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Number of people             |1986            |1991                             

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

Registered blind             |8,362           |8,999                            

Registered partially sighted |5,420           |6,546                            

Sight Tests

Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the estimated savings made in 1992 93 as a result of the introduction of a charge for sight tests.

Mr. Richards: The changes made in 1989 restricted the category of people who were eligible to receive free sight tests. No new changes were introduced. The expenditure on eye tests in Wales in each financial year from 1986 87 and 1993 94 are shown in the following table:


General ophthalmic  

services-sight      

tests               

Costs per annum (   

Wales)-£000         

        |£          

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

1986-87 |5,081      

1987-88 |6,246      

1988-89 |6,901      

1989-90 |3,501      

1990-91 |3,105      

1991-92 |4,163      

1992-93 |4,919      

1993-94 |5,350      

Medical Complaints

Mr. Flynn: to ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many medical complaints were heard in Wales in each of the past five years; and in what percentage of cases complaints of patients were upheld.

Mr. Richards: The information is as follows:

a. Hospitals

The number of clinical or partly clinical complaints made in hospitals and handled locally were:


        |Number       

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

1988-89 |668          

1989-90 |647          

1990-91 |734          

1991-92 |767          

1992-93 |1,232        

Information on the    

outcome of these      

complaints is not     

held centrally.       

b. Family Health Services

The number of general medical services complaints made to FHSAs were:


        |Number       

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

1989-90 |303          

1990-91 |353          

1991-92 |389          

1992-93 |414          

1993-94 |433          

The number of complaints upheld by FHSAs were:


        |Number       

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

1989-90 |18           

1990-91 |23           

1991-92 |12           

1992-93 |16           

1993-94 |17           

In addition, the following numbers of complaints were upheld on appeal to the Secretary of State:


        |Number       

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

1989-90 |4            

1990-91 |5            

1991-92 |4            

1992-93 |2            

1993-94 |4            

Grant-maintained Schools

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out his reason for calling for a second ballot on grant-maintained status at West Monmouth school, Gwent; and if he will make a statement on the result of the second ballot.

Mr. Richards: The reasons are set out in the Department's letter to the school's chairman of governors dated 26 September 1994, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. In the second ballot, a majority of parents voted against grant-maintained status for the school.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the gross amount spent by his Department in each Welsh county to advertise, promote and inform schools and parents on grant-maintained status.

Mr. Richards: Since 1990, the Welsh Office has spent around £165, 000 in total ensuring that schools are provided with factual information on grant-maintained status. It is not possible to break this down on an individual county basis.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure that the same standards of financial and management responsibility now applied to local education authority schools will be applied to grant-maintained schools; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Richards: Local education authorities are responsible for ensuring good standards of financial management in their schools. This can vary between authorities as revealed in the Audit Commission's 1993 report "Adding up the sums: Schools' Management of their Finances" which suggested that in some 40 per cent.


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of schools, financial accountability was weak or non-existent. Grant-maintained schools in Wales are subject to a range of provisions aimed at ensuring that the highest possible standards of financial and managerial control apply. Among these are:

--detailed financial management procedures and audit arrangements that are set out in a financial memorandum and other guidance, including a requirement for annual external audit by approved independent bodies.

--examination by the Comptroller and Auditor General who reports his findings to the House of Commons in each Session of Parliament; and

--a range of orders and regulations that prescribe how GM schools must operate.

Bodies (Transport)

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales why the body of the stillborn baby recently transported from the Wrexham Maelor hospital was sent to Cardiff for tests instead of to a nearer hospital in the north- west of England.

Mr. Richards: It was decided by the consultant obstetrician, and with the consent of the family concerned, to send the baby's body to Cardiff because that is where the relevant expertise lay in this instance.

Hazardous Waste

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what planning guidance currently covers the operation of plants processing toxic or hazardous wastes.

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The planning system does not seek to control the method of processing of waste substances. The disposal or recovery of toxic or hazardous wastes is subject to regulation under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

NHS Trusts

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with district auditors concerning the financial operations of NHS trusts in Wales.

Mr. Richards: The Welsh Office has discussions with district auditors on a wide range of issues.

Infertility

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure that all purchasing health authorities contract with providers for a comprehensive infertility investigation and treatment service.

Mr. Richards: The NHS in Wales provides a wide range of services for the investigation and treatment of infertility. Decisions about the level and type of service to provide must be left to individual health authorities to determine in the light of local needs and circumstances.

The Welsh Office has provided guidance on infertility in the protocol "Investment in Health Gain for Healthy Living" and drawn attention to the advice contained in "The Effective Health Care Bulletin on the Management of Subfertility" by York university and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists publication "Infertility--Guidelines for Practice".


