| Home Page |
Column 323
Written Answers to Questions
Friday 24 June 1994
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Audiovisual Eureka
Dr. Liam Fox : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans his Department has for the United Kingdom's forthcoming presidency of Audiovisual Eureka.
Mr. Brooke : The United Kingdom presidency of Audiovisual Eureka will run from 1 July 1994 to 30 June 1995.
Our objectives for the presidency will be to enhance and give priority to those aspects of Audiovisual Eureka which complement other European initiatives aimed at strength-ening the European audiovisual industry. We shall place particular emphasis on those which foster practical co- operation between western European countries and the countries of central and eastern Europe. We shall also aim to promote the use of new technologies for the production of films and programmes ; and we shall seek to promote audiovisual technology transfer between east and west.
A central part of the United Kingdom presidency work programme will be to oversee an independent evaluation of Audiovisual Eureka as part of a thorough review of its effectiveness, and to ensure that any recommendations arising from the review are implemented.
I shall be inviting Ministers of the 32 participating countries, as well as the European Commission and Council of Europe, to attend a meeting in London on 16 June 1995 to mark the culmination of our presidency.
Football Stadiums
Mr. Coe : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he has reached his final decision on applications received from Premier League and first division football clubs for an extension to the Government's 1 August all-seater deadline.
Mr. Brooke : I have. On 26 May, in answer to a written parliamentary question from my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre Forest (Mr. Coombs), columns 227-29 , I announced that I had considered applications made by 11 clubs, and having taken into account the recommendations made by the Football Licensing Authority, formed a preliminary view. I also set out the criteria against which each application had been assessed.
"Clubs seeking an extension in order to relocate to a new ground are expected to produce clear evidence that such an extension would be for a strictly limited period and that the club could realistically complete its relocation within a reasonable and definite time scale.
Clubs applying for an extension in order to redevelop their existing grounds are expected to show why their circumstances are wholly exceptional, why the reasons for the delay could not reasonably have been foreseen and why they could not be attributed to the actions or inaction of the club."
Column 324
Clubs were given until 16 June to make further representations to me in support of their case, before I announced my final decision. On the basis of the information then before me, I indicated that I was minded to agree that the following clubs, all of which are actively engaged in relocation to new stadia, have a valid case for an extension of the 1 August deadline :Derby County
Grimsby Town
Middlesbrough
Portsmouth
Sunderland
I have today written to the chairmen of each of these clubs to confirm that my final decision is to grant limited extensions in each case.
I have warned, however, that although I have granted an extension, my general policy remains, and I have in mind that the extensions will be for one year only. I have also explained that any decision to allow the retention of standing accommodation for a limited period will not affect safety requirements at the ground. Clubs will still be required to observe the terms and conditions of the local authority safety certificate issued under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975, and any requirement placed on the club as a result of the FLA exercising its powers under section 13 of the Football Spectators Act 1989. The responsibility of each club to ensure that the ground meets the necessary safety requirements remains unchanged, irrespective of whether or not an extension is granted.
On 26 May, I also wrote to the chairmen of the following clubs indicating that, although I appreciated the very real difficulties they faced, I did not consider that the case they had presented was sufficiently strong to warrant an extension of the deadline beyond 1 August 1994 :
Barnsley
Chelsea
Manchester City
Newcastle United
Oldham Athletic
Swindon Town
I said that in reaching my final decision I would consider each case on its individual merits in the light of the above criteria, having regard to all material facts and to the need to be consistent where circumstances are similar and fair to all clubs in the Premier League and Football League first division. I said that I would also take into account any other relevant points which the clubs wish to make in response to my letters.
Representations were received from five of these clubs before the 16 June deadline. I have given careful consideration to the points raised, and have also reviewed the original applications which each club made to the Football Licensing Authority.
I have decided that only one of these clubs, Newcastle United, has presented a sufficiently exceptional case to warrant an extension to the deadline, and that I would not be justified in granting extensions to Barnsley, Chelsea, Manchester City, Oldham Athletic or Swindon Town. I have therefore written to the chairmen of each of these clubs to inform them of my final decision.
