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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 19 October 1994

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Entry Clearance Charges

Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken to refund all those wrongly charged for entry clearance where it has been established by EC law that this should have been done free of charge.

Mr. Baldry: I refer the hon. Member to my reply on 17 October 1994, Official Report, column 48 .

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Cardiff Magistrates Court

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received from the Chief Constable of the South Wales police in relation to the procedure for guarding of prisoners at Cardiff magistrates court by (a) police officers and (b) private security officers; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John M. Taylor: None.

Legal Education and Conduct

Mr. Mans: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellor's advisory committee on legal education and conduct intends to publish its third annual report.

Mr. John M. Taylor: The Lord Chancellor's advisory committee on legal education and conduct has today published its third annual report, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

HEALTH

Ambulance Response Times

Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish figures for the performance of the London ambulance service in each month from July 1992 to September 1994, showing the percentage of calls responded to within 14 minutes and the target specified in the patients charter.

Mr. Sackville: The percentage of 999 calls which received a response within 14 minutes of the call being answered is shown in the table:


Column 236


Month                         |Per cent. Response                                         

                              |within 14 minutes                                          

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1992                                                                                      

July        }                                                                             

August      }                                                                             

September   }                 |No reliable figures available                              

October     }                                                                             

November    }                                                                             

                                                                                          

December                      |59                                                         

                                                                                          

1993                                                                                      

January                       |64                                                         

February                      |65                                                         

March                         |63                                                         

April                         |68                                                         

May                           |67                                                         

June                          |60                                                         

July                          |62                                                         

August                        |65                                                         

September                     |64                                                         

October                       |58                                                         

November                      |57                                                         

December                      |57                                                         

                                                                                          

1994                                                                                      

January                       |65                                                         

February                      |63                                                         

March                         |63                                                         

April                         |65                                                         

May                           |66                                                         

June                          |62                                                         

July                          |62                                                         

August                        |66                                                         

September                     |68                                                         

Source:                                                                                   

London Ambulance Service quarterly and monthly reports to South Thames regional health    

authority. (The quarterly reports are also circulated to all London Members of            

Parliament.)                                                                              

The patients charter target response time for emergency calls in urban areas is 95 per    

cent. responded to within 14 minutes.                                                     

Asthma

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each standard age group died from asthma attacks in each of the past five years for which figures are available.

Mr. Sackville: The information requested is available in the Library --in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys series DH2 under *ICD 493.

*International Classification of Diseases.

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the mortality rates for asthma for each year since 1972 among (a) the whole population and (b) under 14-year-olds.

Mr. Sackville: The readily available information is shown in the table.

Death rates from asthma (ICD 493), England and Wales, 1972 1992


Deaths per 100,000 population       

         |All ages|under 15         

------------------------------------

1972     |2.57    |0.44             

1973     |2.44    |0.46             

1974     |2.20    |0.36             

1975     |2.39    |0.32             

1976     |2.11    |0.35             

1977     |2.19    |0.48             

1978     |2.32    |0.40             

1979     |2.98    |0.35             

1980     |2.98    |0.39             

1981     |3.23    |0.48             

1982     |3.18    |0.44             

1983     |3.31    |0.43             

1984     |3.54    |0.40             

1985     |3.94    |0.34             

1986     |3.97    |0.27             

1987     |3.77    |0.41             

1988     |3.97    |0.40             

1989     |3.86    |0.26             

1990     |3.65    |0.39             

1991     |3.69    |0.33             

1992     |3.49    |0.20             

*International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Post Office

Ms. Estelle Morris: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many responses he has received following his consultative document on the future of the Post Office; and if he will publish the results of the consultation.

Mr. Eggar: At the end of the consultation period we had received some 13,400 responses to the Green Paper, "The Future of Postal Services". We will make public the results of the consultation at the appropriate point.

Nuclear Review

Mr. Tipping: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to make an announcement on the future of the nuclear industry following the nuclear review.

Mr. Eggar: The public consultation period for the review ended on 30 September. Many complex issues have to be considered and an announcement will be made once that consideration is completed.