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Labour Statistics

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by (a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

Mr. Redwood: The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995 96, 1996 97 and 1997 98 will be set out in the 1995 departmental report, to be published in early March 1995.

The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without compulsory redundancy.

Welsh Health Development International

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the countries mentioned in the letter to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Clwyd, North-West (Mr. Richards), of 11 October, where Welsh Health Development International has health care consultancy contracts (a) either on its own or in partnership and (b) where it has already completed such contracts on its own or in co-operation; and what impact WHDI has had in promoting Welsh manufactured or researched medical products and services.

Mr. Redwood: Welsh Health Development International has completed health care consultancy contracts in Bahrain, Hungary, Kenya, Lithuania and Poland. It is currently working on contracts in Hong Kong and Bulgaria.

Its role has been primarily in the provision of management services.

Brynglas Tunnels Bypass

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the original date for the completion of the Brynglas tunnels bypass; and what is now the expected date.

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The original contract completion date for the M4 Brynglas tunnels and A4042 Malpas road relief scheme was 20 March 1994. Extensions of time have been awarded giving a current contract completion date of 4 December 1994. Further extensions have been claimed by the contractor and the completion date is currently under review.


Column 74

Welsh Development Agency

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements have been made to second departmental staff to the Welsh Development Agency.

Mr. Redwood: None.

Register of Public Appointments

Mr. Hanson: to ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost of the public advertisements and subsequent administration of the Register of Public Appointments since instigation.

Mr. Redwood [holding answer 2 December 1994]: The cost of advertisements in July 1993, designed to attract new candidates for addition to the Welsh Office register of candidates for public appointments --DROCA--was £8,300. These advertisements produced 1,000 extra people for the list, which now numbers around 5,000. DROCA has been in existence for many years, and it is not possible to identify the costs of its administration since its establishment.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Prison Incidents

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of prison incidents during the period from 1 January 1994 to date in which prisoners were removed to other prisons because of the serious nature of the incident; and if he will list the prisons involved.

Mr. Michael Forsyth: 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 30 November 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about prison incidents from 1 January 1994 in which prisoners were removed to other prisons due to the serious nature of the incident. The information requested is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Payments

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average and median time his Department has taken to pay suppliers in each of the last 12 months; and what proportion of bills took more than six weeks to pay.

Mr. Howard: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. However, Departments are required to provide details of their annual payment performance in their departmental reports. In its 1995 annual report, the Home Office expects to report payment performance in excess of 90 per cent. in accordance with agreed contractual conditions or, where no such contractual conditions existed, within 30 days of receipt of goods and services or the presentation of a valid invoice.


Column 75

Chief Superintendent David Golding

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he arranged the meeting on 6 October with Chief Superintendent David Golding; who attended the meeting; where it was held; to whom the expenses were charged; and what guidance was given to Chief Superintendent David Golding on the contents of his speech for the next day.

Mr. Maclean: The Home Secretary did not have a meeting with Chief Superintendent David Golding on 6 October. He had meetings with Chief Superintendent Golding on 4 October, on the eve of the

Superintendents Association conference, which they both addressed on 5 October. Those engagements were arranged by correspondence on 22 November 1993. A before-dinner meeting on 4 October was attended by the Home Secretary, Chief Superintendent Golding and Chief Superintendent David Clark. An after-dinner meeting on 4 October was attended by the Home Secretary and the executive committee of the Superintendents Association. The meetings were held at the Bosworth Hall hotel, Market Bosworth, the location of the Superintendents Association conference. The Home Office met the costs of the Home Secretary's travel to the hotel and overnight accommodation. He was the guest at dinner of the Superintendents Association. No guidance was given on the contents of Chief Superintendent Golding's speech.

Poll Tax

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been imprisoned twice for failure to pay poll tax.

Mr. Michael Forsyth: 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. Martin Redmond, dated 30 November 1994:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many persons have been imprisoned twice for failure to pay poll tax.

Between 1990 and 31 October 1994 some 19 persons were received twice into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales for non-payment of poll tax.

Police Station Interviews

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Law Society on its studies of the psychology of police station interviews and of safeguarding vulnerable suspects including the mentally ill; and if he will study the Law Society's advice to solicitors with a view to issuing advice to the police.

Mr. Maclean: The Law Society is represented on the Home Office working group set up in response to recommendations by the Royal Commission on criminal justice to review the appropriate adults scheme. It has also commented during the public consultation stage on the draft revised codes of practice issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. It remains to be considered if, as a result of those two exercises, further guidance should be issued to the police about vulnerable suspects.


Column 76

Aggravated Trespass

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases have so far been brought under the aggravated trespass provisions of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

Mr. Maclean: Cautioning and court proceedings data under sections 68 and 69--summary offences of aggravated trespass--of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 will not be available until autumn 1996.

Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hunt protesters have been arrested under aggravated trespass regulations contained in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 in Devon and Cornwall.

Mr. Maclean: Information on the number of people arrested for specific offences is not collected centrally.

Information on cautioning and court proceedings data under sections 68 and 69--summary offences of aggravated trespass--of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 will not be available until autumn 1996.

Murder

Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the law on murder.

Mr. Maclean: Murder is a common law offence. The Home Affairs Select Committee has announced its intention to review the mandatory life sentence for murder and the case for a discretionary life sentence. In addition, it will examine the "year and a day rule" as it applies to murder. That rule is also being reviewed by the Law Commission. We look forward to receiving the reports of both bodies.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the medical foundation for the care of victims of torture regarding asylum seekers who are being detained in detention centres and mainstream prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: I met representatives of the Medical Foundation on 15 September 1994. On 3 October, it wrote to the Home Secretary and to me following up items discussed at that meeting and enclosing copies of its report "A Betrayal of Hope and Trust: Detention in the United Kingdom of Survivors of Torture". I wrote to it on 15 November responding to the issues which it had raised.

Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Somali refugees are currently seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: As at 30 September 1994--the latest date for which the information is available--there were an estimated 975 applications for asylum from Somali nationals outstanding.

Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees are currently being detained under the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: The Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 has no provision for the detention of an asylum seeker. The provision for the powers of


Column 77

detention are contained within the Immigration Act 1971. However, at 18 November 1994, a total of 654 people who had sought asylum were detained. That figure includes people awaiting the setting of directions for removal following the refusal of the application, as well as those whose application was under consideration or subject to appeal.

Dr. Howells: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by country of origin the total number of applications for asylum entry into the United Kingdom in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and in the first six months of 1994.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: Information on the number of applications for asylum received in the United Kingdom, by nationality for the period 1990 to 1993, is published in table 2.2 of the Home Office statistical bulletin issue 17/94 "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1993", a copy of which is available in the Library. Information for the first six months of 1994 is provided in the table.


Applications<1> received for asylum in the United Kingdom,                                                   

excluding dependants, by location of application and nationality,                                            

1 January 1994 to 30 June 1994.                                                                              

Nationality                       Number of                                                                  

                                  principal                                                                  

                                  applicants 1994                                                            

                                  (January-June)                                                             

                                 |Total             |Applied at port   |Applied in country                   

                                 |applications<2>                                                            

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

Europe                                                                                                       

Bulgaria                         |65                |5                 |60                                   

Romania                          |115               |20                |90                                   

Turkey                           |1,035             |295               |740                                  

Former USSR                      |275               |25                |250                                  

Former Yugoslavia                |715               |155               |560                                  

Other                            |230               |75                |160                                  

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

Total                            |2,435             |570               |1,865                                

                                                                                                             

Americas                                                                                                     

Colombia                         |195               |125               |70                                   

Other                            |295               |80                |215                                  

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

Total                            |490               |205               |285                                  

                                                                                                             

Africa                                                                                                       

Angola                           |245               |70                |175                                  

Congo                            |10                |5                 |5                                    

Ethiopia                         |360               |105               |255                                  

Ghana                            |1,030             |195               |835                                  

Kenya                            |755               |520               |235                                  

Nigeria                          |1,750             |165               |1,585                                

Sierra Leone                     |660               |225               |435                                  

Somalia                          |705               |325               |380                                  

Sudan                            |155               |35                |120                                  

Togo and Ivory Coast             |375               |208               |165                                  

Uganda                           |170               |45                |120                                  

Zaire                            |365               |165               |200                                  

Other                            |825               |215               |610                                  

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

Total                            |7,400             |2,280             |5,120                                

                                                                                                             

Middle East                                                                                                  

Iran                             |220               |55                |165                                  

Iraq                             |225               |95                |130                                  

Lebanon                          |105               |35                |70                                   

Other                            |280               |115               |160                                  

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

Total                            |825               |300               |525                                  

                                                                                                             

Asia                                                                                                         

China                            |145               |70                |75                                   

India                            |890               |90                |800                                  

Pakistan                         |800               |75                |725                                  

Sri Lanka                        |1,250             |695               |560                                  

Other                            |400               |145               |255                                  

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

Total                            |3,480             |1,075             |2,410                                

                                                                                                             

Other, and nationality not known |105               |105               |-                                    

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

Grand Total                      |14,730            |4,540             |10,190                               

<1> Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5 with `*' = 1 or 2 and `..' = unavailable.                   

<2> Figures do not include applications made overseas.                                                       

Al Fayed Brothers

Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to take decisions on the applications for British citizenship by (a) Mr. Ali Al Fayed and (b) Mr. Mohamed Al Fayed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: As my right hon. and learned Friend made clear in his public statement on 24 October 1994 he has asked me to deal with those applications, and I hope to reach a decision on them in the reasonably near future.

