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President of the Italian RepublicSignor Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
Governor-General of Jamaica
The Most Honourable Sir Howard Cooke ON GCMG GCVO CD
His Majesty King Hussein I bin Talal GCB GCVO King of the Hashemite King of Jordan
His Royal Highness Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Mr. Nursultan Nazarbaev
President of the Kyrgyz Republic
Mr. Askar Akaev
President of the Republic of Latvia
Mr. Guntis Ulmanis
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Valdis Birkavs
King of Lesotho
His Majesty King Moshoeshoe II
Minister of Defence
The Honourable S. Motanyane
President of the Republic of Lithuania
Mr. Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Povilas Gylys
His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Her Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Luxembourg
President of the former Yugoslave Republic of Macedonia Mr. Kiro Gligorov
President of Malta
Dr. Ugo Mifsud Bonnici
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Hon. Professor Guido de Marco
First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Mr. Ion Gutu
His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal
Her Majesty Queen Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah of Nepal Her Majesty The Queen of The Netherlands LG
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Rt. Hon. James Bolger MP
His Royal Highness The Crown Prince Haakon of Norway
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland
Mr. Wladyslaw Bartoszewski
President of Romania
Mr. Ion Iliescu
Minister of State. Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Teodor Melescanu
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The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mr. Viktor S. ChernomyrdinPresident of the Slovak Republic
Mr. Michal Kovac
President of the Republic of Slovenia
Mr. Milan Kucan
Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa
Mr. Thabo Mbeki
King of Swaziland
His Majesty King Mswati III
Minister for Foreign Affairs
The Honourable Solomon M. Dlamini MP
President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Mr. Noor Mohamed Hassanali
President of Turkmenistan
Mr. Saparmurad Niyazov
The Vice-President of the United States of America
The Honourable Albert Gore Jr.
State Counsellor of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Mr. Bakhtiyor Khisamovich Gulyamov
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Rabies
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the incidence of rabies in (a) Belgium and (b) other EC member states. [21093]
Mrs. Browning: We welcome the steady progress being made in the mainland EU member states towards the eradication of rabies in their countries, although we are disappointed to see the increase in the number of reported cases in Belgium in the third quarter of 1994. This was apparently due to a single focus of infection in foxes in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. We shall continue to monitor the situation carefully.
Badgers
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on badger culling. [21095]
Mrs. Browning: In those areas in the south-west of England and parts of Wales where there is a recent history of badger-related herd breakdowns in cattle, badger removal operations may proceed on breakdown farms on the judgment of Ministry staff, providing detailed epidemiological investigations have attributed the source of infection for that breakdown to badgers. Where detailed epidemiological investigations indicate that badgers are implicated in a herd breakdown but where there is not recent history of badger-related tuberculosis, it is a requirement that a badger removal operation must first be sanctioned by a sub-committee of the consultative panel on badgers and bovine tuberculosis. This sub-committee includes farming, veterinary and conservation
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representatives and ensures that the decisions made and action taken are subject to independent scrutiny.Of those breakdowns which meet the criteria for the trial of the live test, announced in December 1993 and started in November last year, half will be subject to a live test, which will be undertaken on the breakdown farm and surrounding area so that only badgers from setts containing infected badgers will be culled. On the other half, a badger removal operation will be undertaken following the criteria laid down in the independent report of Ministers by Professor Dunnet in 1986. The trial will run for five years, with the objective of comparing the effect on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle of the strategy recommended by Professor Dunnet of the live test strategy and of the removing no badgers if the breakdown farmer refuses a badger removal operation.
In all situations where breakdowns do not meet the criteria for the trial, the farmer will be offered a badger removal operation in accordance with the Dunnett criteria--the "interim strategy". This means that action against badgers is confined to that part of the breakdown farm where it is believed tuberculosis was transmitted to cattle, or to the whole farm if it is not possible to be more precise.
It is estimated that fewer than 3,000 badgers will be humanely killed in Ministry badger removal operations in 1995. This in no way represents a threat to the species, whose Great Britain population is estimated at about 250,000 adult badgers.
