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Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions were held between his Department and ICL Technical Plastics in order to promote its products in the foreign market place; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart: Scottish Trade International, the export arm of the Scottish Office and Scottish Enterprise, had some discussions in 1993 with the company about the marketing of a range of conventional riot gear which had been already sold to police forces within the United Kingdom. No mention of electro-shock weapons or similar products has ever been made to officials.
The Scottish Office has conducted extensive investigation and is satisfied that the allegations made against the Department by the Channel 4 "Dispatches" programme are unsubstantiated.
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial assistance was given to ICL Technical Plastics in Glasgow for sponsoring sales trips abroad; and what sum was involved.
Mr. Stewart: Scottish Trade International, the export arm of the Scottish Office and Scottish Enterprise, has given no financial assistance to ICL Technical Plastics, Glasgow, either for sponsoring sales trips abroad or indeed for any other business activities.
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Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all sites in Scotland where depleted uranium is stored in any form; what is the quantity stored in each case; and what measures are taken to protect the public from any potential dangers.
Sir Hector Monro: In Scotland, depleted uranium is stored on nuclear sites at UKAEA Dounreay and British Nuclear Fuels plc, Chapelcross.
Tonnages stored at these sites are:
Dounreay: 110 tonnes
Chapelcross: 5,000 tonnes
At these sites, similar controls are applied to depleted uranium as for all other nuclear materials.
From time to time the Ministry of Defence stores small quantities of depleted uranium at the test and evaluation establishment at Kirkcudbright. They are stored in accordance with current licensing regulations, arrangements are overseen by the Health and Safety Executive, and Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate is aware of them. It is also held at other munitions stores and depots, but it is not the Ministry of Defence's practice to disclose the quantities of or locations where, specific types of ammunition are stored. However, all such material is held in safe and secure facilities in accordance with the requirements for radioactive materials.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidelines are operated by his Department as regards the use of executive search agencies to fill vacancies within his Department and his Department's executive agencies; and in what circumstances his Department employs executive search agencies instead of relying fully on Departmental resources to fill vacant posts.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 26 January 1995]: Executive search agencies are used in cases where my Department and its agencies consider posts will be difficult to fill and where suitable candidates are probably currently in employment and therefore unlikely to apply simply on the basis of an advertisement in the press.
Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discretion exists under current Scottish Office Education Department regulations and guidelines to allow institutions to make payments from access funds to students who are eligible for, but have not applied for, a student loan.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 27 January 1995]: The guidance issued to institutions indicates that if an eligible student has not taken out a loan, and there are no exceptional circumstances, it would be reasonable to conclude that his or her circumstances were not sufficiently difficult to warrant assistance from the access funds.
We therefore expect the provision of assistance from the access funds to such students, other than on a
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short-term immediate need basis, to be very much the exception.Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many students applied for assistance from the access funds in Scotland for the academic year 1993 94; and how many received payments; (2) what was the amount disbursed to students from access funds in respect of fees, books, equipment, accommodation, child care, or other needs for each higher and further education institution in Scotland for the academic year 1993 94.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 27 January 1995]: A full breakdown is not available since not all institutions have been able to provide the information requested. The table sets out the available information by institutional sector based on returns submitted to date.
Access funds 1993-94 |Higher |Further |education |education |institutions |colleges |Total ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Number of students applying<1> |13,500 |4,600 |18,100 Number of students assisted<1> |8,600 |3,800 |12,400 Amounts disbursed<1> |£1.9 million |£0.7 million |£2.6 million Amounts available to all institutions |£2.7 million |£1.1 million |£3.8 million <1> No adjustments have been made for outstanding returns.
Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the percentage changes in the number of students applying for assistance from access funds between each year since the system began and the academic year 1993 94.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 27 January 1995]: The available information, based on returns received to date, is set out in the table.
Figures for 1993 94 are not comparable with earlier years due to inclusion of returns from Scottish universities which, prior to that session, received their access funds resources from the then Universities Funding Council.
|1990-91|1991-92|1992-93|1993-94 --------------------------------------------------------------- Number of students applying |11,000 |12,600 |12,700 |18,100 Percentage increase on |14 per |1 per |42 per previous year |- |cent. | cent. |cent.
Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the results of the monitoring returns for Scotland and higher education institutions on the use of discretionary funds for 1993 94.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 27 January 1995]: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to access funds. The detailed information so far available for academic year 1993-94 is not sufficiently comprehensive to justify publication. We will consider how best to disseminate the information when we have a more complete picture.
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Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make it his policy that no patients awaiting cardiac surgery in the Borders health board area will be put under pressure to accept referral to Health Care International in Clydebank unless they and their general practitioners are convinced that it is in the patients' best interests to do so;
(2) what consideration he or his ministerial colleagues have given to the waiting list initiative taken by the Borders health board in respect of the referral of Borders patients waiting for cardiac surgery to Health Care International in Clydebank; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what discussion was held between the NHS Executive in Scotland and the Borders health board before the recent initiative to refer Border patients awaiting cardiac surgery to HCI in Clydebank; and if he will make a statement;
(4) what assessment he has made of the standard of cardiac surgery in HCI in Clydebank relative to the range of treatment available at the Royal infirmary in Edinburgh; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 27 January 1995]: This is a matter for Borders health board. It is appropriate for NHS purchasers to buy services from independent hospitals, in order to reduce waiting times for patients. The NHS in Scotland Management Executive was aware of Borders health board's proposal to purchase cardiac surgery services from HCI.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of whether security at the Pucklechurch remand centre is adequate for the custody of category A prisoners.
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. Doug Hoyles dated 30 January 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about security at Pucklechurch prison.
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An assessment has been made of the security arrangements needed to hold a category A prisoner at Pucklechurch prison and appropriate arrangements have been put into effect.Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted category A prisoners have escaped in each year since 1965.
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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Jack Straw, dated 30 January 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about how many convicted category A prisoners have escaped in each year since 1965.
Category A was introduced in June 1967. The following table shows the number of convicted category A prisoners who escaped in each calendar year since then.
|Number of |Number of Year |prisoners|Year |prisoners -------------------------------------------------------------- 1967 |0 |1987 |2 1968 |1 |1988 |0 1969 |0 |1989 |1 1970 |1 |1990 |1 1971 |0 |1991 |1 1972 |4 |1992 |1 1973 |1 |1993 |0 1974 and 1975 |0 |1994 |6 1976 |3 |1995 |2 1977-1986 (inclusive) |0 |- |-
In addition, in 1980 there were three escapes, and in 1991 two escapes, by remand/unconvicted category A prisoners.
Mr. Hutton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many category A, category B and category C prisoners have escaped from custody in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 16 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. John Hutton, dated 30 January 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me, to reply to your recent Question about how many Category A, B and C prisoners escaped from custody in each year since 1979.
The information is not available in exactly the form you request. Information about escapes of category A prisoners is in the following table:
Category A escapes Type of |20 June 1988-|1 April 1989-|1 April 1990-|1 April 1991-|1 April 1992-|1 April 1993-|1 April 1994- establishment |31 March 1989|31 March 1990|31 March 1991|31 March 1992|31 March 1993|31 March 94 |9 January 95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dispersal |0 |0 |0 |1 |1 |0 |8 Local |0 |2 |0 |2 |0 |0 |0 Escorts |0 |0 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0 Total |0 |2 |0 |4 |2 |0 |8
Incidents of escape from custody of other than prisoners in category A are recorded according to the security category of the prison from which the prisoner escapes and not by the security category of the prisoner.