Coal

Mr. Tipping: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many companies have made a bid for British Coal's coal interests; how many have bid for each regional package; and if he will name these companies.

Mr. Eggar: There were 18 bidders for the five regional coal companies and the care and maintenance collieries. Details of the bids and bidders are commercially confidential but we have announced the names of the preferred bidders.

Mr. Tipping: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he intends to announce the preferred buyers for each of British Coal's regional packages; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Eggar: The preferred bidders for the five regional coal companies and certain of the care and maintenance


Column 238

collieries were announced on Wednesday 14 October. They are: RJB Mining plc for Central North, Central South and North East Regional Coal Companies and Thorne and Ellington Care and Maintenance Collieries;

Celtic Energy Limited for South Wales;

Mining (Scotland) Limited for Scotland;

Coal Investments plc for Annesley Bentinck Colliery; and Tower Employee Buyout Team for Tower Colliery

HOME DEPARTMENT

Tail Docking

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been undertaken for the illegal docking of dogs' tails; and how many were successful.

Mr. Maclean: Prosecutions for the illegal docking of dogs' tails will be recorded either under Statutory Instrument 1991 No. 1412, The Veterinary Surgeons 1966 (Schedule 3 amendment) Order 1991, or the Protection of Animals Act 1911.

Information held centrally shows no record of prosecutions under the above- mentioned statutory instrument.

However, it should be noted that the statistics of court proceedings are based on returns made by the police to the Home Office and although these include offences where there has been no police involvement, such as those prosecutions instigated by Government Departments and private organisations --in this case possibly the RSPCA--and individuals, the reporting of these types of offence is known to be incomplete.

The court proceedings data regarding offences committed under the Protection of Animals Act 1911 does not identify the type of cruelty or species involved.

Animal Sanctuaries

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation currently governs the welfare of animals at animal sanctuaries.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: The welfare of animals in sanctuaries is governed by the general animal welfare provisions of the Protection of Animals Act 1911.

Crime Statistics

Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many crimes were recorded by each police force in England and Wales within each category of crime in the year ended June; (2) how many incidents of theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle and of theft from a motor vehicle were recorded by each police force in England and Wales in the year ended June; (3) how many of the burglaries recorded by each police force in England and Wales in the year ended June were in a dwelling; and how many were in another building.


Column 239

Mr Maclean: The information requested is contained in the following tables:


Column 240


Notifiable offences recorded by the police by police force area and offence group-12 months to June 1994                                                                                                                   

                              Number of                                                                                                                                                                                    

                              offences                                                                                                                                                                                     

England and Wales                               |Violence against                                                           |Theft and handling|Fraud and                                                                  

Police force area            |All offences      |the person        |Sexual offences   |Robbery           |Burglary          |stolen goods      |forgery           |Criminal damage   |Other                                

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avon and Somerset            |169,690           |6,314             |1,143             |1,923             |37,635            |95,174            |4,590             |22,039            |872                                  

Bedfordshire                 |55,611            |1,888             |413               |558               |14,386            |28,780            |2,083             |7,185             |318                                  

Cambridgeshire               |61,312            |3,046             |432               |275               |13,610            |34,502            |1,600             |7,395             |452                                  

Cheshire                     |77,427            |3,122             |554               |314               |20,506            |36,461            |2,776             |12,408            |1,286                                

Cleveland                    |79,385            |2,250             |250               |414               |18,432            |41,593            |1,377             |14,747            |322                                  

Cumbria                      |42,521            |1,985             |239               |84                |9,901             |20,938            |1,157             |7,837             |380                                  

Derbyshire                   |87,924            |3,948             |456               |422               |25,299            |39,319            |1,711             |16,020            |749                                  

Devon and Cornwall           |114,124           |4,328             |1,006             |417               |32,053            |57,148            |3,687             |14,129            |1,356                                

Dorset                       |53,153            |1,829             |404               |146               |8,900             |30,474            |3,397             |7,111             |892                                  

Durham                       |66,032            |2,557             |494               |149               |12,984            |34,514            |2,619             |12,021            |694                                  

