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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 8 March 1995

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Permanent Secretaries

Mr. Milburn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which permanent secretaries have left his Department's employment in the last five years, and which public positions they have been appointed to subsequently.

Mr. John M. Taylor: No permanent secretary has left the Lord Chancellor's Department's employment in the last five years.

Career Breaks

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many men and women applied for career breaks in his Department; and how many have had their employment terminated in the last five years.

Mr. John M. Taylor: Details of how many men and women applied for a career break within the last five years were not recorded centrally until July 1994. Since then 20 applications have been made, two of which were refused. None of the 20 have had their employment terminated.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Civil Service (Market Testing)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what evidence he has in support of the conclusion of the White Paper on the future of the civil service that market testing has created savings.

Mr. Horam: The evidence can be found in the "Market Testing Bulletin Special Report", published in January, which is available in the Library. The report includes full details of the results of the "Competing for Quality" programme--including market testing--to September 1994 and shows that Departments have now identified annual cost savings of over £400 million from a programme covering over £2 billion of Government services.

Permanent Secretaries

Mr. Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which permanent secretaries have left his Department's employment in the last five years; and which public positions they have been appointed to subsequently.

Mr. David Hunt: In the five years from 1 March 1990, Sir Peter Kemp KCB, has left this Department's


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employment as a permanent secretary, and Sir Peter Graham KCB QC and Sir Constant Henry de Waal, KCB, QC have left as first parliamentary counsels.

Sir Peter Kemp has been subsequently appointed as a part-time commissioner with the Audit Commission.

Women's Unit

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff are employed in the development unit for women in science and engineering located within the office of Science and Technology; what are its aims and objectives; and for how many years its funding is guaranteed.

Mr. Horam: The development unit on women in science, engineering and technology has a staff of two plus administrative support; its aims and objectives are outlined in the Government's response to the "Rising Tide" report; and its future will be reviewed after an initial period of two years.

Technology Foresight

30. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what practical benefits to British industry have arisen from the technology foresight initiative.

Mr. David Hunt: Many--in particular in the medium to longer term.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

BBC

Mr. Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the current calculation of the amount of money that the BBC will reallocate to the regions and what percentage that will be of the present level of spending on network productions.

Mr. Dorrell: The BBC last year published plans for a gradual reallocation of expenditure on network production to regions outside London and south east England. This will be worth an additional £75 million a year by 1997 98, and represents an increase of 48 per cent. over 1993-94 expenditure of £155 million.

Historic Government Buildings

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps he is taking to improve the care of historic Government buildings.

Mr. Dorrell: The Government committed themselves in 1992 to a nine- point plan for the care of historic buildings on their own estate. This provides for regular inspection and maintenance of these buildings and an annual report by my Department's conservation unit on their condition. I am today publishing, for the first time, the conservation unit's report.

I am also issuing today new guidance to Departments on the disposal of surplus historic buildings. This follows from the "Efficiency Scrutiny of the Management of the Government Estate," published last year, which identified the need for guidance on the particular considerations arising in respect of the disposal of historic properties,


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over and above those applying to disposals generally. The main emphasis of the guidance is that "best price" should not be the overriding concern when considering the disposal of a building. Rather, Departments should aim to obtain the best return for the taxpayer that is consistent with Government policies for the protection of historic buildings and areas.

I am placing copies of both documents in the Library.

Pink Pound

Mr. Elletson: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment he has made of the significance of the pink pound to Britain's tourism and leisure industry.

Mr. Dorrell: None.

Permanent Secretaries

Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which permanent secretaries have left his Department's employment in the last three years; and which public positions they have been appointed to subsequently.

Mr. Dorrell: Mr. Hayden Phillips was appointed as permanent secretary to my Department when it was created in April 1992. Mr. Phillips is still in post.

ITV Companies

Mr. Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what information he collects on the amounts ITV companies are spending on new British programmes and on dividends to shareholders.

Mr. Dorrell: Such information is not collected by Government. These are commercial matters for ITV companies, acting within the terms of their licences.

