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Research and Development
Mr. Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of research and development
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expenditure was funded by (a) Government Departments, (b) business enterprises, (c) higher education and (d) non- profit making charities for each year since 1985.Mr. Robert G. Hughes: The information requested is shown in the following table.
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The funding of total United Kingdom research and development: 1985 to 1992
(Percentage terms, rounded to nearest whole number)
|1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Government Departments |43 |40 |39 |36 |36 |35 |35 |35
Business Enterprise |47 |48 |49 |52 |51 |50 |49 |50
Higher Education |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1
Non Profit Charities |2 |2 |2 |2 |3 |3 |3 |3
Abroad |8 |9 |9 |9 |10 |12 |12 |11
TOTAL £ Million |8,093 |8,768 |9,383 |10,227|11,288|12,019|12,161|12,619
Source:
Statistical Supplement to the Forward Look of Government-funded Science, Engineering
and Technology 1994 (table 1.5.3).
EMPLOYMENT
Departmental Responsibilities
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the division of responsibilities and relationship between his departmental Ministers and agencies.
Miss Widdecombe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is accountable to Parliament for the Employment Service. The chief executive of the ES has full authority to manage the agency and its day-to-day work. He is accountable to the Secretary of State for managing the agency efficiently and effectively, and for its operations and its performance against agreed targets within the resources allocated, in accordance with the agency's objectives and published standards of service. Full details of the division of responsibilities are set out in the ES framework document, a copy of which is available in the Library.
Northern Region
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his strategy for economic development in the northern region.
Miss Widdecombe: The Government's strategy for economic development in the northern region is the same as for the United Kingdom as a whole--to promote sustained economic growth and rising prosperity, through a stable macro-economic environment and structural policies to improve long-term economic performance. The policies of the Department are aimed at achieving this objective, particularly by helping disadvantaged groups within the labour market.
Career Development Loans
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of career development loans made in 1993 94, broken down by standard region; and what was the average value of each loan.
Mr. Paice: During 1993 94, 12,159 career development loans were approved. The following table
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lists a regional breakdown of these together with average loan values:
|Number of |Average loan
Region |loans |value (£)
------------------------------------------------------------
Greater London |3,177 |3,113
South East |1,658 |2,774
Scotland |1,099 |2,535
Eastern |1,046 |2,899
South West |1,029 |2,782
Yorks and Humberside |870 |2,667
East Midlands |764 |2,684
West Midlands |750 |2,923
North West |618 |3,021
Wales |493 |2,888
Northern |396 |2,684
Greater Manchester |259 |2,978
Great Britain |12,159 |2,867
South Thames Training and Enterprise Council
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made on the arrangements to ensure continuity of training and business support programmes following the appointment of an administrative receiver to manage the affairs of the South Thames training and enterprise council.
Mr. Paice: As foreshadowed in the minute laid before the House on 21 December 1994 by the Employment Department and the Department of the Environment, letters of comfort have been issued to certain providers of training and business support programmes within the area covered by South Thames training and enterprise council. That process is continuing. The minute said that some of the indemnities were likely to be called in and that has now occurred. Accordingly, the first payments will be made shortly from class V Employment Department vote 1 and from class VII Department of the Environment vote 3. It continues to be the Government's objective, in conjunction with the receiver, to help maintain so far as possible training and business support for those on Government-funded programmes previously run by South Thames TEC.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Policing, Plymouth
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contribution Associated British Ports is making toward policing in Plymouth.
Mr. Maclean: The officers deployed to Millbay dock are there to maintain public order and ensure that the public highway is kept clear. The chief constable has told me that there is therefore no question of charging any private concern for this deployment.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what complaints his Department has received from residents of Plymouth about the level of policing in residential areas since October 1994.
Mr. Maclean: None. It is for the chief constable to decide on the deployment of resources in Plymouth and in other districts of the Devon and Cornwall constabulary.
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the full cost of policing the export of live animals from Millbay docks in Plymouth will be met by Devon and Cornwall police;
(2) what has been the total cost to Devon and Cornwall police of providing escorts and protection for those transporting live animals for export from Millbay docks in Plymouth in the last 12 months.
Mr. Maclean: Police officers have been deployed at Millbay docks to maintain public order and ensure that the public highway is kept clear.
No estimate of the total cost of the operation has been made but, as at 13 January, the additional costs to the police were estimated at some £20,000.
Under the current funding arrangements, the Home Office pays 51 per cent. of all the force's expenditure on policing. In addition, support provided by the Department of the Environment brings the level of central Government support for policing to some 90 per cent.
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 December, Official Report , column 151 , if police officers are now being used to escort loads of live animals for export to Millbay docks in Plymouth.
Mr. Maclean: Police officers continue to be deployed at Millbay docks whenever necessary to maintain public order and ensure that the public highway is kept clear.