Information about these escapes has only been recorded centrally since 20 June 1988. During the period 20 June 1988 to 9 January 1995, the number of prisoners who escaped from dispersal prisons and category B and C prisons is as follows:
Type of |20 June 1988-|1 April 1989-|1 April 1990-|1 April 1991-|1 April 1992-|1 April 1993-|1 April 1994- establishment |31 March 1989|31 March 1990|31 March 1991|31 March 1992|31 March 1993|31 March 94 |31 March 95 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dispersal |- |1 |- |- |- |- |1 Category B |49 |15 |34 |50 |45 |24 |23 Category C |82 |99 |153 |170 |126 |104 |77 Closed Young Offender |10 |29 |37 |75 |58 |50 |23 Closed Female |- |- |1 |10 |7 |1 |5 Escorts (Male) |95 |106 |107 |140 |138 |116 |51 Escorts (Female) |7 |5 |4 |14 |13 |9 |7 Total |243 |255 |336 |459 |387 |296 |187
The above information also includes escapes from closed young offender establishments and those escapes form closed female establishments during this period. Young offenders and female prisoners are not classified as Category B or C, but as suitable for either closed or open conditions.
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Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the weekly limit of private cash that a prison inmate in prisons in England and Wales is allowed to spend.
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 January 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the weekly limit which prisoners are allowed to spend from private cash.
The private cash limit for convicted prisoners is expressed in annual rather than weekly terms. The basic national limit, set in 1987, is £115 and excludes phonecards and newspapers. Higher levels can be set by governors with their area managers' agreement and some establishments have separate allowances for items such as hobbies materials and food. There are no such limits applying in general to unconvicted prisoners.
In his statement to the House on 19 December 1994 about the Woodcock enquiry into events at Whitemoor, the Home Secretary announced that amounts of private cash that prisoners are permitted to spend will be reduced, and in time the use of unearned private cash will be eliminated altogether.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what salary has been or will be paid to the person or persons who will advise his Department on United States prison security; and if he will make a statement.
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 January 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the salary of prison security advisors from the United States. No decisions have been taken on the appointment or remuneration of a prison security advisor from the United States. A former warden of a maximum security prison in the United States has been invited to discuss the contribution that he might make to the Prison Service.
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons have had their locks
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changed because of key compromises in the last three years; and what was the average cost for each such prison.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 Ms Margaret Hodge, dated 30 January 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of prisons where locks have been changed because of key compromises in the last three years.
Since January 1992 there have been 28 key compromises resulting in a change of locks. This includes the recent compromise at Parkhurst prison.
The cost of replacing the locks varies according to the size of the prison and the class of locks. Typical costs are in the range of between £40,000 and £64,000.
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give figures for the numbers of self-inflicted injuries in Her Majesty's prisons, according to prison category, in (a) 1979, (b) 1985 and (c) the last year for which figures are available.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for this mater 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 Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 30 January 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of self inflicted injuries during 1979, 1985 and the most recent available year.
In 1979 a total of 1,906 incidents of deliberate self injury were recorded. In 1984 reporting periods changed from calendar to financial years and therefore we do not have a specific figure for 1985. During the year 1985 86 a total of 1,567 incidents of deliberate self injury were recorded. The most recent available year 1993 94 had 4,187. Incidents of deliberate self injury are normally categorised as those with apparent suicidal intent and other less serious incidents. These are summarised in Table 1.
Table 1: Number of incidents of deliberate self injury Number of incidents of deliberate self injury |With apparent |Other less serious Year |suicidal intent |incidents |Total ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1979 |300 |1,606 |1,906 1985-86 |256 |1,311 |1,567 1993-94 |825 |3,362 |4,187
The significantly higher figures for 1993 94 result from the Prison Service introducing a revised strategy for caring for potentially suicidal prisoners in April 1994. This was designed to enable a high quality of care to be given to prisoners who are identified as being at possible risk of self-harm. It reflected a decision to move away from a primarily medical model of suicide prevention towards a more integrated approach which emphasises the responsibility of the whole of the prison community for the care of those in distress.
Included amongst the new procedures was a system for identifying those at risk of self-harm by the use of a new form (F2052SH), which was piloted in a number of establishments during 1993. The form acts as a basis for a team work, case-conference approach to dealing with those at risk. The new system encourages staff to consider the most appropriate location for potentially suicidal prisoners, be that within the Health Care Centre or on the residential unit, with appropriate levels of supervision and support in either case. It is possible that the introduction of the new form together with the higher profile which the strategy affords to identification of and support for potentially suicidal prisoners has affected recording procedures. Staff may have become more disposed to ascribe suicidal intent or alternatively have become more attentive to signs of self-injurious behaviour.
