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Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which years studies with service volunteers were undertaken at RMCS Shrivenham; what was the purpose and conclusions of these studies; how many studies were carried out there; and how many service volunteers were involved in these tests.
Mr. Soames: This is a matter for the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive CBDE to write to the hon. Member.
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Letter from Graham Pearson to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 3 February 1995:Question 17, Order Paper 26 January 1995
1. Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State asking in which years studies with Service volunteers were undertaken at RMCS Shrivenham; what was the purpose and conclusions of these studies; how many studies were carried out there; and how many Service volunteers were involved in these tests has been passed to me to reply as Chief Executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment.
2. The role of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment is to ensure that the UK Armed Forces have effective protective measures against the threat that chemical or biological weapons may be used against them. In order to carry out this work, it is necessary to use service volunteers to:
a. assess the ability of Service personnel to function with new equipment and procedures,
b. develop medical countermeasures to protect Service personnel and
c. evaluate the effects of very low and medically safe concentrations of CW agents on the ability of unprotected personnel to operate normally.
No studies involving volunteers are carried out unless there is a clear military need and a detailed protocol has been reviewed and approved by an independent Ethics Committee in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Royal College of Physicians.
3. The Nerve Agent Pretreatment Set (NAPS) was developed in response to a requirement which called for a pretreatment effective against poisoning by all known nerve agents. A number of studies were conducted by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment to identify the effective oral dose regime which used in conjunction with therapy would provide protection against nerve agent poisoning whilst producing minimal or nil side effects.
4. One of these studies took place at RMCS Shrivenham in 1980. Twenty-eight military personnel on a training course volunteered to take part and the conclusions of the study confirmed earlier findings that the side effects from the taking of NAPS were minimal and did not interfere with military duties.
Spy Recruitment
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will obtain for his Department a copy of the article, details of which have been sent to him.
Mr. Soames: Copies of the article are held by my Department.
Chemical Weapons
Mr. Macdonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commission research to investigate any possible future risk to fishermen fishing the deep waters west of the Hebrides from chemical weapons dumped in the area after the second world war; and if he will discuss with other European Governments collective ways of addressing this issue.
Mr. Soames: The potential hazards of chemical waste dump sites and whether there is a need for any remedial action have been reviewed by the Helsinki commission and the Oslo commission. The results of this work have been reported to the global London convention. The consensus of international scientific opinion is to leave CW dump sites undisturbed. Current scientific evidence indicates CW dump sites present no significant risk to human health or to the marine environment and the living resources it supports, now or in the future. Chemical warfare agents either rapidly hydrolise to non-toxic components or are rendered ineffective through dilution. Given this background and the depth of water in which
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the vessels were scuttled, no monitoring of the Atlantic dump sites has been undertaken or is planned.Service Personnel (Women)
Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 January, Official Report , column 2 , if he will list the ranks of each of the armed services in which there are no women serving.
Mr. Soames: As at 1 October 1994, the information requested is as follows:
N
Royal Naval |Army |Royal Air Force
Services<1>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Admiral of the Fleet |Field Marshal |Marshal of the RAF
Admiral |General |Air Chief Marshal
Vice Admiral |Lieutenant General|Air Marshal
Rear Admiral |Major General |Air Vice Marshal
|Air Commodore
<1> Women do not serve in the Royal Marines apart from the Band Service where
the only ranks in which women are serving are marine (2nd class) and junior.
Advertisements
Ms Corston: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions and in what circumstances in the last five years advertisements have been placed in newspaper or periodicals which have been described as being issued by or on behalf of Ministers in his Department rather than on behalf of Her Majesty's Government.
Mr. Freeman: Advertisements for land and property for sale by the Ministry of Defence are normally issued in the name of the Secretary of State for Defence. Records of the numbers of advertisements over the past five years are not kept centrally.
Remote Control Undersea Detonators
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has received on the sale of remote control undersea detonators to Iraq by Oceano Instruments UK Ltd. of Edinburgh in 1990; and whether Lord Justice Scott has asked his Department for any information held on this equipment sale.
Mr. Freeman: These matters are being investigated by Sir Richard Scott and it would therefore be inappropriate for me to comment. The question of information requested by the Scott inquiry is a matter for the inquiry and the Ministry of Defence.
Arms Sales
Mr. Channon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is in relation to answering questions relating to details of arms sales to particular countries.
Mr. Freeman: In general, it remains Government policy not to reveal details of arms sales to particular countries. Such information is confidential between the purchaser and the supplier.
