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Approximate £ thousand/kilometre                                                    

                                    |Porous         |Conventional                   

                                    |asphalt        |asphalt                        

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

Single carriageway                  |50-100         |35-45                          

2 lane dual carriageway all purpose                                                 

  motorway                          |100-200 120-220|70-100 80-110                  

3 lane dual carriageway all purpose                                                 

  motorway                          |140-260 130-290|90-130 100-150                 

4 lane dual carriageway motorway    |190-330        |120-180                        

Porous asphalt surfaces are not suitable for use on all roads, but providing conditions are suitable, a life of over 7 years should be possible and in some cases as long as 12 years. This is in contrast to conventional asphalt surfaces where life can range from 10 to 15 years.


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HOME DEPARTMENT

Probation Reform

15. Mr. Patrick Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for reform of probation; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Howard: I have already published proposals to reform the qualifying training of probation officers. I am today publishing revised national standards for community sentences; and will shortly be publishing a Green Paper setting out proposals for legislation to restructure community punishment. These initiatives are between them intended to ensure that the work of the probation service commands the greatest possible confidence on the part of the courts and the public.

Cost of Crime

16. Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's latest estimate of the cost of crime to the British economy.

Mr. Maclean: It is not feasible to provide a meaningful total figure. Any realistic assessment would have to take full account of the personal and social damage as well as the financial costs.

Child Refugees

17. Mr. Shersby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied child refugees entered the United Kingdom in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; and what information he has about the principal ports of entry.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: A total of 357 unaccompanied children applied for asylum on arrival in 1994. Although specific information about principal ports of entry is not available, most of these applications would have been made at Heathrow.

Crime Prevention

18. Mr. John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what priority he attaches to the partnership approach to crime prevention.

Mr. Maclean: Partnership is fundamental to the Government's approach to crime prevention. We all need to work together in partnership to ensure that the opportunities for crime are reduced. In September 1994, my right hon. and learned Friend launched the partnership campaign "Partners Against Crime", aimed at encouraging individual members of the public to join with the police as partners in the fight against crime.

Asylum Policy

19. Mr. Gallie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received since 15 February expressing support for his asylum policy.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: I believe that there is widespread support for the Government's objective of determining asylum claims as quickly as possible, in the interests both of genuine refugees and of the removal of those whose claims are unfounded. The measures announced on 15 February, Official Report, columns 693-95, will contribute significantly to that objective.


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Police Liaison, London

20. Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the interrelationship between himself, the Police Authority for London, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, the advisory committee and the police and community consultative groups in each of the London boroughs.

Mr. Maclean: My right hon. and learned Friend is the police authority for the Metropolitan police district. The Metropolitan police committee will advise him in that capacity, taking into account information received from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and his senior colleagues, from the police community consultative groups operating within the Metropolitan police district, and from other sources.

Criminal Injury Compensation

21. Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends to take about the future organisation and level of criminal injury compensation.

Mr. Maclean: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given earlier this afternoon to the same question from the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger).

Drugs

22. Mr. Cyril D. Townsend: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many charges for possession of the drug crack have been brought in the Metropolitan police area; and what new initiatives he will take to deal with this threat.

Mr. Maclean: Information is not held in this form. Records are not kept of the numbers of charges for possession.

The latest available figures, supplied by the Metropolitan police, show that there were 542 recorded offences of possession of cocaine in the period October 1993 to September 1994. There are no separate records for crack. Seizures are, however, recorded separately: provisional figures show 847 crack seizures in the Metropolitan police area for 1994.

The Government's strategy for dealing with drugs misuse is currently being reviewed and a White Paper will be published in the spring. Vigorous law enforcement will continue and there will also be a new emphasis on drug education and prevention.

Fire Stations (Closure)

23. Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of local fire stations programmed for closure following the reduction in fire authority budgets.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: My right hon. and learned Friend has made no such estimate. Any fire authority wishing to reduce the operational capability of its brigade, including the number of fire stations, must seek his approval under section 19 of the Fire Services Act 1947. His practice is to grant approval only where he is satisfied that the nationally recommended minimum standards of fire cover will be maintained.


