House of Commons Hansard Debates for 27 Jan 1995

Mr. Jack [holding answer 25 January 1995]: As I explained in my reply on 25 January, Official Report , column 217 , it is not possible to say in advance how many vessels will be decommissioned as a result of the additional funding. On the basis of experience with previous schemes, however, I would expect the results to make significant further contributions towards meeting the targets for capacity reduction in our multi-annual guidance programme.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Departmental Staff

Mrs. Maddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees for which his Department is responsible were women (a) in 1991, (b) in 1992, (c) in 1993 and (d) in 1994; and of these, how many were (i) at grade 7 level, (ii) at grade 3 level, (iii)

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at executive officer level, (iv) at administrative officer level and (v) at administrative assistant level.

Mr. Howard: In November 1991, 11,247 members of staff in the Home Office were women. Of these, three were at grade 3 level, 131 were at grade 7 level, 2,052 were at executive officer level, and 5,094 were at administrative officer level and 3,072 were at administrative assistant level.

In October 1992, 12,366 members of staff were women. Of these, six were at grade 3 level, 117 were at grade 7 level, 2,363 were at executive officer level, 5,709 were at administrative officer level and 3,210 were at administrative assistant level.

In September 1993, 13,035 members of staff were women. Of these, seven were at grade 3 level, 141 were at grade 7 level, 2,427 were at executive officer level, 5,834 were at administrative officer level and 3,355 were at administrative assistant level.

In September 1994, 13,417 members of staff in the Department were women. Of these, six were at grade 3 level, 179 were at grade 7, 2, 749 were at executive officer level, 5,928 were at administrative officer level and 3,195 were at administrative assistant level. The figures for grades 3 and 7 level are as at June 1992. The figures for grades 3 and 7 are as at March 1993.

Police Exhibition

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list of exhibitors and country delegations that attended the police scientific development Branch conference- exhibition held recently at Bramshill college, organised by the Association of Police and Public Security Suppliers.

Mr. Maclean: The police scientific development branch equipment exhibition at the Police Staff college, Bramshill, in October 1994 attracted some 130 exhibitors, a list of which has been placed in the Library.

The exhibition was attended by visitors from police agencies in Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa and Sweden.

Mobile Phone Thefts

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mobile phones have been reported stolen in each month for the past two years; what measures he is taking to apprehend the criminals involved; and what steps he intends to take to make illegal the reprogramming of mobile phones.

Mr. Maclean: From information collected centrally, it is not possible separately to identify offences of thefts of mobile phones. The investigation of criminal offences and the allocation and deployment of resources are operational policing matters and, as such, the responsibility of the chief officer of the force concerned. A number of forces have established specialist squads to tackle the problem of mobile phone theft.

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The Government have no plans, at present, to make the reprogramming of mobile phones a criminal offence.

Animal Experiments

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 18 January, Official Report , column 528 , if he will explain the delay in the publication of Statistics of "Scientific Procedures Performed on Living Animals","Great Britain", 1993; and what measures he is taking to ensure that it does not recur.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: The delay in the publication of the annual Command Paper was caused by problems with the computer systems upon which the collection of data for this publication is dependent, and by a need to investigate possible omissions in the data. With these statistics, completeness is more important than timeliness. I am pleased to say that the problems have been resolved satisfactorily. Arrangements for handling the annual returns issued to persons licenses to perform scientific procedures have been modified to ensure more timely publication in future years.

Sexual Offences (Children)

Mrs. Golding: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British citizens have been prosecuted for sexual offences involving children outside the United Kingdom for each year since records have been kept.

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Mr. Maclean: Information on the number of British citizens prosecuted abroad is not collected centrally by my Department.

Electric Shock Equipment

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 18 January, Official Report , column 535 , what were the terms of the authority granted to Royal Ordnance under section 5(1) (b) of the Firearms Act 1968, with particular reference to the stocking of or trading in any form of electro-shock equipment and to what extent Royal Ordnance has dealt in such equipment in the last 10 years.

Mr. Maclean: The specific authority referred to allows Royal Ordnance to possess, purchase, acquire, sell and transfer no more than 100 weapons to which sections 5(1) (a) , 5(1) (ab) or 5(1) (b) of the Firearms Act 1968 apply, in the course of their business as registered firearms dealers. The authority makes no reference to electric shock equipment. I have no information about dealings by them in such equipment.

Right of Settlement

Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how may immigrants were granted the right of settlement in British during (a) 1993 and (b) 1994.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: The available information, which is for 1993 and the first six months of 1994, was published in table 1.1 of Home Office statistical bulletin "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom, First and Second Quarters 1994", issue 25/94, a copy of which is in the Library.

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