Essex                        |108,779           |4,443             |636               |402               |25,999            |56,052            |2,828             |17,530            |889                                  

Gloucestershire              |63,117            |2,044             |872               |313               |17,277            |32,988            |2,730             |6,358             |535                                  

Greater Manchester           |345,138           |9,939             |1,277             |5,667             |91,621            |161,946           |9,415             |62,808            |2,465                                

Hampshire                    |142,470           |5,559             |1,343             |552               |30,882            |75,461            |4,544             |22,670            |1,459                                

Hertfordshire                |54,268            |1,939             |308               |238               |12,592            |28,118            |1,428             |9,276             |369                                  

Humberside                   |139,006           |4,944             |733               |559               |46,029            |63,617            |2,965             |19,674            |485                                  

Kent                         |157,083           |6,733             |1,038             |613               |28,626            |87,235            |3,986             |27,116            |1,736                                

Lancashire                   |128,434           |3,190             |464               |502               |27,218            |65,709            |3,347             |26,969            |1,035                                

Leicestershire               |98,949            |4,053             |567               |950               |25,327            |49,670            |3,455             |14,420            |507                                  

Lincolnshire                 |49,951            |2,274             |348               |150               |12,294            |23,934            |1,228             |9,056             |667                                  

City of London               |5,069             |170               |19                |40                |670               |3,436             |446               |209               |79                                   

Merseyside                   |138,663           |7,434             |778               |2,269             |32,797            |65,635            |4,380             |23,681            |1,689                                

Metropolitan Police District |883,741           |44,257            |7,181             |25,152            |162,337           |427,698           |33,206            |175,450           |8,460                                

Norfolk                      |59,754            |2,155             |390               |181               |15,979            |30,941            |1,611             |7,932             |565                                  

Northamptonshire             |58,892            |2,389             |341               |333               |17,183            |27,895            |1,729             |8,582             |440                                  

Northumbria                  |210,444           |6,446             |721               |1,260             |60,999            |85,444            |2,932             |51,626            |1,016                                

North Yorkshire              |59,723            |2,137             |270               |168               |16,451            |30,385            |1,203             |8,593             |516                                  

Nottinghamshire              |156,362           |7,584             |1,147             |1,166             |38,314            |75,010            |4,152             |28,193            |796                                  

South Yorkshire              |156,541           |4,856             |654               |996               |52,644            |69,756            |2,558             |23,880            |1,197                                

Staffordshire                |96,005            |5,952             |573               |414               |28,953            |42,286            |2,242             |15,157            |428                                  

Suffolk                      |41,574            |2,104             |386               |113               |8,400             |21,494            |1,695             |6,659             |723                                  

Surrey                       |49,478            |2,514             |419               |165               |11,271            |25,695            |2,142             |6,758             |514                                  

Sussex                       |106,262           |3,270             |742               |529               |24,231            |54,280            |2,984             |18,971            |1,255                                

Thames Valley                |191,748           |5,118             |839               |975               |39,273            |106,526           |6,950             |30,491            |1,576                                

Warwickshire                 |43,970            |1,506             |319               |133               |11,826            |22,349            |1,208             |6,303             |326                                  

West Mercia                  |82,848            |3,478             |455               |274               |16,985            |45,413            |1,527             |14,158            |558                                  

West Midlands                |323,267           |11,022            |1,444             |6,375             |95,272            |146,175           |8,775             |52,297            |1,907                                

West Yorkshire               |297,108           |9,419             |1,602             |2,918             |90,993            |138,426           |5,870             |45,333            |2,547                                

Wiltshire                    |39,159            |2,657             |384               |149               |8,641             |19,500            |1,214             |6,123             |491                                  

Dyfed-Powys                  |22,817            |2,115             |270               |41                |3,924             |10,491            |704               |4,831             |441                                  

Gwent                        |40,873            |2,507             |299               |99                |7,227             |21,716            |1,192             |7,258             |575                                  

North Wales                  |44,687            |2,887             |576               |115               |10,567            |21,293            |1,049             |7,750             |450                                  