Police Authority Allowances
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is (a) the attendance allowance, (b) the car mileage allowance and (c) the subsistence allowance for current members of each local police authority.
Mr. Maclean: Existing police authorities are part of the local government structure. Attendance allowances for councillors are a matter for the authorities concerned and information about payments in respect of police authorities is not held centrally.
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The car mileage allowance is at present:
Capacity |Rate (pence per
|mile)
----------------------------------------------------
Not exceeding 999cc |22.0
1000 to 1199cc |23.9
Over 1199cc |26.6
The subsistence allowance is at present:
|(£)
------------------------------------------
Overnight absence-London |78.50
Overnight absence-Elsewhere |68.80
Day subsistence-over 12 hours |10.00
Day subsistence-over 8 hours |8.60
Day subsistence-over 4 hours |4.00
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate for the total cost in England and Wales for 1994 95 of (a) attendance allowance, (b) car mileage allowances and (c) subsistence allowance for the current local police authorities.
Mr. Maclean: Existing police authorities are part of the local government structure. Information is not collected centrally about planned expenditure by individual police authorities on these items.
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is (a) the attendance allowance, (b) the car mileage allowance and (c) the subsistence allowance for members of the new police authorities.
Mr. Maclean: There is no attendance allowance as such for members of new police authorities. Councillor and independent members may claim £15 per hour while working on police authority business, up to a limit of £120 per day and £3,000 per year. Magistrate members may claim a financial loss allowances of up to:
£24.72 £32.96 for the self-employed--for up to four hours £49.95 £65.92 for the self-employed--for over four hours and up to 24 hours.
The car mileage allowance for all members is at present:
0
Capacity |Rate (pence per
|mile)
------------------------------------------------
Up to 1100 cc |22.8
1101 to 1400 cc |29.0
over 1401 cc |26.6
These rates apply to the first 5,000 miles
claimed by a member in the financial year.
Thereafter a standard rate of 12.1 pence per
mile will be paid.
The subsistence allowance for all members is at present:
|(£)
------------------------------------------
Overnight absence-London |81.60
Overnight absence-Elsewhere |71.50
Day subsistence-over 12 hours |10.70
Day subsistence-over 8 hours |9.15
Day subsistence-over 4 hours |5.35
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate for the total cost in England and Wales in 1995 96 of (a) attendance
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allowance, (b) car mileage allowance and (c) subsistence allowance for the new police authorities.Mr. Maclean: The allowances paid to councillor and independent members of new police authorities depend on the amount of work they undertake on behalf of the authority. If all members undertake sufficient work to claim the maximum amount of allowances available, the total expenditure would be £1,863,000 in a financial year. Magistrate members of new police authorities may claim a financial loss allowance, and the total expenditure will depend on the amount of their loss.
The expenditure on car mileage and subsistence allowance will depend on the way individual authorities conduct their business. Information is not available centrally about their plans for expenditure on these items.
Life Prisoners
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisoners serving mandatory and discretionary life sentences respectively, who have been informed that their tariff is their natural life, and the date on which he made that decision in each case.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: To date, 15 mandatory life sentence prisoners have been informed, in accordance with the judgement in the case of Doody et al, that previous Ministers set a whole life tariff in their case. These prisoners now have the right to make representations in the light of the disclosure given them. If they do so, their case will be considered afresh. No decision has been made in any of these cases, nor has a whole life tariff been set in any other case.
Parole
Mr. Marland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether non admission of guilt by a convicted criminal affects his application for parole;
(2) what were the implications of Roger Payne's refusal to admit to being guilty of murder for his application for parole;
(3) how many applications for parole have been made by Roger Payne; and why they were refused.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: There is no statutory basis, rule or policy which automatically prevents any prisoner who denies guilt from being released from custody on licence. Mandatory life sentence prisoners who deny their guilt, can be and have been released on life licence--not parole --if the Parole Board, which advises on risk, so recommends and the Secretary of State accepts the recommendation. Mr. Payne's case has been reviewed by the Parole Board on seven occasions since his conviction for murder in 1968. Following the Parole Board's last review in 1990, the risk to the public in releasing Mr. Payne was still considered to be unacceptable.