EU Asylum Applications

Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of the recent meeting of European Union Justice Ministers concerning common rules for handling asylum applications; and if he will place in the Library the statement after the meeting.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: At its meeting on 30 November and 1 December, the Justice and Home Affairs Council did not conclude consideration of the draft resolution on minimum guarantees for asylum procedures. The draft resolution and the Government's explanatory note on it were made available to Parliament on 10 November in accordance with the Government's proposed procedures for consultation with Parliament on title VI matters, and the Government will make available the final text once it has been agreed by the Council.

Speeding

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions the police brought last year for speeding in a built-up area where the upper speed limit is 30 mph; and if he will provide a breakdown of the speeds at which the motorists were driving.

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

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines he has issued regarding prosecution for speeding in a built-up area where the motorist is driving between 30 mph and 40 mph.


Column 79

Mr. Maclean: None. The way in which speed limits are enforced is an operational matter for chief officers of police.

Wiltshire County Constabulary

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of ( a) police officers and (b) civilian employees in the Wiltshire county constabulary for each year since 1979.

Mr. Maclean: The information is set out in the table.


Wiltshire Constabulary - Police and civilian strength since 

1979                                                        

As at 31 December                                           

Year           |Police        |Civilian staff               

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

1979           |1,007         |246                          

1980           |1,032         |255                          

1981           |1,042         |256                          

1982           |1,031         |262                          

1983           |1,030         |270                          

1984           |1,029         |290                          

1985           |1,028         |306                          

1986           |1,037         |351                          

1987           |1,096         |370                          

1988           |1,093         |396                          

1989           |1,119         |435                          

1990           |1,157         |447                          

1991           |1,212         |473                          

1992           |1,262         |490                          

1993           |1,273         |483                          

Immigration

Dr. Howells: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants entered the United Kingdom despite failing to meet the various entry requirements in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and the first six months of 1994 by country of origin.

Mr. Maclean: Comprehensive information is not available. The numbers of persons who had applied for asylum at the ports and subsequently been given exceptional leave to enter in 1992 93 outside of the immigration rules are given in tables 4.1 and 4.2 of the Home Office statistical bulletin in "Asylum Statistics, United Kingdom, 1993", issue 7/94, a copy of which is in the Library. Corresponding data for 1990 91 are not readily available. The total for the first half of 1994 was 825, provisional figures.

Dr. Howells: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the figures for 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and for the first six months of 1994, of successful applications for entry to this country by immigrants of all descriptions; and if he will provide a statistical breakdown of their countries of origin.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: Information on grants of entry clearance by country where the application was made is published in table 2.1 of the Home Office command paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 1993" issued on 18 August 1994--Cm 2637, HMSO--a copy of which is in the Library.

Passports

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether British citizens of the European


Column 80

Union must necessarily carry a passport when travelling from the United Kingdom to another member state of the EU.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: Yes, if the British citizen wishes to be assured of entry to another member state. Community law requires member states to allow citizens of the Union to enter their territory simply on production of a valid identity card or passport.

Appropriation Accounts

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the 1993 94 appropriation accounts.

Mr. Howard: Volume 7 of the 1993 94 appropriation accounts will be laid before the House of Commons and published once the Comptroller and Auditor General has completed his audit work. At present, this is expected to be in January 1995.

Nuclear Crime

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals were put forward on solutions to nuclear crime by Her Majesty's Government to the Economic Union Justice Council on 30 November to 1 December, what proposals on this matter were received from other member states; if he will place copies of such proposals in the Library; and if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting.

Mr. Howard: The Justice and Home Affairs Council on 30 November to 1 December considered proposals for the article K4 committee for priority measures for implementing the Berlin declaration on increased co-operation in combating drugs crime and organised crime in Europe. These included a proposal that all the states concerned should ratify the convention on the physical protection of nuclear material concluded in the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency and opened for signature on 3 March 1980. The Council agreed that the measures recommended should be taken forward by the article K4 committee.

Labour Statistics

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of persons by grade and gender employed by his Department and associated offices and agencies, nationally and regionally over the next three years, as a result of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement of 29 November, indicating which branch, agency and region will be affected and stating his estimate of the number of job losses in each year which will be by (a) natural wastage, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy; and what estimate he has made of the yearly total of savings in wages and associated costs as a result of these reductions in each Department, branch and agency.

Mr. Howard: The information requested is not yet available. The Department's staffing plans for 1995 96, 1996 97 and 1997 98 will be set out in the 1995 Departmental report, to be published in late February- early March 1995.

The Government's aim has been, and will continue to be, that reductions in the size of the civil service should as far as possible be achieved without redundancies.


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