South Wales                  |162,020           |5,990             |556               |467               |37,998            |77,405            |4,045             |34,333            |1,226                                

                             |----              |----              |----              |----              |----              |----              |----              |----              |----                                 

England and Wales            |5,365,379         |214,352           |33,342            |58,980            |1,304,506         |2,632,882         |154,737           |921,337           |45,243                               


Notifiable offences of vehicle crime recorded by the police by                              

police force area-12 months to June 1994                                                    

                              Number of                                                     

                              offences                                                      

England and Wales                                                                           

Police force area            |Theft of a vehicle  |Theft from a vehicle                     

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avon and Somerset            |23,144              |35,207                                   

Bedfordshire                 |8,147               |10,911                                   

Cambridgeshire               |6,276               |10,274                                   

Cheshire                     |8,320               |12,209                                   

Cleveland                    |12,412              |9,883                                    

Cumbria                      |2,887               |7,949                                    

Derbyshire                   |8,855               |15,247                                   

Devon and Cornwall           |7,507               |22,049                                   

Dorset                       |3,500               |9,636                                    

Durham                       |8,720               |9,448                                    

Essex                        |9,268               |18,628                                   

Gloucestershire              |4,948               |14,167                                   

Greater Manchester           |52,217              |50,999                                   

Hampshire                    |9,341               |27,827                                   

Hertfordshire                |5,462               |12,411                                   

Humberside                   |15,477              |19,979                                   

Kent                         |17,107              |26,125                                   

Lancashire                   |12,115              |21,820                                   

Leicestershire               |11,205              |17,467                                   

Lincolnshire                 |3,303               |6,075                                    

City of London               |120                 |533                                      

Merseyside                   |15,260              |17,007                                   

Metropolitan Police District |72,526              |138,747                                  

Norfolk                      |3,932               |11,559                                   

Northamptonshire             |7,818               |9,842                                    

Northumbria                  |26,857              |24,453                                   

North Yorkshire              |5,042               |9,793                                    

Nottinghamshire              |16,032              |19,822                                   

South Yorkshire              |21,764              |23,847                                   

Staffordshire                |10,227              |16,048                                   

Suffolk                      |2,164               |5,625                                    

Surrey                       |3,867               |9,430                                    

Sussex                       |7,015               |18,831                                   

Thames Valley                |21,083              |40,701                                   

Warwickshire                 |5,120               |8,615                                    

West Mercia                  |8,641               |14,386                                   

West Midlands                |40,147              |52,781                                   

West Yorkshire               |37,394              |47,087                                   

Wiltshire                    |2,491               |6,303                                    

Dyfed-Powys                  |1,321               |2,593                                    

Gwent                        |3,811               |6,740                                    

North Wales                  |2,826               |7,792                                    

South Wales                  |24,628              |26,995                                   

                             |----                |----                                     

England & Wales              |570,297             |877,841                                  


Notifiable offences of burglary recorded by the police by police                   

force area - 12 months to June 1994                                                

                              Number of                                            

                              Offences                                             

England and Wales                              |Burglary in a                      

                                               |building                           

Police force area            |Burglary in a    |other than a                       

                             |dwelling         |dwelling                           

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avon and Somerset            |19,430           |18,205                             