Planning and Management Systems

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what system of planning and management information systems is currently in place in his Department; and what documents pertaining to it are available to (a) hon. Members and (b) the public.

Mr. Dorrell: My Department prepares internal business and forward management plans, and the many bodies which my Department funds produce business and strategic plans, some of which are published. The DNH annual report, containing the Department's expenditure plans, is prepared each year as part of the series of departmental reports presented to Parliament. It is published and available to the public through HMSO bookshops.

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what changes he is making to his Department's planning and management information systems in the light of the fundamental expenditure review of the Department and the recommendations of the multi-departmental efficiency scrutiny of such systems.

Mr. Dorrell: Neither of these reviews has yet reported. I will consider any action I wish to take when they do so.


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Children's Play

Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he intends to announce plans for a national framework for children's play.

Mr. Dorrell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Eltham, (Mr. Bottomley) on 2 March, Official Report, column 640.

Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what proposals he has to fund the National Voluntary Council for Children's Play in 1995 96.

Mr. Dorrell: My Department currently has no budget for children's play. I understand that the NVCCP has submitted an application to the Sports Council's Trust Company for an extension of its present grant into the 1995 96. In relation to funding for children's play from October 1995, I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley) on 2 March, Official Report, column 640 .

National Lottery

Ms Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much money will be made available from national lottery funds to sports clubs, including football clubs.

Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 7 March 1995]: Twenty per cent. of the net proceeds from the national lottery will be made available to sport and distributed through the four national sports councils. This amount currently stands at around £48 million. It will be for the sports councils themselves to decide which projects should receive funding, based on the applications they receive.

Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which listed buildings in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland are deemed eligible for financial assistance towards the cost of renovation by Historic Scotland from moneys obtained from the national lottery; what criteria are used to assess such applications; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 6 March 1995]: Repairs to historic buildings throughout the United Kingdom are eligible for lottery funding directly from the National Heritage Memorial fund--NHMF--if they fulfil the criteria set down within the "Guidelines for Applicants to the Heritage Lottery Fund" published by the trustees of the NHMF, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Repairs to historic buildings within the care of Historic Scotland itself are similarly eligible for lottery funding from the NHMF.

Scratch Lottery

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment he has made on the impact of the income of football pools and society lotteries on the introduction by Camelot of a scratch lottery.

Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 7 March 1995]: National lottery instant win games have not yet been introduced. It will be for the football pools companies and the promoters of society lotteries, in the first instance, to assess any impact which the introduction of such games may have on their income.


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Ian Greer Associates

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what items of correspondence were received by Ministers in his Department from Messrs Ian Greer Associates in the last month.

Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 28 February 1995]: In the last month Ministers in my Department have received one such item of correspondence.

Works of Art

Mr. Faulds: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the items for which the issuing of export licences was withheld on the recommendation of the reviewing committee on the export of works of art during the half year ended 31 December, specifying in each case the valuation and whether any item was exported or retained, with particulars in the latter event of the acquiring institution; and if he will list any items for which licences have been withheld but the final disposal of which is not yet decided, specifying in each case (a) the valuation and (b) the relevant time limit.

Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 19 January 1995]: The information is as follows:-


Description of item          |Valuation                |Outcome                                            

                             |£                                                                            

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

A drawing `Two Horsemen      |147,807                  |Export licence granted.                            

Fighting' dated 1620-30 by                                                                                 

Giovanni Francesco                                                                                         

Barbieri, called ll Guercino                                                                               

                                                                                                           

The Narcissus Washstand      |250,000                  |Acquired by the Cecil                              

designed by William                                    |Higgins Trust.                                     

Burges c. 1865-67                                                                                          

                                                                                                           

An autograph working         |281,137.50               |Acquired by the Trustees                           

manuscript of 21 keyboard                              | of the British Library.                           

pieces, by Henry Purcell,                                                                                  

c. 1680-1690                                                                                               

                                                                                                           

A ceremonial bronze dirk,    |52,050                   |Acquired by the Trustees                           

middle Bonze Age 1500-                                 |of the British Museum.                             

