire legislation and enforcement ; which officials were involved in the consultations ; and what specific reference has been made to these consultations in documents published or placed in the Library.
Mr. Charles Wardle : There were no formal consultations between my officials and the construction industry task force on fire legislation and enforcement. However, Mr. R. J. Miles and Mr. A. N. Pickersgill of the fire safety division did meet two members of the task force and officials from the Department of Trade and Industry on 5 July 1993 when preliminary deregulatory ideas were raised. There were no further meetings between members of the fire safety division and the task force ; and my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade published the latter's proposals in January 1994. No reference to meetings with officials were made in that document or in the task force's working papers which were placed in the Library on 30 March 1994.
Government Information
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he published his departmental guidance on the implementation of the code of practice on access to Government information, as promised at paragraph 3(ii) of the code issued on 4 April ; and to whom it has been made available.
Mr. Howard : Copies of the guidance notes on the arrangements to implement the code of practice on government information in the Home Office were placed in the Library of the House on 16 May. The campaign for freedom of information has been sent a copy, at its request. Copies are available to the general public from the publications unit of the Home Office information and library services on request.
Pet Identification
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what analysis the Government have undertaken into forms of identification for pets.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The Government considered different forms of identification for dogs, prior to the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
Prisoners (Cost)
Mr. Marland : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average cost per week of maintaining a prisoner in gaol.
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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 reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. Paul Marland, dated 26 May 1994 :
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the average cost per week of maintaining a prisoner in jail.
In 1992-93 the average weekly net operating cost per prisoner place in England and Wales was £466.
Police Management Reorganisation
Mr. Mike O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what management reorganisation plans are being considered by police authorities and constabularies ; and if he will list the constabularies, the nature of the plans involved and the effect on police establishments, plus supernumeraries, in each case.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Some two thirds of forces are understood to have reorganised into locally managed, basic command units based on a single-tier management structure. Most other forces have completed, or are undertaking, reviews of their structure and organisation. Details of the nature of individual force restructuring plans and the effects on establishment levels are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Special Police Protection
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what grounds he refused the Gloucestershire police force request for additional resources to protect (a) the Prince of Wales's Highgrove house, (b) the Princess Royal's Gatcombe Park and (c) the home of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I will write to the hon. Member.
Pornography
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the importance of the work of the obscene publications squad in combating (a) computer pornography, (b) child pornography and (c) sadistic pornography.
Mr. Maclean : The Government fully acknowledge the important work that the obscene publications squad does in combating all kinds of pornography. We have been assured by the Commissioner that the Metropolitan police will continue this work, whatever the outcome of his current restructuring exercise.
Parliamentary Counsel
Ms Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what occasions since April 1992 Ministers from his Department have (a) requested Parliamentary Counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct Parliamentary Counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members.
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Mr. Howard : Parliamentary Counsel does not draft on behalf of private Members, but on the instructions of Departments acting on the authority of Ministers. With the authority of Ministers, amendments were drafted by Parliamentary Counsel on instructions from Departments and subsequently passed to private Members in 1993 in respect of the Local Government (Amendment) and the Bail (Amendment) Bills.
Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors led to the imposition of the age limit for the appointment of registrars of births, deaths and marriages ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : I have been asked to reply.
Generally, the statutory age restrictions for appointment as registrar of births, deaths and marriages are 21 years minimum and 65 years maximum. The minimum age restriction was set to reflect the special personal responsibilities and liabilities which accompany statutory office of registrar and the sensitivity of the duties. The upper limit is related to the normal retirement age for men but may be waived if there is no other suitable candidate for appointment.
British Passport (Mr. A. Jordan)
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the current status of a British passport in the name of Mr. A. Jordan, born in Reading on 1 November 1963.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd [holding answer 23 May 1994] : There is no record of a British passport being issued to a Mr. A. Jordan, born in Reading on 1 November 1963.
TRANSPORT
A19 (Emergency Telephones)
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work to commence on providing emergency telephones on that stretch of the A19 from Teesside to the Tyne tunnel ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : Subject to the availability of funds, work is expected to commence on providing emergency telephones on the A19 between Stockton-on- Tees and the Tyne tunnel during the 1995-96 financial year.
Rail Freight
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress since 1 January 1993 of measures to encourage and facilitate more freight to be transported by rail.
Mr. Freeman : We have liberalised access to the rail network, facilitated the restructuring of BR's freight businesses as a prelude to privatisation, improved the freight facilities grants scheme, introduced a new track access grant for marginal freight flows and raised the maximum gross vehicle weight limit to 44 tonnes for suitably configured six-axle lorries engaged in combined road/rail transport.