Gulf War
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department has given to the report by Wing Commander Bill Coker concerning
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illnesses suffered by service personnel since serving in the Gulf war; if he will publish the report; what assessment he has made of the percentage of people diagnosed as ill by Wing Commander Coker; and if he will now establish an independent medical inquiry.Mr. Soames: Contrary to media speculation, no such report exists. Gulf veterans who consider that their health has been adversely affected by their service in the Gulf continue to be assessed under the Department's medical assessment programme and detailed preliminary findings will be made public at an appropriate stage when sufficient have been examined to draw provisional conclusions. Of those seen so far, approximately 25 per cent. have been diagnosed as suffering from psychological conditions, 20 per cent. from a range of serious well- recognised medical conditions unrelated to service in the Gulf, 10 per cent. from chronic fatigue syndrome and the remainder from a range of minor physical ailments. None of the conditions has been found to be peculiar to service in the Gulf. There is no single illness, major or minor, common to those he has examined and no evidence to suggest the existence of a Gulf war syndrome. Consequently, there is no reason to establish an independent inquiry.
Warships
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if it remains his Department's policy to maintain around 35 warships; what consideration he has given to changing this policy; what consultations he has had with the Admiral of the Fleet on any change in the number of warships required for the Royal Navy; how many warships he estimates the United Kingdom will posses by 2000; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Soames: The Royal Navy currently maintains a surface fleet of 97 commissioned vessels, including 36 destroyers and frigates. As set out in the last year's statement on the Defence Estimates, we continue to plan for a future force level of 35 destroyers and frigates from 1995.
Land Mines
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 27 January, Official Report, column 445 , what are the other established criteria in deciding the export of land mine components.
Mr. Freeman: The other established criteria are those used in deciding whether to grant export licences for any defence equipment, and include the guidelines agreed by the permanent five members of the Security Council of the United Nations; with European Union partners; and in the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Haymes Garth
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 27 January, Official Report , column 446 , when the conclusions of the KPMG Peat Marwick report concerning the expenditure at the residence known as Haymes Garth will be reported to the House.
Mr. Soames: As I said in my answer to the hon. Member for Dorset, West (Sir J. Spicer) on 4 July 1994, Official Report , column 85 , we will make a full report to the House on the conclusion of the work which has been
Column 890
set in hand to look into expenditure on Haymes Garth and other official service residences.Intra-departmental Facsimiles
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions in the last year intra-departmental facsimile messages have been sent to the wrong destination; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Soames: This information is not recorded.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the security implications of
intra-departmental facsimile messages mistakenly sent to the wrong destination; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Soames: Should a breach of security occur, the circumstances would be investigated by my Department's security directorate or the appropriate single service security authority. Additionally, an investigation into local procedures would be undertaken by line management.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has initiated an inquiry into mistakes in his Department resulting in the sending of facsimile messages to the wrong destination; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Soames: Should a breach of security occur from the mis-dialling and transmission of a facsimile message, the appropriate departmental authority would investigate the incident.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the intra-departmental facsimile messages sent to the wrong destination in the last year have been (a) classified and (b) unclassified.
Mr. Soames: Although records would be kept when breaches of security occur, no central record of these is maintained.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the effect of the facsimile message mistakenly sent to The News in Plymouth in April 1994, on the career prospects of the officers who were its subject.
Golf Courses
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 January, Official Report, column 690, when the hon. Member for South Shields will receive an answer to his question about golf courses.
Mr. Soames: My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member shortly, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Royal Army Dental Corps
Sir Cranley Onslow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what conditions civilian students are admitted to dental hygiene courses at the Royal Army Dental Corps training unit at Aldershot; and how many such students have been admitted in each of the past five years.
Mr. Freeman: Civilian students are admitted to dental hygienist courses at RADC Aldershot on a "space available" and repayment basis. Over the last five years, two one-year courses have been run every year with a
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maximum of 10 students per course. At present, only one course is being offered and this begins in March 1995. Priority is given to armed forces students, but any surplus places may be allocated to civilian students.During the past five years, a total of 30 civilian students have been trained at RADC Aldershot as follows.
Service and civilian students admitted to
dental hygienist course at
RADC Aldershot
|Service |Civilian
Date |students|students
------------------------------------------
January 1990 |6 |4
September 1990 |7 |3
January 1991 |6 |4
September 1991 |9 |1
January 1992 |9 |1
September 1992 |6 |4
January 1993 |7 |3
September 1993 |6 |4
January 1994 |8 |2
September 1994 |6 |4
Total |70 |30
Noise Pollution Complaints
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints about noise pollution from each proof and experimental establishment at Shoeburyness and Pendine were received in each calendar month from January 1992 to date.