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Persistent Juvenile Offenders

24. Mr. Mark Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to help the police and courts to deal with the most persistent juvenile offenders.

Mr. Maclean: The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 contains important new measures which will help the police and the courts to deal more effectively with young people who commit crimes. The secure training order will enable the courts to order the detention of persistent juvenile offenders for periods of between three months and one year, followed by a similar period of supervision.

Make-a-difference Initiative

25. Mr. Brandreth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the progress of the make-a- difference initiative; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: This initiative to promote voluntary activity has made excellent progress: grants have been made to 27 local partnerships; Government Departments have prepared action plans for involving volunteers; and last week we launched a national telephone helpline to make it easier for people to find volunteering opportunities in their area. The make-a-difference team, with members from business, voluntary and public sectors, is aiming to publish a strategy on the future of volunteering in June.

Road Scheme Protests

26. Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional financial provision he plans to make for police forces in 1995 to cover the cost of protecting road schemes against protesters.

Mr. Maclean: The policing of demonstrations at road scheme sites falls within the normal law enforcement duties of the police. The costs are provided for in the same way as the costs of any other forms of policing. Police authorities will still be able to apply for special payments of grant where they face really large and exceptional demands which they could not have foreseen.

Police Funding

27. Mr. Elletson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what percentage police funding has risen since 1979 in real terms.

Mr. Maclean: Estimated expenditure on the police service in England and Wales has increased by 92 per cent. in real terms since 1978 79.

Sickness Absenteeism

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to combat sickness absenteeism in (a) the UK Passport Agency, (b) the Prison Service and (c) the Home Office.

Mr. Howard: The Home Office has procedures in place to record and monitor absence through sickness. Steps have recently been taken to reinforce line managers' responsibilities in this area. Where levels of absence through sickness give cause for concern specialist medical advice may be sought. There is also an occupational


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health care programme for staff and access to the welfare service. The UK Passport Agency has a policy on health care and absence caused by sickness which aims, where possible, to prevent absence through sickness and thereby to increase efficiency and promote the well-being of staff. This is achieved by monitoring of absence through sickness by line managers, ensuring that staff have access to counselling, an on-going health care programme, seminars/awareness training for line managers and the issuing of guidance/information to all staff.

The control of absence through sickness in the Prison Service is the responsibility of local managers, and following a report by an independent consultant, comprehensive guidance was issued to them in 1992. In addition, the service is seeking ways to enable quicker decisions to be taken on medical retirement, where that is appropriate; and various occupational health initiatives have been taken to encourage healthy practices, such as life style screening and health education seminars.

In all areas of the Home Office, absence through sickness may lead to retirement on medical grounds or action being taken under the inefficiency procedures.

Police (Complaints)

Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each year since 1989 the number of complaints against the police completed in England and Wales in which racially discriminatory behaviour was alleged; how many of those were substantiated and how many were unsubstantiated; how many were informally resolved; of those that were substantiated, how many resulted in a disciplinary charge; and what was the outcome of such a charge.

Mr. Maclean: Figures for the number of complaints against the police of racially discriminatory behaviour and their outcome are set out.

Information is not collected centrally about the categories of offences leading to disciplinary proceedings.


Complaints of racially discriminatory behaviour   

(all police forces in England and Wales)          

                    |1989|1990|1991|1992|1993     

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

Substantiated       |4   |5   |7   |3   |5        

Unsubstantiated<1>  |107 |210 |240 |259 |281      

Informally resolved |67  |69  |79  |98  |96       

Withdrawn           |113 |125 |100 |101 |68       

                                                  

Total               |291 |409 |426 |461 |450      

<1> Including complaints dealt with by            

dispensation.                                     

Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for (a) the Metropolitan police and (b) the rest of England and Wales the number of police complaints in each of the last five years for which records are available that were dispensed with (i) in total, (ii) because it was not reasonably practicable to complete a satisfactory investigation, (iii) because they were anonymous, (iv) because they were repetitious, (v) because they were vexatious, oppressive or otherwise an abuse of the procedures for dealing with complaints, (vi) because more than 12 months has elapsed between the


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incident and the making of the complaints or (vii) because the matter had already been informally resolved; and if he will list in each case the number of requests for dispensations that were (1) made and (2) refused.

Mr. Maclean: The Police Complaints Authority has kept statistics in relation to individual reasons for dispensations since 1993 only. In 1993, in respect of all forces in England and Wales, the figures were as follows:


@

Reason for                            |Number                   

dispensation                                                    

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

Incapable of meaningful investigation |6,717                    

Anonymous                             |4                        

Repetitious                           |69                       

Vexatious, etc.                       |83                       

Delayed                               |202                      

                                                                

Total                                 |7,075                    

There were also nine dispensations refused in 1993.

The total numbers of dispensations recorded by the Police Complaints Authority since 1989 which were (a) granted and (b) refused, in respect of all forces in England and Wales, are as follows:


Year    |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992       

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

Granted |2,113|2,991|4,083|6,035      

Refused |28   |42   |37   |20         

Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil claims for police misconduct were reported to HM inspectorate of constabulary in each of the last three years for which figures are available in respect of each police force in England and Wales.

Mr. Maclean: This information is not collected by HM inspectorate of constabulary.

Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases in each of the last three years for which figures are available complaints against the police were investigated by an officer from another force.

Mr. Maclean: This information is not collected centrally.

Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of cases of complaints against the police for each of the last three years for which figures area available (a) which were mandatorily referred to the Police Complaints Authority for supervision, (b) which were referred to the authority for it to decide whether or not to supervise the investigation, (c) which the authority decided on their merits to supervise in the public interest and (d) which were referred to the authority for supervision in total.

Mr. Maclean: Sections 87 and 88 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the Police (Complaints) (Mandatory Referrals etc). Regulations 1985 define the type of case which must be referred or may be referred voluntarily to the Police Complaints Authority for possible supervision. The Police Complaints Authority is required by section 89 of the 1984 Act to supervise the investigation of all complaints relating to a death or serious injury. It may also supervise any other complaint or non-complaint case which is voluntarily referred to it


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and where it considers it in the public interest to do so. The authority may also require the referral of a complaint so that it may consider supervision.

The table shows the number of cases, including those originating from a complaint, between 1991 and 1993 (a) which were mandatorily referred to the Police Complaints Authority for supervision; (b) which were voluntarily referred; (c) which were required to be referred by the Police Complaints Authority; (d) the total cases referred; (e) the number which were mandatorily supervised by the Police Complaints Authority; and (f) which were supervised at the authority's discretion.


                          |1991 |1992 |1993       

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

Mandatory referrals       |4,212|4,333|3,998      

Voluntary referrals       |103  |132  |129        

Referrals required by PCA |15   |11   |12         

Total referrals           |4,330|4,476|4,139      

Mandatory supervision     |421  |420  |625        

Discretionary supervision |308  |337  |326        

Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many police complaints cases completed in each of the last five years for which figures are available complainants made formal representations of dissatisfaction with an investigation or its outcome.

Mr. Maclean: This information is not collected centrally.

Appeals

Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each year since 1988 the number of cases referred by him to the Court of Appeal under section 17(1)(a) of the Court of Appeal Act 1968 in respect of conviction; and for each such year what was (a) the number of defendants involved, (b) the number of appeals allowed and (c) the number of appeals dismissed.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: The information requested is given in the following table:


References to the Court of Appeal under section 17(1)(a) of the  

                           Outcome of appeal                     

             |Cases                                              

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

1988         |<1>2 (2)    |-           |1 (1)                    

1989         |3 (6)       |3 (6)       |Nil                      

1990         |7 (20)      |7 (20)      |Nil                      

1991         |10 (12)     |<2>10 (12)  |Nil                      

1992         |8 (11)      |5 (8)       |3 (3)                    

1993         |<3>8 (9)    |4 (5)       |2 (2)                    

1994         |<4>9 (12)   |1 (2)       |Nil                      

<1> One case later abandoned.                                    