Bedfordshire                 |6,874            |7,512                              

Cambridgeshire               |5,903            |7,707                              

Cheshire                     |9,820            |10,686                             

Cleveland                    |11,892           |6,540                              

Cumbria                      |4,164            |5,737                              

Derbyshire                   |10,379           |14,920                             

Devon and Cornwall           |15,855           |16,198                             

Dorset                       |5,206            |3,694                              

Durham                       |7,784            |5,200                              

Essex                        |8,678            |17,321                             

Gloucestershire              |8,384            |8,893                              

Greater Manchester           |56,223           |35,398                             

Hamsphire                    |13,756           |17,126                             

Hertfordshire                |4,657            |7,935                              

Humberside                   |20,848           |25,181                             

Kent                         |17,900           |10,726                             

Lancashire                   |17,771           |9,447                              

Leicestershire               |14,615           |10,712                             

Lincolnshire                 |6,795            |5,499                              

City of London               |35               |635                                

Merseyside                   |20,607           |12,190                             

Metropolitan Police District |103,966          |58,371                             

Norfolk                      |6,014            |9,965                              

Northamptonshire             |7,577            |9,606                              

Northumbria                  |31,095           |29,904                             

North Yorkshire              |7,140            |9,311                              

Nottinghamshire              |23,449           |14,865                             

South Yorkshire              |25,890           |26,754                             

Staffordshire                |13,793           |15,160                             

Suffolk                      |3,398            |5,002                              

Surrey                       |5,005            |6,266                              

Sussex                       |12,140           |12,091                             

Thames Valley                |20,784           |18,489                             

Warwickshire                 |4,643            |7,183                              

West Mercia                  |8,382            |8,603                              

West Midlands                |50,701           |44,571                             

West Yorkshire               |56,912           |34,081                             

Wiltshire                    |4,238            |4,403                              

Dyfed-Powys                  |1,385            |2,539                              

Gwent                        |3,414            |3,813                              

North Wales                  |3,455            |7,112                              

South Wales                  |14,980           |23,018                             

                             |----             |----                               

England & Wales              |695,937          |608,569                            

Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were recorded in each borough by the Metropolitan police within each category of crime in the year ended June.

Mr. Maclean: The information requested has been supplied by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and is contained in the following table:


Notifiable Offences Recorded by Offence Group and Local Authority Borough or District Metropolitan Police District:                                                                                                       

July 1993 to June 1994                                                                                                                                                                                                    

                            |Violence against                                        |Burglary and going|Theft and handling                                      |Other notifiable  |Total notifiable                     

Borough/District            |the person        |Sexual Offences   |Robbery           |equipped          |stolen goods      |Fraud and Forgery |Criminal Damage   |offences          |offences                             

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barking                     |716               |153               |213               |3,419             |6,685             |508               |3,488             |80                |15,262                               

Barnet                      |867               |194               |347               |5,066             |11,486            |861               |5,762             |143               |24,726                               

Bexley                      |733               |183               |176               |2,847             |8,723             |598               |4,380             |79                |17,719                               

Brent                       |1,701             |227               |1,835             |5,681             |11,407            |1,062             |5,959             |193               |28,065                               

Bromley                     |1,252             |144               |288               |5,428             |13,528            |896               |6,545             |111               |28,192                               

Camden                      |1,565             |202               |1,189             |7,261             |21,692            |1,429             |5,707             |284               |39,329                               

Croydon                     |2,022             |304               |530               |5,980             |16,156            |1,243             |7,090             |187               |33,512                               

Ealing                      |1,285             |229               |775               |4,280             |13,544            |1,215             |7,113             |180               |28,621                               

Enfield                     |1,201             |192               |337               |3,870             |9,680             |794               |4,937             |121               |21,132                               

Greenwich                   |1,626             |315               |436               |6,191             |14,139            |934               |7,992             |243               |31,876                               

Hackney                     |1,519             |280               |2,282             |7,028             |12,291            |1,091             |5,030             |317               |29,838                               

Hammersmith                 |1,172             |151               |846               |3,937             |12,674            |755               |4,725             |149               |24,409                               

Haringey                    |1,352             |162               |1,232             | 4,598            |10,966            |887               |4,996             | 157              |24,350                               

Harrow                      |727               |106               |282               |3,398             |6,680             |590               |3,859             |84                |15,726                               

Havering                    |564               |162               |115               |3,529             |9,682             |602               |3,712             |67                |18,433                               

Hillingdon <*>              |958               |300               |155               |3,526             |10,624            |754               |6,021             |87                |22,425                               

Hounslow <*>                |1,388             |225               |342               |4,118             |10,848            |920               |5,555             |329               |23,725                               

Islington                   |1,872             |157               |1,090             |4,773             |13,100            |770               |5,408             |325               |27,495                               

Kensington and Chelsea      |1,032             |161               |907               |4,308             |17,823            |1,021             |3,993             |172               |29,417                               

