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Political Advisers
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of those persons appointed as political advisers to his Department since May 1992. [15623]
Mr. Howard: The information requested is as follows:
Mr. P. Rock
Mr. D. Cameron
Miss R. Whetstone
Violent Offenders
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners who are serving sentences for violent crime are former members of the armed services, with particular reference to those who were previously involved with active combative duties; and if these figures are equal in proportion with the percentage of the United kingdom non-prison population who are members of the armed services. [15764]
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. Graham Allen, dated 27 March 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, how many prisoners who are serving sentences for violent crime are former members of the armed services, with particular reference to those who were previously involved with active combative duties; and if these figures are equal in proportion with the percentage of the United kingdom non-prison population who are members of the armed services.
I regret that the information requested is not available centrally.
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Prison Escapees
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will collect information on how many prisoners escaped from Morton Hall open prison in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994; how many have been returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these are still at large; [15460]
(2) if he will collect information on how many prisoners escaped from Leyhill open prison in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994; how many have been returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these are still at large; [15461]
(3) if he will collect information on how many prisoners escaped from Kirkham open prison in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994; how many have been returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these are still at large; [15462]
(4) if he will collect information on how many prisoners escaped from Askham Grange prison in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994; how many have been returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these are still at large; [15463]
(5) if he will collect information on how many prisoners escaped from Drake Hall prison in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994; how many have been returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these are still at large; [15464] (6) if he will collect information on how many prisoners escaped from Spring Hill prison in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994; how many have been returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these are still at large; [15465] (7) if he will collect information on how many prisoners escaped from Ford open prison in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994; how many have been returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these are still at large; [15466] (8) if he will collect information on how many prisoners escaped from High Point open prison in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994; how many have been returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these are still at large; [15467]
(9) if he will collect information on how many prisoners escaped from North Sea Camp in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994; how many have been returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these are still at large; [15468] (10) if he will collect information on how many prisoners escaped from Rudgate open prison in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994; how many have been returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these are still at large; [15469]
(11) if he will collect information on how many prisoners escaped from Standford Hill open prison in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994; how many have been returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these are still at large; [15471]
(12) if he will collect information on how many prisoners escaped from Sudbury open prison in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994; how many have been
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returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these are still at large. [15472]Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for these matters 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. Alan Williams, dated 27 March 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions asking how many prisoners absconded from Askham Grange, Rudgate, Kirkham, Spring Hill, Standford Hill, High Point, Sudbury, Drake hall, Leyhill, Ford, Morton Hall and North Sea Camp prisons in each of the last three years; how many have been returned to prison; how many absconders were convicted of drug offences; and how many of these were still at large.
Information on the number of absconds and those convicted of drugs offences is shown in the attached tables, a copy of which will be placed in the Library at the House. I regret that information on the number of absconds who have been returned to prison or are still at large is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
|Number of
|absconders
|Number of |convicted of
Establishment |absconders |drug offences
---------------------------------------------------------
1992
Askham Grange |39 |3
Drake Hall |121 |4
Ford |59 |2
High Point |16 |0
Kirkham |281 |10
Leyhill |14 |0
Morton Hall |72 |0
North Sea Camp |62 |0
Rudgate |91 |2
Spring Hill |38 |2
Standford Hill |66 |4
Sudbury |106 |2
1993
Askham Grange |23 |3
Drake Hall |55 |3
Ford |39 |2
High Point |N/A |N/A
Kirkham |349 |13
Leyhill |25 |0
Morton Hall |78 |0
North Sea Camp |49 |1
Rudgate |135 |2
Spring Hill |61 |1
Standford Hill |69 |4
Sudbury |74 |2
1994
Askham Grange |36 |5
Drake Hall |135 |11
Ford |38 |1
High Point |N/A |N/A
Kirkham |274 |13
Leyhill |20 |0
Morton Hall |51 |0
North Sea Camp |56 |2
Rudgate |125 |0
Spring Hill |38 |4
Standford Hill |85 |7
Sudbury |55 |2
There are no figures for Highpoint open prison for 1993 and 1994 because it closed on 18 November 1992.
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Asylum Seekers
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applications for asylum were outstanding at the date the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 came into force; [15145] (2) how many of the asylum applications outstanding at the date of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 came into force were determined during the period 1 August 1993 to 31 December 1994; and of these how many were granted refugee status, how many were granted exceptional leave to remain, and how many were refused. [15146]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: At the date the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 came into force--26 July 1993--there were an estimated 42,500 applications for asylum outstanding.