I have today laid an Order under section 11 of the Football Spectators Act 1989 directing the Football Licensing Authority to include in its licences the following conditions :
Only seated accommodation shall be provided for spectators at a designated football match ; and
Column 325
Spectators shall only be admitted to watch a designated football match from seated accommodation.The order will come into force on 15 July, and will apply to all clubs in the Premier League and first division of the Football League, save those which have been granted extensions to the 1 August deadline. The following clubs promoted into the--now--first division since 1991 will also be omitted from the order :
Bolton Wanderers--promoted in 1993
Burnley--promoted in 1994
Port Vale--promoted in 1994
Reading--promoted in 1994
Stoke City--promoted in 1993
West Bromwich Albion--promoted in 1993
These clubs will have three years from the date of their promotion to ensure that their grounds are all-seated.
I am pleased to report that the majority of clubs in the top two divisions will meet or are planning to meet the Government's deadline. I congratulate those clubs on the great strides they have made in improving the safety and comfort of spectators at their grounds. I will follow closely the progress made by clubs to which I have granted an extension, and I look forward to being able to report that these clubs also have successfully achieved all- seater stadiums.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Romanian Children
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects to improve the care and education of Romania's children are being supported through the Poland and Hungary assistance for economic restructuring--PHARE--programme of the European Union ; and how British organisations are contributing.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : A wide range of projects to improve the care and education of children in Romania are being supported under the PHARE programme. They include : in health care, particularly maternal and infant health services ; the rehabilitation of orphanages and the training of personnel ; the establishment--in concert with the Romanian Government--of a national policy for the protection of children ; and the development of strategies to prevent the institutionalisation of vulnerable groups of children.
European Commission data on contracts awarded under PHARE are not broken down by recipient country. Between 1990 and 1993, 125 contracts were awarded to British organisations working in the areas of non governmental organisations, social adjustment, humanitarian aid, science and techonology, health and public administration.
Ethiopia
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received about deaths occurring in Omo valley district in southern Ethiopia because of transport difficulties in reaching famine victims ; and what the Government and the European Union are doing to overcome these difficulties.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We are in touch with the Ethiopian Relief and Rehabilitation Commission--RRC--about the situation. There are no official figures for deaths from
Column 326
drought and famine. The terrain in much of the region is mountainous with poor or non-existent roads. Road and air access is difficult ; ox carts are often the only means of transporting supplies.The RRC is planning to carry out a helicopter survey of the remoter areas of the region to assess accurately needs and access routes. We are prepared to help with the survey and with implementing its recommendations.
Since January, we have committed 45,000 tonnes of bilateral food aid to Ethiopia. The EU has committed 264,000 tonnes. We have also provided about £191,000 for seeds and tools and therapeutic feeding centres throughout the Omo region.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what overseas aid Her Majesty's Government are currently providing to Pakistan ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd [holding answer 23 June 1994] : Gross British bilateral aid to Pakistan for 1992-93--the latest year for which figures are available--was £34.483 million. This consisted of £18.619 million under the ODA's bilateral country programme, £12.676 million in Commonwealth Development Corporation investments and £3.188 million in other aid, including debt relief and drug related assistance.
Recent initiatives include projects in primary education and health, family planning and participatory urban and rural development. Other main sectors covered are land development and irrigation, energy and water and sanitation.
Brazil (Mahogany)
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he makes of the percentage of mahogany exported from Brazil to the United Kingdom which has been obtained illegally in Brazil.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have no reliable means of assessing whether or not timber entering the United Kingdom has come from an illegal source in its country of origin. The legality of timber extraction is a matter for the authorities in the country in which it takes place.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Debts (Non-payment)
Ms Corston : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the 20 Prison Service establishments to which the largest number of those found guilty of offences in respect of non-payment of debt were committed in the latest period of 12 months for which there is information, specifying in addition how many of these offenders were sentenced for non-payment of (a) television licences and (b) community charge.
Mr. Maclean : The available information is given in the tables separately for the non-criminal offences of non-payment of debt and also for non-payment of fine for using a television without a licence.
Column 327
The 20 Prison Service establishments receiving the most non-criminal
prisoners committed to custody for the non-criminal offences of
non-payment of debt in England and Wales, May 1993-April 1994<1>
Numbers received
for
non-payment of
debt
Prison Service |Total |of which,
establishment
ranked by number |Non-payment of
received for
non-payment of debt |community
|charge
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Liverpool |134 |129
2. Hull |120 |109
3. Leicester |94 |79
4. Leeds |74 |32
5. Woodhill |73 |72
6. Durham |55 |54
7. Canterbury |54 |54
8. Preston |54 |54
9. Lincoln |52 |18
10. Shrewsbury |40 |39
11. Bedford |38 |28
12. Lewes |38 |24
13. Risley |37 |31
14. Birmingham |35 |34
15. Drake Hall |34 |33
16. Holme House |33 |32
17. Swansea |32 |30
18. Low Newton |31 |30
19. New Hall |30 |25
20. Pentonville |30 |25
<1> Provisional figures.