Kingston                    |735               |100               |157               |3,256             |8,358             |595               |3,067             |258               |16,526                               

Lambeth                     |3,093             |391               |2,824             |8,029             |17,137            |1,519             |7,818             |484               |41,295                               

Lewisham                    |1,843             |283               |1,117             |8,000             |12,811            |913               |5,638             |231               |30,836                               

Merton                      |844               |129               |214               |2,941             |8,180             |974               |3,854             |72                |17,208                               

Newham                      |1,752             |664               |949               |6,580             |12,815            |1,126             |5,446             |201               |29,533                               

Redbridge                   |923               |154               |263               |3,950             |10,178            |1,077             |3,871             |92                |20,508                               

Richmond                    |625               |83                |191               |2,785             |7,283             |389               |2,748             |154               |14,258                               

Southwark                   |2,478             |418               |1,916             |7,155             |17,780            |1,327             |8,251             |384               |39,709                               

Sutton                      |920               |136               |124               |3,665             |7,512             |468               |3,268             |91                |16,184                               

Tower Hamlets               |1,431             |196               |543               |4,947             |12,021            |788               |5,080             |268               |25,274                               

Wandsworth                  |1,567             |248               |1,099             |6,154             |15,616            |1,340             |6,445             |731               |33,200                               

Waltham Forest              |1,071             |118               |736               |4,017             |10,414            |860               |4,227             |86                |21,529                               

Westminster                 |1,983             |275               |1,846             |7,786             |37,838            |2,986             |5,841             |417               |58,972                               

Broxbourne (part)           |297               |14                |30                |576               |2,369             |109               |1,053             |8                 |4,456                                

Elmbridge (part)            |103               |6                 |7                 |415               |786               |63                |320               |7                 |1,707                                

Epping Forest (part)        |303               |28                |37                |734               |2,890             |172               |1,203             |35                |5,402                                

Epsom and Ewell             |314               |65                | 51               | 1,097            |2,639             |21363             |1,363             |30                |5,772                                

Hertsmere                   |196               |40                |38                |680               |2,771             |176               |1,351             |26                |5,278                                

Reigate and Banstead (part) |119               |11                |14                |472               |1,278             |120               |629               |14                |2,657                                

Spelthorne                  |393               |66                |48                |1,494             |3,998             |248               |1,935             |75                |8,257                                

Welwyn Hatfield (part)      |2                 |2                 |-                 |13                |31                |7                 |11                |4                 |70                                   

Heathrow Airport            |26                |4                 |-                 |39                |2,740             |305               |183               |342               |3,540                                

Thames                      |-                 |-                 |-                 |-                 |116               |0                 |44                |0                 |160                                  

Central Cheque Squad        |-                 |-                 |-                 |-                 |50                |804               |16                |5                 |875                                  

                            |----              |----              |----              |----              |----              |----              |----              |----              |----                                 

MPD Total                   |44,570            |7,278             |25,581            |164,023           |429,339           |33,509            |175,934           |7,224             |887,458                              

<*> These figures exclude offences reported in those part of the borough which fall within the boundary of Heathrow Airport                                                                                               


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Prisons (Drugs)

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 July, Official Report , column 203 , what action his Department will be taking to reduce (a) the demand for drugs and (b) the supply of drugs in prison.

Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 20 July 1994]:

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 19 October : The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question on the action the Prison Service will be taking to reduce the demand for drugs and the supply of drugs in prisons.

Reducing levels of violence and drug misuse in prisons is one of the Prison Service's seven strategic priorities for 1994 1997. To achieve this we are adopting an integrated strategy which aims to reduce both the supply of and demand for drugs within prisons. Attempts to reduce the demand for drugs in prisons will centre around programmes for prisoners who misuse drugs. These programmes are available throughout the Prison Service, and are provided by healthcare staff, other Prison Service staff and outside agencies. They include detoxification, counselling, courses for groups of prisoners, access to Narcotics Anonymous, drug awareness training and a small number of more intensive treatment programmes. It is intended to expand the number of intensive programmes.