Mr. Freeman: I will write to the hon. Member.
Trident
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the percentage production outside the Trident warhead programme by value at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Llanishen, Cardiff, in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Freeman: Figures for each of the last 10 years could not be produced without disproportionate effort. During the period 1984 to date, however, somewhat less than half the output of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Llanishen, Cardiff has been related to the Trident programme. The balance of capacity has been allocated to other nuclear work save for 5 to 10 per cent. which consisted of work, primarily high- precision machining, undertaken on behalf of commercial customers.
Rocket Tests
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements exist with the Russian Federation and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to ensure that the Russian military or Government do not misinterpret as offensive the testing of rockets launched for scientific research with particular reference to the launch in Norway on 25 January.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: I have been asked to reply.
None. However, the Norwegian Government have confirmed that, in line with long-standing bilateral arrangements with Russia, the launch on 25 January was notified in advance to the Russian authorities through diplomatic channels.
Column 892
HOME DEPARTMENT
Child Witnesses
Mrs. Golding: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the research findings from the project currently being conducted at the university of Leicester: "Evaluation of New Provision for Child Witnesses 1991".
Mr. Maclean: We expect to publish the report in the spring.
Mrs. Golding: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will outline the remit of the steering group chaired by his Department on children's evidence; and if he will list the membership of the group.
Mr. Maclean: The remit of the steering group on child evidence is as follows:
(a) to monitor the implementation of relevant legislation and Government initiatives;
(b) to provide a national forum for the resolution of problems relating to child evidence;
(c) to assess what further reforms might be necessary and to assess their viability; and
(d) to keep informed of new developments in the field. The following are represented on the group:
Home Office--chairing the Group
Department of Health
Lord Chancellor's Department
Crown Prosecution Service
Association of Chief Police Officers
Association of Directors of Social Services
Social Services Inspectorate
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.
Police Authorities
Mr. Faber: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines are issued by his Department to the new police authorities in respect of (a) the number of full meetings that should be held annually and (b) what constitutes suitable accommodation for those meetings.
Mr. Maclean: None; these are matters for the members of the new authorities.
Secure Training Centres
Sir Ivan Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made in the setting-up of secure training centres; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean: Outline planning permission has been granted in respect of the site at Cookham Wood, and a certificate of lawful use for the redevelopment of the site at Gringley. We intend to issue invitations to tender for the design, construction/refurbishment, management and finance of STCs on those sites within the next few weeks. Invitations to tender for the remaining sites will follow as soon as possible thereafter.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of asylum seekers from Bosnia who have arrived in the United Kingdom since the beginning of the civil war in Bosnia; and how many have (a) been given full political refugee
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status, (b) been given exceptional leave to remain, (c) been rejected and (d) still await his decision.Mr. Nicholas Baker: The available information on asylum applications by nationals of the former Yugoslavia, and on decisions made, for the period 1 January 1992 to 31 December 1994, is given in the table; data for Bosnians are not separately identified in the statistics. As at 31 December 1994 an estimated 5,990 applications for asylum from former Yugoslavs were outstanding.
In addition to consideration of asylum applications, the Government have, under arrangements announced in November 1992 and June 1993, offered to receive 1,000 particularly vulnerable individuals from the former Yugoslavia and their close dependants. As at 31 January 1995, 842 particularly vulnerable individuals and 1,142 dependants had arrived under these arrangements. Prior to this, 68 sick and wounded ex-detainees from Bosnia arrived in September 1992.
Decisions<1> on applications<1> received for asylum
from nationals of
the former Yugoslavia in the United Kingdom, excluding
dependants, 1992 to 1994
Number of principal applicants
|1992 |1993 |1994
--------------------------------------------------------
Asylum applications<2> |5,635|1,830|1,385
Decisions<2> |130 |175 |1,765
Recognised as a refugee and
granted asylum |* |- |25
Not recognised as a refugee but
granted exceptional leave to
remain<4> |* |55 |1,265
Refused asylum and ELR-after
full consideration |- |10 |375
Refused under para 180F<5> |65 |80 |75
Refused on safe third country
grounds<6> |60 |30 |25
<1> Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5, with
`*' = 1 or 2.
<2> Figures exclude information on applications made
overseas.
<3> Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications
made in the same year.
<4> Usually granted for a year in the first instance,
subject then to further review.
<5> For failure to provide evidence to support the
asylum claim within a reasonable period, including
failure to respond to invitation to interview to
establish identity-para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993.