During the period 1 August 1993 to 31 December 1994, 25,740 decisions were made on applications for asylum. Of these, 5,485 decisions were made on applications which were outstanding at the date the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 came into force. Some 345 were grants of refugee status, 1,275 were grants of exceptional leave to remain and 3,865 were refusals of asylum and exceptional leave to remain.
Correspondence
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter of 23 February from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill concerning Mr. Levin Larkin and Mrs Marie Petit; and if he will make a statement. [16339]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State replied to the hon. Member on 24 March.
Prisoners Transfer
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to relocate prisoners convicted to terrorist offences from prisons in Great Britain to Prisons in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. [16635]
Mr. Howard: The Criminal Justice Act 1961 contains provision for prisoners sentenced to imprisonment in one United Kingdom jurisdiction to request transfer to another United Kingdom jurisdiction. Requests are considered on their individual merits against criteria announced to Parliament on 23 November 1992. There are no plans to change these provisions.
It is not possible for prisoners to transfer between United Kingdom jurisdictions and the Republic of Ireland. The Republic has not joined the United Kingdom in ratifying the Council of Europe convention for the transfer of sentenced persons or otherwise sought an international agreement with the United Kingdom to provide for such transfers.
Whitemoor Prison
Mr. Merchant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the outcome of Sir David Yardley's disciplinary investigation following the escape of prisoners from Whitemoor prison on 9 December 1994. [17025]
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Mr. Howard: Sir David Yardley has submitted the report of the investigation he conducted under the Prison Service code of conduct and discipline to the permanent under-secretary of state for the Home Office. He has recommended that no disciplinary charges should be laid against any individual member of staff. These recommendations have been accepted by those responsible for taking disciplinary decisions under the code. However, Sir David Yardley's report also identifies serious performance shortcomings on the part of a number of individuals in respect of whom appropriate management action will be taken. Final decisions on that action will be taken after those concerned have been given the opportunity to make representations. This action will be in addition to the extensive management action relating to staff, recommended in Sir John Woodcock's report, which is already in progress.
Refugees
Mr. Merchant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the concessionary policy which he operated until January 1994 applied to relatives other than spouses and minor children of Somali nationals with refugee status in the United Kingdom. [17026]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The terms in this concession were spelt out in a Home Office letter to interested parties dated 17 May 1990, and the relevant provisions remained unaltered throughout its lifetime. Our normal policy on family reunification for those recognised as refugees in the United Kingdom is to allow immediate reunion with spouse and minor children. When we announced the concession for Somali nationals we said that we would be willing to consider admitting others on a similar basis if they could show that they had been a dependent member of the refugee's immediate family unit before the refugee came to the United Kingdom and that there were exceptional circumstances. The concession was withdrawn in January 1994.
Prison Security
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what terms of reference or guidelines he has given to General Sir John Learmont for the inquiry he is conducting into prison security. [16571]
Mr. Howard: On 19 December 1994, Official Report , columns 957 58 , I announced to the House that I was appointing General Sir John Learmont to review security throughout the Prison Service. The terms of reference for the review are:
In the light of the report of the inquiry into the attempted escape from HM prison Whitemoor on 9 September 1994, to review physical security and security procedures in the Prison Service in England and Wales, and to make recommendations.
Press Officers
Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many press officers there are in his Department currently; and what the figure was in 1979. [16575]
Mr. Howard: The Home Department's records do not contain a breakdown between press officers and paid publicity staff before 1983. There are currently 15 press officers, including the director and deputy director of information.
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Mentally Ill Prisoners
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration his Department has given to establishing special prisons for seriously mentally ill prisoners, staffed by personnel who are trained to deal with them. [15763]
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. Graham Allen, dated 27 March 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about what consideration has been given to establishing special prisons for seriously mentally ill prisoners, staffed by personnel who are trained to deal with them.
It is Government policy that mentally disordered offenders needing care and treatment should, wherever possible, receive it from the appropriate health and social services, rather than through the criminal justice system. Any prisoner suffering from a serious mental illness would be likely to fulfil the criteria for transfer to hospital set down in the Mental Health Act 1983.
Section 47 of that Act confers on the Secretary of State power to issue a warrant directing the transfer to hospital of any sentenced prisoner, if he is satisfied, by reports from two doctors, that the prisoner is suffering from mental illness, psychopathic disorder, mental impairment or severe mental impairment of a nature or degree which makes it appropriate for him/her to be detained in a hospital for medical treatment. In a case of psychopathic disorder or mental impairment, such treatment must be likely to alleviate or prevent a deterioration of the condition concerned.