The Prison Service is also sending a clear message that it is not prepared to tolerate the illicit use of drugs in prisons by measures to reduce their supply. Such measures include effective perimeter


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security; more effective searches of prisoners and accommodation; use of sniffer dogs and intelligence gathering on the supply of drugs. The provisions of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill 1994 will allow these measures to be supplemented by the use of drug testing.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the total sum of money paid out to victims of the Brighton bombing under the criminal injury compensation scheme; and how many individuals received payments;

(2) what estimate he has made of the sum which would have been paid to victims of the Brighton bombing under the proposed tariff scheme for criminal injuries compensation.

Mr. Maclean: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board advises that 34 claims were made in respect of the Brighton bombing in 1984. Further, more detailed, information about those claims--for example how many resulted in a monetary award and the size of any such awards--is not readily available. No estimate can therefore be made of the sums which might have been payable under the tariff scheme in comparable circumstances.

Whitemoor Prison

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with Sir


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John Woodcock's report into the incident at Whitemoor prison; and when he expects to publish the results.

Mr. Howard: I will publish Sir John Woodcock's report as soon as possible.

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been deployed at Whitemoor prison from 9 September to the latest date; and from which forces they came.

Mr. Maclean: Since 9 September, between 36 and 76 police officers from Cambridgeshire constabulary and the Metropolitan police have been deployed at Whitemoor prison.

Endangered Species

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prosecutions were undertaken and (b) convictions gained in respect of (a) appendix 1, (b) appendix 2 and (c) appendix 3 of CITES in each year since 1990.

Mr. Maclean: Information held centrally by the Department shows two prosecutions and two convictions in 1990 under sections 3(1) and 3(8) of the Statutory Instrument,"Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations". Information for 1991 to 1993--which is provisional--shows a nil return.

However, it should be noted that the statistics of court proceedings are based on returns made by the police to the Home Office and although these include offences where there has been no police involvement, such as those prosecutions instigated by Government Departments--in this case probably Custom and Excise--and private organisations and individuals, the reporting of these types of offence is known to be incomplete.

Proceedings instigated with reference to the Conference on International Trade in Endangered Species but dealt with under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and any other statute pertaining to endangered species cannot be separately identified.

Civil Defence

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the source of funds for each as (a) funds within the civil defence vote of his Department, (b) funds from other Departments, or non-civil defence funds from his Department and (c) other funds not derived from central Government.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: Funds for civil defence are voted by Parliament in the annual Appropriation Act. In the same way, Parliament votes funds to other Departments and to the Home Office for non-civil defence purposes.

Information on other funds not derived from central Government that may be used for civil defence purposes is not available centrally.

Immigration

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many instances there were in (a) 1993 and (b) 1994 where the decision of a chief immigration officer to detain an asylum seeker was overturned by (i) the first seven-day review, (ii) the second seven-day review, (iii) the third seven-day review, (iv) the first monthly review, (v) the second monthly


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review, (vi) the third monthly review, (vii) the fourth monthly review and (viii) the sixth monthly review;

(2) how many instances there were (a) in 1993 and (b) in 1994 where a decision of a chief immigration officer to detain an asylum seeker was overturned by an immigration service inspector within 24 hours of that decision.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to allow applicants for asylum to contest the initial decision of a chief immigration officer to detail them before an independent appellate authority before their full application for asylum is heard.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: As it stands the law provides, for any detainee who has an appeal outstanding or who has been detailed for more than seven days for further examination having sought entry to the United Kingdom, an opportunity to apply to the independent appellate authorities for bail. The Government have no plans to change these provisions, which apply to asylum seeks as to others.

Birds of Prey

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many birds of prey were stolen in each region in each month since September 1993.

Mr. Maclean: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Wildlife Liaison Officers

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources were allocated, by region, to police wildlife liaison officers in each year since 1987; and if he will make a statement on Government support for their role.

Mr. Maclean: This information is not collected centrally. The deployment of police officers and other resources to wildlife liaison work is a matter for chief officers.