Mr. Morely: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many licences have been granted for interference with badger setts in each year since 1991 for the purpose of hunting; and which purpose this comes under in section 10 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. [21109]
Mrs. Browning: None. There are no specific provisions under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 for the granting of licences to interfere with badger setts for the purpose of hunting.
Live Animal Exports
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 18 April, Official Report , column 102 , and of 4 April, Official Report , columns 1057-58 , when he expects to be able to make a statement on banning the export of calves to be reared in veal crates. [21113]
Mrs. Browning: My right hon. Friend has already explained on various occasions that it is not his policy, for both practical and legal reasons, to ban the export of calves to be reared in veal crates. Lawyers are currently examining, at his request, the complex arguments, recently submitted by the RSPCA and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, as to how they consider that a ban might be legally defended.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to stop people with convictions for cruelty to livestock from being allowed to continue exporting livestock. [21329]
Mrs. Browning: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Newport, West(Mr. Flynn) in the House on 23 February 1995, Official Report , 23 February 1995, column 475.
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Mink and Arctic Fox
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will insist that mink and arctic fox farms are listed under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976; and if he will make a statement. [21105]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 27 April 1995]: The Farm Animal Welfare Council has recommended that consideration should be given to the inclusion of mink and arctic fox in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. The views of interested organisations have been obtained on this recommendation and we are currently considering how this matter should be taken forward.
EC Welfare of Livestock Convention
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) which EC member states have been in breach of the European convention on the protection of animals kept for farming purposes over the past 12 months; [19818]
(2) if he will make a statement on the European Convention on the Protection of Animals kept for farming purposes; whether the provisions of the convention are mandatory; what assessment he has made of whether all EC member states are taking action to adopt these provisions; and what action he is taking to encourage them to do so. [19819]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 24 April 1995]: The European Community and its member states are all contracting parties to this convention, which lays down general principles for safeguarding the welfare of animals kept for farming purposes, in particular those kept in intensive farming systems. Detailed recommendations for the welfare of individual species are elaborated by a standing committee established under the convention. By adoption of Council decision 78/923/EEC, the European Community approved the convention, while in Great Britain its principles were implemented in provisions which are now incorporated in the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994 (SI 2126).
We do not have detailed information on how other contracting parties implement and enforce the convention and the subsidiary measures adopted under it: the Government agree with the European Commission's view, indicated in its communication on the protection of animals of 8 September 1993 (8442/93), that Community legislation is necessary to ensure uniform application of the convention and its subordinate recommendations within the Community. We are therefore continuing to press for the adoption of high welfare standards on a Community basis.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Prison Service Costs
Mr. Mike O' Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the Prison Service in real terms in each of the last 15 years. [20385]
Mr. Maclean: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
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Letter from B. Landers to Mr. Mike O'Brien, dated 27 April 1995:The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the cost of the Prison Service in real terms in each of the last 15 years.
The costs of the Prison Service in England and Wales are set out in the attached table. They are at 1993 94 prices and include notional depreciation and superannuation.
Year |Cost: £000 --------------------------------- 1979-80 |845,366 1980-81 |908,605 1981-82 |943,003 1982-83 |1,011,316 1983-84 |1,075,395 1984-85 |1,055,005 1985-86 |1,132,401 1986-87 |1,163,164 1987-88 |1,239,017 1988-89 |1,334,463 1989-90 |1,483,377 1990-91 |1,667,722 1991-92 |1,747,796 1992-93 |1,711,000 1993-94 |1,638,200
Prison Population
Mr. Mike O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the total numbers of (a) adult and (b) juvenile prisoners held in custody in each of the last 15 years. [20386]
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 Richard Tilt to Mr. Mike O'Brien, dated 28 April 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the total numbers of adult and juvenile prisoners held in custody in each of the last 15 years.