1350 BC, from                                                                                              

Oxborough, Norfolk                                                                                         

                                                                                                           

A carved Narwhal ivory       |448,762.50                                                                   

horn from the mid 12th                                 |until after 18 March                               

century                                                |1995.                                              

                                                                                                           

A painting, `The Painter's   |515,812.50               |Decision deferred until                            

Room', by Lucien Freud,                                |after 1 April 1995.                                

dated 1943                                                                                                 

                                                                                                           

An arithmetical Rotula       |46,462.50                |Under consideration by                             

                                                       |the Secretary of State.                            

                                                                                                           

The Stanhope Calculator      |247,612.50               |Under consideration by                             

                                                       |the Secretary of State.                            

                                                                                                           

Materials relating to        |46,462.50                |Under consideration by                             

Stanhope's Demonstrator                                |the Secretary of State.                            

                                                                                                           

A sculpture by Henry         |475,000                  |Decision deferred until                            

Moore, `Head and                                       |after 6 April 1995.                                

Shoulders' (1927-28)                                                                                       

                                                                                                           

A bust of Thomas Hollis      |400,000                  |Export licence granted.                            

by Joseph Wilton, c. 1700                                                                                  

                                                                                                           

A painting, `Daniel and      |4,800,000                |Export licence granted.                            

Cyrus before the Idol Bel'                                                                                 

by Rembrandt, dated 1633                                                                                   

                                                                                                           

A drawing, Samson and        |76,425.82                |Export licence granted.                            

Delilah' by Giovanni                                                                                       

Francesco Barbieri, called                                                                                 

ll Guercino                                                                                                

HOME DEPARTMENT

Permanent Secretaries

Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which permanent secretaries have left his Department's employment in the last five years; and which public positions they have been appointed to subsequently.

Mr. Howard: Sir Clive Whitmore retired from the Home Office as permanent secretary within the period covered by the question. He has not been appointed to any position by Ministers.

Mr. John Shaw

Mr. Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to respond to Mr. John Shaw of 33 Bellpit close, Worsley in the matter of pension entitlement from Crown service overseas.

Mr. Howard: It has not been possible to trace any correspondence from Mr. John Shaw on the matter of pension entitlement from Crown service overseas. I have asked my officials to write to Mr. Shaw asking him to write in again, or to send a copy of his original letter, and the matter will then receive early attention.

Offenders in the Community

Sir Ivan Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to publish the 1995 "National Standards for the Supervision of Offenders in the Community".

Mr. Howard: I shall publish tomorrow the 1995 "National Standards for the Supervision of Offenders in the Community" jointly with my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Wales and simultaneously will place copies in the Library.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total annual cost to public funds of housing in detention all those seeking asylum.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: The available information does not identify separately those costs which relate to asylum seekers.

Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the cost per detainee per year for each of the establishments in which those who are seeking asylum in the United Kingdom are detained.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: The overall cost of detaining a person in detention accommodation for which the Immigration Service is responsible is currently estimated at £540 per week including full Immigration Service staffing costs. This would equate to £28,080 in a year but


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detention for this period would be most unusual. Figures for individual centres are not kept separately. Some people are detained under powers in the Immigration Act 1971 in Prison Service establishments, where the average cost per place in 1993 94 was £411 per week--£21,372 per year--but these figures exclude headquarters staffing costs.

Ethnic Minorities (Police)

Mr. Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the relationship between black people and the police; and what plans he has to improve it.

Mr. Maclean: The police service and the Government are committed to developing positive relationships between the police and all sections of the community, including minority ethnic groups. Measures taken to meet the needs of these communities include a statutory requirement for consultation with the community; the introduction of ethnic monitoring of police activity; the establishment of the inter-departmental racial attacks group and other activities in police forces to deal with racial violence; provision of a range of training in community and race relations; force recruitment campaigns aimed at encouraging ethnic minority candidates to apply to join the police; and improved grievance procedures against allegations of discrimination within police forces.