Refugees

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what common position with any other member of the European Union regarding the forthcoming executive committee meeting of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees he has agreed, in accordance with the agenda of the Germany Presidency of the European Union item 2(d).

Mr. Nicholas Baker: None, but at the meeting of the UNHCR executive committee from 3 to 7 October the German presidency made a statement on behalf of the European Union which had been agreed with the member states. I am placing a copy in the Library.

Deportations

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in respect of which states his Department has encountered difficulties in obtaining, for aliens to be deported, travel documents from foreign missions of their states.


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Mr. Nicholas Baker: Difficulty in obtaining a travel document for a deportee is experienced in only a small proportion of cases, and I do not think it would be helpful to associate it with specific countries. Where delays do occur they are generally due to the embassy's or high commission's need to verify the identity and nationality of the person concerned.

Asylum

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often his officials attend meetings of the centre for information and exchange on asylum referred to in the agenda of the German Presidency of the European Union regarding title VI of the European Union treaty.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: The Home Office is represented at all CIREA meetings. There have been two so far this year, and a further two are planned.

WALES

Cardiff University Dental Hospital

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has had with respect to the possibilities of trust status for the Cardiff University dental hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Redwood: The Welsh Office has received two representations in respect of the South Glamorgan dental hospital's application for NHS trust status. Public consultation commenced on 5 September and ends on 4 December.

Morriston Open Heart Surgery Unit

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the comparison techniques used in the determining of the bids for the provision of open heart operations at Morriston hospital cardiac surgery and cardiology service for West Wales.

Mr. Redwood: The tenders were assessed by an evaluation team against a set of non-financial criteria produced by the project board advised by independent experts. A separate financial evaluation was performed by independent management consultants.

TB Control

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairmen of Welsh health purchasing authorities in relation to the need for integrated TB control programmes; and what arrangements he has made to ensure programmes achieve high immunisation uptakes and screening rates in areas of substantial immigration from high TB prevalence areas of the world.

Mr. Redwood: I have seen no need to consult with chairmen of Welsh health purchasing authorities on this matter. All health authorities in Wales are issued with regular guidance on vaccination and immunisation programmes, including TB. Current advice recommends that the BCG vaccine is offered to all school children between the ages of 10 and 13; to new immigrants from countries with a high prevalence of the disease and to their newly born children; and to certain other high-risk


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groups. Health authorities have been reminded recently to ensure that their arrangements to protect against TB are adequate. The Government have set up a task force to consider what improvements to the TB control strategy are necessary, including the need for screening of immigrants and refugees.

Botanical Garden

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Countryside Council for Wales and with the National Museum of Wales in relation to the proposed Welsh national botanical garden; if he will give the (a) capital cost and (b) annual maintenance cost of the project; what representations he has had in relation to responsibility for its administration; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Redwood: Consultants have been commissioned to consider whether there is a need for a national botanic garden for Wales and if so, to consider the costs and possible locations. They have consulted the Countryside Council for Wales and the National Museum of Wales. Details of costs will not be known until the consultants' report is received towards the end of the year. A number of representations have been received suggesting a variety of locations around Wales.

Filing and Recall System

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions in the past 12 months the filing and recall system of his Department has failed; what proposals he has for improvements in the computerised filing system; and what proposals he has for market testing the registry department.

Mr. Redwood: My Department is developing a new computerised filing system which so far covers only a small part of our operation. During this process, we are maintaining a manual back-up system which should prevent teething troubles from causing the Department's file recording system to fail.

The records management service in Cardiff--formerly the registry department --has recently been market tested and the contract has been awarded to the in house bid team.

Infertility Treatment

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the waiting list figures and average waiting times for infertility treatment in each Welsh health authority area.

Mr. Redwood: This information is not held centrally.

Welsh Development Agency

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what date he received the draft corporate plan of the Welsh Development Agency; what consultations he has carried out in respect of it; when he expects to receive the final version of the corporate plan; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what consultations he has held with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency concerning the arrangements for publication of the agency's corporate plan.


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Mr. Redwood: I expect to receive the agency's corporate plan soon. My officials have been in discussion with the agency on possible options and priorities.


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