Section 48 of the 1983 Act makes similar provision in respect of unsentenced and certain other categories of prisoners who are suffering from mental illness or severe mental impairment and in urgent need of treatment.
Such transfers are often to one of the three special hospitals or to NHS medium secure units.
It would be inappropriate for people in this group to be treated in prison, except on a voluntary basis pending imminent transfer. There has been a marked increase in the number of transfers from prison to hospital under sections 47 and 48 in recent years from 115 in 1983, through 206 in 1988, to 776 in 1993. At present the provisional total for 1994 is 746.
Mr. Roger Levitt
Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours of community service Roger Levitt has served; and what tasks he has undertaken. [155601]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Mr. Levitt's 180-hour community service order was completed in September 1994. In his case, the unpaid work included carpentry, building work and site clearance.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Educational Broadcasts
17. Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on his future plans for broadcasts of educational value. [14195]
Mr. Dorrell: In our White Paper on the future of the BBC we said that the BBC should continue to broadcast educational programmes of all kinds. The Broadcasting Act 1990 includes a number of provisions to ensure that the other terrestrial broadcasters provide educational
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programmes, for schools, adult education and general consumption.Football Stadiums
18. Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has for further legislation to improve safety facilities in football stadiums which are already all-seater. [14196]
Cross-media Ownership
19. Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to change the law on cross-media ownership. [14197]
Mr. Dorrell: The ownership rules are currently under review. I will make an announcement about the outcome once the Government have determined the way ahead.
Public Libraries
20. Mr. Enright: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he last met the Library Association to discuss the funding of public libraries. [14198]
Mr. Sproat: My right hon. Friend met the Library Association on 3 October last year. Discussions were wide ranging, around an agenda of topics provided by the Library Association itself. I met members of the association on 10 October, at the launch of London Libraries Week.
National Lottery
22. Dr. Sprink: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations he has received about the consultation on priorities for distribution of funds from the national lottery. [14200]
Mr. Dorrell: My Department consulted on the arrangements for the distribution of national lottery proceeds to the arts, sport, the heritage and millennial projects in spring last year, when a number of representations were received from interested bodies. The National Lottery Charities Board is consulting on its funding strategy. Representations on the NLCB's consultation are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.
23. Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which organisations his Department has consulted since the commencement of the national lottery to discuss the impact of the lottery on charity donations and other existing fund raising schemes. [14201]
Mr. Dorrell: My Department has carried out no such consultation since the commencement of the national lottery. The views of a number of charitable organisations were taken into account in the preparation of the national lottery legislation.
28. Sir Michael Neubert: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage to what extent he now calculates income from the national lottery in the first year of operation will exceed his first estimate. [14206]
Mr. Dorrell: Camelot's application for the section 5 licence to run the national lottery forecast that in the first full year of operation, to March 1996, around £750 million would be raised for the good causes. No formal forecast of the income to the national lottery distribution fund has subsequently been made, but it is widely
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accepted that the launch of the national lottery has been highly successful and that the proceeds to good causes have exceeded expectations. I am confident that the forecast of £750 million for good causes in the first full year of operation will be met.British Hotels
24. Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what encouragement he is giving to improve standards in the British hotel sector. [14202]
Mr. Sproat: On 1 March my Department published "Tourism--Competing with the Best" which sets out a number of measures aimed at revitalising the accommodation sector. The English tourist board has begun work to strengthen the Crown classification and grading scheme and my Department is working on a benchmarking initiative which will complement the work being done by the CBI.
Holidays
25. Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what proposals he has to encourage more United Kingdom residents to take their holidays in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [14203]
Mr. Sproat: On 1 March my Department published "Tourism--Competing with the Best" which identifies short breaks and additional holidays in the UK as markets with particular potential for growth. The document sets out a work programme including action to improve the ease with which holidays in the UK can be booked and measures to help improve quality and value for money in the accommodation sector, which will be of benefit to all parts of the domestic market.
Hall i'th' Wood Museum
26. Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will visit the Hall i'th' Wood museum when he next visits Bolton. [14204]
Mr. Dorrell: I shall bear in mind the invitation to visit Hall i'th' Wood museum for when I am next in the area.
Millennium Fund
27. Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what he expects his major proposals for the use of the millennium fund to be; and if he will make a statement. [14205]
Mr. Dorrell: Decisions on the distribution of national lottery proceeds to projects which mark the year 2000 and the beginning of the new millennium will be made by the Millennium Commission on the basis of the merits of individual applications received. The commission expects to be able to make announcements about the first successful applicants in July this year.