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many court reports were completed by the north east London probation service during 1992 and 1993;

(2) how many offenders were supervised by the north east London probation service on 30 June 1994.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Newham, North-East (Mr. Timms) on 28 February 1995 (column 539 ).

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are employed and at what grade by the north east London probation service on 30 June 1992, 30 June 1993 and 30 June 1994.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question by the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Gerrard) on 6 March 1995 at column 31.

Combat 18

Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what evidence he has of the activities of Combat 18 amongst supporters of Chelsea football club;

(2) what assessment he has made of the role of the British National party and Combat 18 in the disturbances in Bruges on 27 and 28 February.

Mr. Maclean: Responsibility for gathering information about extremist organisations and their members, and for the investigation of specific criminal offences, rests with the police. I understand from the police that there is no evidence that Combat 18 is itself involved amongst the supporters of Chelsea football club, although some of those who associate with the supporters may have sympathies with this group. Neither is there evidence to suggest that the BNP or Combat 18 were involved in the disturbances in Bruges on 27 and 28 February.


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Dangerous Dogs Act

Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: The Dangerous Dogs Act is kept under continuing review in the light of how it works, including consideration of the points made in the private Peer's Bill currently before another place.

Ethnic Minorities

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the section 11 allocations made for each local authority in 1994 95.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: Allocations to individual authorities are subject to adjustment from time to time in the light of a change in circumstances--for example, when a school or college opts to set up a separate project. The following table shows the current allocations for the 1994 95 financial year.