The 20 Prison Service establishments receiving the largest numbers committed to custody for non-payment of a fine for using a television without a licence, May 1993-April 1994<1> Prison Service |Number establishment ----------------------------------------------- 1. Risley |83 2. Liverpool |69 3. New Hall |68 4. Holloway |55 5. Low Newton |47 6. Hull |44 7. Birmingham |43 8. Pucklechurch |34 9. Leicester |33 10. Leeds |33 11. Lincoln |27 12. Shrewsbury |25 13. Drake Hall |23 14. Holme House |21 15. Exeter |20 16. Blakenhurst |18 17. Pentonville |13 18. Bedford |12 19. Preston |12 20. Durham |11 Canterbury |11 Wood Hill |11 <1> Provisional figures.
Illegal Immigrants
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals his Department has to make it an offence to employ an illegal immigrant.
Mr. Charles Wardle : At present, although it is an offence knowingly to harbour an illegal entrant or an overstayer, there is no general requirement on employers to satisfy themselves as to the immigration status of their employees. The immigration service already gives priority to detecting those working here illegally and taking
Column 328
subsequent action to curtail their stay or remove them from the United Kingdom. The Government keep the law in this area under review and expect employers to behave responsibly.Racial Incidents
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many racial incidents were recorded by each police force in England and Wales in 1993.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : This information is now collected on a financial year basis. The figures for 1993-94 are given : these have been collected by the same means as figures published for earlier periods, and they are comparable. I will be considering further the arrangements which are in place for collecting and publishing such figures in future in the light of the recent report by the Home Affairs Select Committee on racial attacks and harassment--HC 71-1.
Reported racial incidents April
1993-March 1994
|Number
--------------------------------------
Avon and Somerset |159
Bedfordshire |60
Cambridge |100
Cheshire |98
City of London |1
Cleveland |50
Cumbria |17
Derbyshire |221
Devon and Cornwall |14
Dorset |25
Durham |32
Dyfed-Powys |0
Essex |133
Gloucestershire |28
Greater Manchester |658
Gwent |21
Hampshire |212
Hertfordshire |117
Humberside |79
Kent |160
Lancashire |262
Leicestershire |315
Lincolnshire |4
Merseyside |155
Norfolk |33
North Wales |2
North Yorkshire |22
Northamptonshire |102
Northumbria |405
Nottinghamshire |264
South Wales |400
South Yorkshire |106
Staffordshire |117
Suffolk |73
Surrey |79
Sussex |214
Thames Valley |166
Warwickshire |87
West Mercia |100
West Midlands |487
West Yorkshire |244
Wiltshire |51
Provincial total |5,873
Metropolitan total |3,889
|---
England and Wales total |9,762
Column 329
Channel Islands
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the circumstances of the departure from office of the Deputy Bailiff and Lieutenant Bailiff of the island of Jersey.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Appointment as Deputy Bailiff of Jersey is by the Crown, on advice from the Home Secretary in his capacity as the Privy Councillor with special responsibility for Jersey. A Deputy Bailiff may depart from office on the expiry of the period of appointment, or on appointment to other office, or by resignation, or by removal by the Crown acting on advice.
The Bailiff of Jersey of the day may appoint for a purpose ad hoc, or permanently, one or more lieutenant bailiffs. Permanent appointees may resign from office, or be removed from it by the bailiff ; otherwise, their appointments end with the departure from office of the Bailiff who appointed them.
Prison Visits
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were allowed to take part in an assisted prison visits scheme during 1993 ; and what was the total amount of funding paid under this scheme for such visits.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 24 June 1994 : The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of people taking part in the assisted prison visit scheme during 1993 and the total amount of funding paid out under it.
The information you request is not available for the calendar year or in the form requested. For the financial year 1993-94 the number of successful applications was 74,280 and the total funds disbursed were £2,236,816.
Firearms
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) killed and (b) injured in incidents involving firearms in each year since 1983.
Mr. Maclean : The information requested is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", copies of which can be found in the Library--latest edition, 1992, Cm 2410, table 3.8. Figures for 1993 are not yet available.