<2> Court ordered a re-trial in one case: defendant later        

acquitted.                                                       

<3> Two cases outstanding.                                       

<4> Eight cases outstanding.                                     

Royal Prerogative of Mercy

Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each year since 1989


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the number of cases in which the royal prerogative of mercy was exercised to grant (a) a free pardon, (b) a remission of imprisonment, (c) remission of youth custody and detention in a young offender's institution, (d) remission of detention and (e) remission of fine on grounds affecting the original conviction, in cases other than those involving road traffic offences.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: The numbers of free pardons is given in the following table:


Exercises of the royal  

prerogative of mercy to 

grant a free pardon     

on grounds affecting    

the original conviction 

(excluding cases        

involving convictions   

for road traffic        

offences) 1989 to 1994  

        |Free           

Year    |pardons        

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

1989    |15             

1990    |17             

1991    |14             

1992    |4              

1993    |5              

1994    |3              

The royal prerogative of mercy has not been used in the other categories-- which go to a person's sentence--on grounds affecting the original conviction.

Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each year since 1988 the number of cases in which the royal prerogative of mercy was exercised to grant (a) free pardons, including those relating to road traffic offences, (b) pardons granted on grounds affecting the original conviction, (c) pardons granted for other reasons and (d) pardons relating to traffic offences.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: The information requested is given in the following table:


Exercises of the royal prerogative of mercy                                         

to grant pardons-1988 to 1994                                                       

              |(a)          |(b)          |(c)          |(d)                        

                            |Pardons on                                             

                            |grounds      |Pardons for  |Pardons                    

              |Free         |affecting    |other reasons|relating to                

              |pardons      |original     |(ie excluding|traffic                    

Year          |(all cases)  |conviction   |(b))         |offences                   

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

1988          |39           |39           |-            |26                         

1989          |50           |50           |-            |35                         

1990          |47           |47           |-            |30                         

1991          |37           |37           |-            |23                         

1992          |19           |19           |-            |15                         

1993          |22           |22           |1            |17                         

1994          |12           |12           |-            |9                          

Miscarriages of Justice (Compensation)

Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total amount paid in compensation to victims of miscarriages of justice for each year since 1989 90; what was the total amount paid pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 for each such year; what was the total amount paid under the discretionary scheme for each such year; and in each year in each category what was the number of such payments.


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Mr. Nicholas Baker: The total amount of compensation for miscarriages of justice paid since the financial year 1989 90 is £6, 244,000, including £565,733 in ex gratia awards:


                                  |£ million          

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

1989-90                           |0.285              

1990-91                           |0.839              

1991-92                           |1.719              

1992-93                           |0.532              

1993-94                           |1.506              

Part year ending 31 December 1994 |1.363              

These totals include interim payments in cases in which the final amount of the award has yet to be determined. The information is not collated in a way which enables separate totals for ex gratia payments to be distinguished.

Agreement in principle to pay compensation was given, per calendar year, to the following numbers of individuals:

1989: 6(1)

1990: 10(8)

1991: 27(2)

1992: 26(1)

1993: 9(2)

1994: 19

Figures in brackets show the number of ex gratia awards included in the totals.

Extradition

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what request he has received from Singapore requesting the extradition of (a) Mr. Anthony Hawes, (b) Mr. Andrew Frazer, (c) Mr. Simon Jones, (d) Mr. Ian Douglas, (e) Mr. Gordon Bowser, (f) Mr. Peter Baring, (g) Mr. Andrew Tuckey, (h) Mr. Ron Baker and (i) Mr. Peter Norris; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: No such request has been received.

Firearms

Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has concerning the number of non-functioning deactivated firearms which are currently held in the United Kingdom; what licences are required for such firearms; on how many occasions in each of the last five years for which figures are available such firearms have been used in the course of the perpetration of crimes; what sentences are provided by law for the use of such firearms; what plans he has to review the law in this area; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Maclean: Firearms deactivated in accordance with the provisions set out in section 8 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 fall outside the scope of firearms controls and do not therefore require a firearms certificate. Figures are not available about the number of deactivated firearms of the occasions on which such weapons have been used. The use of a firearm or imitation firearm in the furtherance of crime carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.