                            |Home Office                      

Authority                   |cash allocations                 

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

Avon                        |615,251                          

Barking and Dagenham        |230,860                          

Barnet                      |748,243                          

Bedfordshire                |2,361,022                        

Berkshire                   |1,053,875                        

Bexley                      |100,138                          

Birmingham                  |4,035,694                        

Blackburn                   |49,539                           

Bolton                      |880,505                          

Bradford                    |4,204,150                        

Brent                       |1,742,385                        

Buckinghamshire             |1,095,250                        

Burnley                     |18,774                           

Bury                        |354,547                          

Calderdale                  |853,361                          

Cambridgeshire              |976,563                          

Camden                      |1,111,346                        

Cardiff                     |7,888                            

Cheshire                    |73,862                           

Cleveland                   |479,638                          

Coventry                    |2,108,375                        

Croydon                     |949,775                          

Derbyshire                  |1,046,415                        

Devon                       |11,949                           

Doncaster                   |100,338                          

Dudley                      |877,198                          

Durham                      |119,090                          

Ealing                      |2,615,675                        

East Sussex                 |139,412                          

Enfield                     |1,058,164                        

Essex                       |25,755                           

Gateshead                   |22,732                           

Gloucester                  |28,983                           

Gloucestershire             |265,008                          

Greenwich                   |1,329,673                        

Gwent                       |192,662                          

Hackney                     |3,147,620                        

Hammersmith                 |713,289                          

Hampshire                   |558,367                          

Haringey                    |2,604,874                        

Harrow                      |556,992                          

Havering                    |36,169                           

Hereford and Worcester      |175,235                          

Hertfordshire               |1,492,311                        

Hillingdon                  |317,055                          

Hounslow                    |1,389,502                        

Humberside                  |275,863                          

Hyndburn                    |17,860                           

Islington                   |1,434,673                        

Kensington and Chelsea      |899,845                          

Kent                        |1,095,957                        

Kingston                    |105,071                          

Kirklees                    |2,394,143                        

Lambeth                     |1,085,102                        

Lancashire                  |4,629,966                        

Leeds                       |1,725,338                        

Leicester                   |115,597                          

Leicestershire              |3,013,512                        

Lewisham                    |1,637,467                        

Lincolnshire                |61,319                           

Liverpool                   |165,185                          

London Boroughs Grants Unit |123,071                          

Manchester                  |2,225,999                        

Merton                      |490,246                          

Newcastle                   |303,140                          

Newham                      |2,181,976                        

Norfolk                     |68,285                           

Northamptonshire            |663,758                          

North Tyneside              |115,586                          

North Yorkshire             |49,312                           

Nottingham                  |61,435                           

Nottinghamshire             |1,519,199                        

Oldham                      |1,909,961                        

Oxford                      |3,322                            

Oxfordshire                 |684,260                          

Preston                     |12,834                           

Redbridge                   |918,005                          

Redditch                    |12,971                           

Richmond                    |56,225                           

Rochdale                    |1,193,213                        

Rotherham                   |327,313                          

St. Albans                  |18,105                           

St. Helens                  |14,043                           

Salford                     |47,498                           

Sandwell                    |1,228,775                        

Scunthorpe                  |16,103                           

Sheffield                   |1,697,662                        

Shropshire                  |84,104                           

Southampton                 |11,422                           

Southwark                   |1,955,157                        

South Glamorgan             |444,978                          

South Yorkshire FCDA        |12,751                           

Staffordshire               |924,043                          

Stockport                   |76,079                           

Suffolk                     |237,235                          

Sunderland                  |87,284                           

Surrey                      |291,845                          

Sutton                      |46,902                           

Tameside                    |585,940                          

Tower Hamlets               |6,826,782                        

Trafford                    |242,981                          

Wakefield                   |296,729                          

Walsall                     |1,579,939                        

Waltham Forest              |1,585,015                        

Wandsworth                  |1,369,800                        

Warwickshire                |785,021                          

West Midlands FCDA          |65,241                           

Westminster                 |1,498,548                        

West Sussex                 |212,623                          

West Yorkshire FCDA         |95,651                           

Wigan                       |44,078                           

Wiltshire                   |121,565                          

Wirral                      |75,839                           

Wolverhampton               |1,575,008                        

Intoxicating Substances

Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought in each year since the passing of the Intoxicating Substances Supply Act 1985; and how many have been successful.

Mr. Maclean: Information for 1985 to 1993 is given in the table. 1994 data will not be available until the autumn 1995.


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Number of prosecutions and convictions under the Intoxicating  

Substances (Supply) Act 1985<1>, 1985-1993                     

England and Wales                                              

             |1985|1986|1987|1988|1989|1990|1991|1992|1993     

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

Prosecutions |-   |6   |15  |7   |12  |7   |8   |5   |5        

Convictions  |-   |2   |11  |4   |9   |4   |6   |3   |3        

<1> Came into force August 1985.                               

Data Protection

Mr. Neil Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish the compliance cost assessment for the draft data protection directive as it applies to the United Kingdom (a) as regards the 1992 draft and (b) the draft agreed at the latest Council of Minsters meeting;

(2) if he will state the categories of paper records to which the draft data protection directive now applies; and what estimate he has made of the costs which this provision will impose on British businesses.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: A paper showing the results of a survey of the estimated cost of implementing the 1992 draft of the directive in the United Kingdom has been made publicly available. A copy of this paper was placed in the Library of the House last year. We have as yet made no estimate of the cost of implementing the present


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draft of the directive, although the improvements made to the directive, as set out in my reply to my hon. Friend on 23 February at column 332 , mean that the costs involved are now likely to be significantly lower.

In its application to paper records, the draft directive covers personal data which form or are intended to form part of a filing system. Within certain parameters, it is for member states to decide what constitutes a filing system for the purposes of applying the directive. Determining the precise definition to use, in consultation with business and other interests which will be affected, will be an important part of the process of implementing the directive.

Closed Circuit Television

Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy


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of the good practice guidelines to local authorities and police authorities on the use of closed circuit television in public places.

Mr. Maclean: A copy of the Home Office publication "CCTV--Looking Out for You" has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for the home Department if he will list (a) all local authorities and (b) all police authorities, indicating joint ventures, operating closed circuit television schemes in public places and give the total capital cost per scheme and annual operating cost per scheme.

Mr. Maclean: This information is not collected centrally. A list of some towns believed to be operating


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CCTV schemes is included at appendix 2 to the Home Office guidance booklet "CCTV--Looking Out for You", but it is not necessarily comprehensive. Costs are a matter for the individual operators. I have arranged for a copy of the booklet to be sent to the hon. Member.

Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of all Home Office research projects examining the effectiveness of CCTV in public places in reducing crime levels indicating the institution, research body or individual responsible for the project, the cost per project and date of completion or expected date of completion.

Mr. Maclean: The information is contained in the following table.


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Research                                      |Institution/Research                         |Cost                                         |Date of completion                                                                         

Project/Publication                           |body/Author                                                                                                                                                                            

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

The Impact of Closed Circuit Television on    |Home Office; Research and Planning Unit      |Not available                                |1978                                                                                       

Crime in the London Underground-Home                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Office Research Study No. 49                                                                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Close Circuit Television in Public Places-    |T. Honess and E. Charman of Michael          |£48,376                                      |Summer 1992                                                                                

Crime Prevention Unit Paper No. 35            | and Associates, Cardiff, for the Home Office                                                                                                                                          

                                              |Police Research Group                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Before and after research into the            |T. Honess and E. Charman of Michael and      |£20,536                                      |results to be                                                                              

effectiveness of CCTV within Birmingham       |Associates, Cardiff, for the Home Office                                                   |published Summer                                                                           

city centre                                   |Police Research Group                                                                      |1995                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Understanding public car parks, crime and     |Nick Tilley of Nottingham University         |£12,000                                      |1993                                                                                       

CCTV: evaluation lessons from Safer           |consultant to the Home Office Crime                                                                                                                                                    

Cities-Crime Prevention Unit Paper No. 42,    |Prevention Unit                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Town centre CCTV schemes: four case           |Home Office Police Research Group            |£10,000                                      |Summer 1995                                                                                

 studies                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Effectiveness of CCTV security systems        |Home Office Police Scientific Development    |£200,000 over                                |April 1997                                                                                 

                                              |Branch                                       |5 years                                                                                                                                  

Overseas Prisoners

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions take place when an overseas prisoner sentenced for crimes committed in the United Kingdom is returned to his country of origin to complete the remainder of his sentence as to the date of the release of such a person from 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 Mr. Tom Cox, dated 8 March 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the consultation that takes place concerning prisoners' release dates when prisoners are returned to their country of origin to complete their sentences.

The transfer of prisoners between the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions is governed by the Repatriation of Prisoners Act 1984 and international agreements. These require that both jurisdictions concerned and the prisoner seeking repatriation, consent to any transfer. In considering repatriation requests made by prisoners here, the foreign jurisdiction is required to provide information as to how the remaining balance of a prisoner's sentence would be administered and release determined following transfer. If both jurisdictions then consent to the prisoner's transfer, this information is communicated to the prisoner in seeking his or her consent. A prisoner transferred to a foreign jurisdiction receives full credit for


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all time spent in custody here relating to completion of sentence prior to the transfer, including any remand time. Following transfer, the remaining balance of time to serve attracts the early release arrangements of the foreign jurisdiction.

Videos

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the sale of videos giving instructions on the use of explosives and on techniques for killing humans; and what response he has given.

Mr. Maclean: My right hon. and learned Friend has received three letters from Members of Parliament and two letters from the public in the last 12 months about the supply of instructional videos that show the use of explosives and criminal techniques. Under the Video Recordings Act 1984 these works were exempt from classification by the British Board of Film Classification--BBFC--and their unclassified supply was not therefore unlawful. We have, however, taken action in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to ensure that all video works which depict techniques likely to be useful in the commission of offences or, which to any significant extent, depict criminal activity which is likely to any significant extent to stimulate or encourage the commission of offences, are subject to classification by the BBFC. The BBFC may of course withhold a


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classification certificate should it consider it appropriate to do so, particularly bearing in mind the statutory criteria set out in the Act which the board has to take into account when classifying works. Once the relevant provisions come into force anyone supplying a work in respect of which a certificate has been refused would be liable to prosecution.

Private Clegg

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 February, Official Report , column 223 , if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which a journalist interviewed Private Clegg at Wakefield prison using an assumed name; and what actions he is taking to prevent such incidents taking place.


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