Mrs. Karamat Bi
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when arrangements are to be made to issue Mrs. Karamat Bi--Ref. : TH/2964/93--through the British high commission in Islamabad with a visa to visit the United Kingdom following her appeal against refusal to grant being upheld in Leeds on 15 December 1993 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : A copy of the adjudicator's determination was sent to the entry clearance officer in
Column 330
Islamabad on 6 January. Inquiries are being made into the present position, and the hon. Member will be informed as soon as possible.Remand
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many males remanded in custody in 1993 spent (a) up to one week, (b) one to two weeks, (c) two to four weeks, (d) four to eight weeks, (e) eight weeks to three months, (f) three to six months, (g) six months to 12 months and (h) over 12 months in prison before their court case was concluded ;
(2) how many females remanded in custody in 1993 spent (a) up to one week, (b) one to two weeks, (c) two to four weeks, (d) four to eight weeks, (e) eight weeks to three months, (f) three to six months, (g) six to 12 months and (h) over 12 months in prison before their court case was concluded.
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 24 June 1994 :
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Questions asking how many males and females remanded in custody in 1993 spent (a) up to one week, (b) one to two weeks, (c) two to four weeks, (d) four to eight weeks, (e) eight weeks to three months, (f) three to six months, (g) six months to 12 months and (h) over 12 months in prison before their court case was concluded.
The available information is given in the attached table.
Remand prisoners in Prison Service establishments on 30 June 1993
By length of time since first reception<1>
England and Wales
Number of persons<2>
Length of time since |Males |Females
first remand
into a Prison
Service
establishment
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All lengths |10,250 |400
Up to and including 1 week |1,000 |50
More than 1 week up to and including
2 weeks |800 |50
More than 2 weeks up to and including
4 weeks |1,300 |50
More than 4 weeks up to and including
8 weeks |1,750 |70
More than 8 weeks up to and including
3 months |1,500 |70
More than 3 months up to and including
6 months |2,300 |80
More than 6 months up to and including
12 months |1,300 |40
Over 12 months |400 |10
<1>Time since first reception on remand into a Prison Service establishment. This includes any
intervening time spent on bail, but excluding time spent in police cells beforehand.
<2>Rounded estimates which therefore may not add to the totals.
Column 331
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Regional Assistance
Mr. Cox : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the regions of the United Kingdom that have received European regional development funding in each of the last three years ; and what was the amount of the funding to each region.
Mr. Sainsbury : The last programme period for the European regional development fund ran for five years,
Column 332
from 1989 to 1993. The table gives a breakdown of the ERDF funding provided by objective and by region during that time.Objective 1 is for development and structural adjustment of the regions whose development is lagging behind. Objective 2 is for converting regions or parts of regions seriously affected by industrial decline. Objective 5(b) is for development of rural areas. These objectives are specifically regional in nature ; they involve measures restricted to certain eligible regions or parts of regions. Smaller sums shown in the table as "miscellaneous", were made available outside the objective 1, 2 and 5(b) areas.
Column 331
ERDF Allocations 1989 to 1993 Objectives 1,2 and 5b
£ million 1994 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992 |1993 |1989-93
prices
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objective 1
Northern Ireland |53 |63 |64 |95 |93 |369
Objective 2
North East England |35 |44 |41 |59 |60 |240
East England |54 |68 |63 |91 |92 |368
West Midlands |40 |51 |47 |68 |69 |276
North West England |47 |59 |55 |79 |81 |321
West Cumbria |2 |2 |2 |3 |3 |13
West Scotland |46 |59 |54 |79 |80 |318
East Scotland |15 |19 |18 |25 |26 |103
South Wales |23 |29 |27 |39 |40 |158
North East Wales |7 |9 |8 |12 |12 |47
|-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |---
Total Objective 2 |269 |340 |315 |456 |463 |1,844
Objective 5b
South West England |8 |20 |16 |12 |10 |66
Rural Wales |11 |29 |24 |17 |15 |95
Highlands and Islands |10 |27 |22 |16 |14 |89
Dumfries and Galloway |1 |3 |3 |2 |2 |11
|-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |--
Total Objective 5b |30 |80 |65 |46 |40 |261
Miscellaneous |- |- |- |4 |6 |10
Mahogany
Mr. Dafis : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what are the sources of his Department's data on the importation of Brazilian mahogany into the United Kingdom ;
(2) if he will list the Brazilian companies from which mahogany was imported into the United Kingdom during 1993 ;
(3) which United Kingdom companies imported mahogany during 1993 from the (a) Bannach, (b) Perachi, (c) Maginco and (d) Impar companies of Brazil ;
(4) how much mahogany from Brazil by volume and value was imported into the United Kingdom in 1993.