Psychiatrists
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met and when he next proposes to meet representatives from the Royal College of Psychiatrists; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: The Home Office enjoys regular contact with the college and is represented as an
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observer at meetings of the college's forensic section. I plan to meet representatives of the college in the near future.Constitutional Issues
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what staff, and at what grades (a) from A division and (b) from any division, deal with constitutional issues; and what is their work programme for the year.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Within A division of the Home Office, some of the duties of a total of 10 staff variously at grade 5, grade 7, higher executive officer, executive officer and administrative officer concern constitutional issues, excluding staff and duties concerned with the constitutional relationship with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Their work programme is to provide advice and support on the exercise of certain prerogative powers and other royal matters, on Church matters, on overall policy concerning human rights, including the United Kingdom's obligations under international human rights instruments and other related matters. In D division of the Home Office, staff effort equivalent to five full-time staff variously at grade 5, grade 7, HEO and EO is devoted to electoral matters. Their work programme is to continue to support my right hon. and learned Friend in the exercise of his statutory functions in relation to electoral matters. In this work, these staff have as necessary the assistance of numerous colleagues in the Home Office.
Doncaster Prison
Mr. Gunnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on what dates since 20 June 1994 he has received reports on the management of Doncaster prison by Premier Prison Services; (2) how many of those prisoners requiring immediate transfer from Doncaster prison in the period 20 June to 1 November 1994, (a) had self-inflicted injuries and (b) had injuries received as a result of assault from other prisoners;
(3) on what dates inquests were held into those prisoners who died when held in Doncaster prison; with what result; and when he expects the inquest into Lee Bowen's death to take place;
(4) how many prisoners at Doncaster prison were, as of 1 November, on rule 43;
(5) how many and what percentage of the prisoners at Doncaster prison on 1 November (a) had served a previous sentence in prison before their present sentence, (b) were on remand, (c) were living in south Yorkshire at the time of their arrest and (d) were living in west Yorkshire at the time of their arrest.
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. John Gunnell, dated 16 January 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about Doncaster prison.
Reports on Doncaster are submitted each month by the on-site Controller, who is a senior governor grade, to the area manager. He,
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in turn, discusses these reports with the Operational Director at their monthly meetings.Of those prisoners transferred to outside hospital between 20 June and 1 November, all returned to prison the same day. Seven were transferred as a result of self-inflicted injuries and four as a result of assaults by other prisoners. Five prisoners attended hospital in October and eight in November.
The inquest into the death of Ian Buck took place on 1 December, when the jury returned a verdict of suicide. The inquest into the death of Shaun Webster is expected to be heard this month. It is not yet known when the inquest into the death of Lee Bowen, who died in outside hospital, will be heard.
On 1 November there were three prisoners segregated under rule 43 for reasons of general order and discipline. None was segregated under rule 43 for protection from other inmates.
On November 728 prisoners, or 98 per cent. of the population, had served a previous sentence before their present one. 367, or 50 per cent. of prisoners, were on remand. 346, or 46 per cent. of prisoners, were living in South Yorkshire at the time of their arrest; and 164, or 22 per cent. of prisoners were living in West Yorkshire at the time of their arrest.
Prison Ombudsman
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisons the prisons ombudsman has visited since his appointment.
(2) what is the present address of the office of the prisons ombudsman; and what has been the total cost spent on furnishings and fittings at his office since his appointment;
(3) how many meetings the prisons ombudsman has had with (a) prison governors, (b) the board of prison visitors and (c) prison officers or members of the executive committee of the Prison Officers Association;
(4) what are the terms of reference of the appointment of the prisons ombudsman; and to whom he is directly repsonsible; (5) how many complaints have been received from prison inmates by the prisons ombudsman since his appointment;
(6) what is his assessment of the role of the prisons ombudsman and members of boards of visitors at prisons in England and Wales; and if he will encourage a continuing relationship in their general discussion on matters relating to the Prison Service in England and Wales.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: The prison ombudsman was appointed to consider grievances submitted by individual prisoners who have failed to obtain satisfaction from the Prison Service's internal complaints system and, where necessary, to make recommendations to the Director General of the Prison Service or to the Home Secretary. A full job description is available in the Library. The post is independent of the Prison Service and the prison ombudsman is directly responsible to the Home Secretary.
By 11 January 1995, the prisons ombudsman had received 398 complaints since his office became operational on 24 October 1994. Boards of visitors have the role given to them by the Prison Rules 1964 as amended. Broadly, the task of boards is to look into the condition of prison premises, the administration of establishments and the treatment of prisoners. Boards report to the Secretary of State annually and must inform him immediately of any abuse which comes to their knowledge. They must visit establishments frequently, and have access to every part of a prison, to its records and to all prisoners. The prisons ombudsman can request
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reports from boards if he wishes, and may refer to them complaints suitable for local resolution with their help. Boards of visitors are left free to judge when their intervention in the grievance procedure is most effective.The address of the prison ombudsman is St Vincent House, 30 Orange Street, London WC2 7HH. The cost of furnishings and fittings has been £17,417.
Since his appointment, the prisons ombudsman has visited 37 prisons. At each, he has met the governor and other governor grades, prison officers and representatives of the boards of visitors. He has also attended and addressed meetings of governors and their area managers and the boards of visitors' national conference. He was represented at the conference of the Association of Members of Boards of Visitors. He is planning to attend a board of visitors' training course. He has also met the chairman and general secretary of the Prison Officers Association.