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Diesel-powered Vehicles
Mr. Jonathan Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many diesel-powered vehicles are currently licensed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
Mr. Key : The latest available figures, for end December 1993, estimate total licensed stock to be 24.8 million vehicles, of which 3.2 million are recorded as being diesel powered.
London Transport
Mr. Tracey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has set quality of service objectives for London Underground Ltd. and London Transport bus services.
Mr. Norris : I have today written to the chairman of London Transport setting quality of service objectives for London Underground Ltd. and London Transport bus services. Copies of my letters have been placed in the Library of the House.
Roads
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will arrange for the reprinting of the report by the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment, on "Assessing the Environmental Impact of Road Schemes" ;
(2) when the findings of the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment concerning the traffic-generating potential of road building will be published.
Mr. Key : I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Mr. Dunn) and the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 20 May 1994, Official Report , columns 596 and 599 .
Birmingham Northern Relief Road
Mr. Richard Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the report to the inspector of the 1988 public inquiry into the Birmingham northern relief road was made available to which bidders for the concession to build a privately financed motorway.
Mr. Key : No, the inspector's report was not made available to any of the bidders for this concession.
Office of Passenger Rail Franchising
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 20 May, Official Report, column 600, if he will provide separate dates and participants for each future meeting to be held, for all dates which have been booked, between Shandwick Consultants and (a) the franchising director, (b) officials from Opraf and (c) officials from his Department.
Mr. Freeman : Both the Franchising Director and officials from Opraf, and the Department will meet from time to time with Shandwick to discuss and review their work programme.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answers of 20 May, Official
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Report, column 600, and his answer to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson), what is his estimate of the total amount, inclusive of value-added tax, which his Department will have paid to Dewe Rogerson for advice on his Department's marketing strategy for rail privatisation by the time Dewe Rogerson's contract has been completed ; what element of this total arises from his Department's decision to terminate the contract between his Department and Dewe Rogerson ; on what date Dewe Rogerson was informed of his Department's decision to terminate the contract ; and what length of notice was stipulated for either party under the contract.Mr. Freeman : The answers are :
(a) It is not possible to provide a figure for the total amount until Dewe Rogerson's work is finally completed and their final invoice submitted for payment.
(b) None.
(c) 12 May 1994.
(d) The contract provided for termination by the Department giving three months' notice in writing.
Trans-European Road Network
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the trans-European road routes from the island of Ireland to Europe.
Mr. Key : The trans-European road network was agreed by the Council of the European Communities on 29 October 1993--council decision 93/629/EEC. I have placed in the Library a copy of the map showing the currently agreed network in the United Kingdom, which includes the routes to Ireland. Amendments to the network are under consideration, including the removal of the east-west route from Stansted to Oxford following its withdrawal from the national road programme.
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what submissions he has made under the trans-European road network programme ; and what consultations he has carried out.
Mr. Key : Revisions to the trans-European road network are being progressed as part of the new rules for trans-European transport networks that are required to be in place by 1 July 1995. As part of our consideration of the network in England we have consulted local highway authorities and other interested bodies. Similar consultations have taken place in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. We have already asked that the following additions be made to the network in the United Kingdom :
--the M25 between junctions 3 and 5
--the M27 between Southampton and Portsmouth
--the M62 between the M6 and Liverpool
--the A465/A40 Heads of the Valleys route from the M4 near Swansea to Raglan
--the M8/A8 from Glasgow to Greenock
--the M77/A77 from Glasgow to Ayr.
The Commission has included those additions in its proposal on the trans- European transport networks of 28 March 1994. We are at present considering other suggested amendments to our part of the road network, and shall reach a decision soon on whether we shall pursue these.
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what submissions he has made under (a) the trans-European conventional rail network programme and (b) the trans-European high-speed network programme ; and what consultations he has carried out.
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Mr. Freeman : The European Commission is shortly expected to bring forward proposals for the establishment of networks for high-speed passenger and conventional rail services. In assisting the Commission with the formulation of its proposals, we have consulted both British Rail and Railtrack, and will continue to do so as discussions proceed. Formal adoption of these and other EC network guidelines is not expected before the middle of next year.
Seat Belts
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will give a list of all new research commissioned by his Department for use in his review into the technical and cost implications of fitting seat belts to both minibuses and coaches ; on what date and from which organisation such research was commissioned ; if he will place copies of each separate piece of research in the Library ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will publish the full terms of reference given to those individuals and/or organisations invited to carry out his review into the technical and cost implications of fitting seat belts to both minibuses and coaches ;
(3) on what date his review was established into the technical and cost implications of fitting seat belts to both minibuses and coaches ; on what date a press notice or formal announcement was made of the establishment of this review ; which outside individuals and organisations have been appointed to the body carrying out the review ; how many meetings have been held by the body set up to carry out the review ; and what is his estimate of the cost to date of carrying out the review.
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