<6> Refused on the grounds that the applicant had
arrived from a safe third country.
Mr. Churchill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers and dependants have made applications to enter the United Kingdom since 1 January 1990; what percentage of these have made their application other than on arrival at the port of entry; how many have had their cases determined and, of these, how many have been refused and deported; and how many are awaiting determination of their cases.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The available information on applications, decisions, and removals, excluding dependants, by location of application, for the years 1990 to 1994 is given in table A. Table B gives the available information on applications and decisions, including dependants for the years 1990 to 1994.
At 31 December 1994--the latest date for which information is available--an estimated 55,255 applications for asylum, excluding dependants, were outstanding.
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Figures for those persons and their dependants granted entry clearance abroad to seek asylum in the United Kingdom are not separately identified in the statistics.
Table A: Applications<1> received for asylum in the United Kingdom,
decisions<1>, and removals<1> (including voluntary departures),
excluding dependants, by location of application
1990
|Port |In-country|Total
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications for asylum |9,005 |17,200 |26,205
Total decisions<2> |- |- |4,025
Recognised as a refugee
and granted asylum |- |- |920
Not recognised as a
refugee but granted
exceptional leave to
remain |- |- |2,400
Refused asylum and
exceptional leave<3> |- |- |705
Removals (including
voluntary departures)<4> |- |- |-
<1> Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
<2> A breakdown of decisions into port and in-country is not available
for 1990 and 1991.
<3> Includes refusals on safe third country grounds and those under
para. 180F-(para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993) of the immigration rules.
<4> Removals figures for 1990 and 1991 are not available.
Table A: Applications<1> received for asylum in the United Kingdom,
decisions<1>, and removals<1> (including voluntary departures),
excluding dependants, by location of application
1991
|Port |In-country|Total
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications for asylum |9,030 |35,815 |44,840
Total decisions<2> |- |- |6,075
Recognised as a refugee
and granted asylum |- |- |505
Not recognised as a
refugee but granted
exceptional leave to
remain |- |- |2,190
Refused asylum and
exceptional leave<3> |- |- |3,380
Removals (including
voluntary departures)<4> |- |- |-
<1> Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
<2> A breakdown of decisions into port and in-country is not available
for 1990 and 1991.
<3> Includes refusals on safe third country grounds and those under
para. 180F-(para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993) of the immigration rules.
<4> Removals figures for 1990 and 1991 are not available.
Table A: Applications<1> received for asylum in the United Kingdom,
decisions<1>, and removals<1> (including voluntary departures),
excluding dependants, by location of application
1992
|Port |In-country|Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications for asylum |7,675 |16,930 |24,605
Total decisions<2> |9,005 |25,900 | 34,900
Recognised as a refugee
and granted asylum |410 |705 |1,115
Not recognised as a refugee
but granted exceptional
leave to remain |7,500 |7,825
Refused asylum and
exceptional leave<3> |1,095 |17,375 |18,465
Removals (including
voluntary departures)<4> |960 |385 |1,345
<1> Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
<2> A breakdown of decisions into port and in-country is not available
for 1990 and 1991.
<3> Includes refusals on safe third country grounds and those under
para. 180F-(para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993) of the immigration rules.
<4> Removals figures for 1990 and 1991 are not available.
Table A: Applications<1> received for asylum in the United Kingdom,
decisions<1>, and removals<1> (including voluntary departures),
excluding dependants, by location of application
1993
|Port |In-country|Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications for asylum |7,320 |15,050 |22,370
Total decisions<2> |8,315 |15,090 |23,405
Recognised as a refugee
and granted asylum |330 |1,260 |1,590
Not recognised as a refugee
but granted exceptional
leave to remain |5,605 |5,520 |11,125
Refused asylum and
exceptional leave<3> |2,375 |8,310 |10,690
Removals (including
voluntary departures)<4> |1,235 |585 |1,820
<1> Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
<2> A breakdown of decisions into port and in-country is not available
for 1990 and 1991.
<3> Includes refusals on safe third country grounds and those under
para. 180F-(para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993) of the immigration rules.
<4> Removals figures for 1990 and 1991 are not available.