Regional Offices
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many regional offices English Heritage has; what is the current total complement of staff employed; and if he will make a statement. [14190]
Mr. Dorrell: English Heritage has six main regional offices with a total 144 of staff and 13 sub-offices, which are bases for 34 regional technical and curatorial staff. In
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addition, English Heritage has 15 staff based in four regional offices administering historic properties restoration works operations. These figures exclude directly employed craftsmen and staff employed at English Heritage's historic properties.Regional Orchestras
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what initiatives he will take to assist regional orchestras. [14199]
Mr. Dorrell: The Arts Council and the BBC are responsible for formulating policy on regional orchestras. The council has set up a new challenge fund of £450,000 for 1995 96. The fund will help secure the financial position of the regional orchestras and enhance musical provision around the country.
Battersea Power Station
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what recent discussions he has had, and with whom, about the future of Battersea power station; and if he will make a statement. [14188]
Mr. Dorrell: Discussions continue between Wandsworth council, English Heritage and the owners, Parkview International, on a master plan for the whole of the Battersea power station site. The Government are not party to the discussions, but hope that the future of this important historic building will be satisfactorily resolved with a minimum of further delay.
Chess
Mrs Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what administrative procedures are involved in the transfer of the responsibility for chess from the Department for Education to his Department;
(2) when he expects responsibility for chess to be transferred from the Department for Education to his Department.
Mr. Sproat: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State for Further and Higher Education on 15 March 1995, Official Report , column 620 , on the current nature and extent of the Department for Education's interest in chess. I am currently considering whether it would be appropriate and practicable for my Department to take an interest in sponsoring chess.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Government Reform
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary for Northern Ireland if he will list all proposals for reform of the government of Northern Ireland which have been publicly announced by the Government since 1979; and if he will place in the Library a summary of how each of these schemes of devolved government would have been financed. [14802]
Mr. Ancram: Since 1979, the Government have made the following proposals for reform of the government of Northern Ireland
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The 1982 White Paper: Northern Ireland: A Framework for Devolution (Cmnd 8541 April 1982)The Northern Ireland Act 1982
The "Frameworks for the Future" Document
A copy of the proposed financial arrangements have been placed in the Library as requested.
Publicity and Publications
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total expenditure on (a) all forms of publicity and (b) all publications and pamphlets produced for his Department and for all the agencies and public bodies for which his Department is responsible, for each year since 1979, including the budgeted figure for 1995 96, (i) including and (ii) excluding privatisation---related expenditures and expressed in 1994 prices; and if he will supply information for the period from 1 April 1993 to 1 March 1995 showing (1) the nature and (2) the purpose of each publicity campaign and of each publication involving the expenditure of more than £50,000. [14607]
Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 17 March 1995]: The detailed information requested for expenditure on all forms of publicity, publications and pamphlets within the NI Departments, the Northern Ireland Office, agencies and public bodies is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, details of publicity costs by public expenditure programme for the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments are given in table 12.8 of the Northern Ireland departmental report, Cm 2816, a copy of which is available in the Library.
The information on publicity campaigns and publications costing more than £50,000 is listed in the following table.
Publicity campaign |Nature |Purpose
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drink Driving |Television, Radio, |Road Accident
Speeding |Newspapers and |reduction through
Seat Belts |Promotional Material |public awareness of
|dangers.
Help the Earth Week |Television, Radio, |Promote Energy
|Newspapers and |Efficiency and impact
|Promotional Material |on Environment.
Overseas Awareness |Promotional Material |Promote NI as
Raising Programme |investment location.
|IDB contact with
|investors.
Confidential |Television, Radio and |Publicise the
Telephone |Newspapers |existence of the
|confidential telephone
|usage of the system to
|combat terrorism.
Crime Prevention |Television and |Public awareness of
Awareness |Promotional Material |methods to combat
|crime.
NIE Share Offer |Television, |Increase Public
|Newspapers and |Awareness/Interest in
|Posters |Share Offer.
Fire Service |Television |Fire Awareness and
|Advertising
Keep Warm, Keep |Television, Radio, |To remind older
Well Campaign |Posters and other |people and carers of
|Promotional Material |the need to keep
Agriculture in NI |(Monthly Journal) |Provide information
|about policy priorities
|and services.
Polling and Public Survey Organisations
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the employment of polling or public survey organisations by his Department during the current and previous financial years, on the organisations employed by his Department, on the values of individual contracts for these services, on the total amounts of money spent and on the purposes of the research undertaken by these organisations. [14507]
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