Mr. Needham : There are no official sources for information on the importation of Brazilian mahogany into the United Kingdom. The information has not been available since 1992 because the United Kingdom trade classification no longer separately identifies mahogany from several other non-coniferous woods.
Information on United Kingdom importing companies and Brazilian exporting companies is not available.
Column 332
Mr. Dafis : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he intends to take in order to ensure that illegally felled mahogany from Brazil does not enter the United Kingdom.
Mr. Needham : The Government have no reliable or practical way of identifying Brazilian mahogany which has come from an illegal source. Nor is there any legitimate way in which the United Kingdom could adopt a national ban on the import of such products. Primary responsibility for ensuring that harvesting and export is carried out lawfully must rest with the Brazilian Government.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Correspondence
Mrs. Angela Knight : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the latest figures showing the volume of correspondence from hon. Members to Ministers and agency chief executives, the targets set for reply and the percentage of replies sent within target.
Mr. David Davis : The 1993 figures are set out in the table. The table also sets out figures showing ministerial correspondence in 1992 first published on 23 March 1993, Official Report, columns 550-54.
Column 333
Correspondence from Members of Parliament to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives
1992 1993
Department or Agency |Target set |Number of |Percentage of |Target set |Number of |Percentage of
|for reply |letters |replies within |for reply |letters |replies within
|(working days) |received |target |(working days) |received |target
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food |15 |11,001 |81 |15 |11,150 |69
Cabinet Office (OPSS) |15 |492 |57 |15 |911 |59
Central Statistical Office |18 |26 |85 |<1>10 |63 |77
Crown Prosecution Service |15 |102 |67 |15 |229 |66
Customs and Excise |18 |<2>682 |90 |18 |<3>6,457 |55
Ministry of Defence |15 |5,189 |74 |15 |6,374 |75
Defence Research Agency |- |- |- |15 |53 |66
Department for Education |20 |15,192 |72 |20 |<3>17,049 |84
Teacher's Pensions Agency |10 |115 |93 |10 |98 |92
Department of Employment |17 |<4>3,797 |96 |15 |7,604
Employment Service |15 |248 |94 |15 |313 |92
Department of the Environment |15 |18,103 |56 |15 |21,057 |54
Planning Inspectorate Agency |8 |430 |81 |8 |<5>555 |80
Foreign and Commonwealth Office |10 |7,921 |76 |10 |9,641 |83
Department of Health |20 |16,353 |72 |20 |19,822 |72
Medicines Control Agency |- |- |- |15 |13 |90
NHS Pensions Agency |- |- |- |20 |14 |100
Her Majesty's Stationery Office |- |- |- |5 |11 |100
Home Office { |15 |{2,221 |22 |{<6>15 |15,950 |25
{ |25 |{3,171 |61 |{<6>25 |11,318 |52
HM Prison Service<7> |- |- |- |<7>25 |348
United Kingdom Passport Agency |10 |51 |29 |15 |40 |83
Inland Revenue { |18 |<2>680 |27 |{<8>18 |{<3>4,202 |45
{ |23 |<2>202 |12 |{<9>23 |{<3>805 |39
Valuation Office |- |- |- |23 |<3>74 |45
Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers |15 |729 |82 |15 |<10>675 |77
Lord Chancellor's Department |20 |5,417 |84 |20 |6,716 |84
Land Registry |- |- |- |20 |40 |100
Department of National Heritage |18 |2,007 |55 |18 |<11>1,145 |83
Northern Ireland Office { |10 |3,194 |57 |{<12>10 |<3>3,814 |66
(inc. Northern Ireland Departments) { |15 |3,061 |77 |{<13>15 |<3>2,057 |73
Child Support Agency (NI) |- |- |- |10 |27 |96
Compensation Agency (NI) |7 |34 |79 |7 |80 |85
Rate Collection Agency (NI) |7 |12 |75 |5 |13 |100
Social Security Agency (NI) |20 |43 |91 |10 |28 |82
Overseas Development Administration |15 |5,500 |63 |15 |4,218 |87
The Scottish Office |17 |3,393 |57 |17 |6,860 |52
Department of Social Security |20 |14,222 |63 |20 |23,518 |76
Benefits Agency |20 |20,822 |64 |20 |<14>28,242 |84
Child Support Agency<15> |- |- |- |20 |2,222 |13
Contributions Agency |20 |340 |63 |20 |264 |70
Department of Trade and Industry |10 |28,129 |63 |10 |<3>25,988 |66
Companies House |10 |79 |42 |10 |159 |46
Insolvency Service |10 |60 |91 |10 |30 |97
Radiocommunications Agency |10 |25 |96 |10 |43 |100
Department of Transport |15 |16,987 |74 |15 |<3>24,754 |71
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |10 |891 |98 |10 |345 |95
Driving Standards Agency |15 |123 |91 |10 |91 |96
Vehicle Inspectorate |10 |61 |72 |15 |15 |93
Her Majesty's Treasury |15 |<2>1,241 |58 |15 |<3>11,396 |58
Welsh Office |12 |3,022 |61 |12 |3,468 |81
CADW (Welsh Historic Monuments) |12 |21 |90 |12 |31 |91
Notes on 1993 figures<16>
<1> Represents target set for Central Statistical Office (CSO) to submit replies to HM Treasury. In addition, the chief executive received three letters directly from Members of Parliament,
all of which were answered within the 10-working day target.