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In the light of concerns that some deactivated firearms have been illegally restored to working order and subsequently used in crime, the standards to which guns are deactivated have been reviewed and more stringent specifications will be introduced shortly.

Mr. George: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the existing law preventing the sale to the public or easy access by the public to non-lethal weapons, with particular reference to Air Taser and other stun guns.

Mr. Maclean: Air Taser and other stun guns are classed as prohibited weapons under section 5(1)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended. Their possession, acquisition, manufacture, sale or transfer is prohibited without the authority of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State does not grant authority to individual members of the public to possess such weapons. Possession of a prohibited weapon without authority is an offence for which the maximum penalty is 10 years, imprisonment or an unlimited fine or both. I am satisfied that the existing law in this area is adequate.

Interception of Communications

Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about GCHQ staff at Menwith Hill station intercepting domestic and international telephone calls.

Mr. Howard: None.

Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many warrants he has issued in each year since 1992, to date, under the Interception of Communications Act 1985; what duration of interception each warrant specified; and how many warrants are in force at present.

Mr. Howard: I refer the hon. Member to the annexes to the reports of the Interception of Communications Commissioner for 1992 and 1993, Cm 2173 and Cm 2522, copies of which are in the Library. Under section 4 of the Interception of Communications Act 1985, a warrant is issued for a period of two months. It may lapse at the end of that period or it may be cancelled before the two months have elapsed or it may be renewed for a further period. It is not the Government's practice to publish figures for warrants in force at particular times other than in the commissioner's reports.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people seeking asylum in Britain have applied for (a) a writ of habeas corpus and (b) a judicial review of their case while in detention in the last 12 months.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: During the 12 months to 31 January 1995, 221 asylum applicants sought judicial review of their cases. No statistics of asylum applicants seeking a writ of habeas corpus are maintained. Separate statistics are also not maintained of the numbers of asylum applicants seeking judicial review of their cases while in detention.

Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people seeking asylum in 1993 94 absconded.


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Mr. Nicholas Baker: The records do not distinguish between asylum seekers and others who absconded from detention in 1993 and 1994 and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information on the number of asylum seekers who failed to comply with the terms on which they were granted temporary admission in 1993 is not available. However, a special exercise relating to 1994 identified 677 people, who had claimed asylum at some stage, as having failed to comply with their terms of temporary admission.

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many (a) Sri Lankan and (b) Turkish nationals applied for asylum status in each year since 1991; and if he will make a statement;

(2) how many asylum seekers were deported in each year since 1991; and if he will make a statement;

(3) how many (a) Sri Lankan and (b) Turkish asylum seekers were deported in each year since 1991; and if he will make a statement; (4) how many people applied for asylum status in each year since 1991; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholas Baker: In 1994, a total of 32,830 applications for asylum were received in the United Kingdom. Of these, 2,350 were from Sri Lankan nationals and 2,045 from Turkish nationals.

The available figures for departures relating to those refused asylum or exceptional leave to remain in the country are for those removed or who embarked voluntarily after deportation or illegal entry action had commenced against them. Out of an estimated total of 2,110 departures in 1994, 130 were Turkish nationals and 45 were Sri Lankan nationals.

Information on applications for asylum for 1993 and earlier years is published in table 2.2 of the Home Office statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1993", issue 17/94. Information on removals and voluntary departures is published in table 9.1 of the same publication. Information on removals prior to 1992 is not available. A copy of this publication is available in the Library.

Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people have (a) applied for and (b) been accepted for asylum in the United Kingdom in the past 12 months;

(2) how many people applying for asylum in the United Kingdom in 1994 95 were given exceptional leave to remain;

(3) how many people (a) have sought and (b) were granted asylum in the United kingdom in 1994 95.


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