Table A: Applications<1> received for asylum in the United Kingdom,
decisions<1>, and removals<1> (including voluntary departures),
excluding dependants, by location of application
1994
|Port |In-country|Total
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications for asylum |10,230 |22,600 |32,830
Total decisions<2> |7,150 |13,840 |20,990
Recognised as a refugee
and granted asylum |300 |530 |825
Not recognised as a
refugee but granted
exceptional leave to
remain |1,785 |1,875 |3,660
Refused asylum and
exceptional leave<3> |5,065 |11,435 |16,500
Removals (including
voluntary departures)<4> |<5>1,190 |790 |1,985
<1> Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
<2> A breakdown of decisions into port and in-country is not available
for 1990 and 1991.
<3> Includes refusals on safe third country grounds and those under
para. 180F-(para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993) of the immigration rules.
<4> Removals figures for 1990 and 1991 are not available.
<5> The 1994 port removal figure is provisional pending a final
analysis of 1994 data.
Table B Applications<1> received for asylum in the United Kingdom,
and
decisions<1>, including dependents. 1990 to 1994
|1990 |1991 |1992 |1993 |1994
------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications for asylum |38,195|73,400|32,300|28,000|41,100
Total Decisions<2> |6,055 |9,140 |59,050|36,890|28,210
Recognised as a refugee
and granted asylum |1,590 |800 |1,900 |2,860 |1,380
Not recognised as a
refugee but granted
exceptional leave to
remain |3,610 |2,950 |21,680|15,480|5,480
Refused asylum and
exceptional leave<3> |855 |5,390 |35,480|18,550|21,350
<1> Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
<2> A breakdown of decisions into port and in-country is not
available for 1990 and 1991.
<3> Includes refusals on sale third country grounds and those
under para. 180F-para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993-of the
immigration rules.
1. Removals figures for 1990 and 1991 are not available.
Mr. Churchill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of the provision of housing, schooling, health care and social security provision in respect of asylum seekers and their dependants currently in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The average estimated cost in income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit of maintaining an asylum applicant and any dependants is around £100 per week. No recent estimates of the other costs are available.
Mr. Churchill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest estimate available to him of the number of asylum- seekers currently seeking entry to the European Union.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The available information covering the period 1 January 1992 to 30 November 1994 is given in the table.
Applications<1> received for asylum in member countries of the
European Union, including dependants, 1 January 1992 to 30
November 1994
|1994
|(January to
|1992 |1993 |November)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Austria |16,200 |4,400 |-
Belgium |17,700 |26,900 |13,145
Denmark |13,900 |14,400 |6,150
Finland |3,600 |2,000 |745
France<2> |27,500 |26,500 |23,570
Germany |438,200 |322,600 |115,025
Greece |- |- |-
Ireland |250 |- |-
Italy |2,500 |1,100 |<3>530
Luxembourg |120 |- |-
Netherlands |20,300 |35,400 |48,410
Portugal |200 |- |-
Spain<2> |11,700 |12,600 |9,660
Sweden |83,200 |37,600 |17,355
United Kingdom<4> |32,300 |28,000 |35,800
<1> Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
<2> Application figures for France and Spain exclude dependants.
<3> Information for application figures received in Italy for
1994 are only available for the period 1 January 1994 to 31 March
1994.
<4> United Kingdom figures have been adjusted to include
dependants.
Departmental Research
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish his Department's research into (a) intensive probation, (b) reconviction rates of offenders, (c) remand decisions and offending while on bail and (d) the experience of settlement among refugees.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The four research reports have now all been completed and are currently being prepared for printing or publication. I expect them to be published in March and April 1995.
Prisoners
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the chief inspector of prisons' recommendations in respect of the use of secure accommodation to facilitate the control of category C 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. George Howarth, dated 3 February 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about progress on recommendations made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in respect of the use of secure accommodation to facilitate the control of category C prisoners.
The Chief Inspector recommended that the Prison Service should develop a coherent policy towards the control of prisoners in category C prisons making better use of the secure accommodation in some establishments.
In response to the Chief Inspector's recommendations, a review of control in category C prisons has been completed. This included an analysis of the effects of the population mix on the risk to good order in category C prisons and an assessment of the control capability of each individual category C establishment. The research identified that the presence of a high proportion of certain types of category C prisoners will make serious disturbances more likely. New allocation procedures for category C prisoners were introduced in October 1994 to take account of this analysis. All category C prisons were placed in one of four groups depending on the combination of design and architectural features affecting control capability. Guidelines on the maximum proportion of potentially disruptive prisoners have been set for each group of prisons and the population mix at each establishment is now regularly monitored. We have also increased the provision of cellular accommodation within the category C estate at Moorland (310 places), Buckley Hall (350 places) and Guys Marsh (120 places). No new dormitory or cubicular accommodation will be commissioned for category C use. This is in line with the Chief Inspector's recommendations.
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