<2> Figures cover November and December 1992 only.
<3> Includes all ministerial replies, not only letters from Members of Parliament.
<4> Figures cover 1 January to 31 August 1992. On 1 September new 15 working day target was set. From 1 September to 31 December 1992, 91 per cent. of 2,205 letters received were replied to
within target.
<5> Figure includes 29 cases relating to Wales-with effect from 1 April 1993.
<6> Targets within the Home Office are actually expressed in calendar days, because of bank holidays therefore, performance will occasionally be measured against fewer than the 15-or
25-working day target. 25 working day target is for replies to Immigration and nationality department, Prison Service and United Kingdom Passport Agency subjects, 15 working day target is
for all other subjects. Members of Parliament are encouraged to write direct to the immigration and nationality department board. These letters are included in the totals shown. New Home
Office targets were adopted on 1 October 1992 and some 20,000 cases in 1992-93 were not included in the main chart.
<7> HM Prison Service established as an agency on 1 April 1993. Targets within the Prison Service are actually expressed in calendar days, because of bank holidays therefore, performance
will occasionally be measured against fewer than the 25 working day target.
<8> Head office figures.
<9> Local office figures.
<10> Figure excludes letters received by the legal secretariat to the Law Officers which were subsequently replied to by either the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Director of the
Serious Fraud Office.
<11> Represents correspondence received since 1 April 1993 when new computer recording system was introduced.
<12> Replies signed by Minister.
<13> Replies signed by Private Secretary to Minister.
<14> Includes correspondence from Members of Parliament sent directly to local operational units.
<15> Child Support Agency was launched on 5 April 1993.
<16> The 1992 figures were taken from the Official Report, 23 March 1993, columns 550-54. Please also refer to notes given with that reply.
In addition, the following Departments/agencies received at least one but less than 10 letters from Members of Parliament in 1993 and are not shown in the table:
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Intervention Board, ADAS, Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
Cabinet Office - Central Office of Information, Occupational Health Service, Recruitment and Assessment Services.
Ministry of Defence - Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Defence Accounts Agency, Defence Analytical Services Agency, Defence Animal Centre, Defence Postal and Courier Services,
Queen Victoria School, RAF Maintenance.
Department of the Environment - Building Research Establishment, Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, The Buying Agency, The Security Facilities Executive.
Export Credits Guarantee Department.
Attorney General - Government Property Lawyers Agency.
Northern Ireland Office (including Northern Ireland Departments) - Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (NI), Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency (NI), Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland,
Training and Employment Agency (NI), Valuation and Lands Agency (NI).
Overseas Development Administration - Natural Resources Institute.
Ordnance Survey.
Scottish Office - Historic Scotland, Scottish Prison Service.
Serious Fraud Office.
Department of Social Security - Information Technology Services Agency, Resettlement Agency.
Department of Trade and Industry - Accounts Services Agency National Physical Laboratory, Patent Office.
Department of Transport - Vehicle Certification Agency, Transport Research Laboratory.
Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency
Mrs. Lait : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what key targets have been set for the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency for the current financial year.
Mr. David Davis : I have set the following targets for Recruitment and Assessment Services for 1994-95 :
1. Financial break-even in accruals terms ;
2. A 2 per cent. increase in efficiency over 1993-94 performance ; 3. evaluation ratings of 96 per cent. of RAS customers satisfied with the service they have received, and 75 per cent. of these giving "more than satisfied" or "highly satisfied" assessments.
| Next Section
| Home Page |