Information on deliberate self injuries by prison type is not available for 1979 or 1985 86. Table 2 shows the breakdown for 1993 94.
Table 2: Number of incidents of deliberate self-harm by prison type for 1993-94 |Number of |per cent. of Prison type |incidents |<1>CNA -------------------------------------------------------------- Category D Trainer |9 |0.3 Category C Trainer |295 |2.5 Category B Trainer |120 |3.2 Dispersal |116 |4.4 Young Offenders (Male) |907 |12.0 Local |1,750 |12.5 Female |990 |66.4 Note: <1> Percentage CNA refers to the number of incidents of deliberate self injury expressed as a percentage of certified normal accommodation (CNA).
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's policy on the regular movement of prison officers who deal with category A prisoners in prisons in England and Wales.
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.
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Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox dated 30 January 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your Question about the policy on the regular movement of prison officers who deal with category A prisoners.Category A prisoners are located in prisons where the majority of prisoners are in lower security categories. Governors rotate staff as they perceive the need to do so.
In the case of category A prisoners located in Special Secure Units, the Woodcock enquiry into the escape from Whitemoor recommended that there should be a firm policy for the rotation of staff to reduce the threat of conditioning. The Home Secretary accepted all the Woodcock recommendations and intends to publish a detailed timetable for their implementation shortly.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners who (a) are classified as a suicide risk and (b) are not so classified have 24-hour surveillance as of 3 January this year.
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. Doug Hoyle, dated 30 January 1995 :
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of prisoners classified as a suicide risk and the number of prisoners under 24 hour surveillance.
During the period 3 - 18 January 1995 a total of 16 inmates spent periods of continuous observation in prisons in England and Wales. Of these, 15 had been identified at risk of suicide and one placed on observation on Headquarters instructions as a precautionary measure.
|Suicide risks on |Continuous watch Establishment |continuous watch |for other reasons ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pucklechurch |1 |0 Guys Marsh |2 |0 Swinfen Hall |2 |0 Moorland |1 |0 Wandsworth |1 |0 Durham |1 |0 Cookham Wood |1 |1 |(13/14) HQ |Instruction Birmingham |1 |0 Pentonville |1 |0 Highdown |2 |0 Parkhurst |2 |0
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who issued the instruction to keep open at all times the cell door of Mrs. Rosemary West, currently in custody at Pucklechurch remand centre, after the death of her husband on 2 January.
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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. Doug Hoyle, dated 30 January 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about who issued the instruction to keep open at all times the cell door of Mrs. Rosemary West, currently in custody at Pucklechurch Remand Centre, after the death of her husband on 2 January.
After the death of Frederick West on 1 January 1995 at Birmingham prison, the Directory of Custody, Phillipa Drew, in consultation with me, took the decision to place Rosemary West under observation by two members of staff on a twenty four hour basis, to prevent her from self harm.
Mrs. West's cell door is not kept open at all times. Her door is unlocked at approximately 20:45 and is locked again at 07.30. Every effort is being made to make the observation of Mrs. West as unobtrusive as possible.
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the United Kingdom Prison Service has been equipped with, or trained with the use of, electro-shock devices.
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. Llew Smith, dated 30 January 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about whether the United Kingdom Prison Service has been equipped with, or trained in the use of, electro-shock devices.
I can confirm that the Prison Service in England and Wales is not equipped with electro-shock devices nor are prison officers trained in the use of such devices.
It is for the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland to provide details for their own services.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons in England and Wales did not have a number one governor in post as of 16 January.
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 January 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about which prisons in England and Wales did not have a number one governor in post as of the 16 January.
Our planning arrangements ensure that the majority of governor-in-charge posts are handed over by the outgoing governor to the incoming governor. Where there is an interregnum, arrangements are made for the post to be temporarily covered by another senior governor grade, usually from the same establishment.
On 16 January, the following prisons did not have a permanent governing governor in post:
HMP Canterbury: appointment pending.
HMP Coldingley: appointment made and new governor takes up post on 30 January.
HMP Lindholme: appointment pending.
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