The appointment of the ombudsman is not intended to replace the vital role of boards of visitors in any way. The functions of boards are set out in section 6(2) of the Prisons Act 1952, Prison Rules 1964 as amended and Youth Offender Institutions Rules 1988 as amended. Boards play a key role in the local monitoring of prisons in England and Wales and there are no plans to abolish or undermine their role. However, the prisons ombudsman may need to be in contact with boards as part of his investigation of specific complaints submitted to him by prisoners.
I have set up a review of the role of boards of visitors in order to look at the framework in which they operate and the relationship between them and the prisons ombudsman and HM inspectorate of prisons. I will most certainly want to encourage discussion of those matters in the context of my forthcoming review. The aim of my review is to enhance the vital work carried out by members of boards of visitors.
Police Equipment
Mr. French: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by police authority what new personal equipment is being considered for the protection of police officers and the apprehension of suspects.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 20 December 1994]: Details of equipment which is under consideration by individual forces are not available centrally. We understand however, that police forces in England and Wales have obtained, or have announced decisions to obtain, certain new items of protective equipment as follows. Forces which have adopted the side-handled baton for general duties are Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Wales, Nottinghamshire, South Wales, Sussex, Thames Valley, West Mercia and West Yorkshire.
The following forces have adopted a three-piece telescopic friction-lock baton for general duties: Avon and Somerset, Bedfordshire, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Dyfed-Powys,
Gloucestershire, Gwent, Hampshire, Kent and Surrey. Dorset, the Metropolitan police and Staffordshire have adopted rigid straight batons for general duties. All forces have introduced the rigid hand-cuff, except Northamptonshire and Sussex.
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At a national level, possible use of aerosol incapacitants for police self-defence is under consideration by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office.Prison Suicides
Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many attempted suicide cases took place in Her Majesty's prisons in the north west over the last two years; and how many attempts were successful.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 12 January 1995]: 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. Robert Parry, dated 16 January 1995 :
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of attempted and actual suicide cases in prisons in the north west.
During the two years to 31 December 1994, in prison in the north west there were 210 recorded cases where prisoners had harmed themselves. Some of these may have been attempts at suicide but self harm does not always indicate a suicide attempt. Sadly 12 cases of self harm resulted in the deaths of the prisoners.
Suicide prevention is taken very seriously by the Service. A new training package "Caring for the Suicidal in Custody" was introduced for all staff in 1994. This provides support to those staff involved in identifying and caring for prisoners who are at risk of suicide. In many establishments the Samaritans and a group of volunteer specially-trained prisoners work closely alongside staff in the care of prisoners at risk. We shall continue to do all we can to reduce deaths by suicide in custody.
Prisoners
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many category A and category B risk prisoners have been reclassified as category C risk for each year since 1979.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 13 January 1995]: 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. Stephen Byers, dated 16 January 1995 :
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of category A and B prisoners who have been re-classified as category C for each year since 1979.
It is not possible for a category A prisoner to be directly regraded to category C. Re-categorisations from B to C are the responsibility for local establishments and no central records are kept. I regret that the information requested is not available.
EDUCATION
Staff Statistics
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if she will list the number of temporary teachers paid on a daily rate who were employed by each college in England for longer than 26 weeks during each year since 1991; and if she will make a statement; (2) if she will list, by college, the number of redundancies, both voluntary and compulsory, that have taken place in England in each academic year since 1990 91; and if she will make a statement.
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Mr. Boswell: This information is not collected by the Department.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list, by grade, the numbers of full-time academic staff funded by the further education budget for each further education college in England on 1 October in each year since 1990; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Boswell: The information is in a table which will be placed in the Library. Figures for 1990 91 cannot be produced without incurring disproportionate costs.
Computer Networks
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much her Department spent in each of the last three years for which figures are available to assist universities in connecting to the joint academic network and the Internet.
Mr. Boswell: The Department does not fund higher education networking directly. Responsibility for overseeing the joint academic network--JANET--among higher eduction institutions in Britain lies with the joint information systems committee of the Higher Education Funding Councils for England and for Wales and the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. In 1993 94, the committee spent some £5.75 million on operating JANET and £8 million on Super-JANET: both allow access to the Internet. Comparable spending by its predecessor, the information systems committee of the Universities Funding Council, amounted in 1991 92 to some £4.3 million on JANET; and in 1992 93 to some £5.5 million on JANET and £5.4 million on Super JANET.
Drug Prevention in Schools"
Mr. Rathbone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many regional conferences on her Department's draft circular, "Drug Prevention in Schools", have taken place; and what submissions have arisen from them.
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