Within the prison system, adults are defined as aged 21 and over. A breakdown of the prison population from 1980 1994 into adults and young persons is given in Table 1. Before the introduction in October 1992 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, young persons in Prison Service establishments between the ages of 14 and 16 were defined as juveniles. Since the 1991 Act came into effect, young persons aged between 15 and 17 have been treated as juveniles. Information on juveniles aged between 15 and 17 in Prison Service establishments is only available from 1987 and is contained in Table 2. More detailed information on the population of young persons up to 1992 is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" (Table 3.2 of the 1992 edition).
Table 1: Population in Prison Service establishments in England
and Wales, annual averages 1980-1994<1>
Thousands
Year |Adults<2> (aged 21 |Young persons (aged
|and over) |under 21)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980 |30.1 |12.5
1981 |29.9 |13.1
1982 |30.3 |13.0
1983 |31.0 |12.5
1984 |30.5 |12.5
1985 |33.1 |13.0
1986 |34.3 |12.3
1987 |36.5 |12.2
1988 |37.9 |11.8
1989 |38.0 |10.4
1990 |36.2 |9.3
1991 |36.8 |8.8
1992 |37.3 |8.2
1993 |36.1 |7.8
1994 |39.8 |8.3
<1> Remand and sentenced, excluding non-criminals.
<2> Includes some 21 year old sentenced persons classified as young offenders.
Table 2: Population of youths (aged under 18) in Prison Service establishments,on 30 June, 1987-93 England and Wales<1> Year |Number --------------------- 1987 |2,877 1988 |2,473 1989 |2,088 1990 |1,595 1991 |1,345 1992 |1,328 1993 |1,304 <1> Remand and sentenced, excluding non-criminals.
UK Passport Agency
Dr. Howells: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement about the recent results of the UK Passport Agency on number of passports issued and levels of customer satisfaction; [20755]
(2) if he will make a statement on the current UK Passport Agency review of size, number and location of passport offices; and what assessment he has made of the capacity for an increased work load and further improvements to customer service of a network of professionally staffed offices; [20758]
(3) how the confidentiality and security of the passport issuing process is to be protected under UK Passport Agency management proposals to seek private sector involvement in this process; [20769]
(4) what plans he has to increase the numbers of evening shifts worked at the UK Passport Agency and the number of casual workers with a consequent reduction of permanent staff numbers; and what effect he expects this to have on productivity; [20756]
(5) what rise in demand for standard passports he expects with the abolition of the British visitor's passport; and what plans he has to alter staffing levels at UK Passport Agency offices; [20768] (6) what considerations underlie his proposals to farmout to the private sector work currently undertaken by the UK Passport Agency; and for what reasons the agency's management is being instructed to seek reductions in numbers of permanent staff employed; [20754] (7) what measures he is taking to ensure that the management of the UK Passport Agency is discouraged from breaching unilateral industrial relations agreements within the agency; and what assessment he has made of the contribution of those agreements and the subsequent
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co-operation among management and staff within the UK Passport Agency to the performance of that agency. [20766]Mr. Nicholas Baker: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the UK Passport Agency under its chief executive, Mr. David Gatenby. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from David Gatenby to Dr. Kim Howells, dated 28 April 1995:
The Secretary of State for the Home Department has asked me to reply to your Questions about the UK Passport Agency.
The Passport Agency has significantly improved its performance since it was established as an executive agency of the Home Office in April 1991. Demand has risen to record levels (we provided almost 4 million passport services in the year ended 31 March 1995) but the maximum time for processing straightforward applications has been reduced from 95 working days in 1989 to 16 working days in 1994. Since 1991 efficiency has been improved by 13.7% in real terms. Very high levels of customer satisfaction are being achieved.
In November 1994, in confirming the Agency's status as an executive agency for a further 5 years, the Home Secretary indicated his expectation that the Agency would further improve the quality of its service, and its efficiency and that, in accordance with Government policy, the private sector should become progressively involved in the issuing of passports. As part of this process, to improve the convenience and accessibility of its service to the public, the Agency plans to establish, by October 1995, partnerships with travel agents, banks, and the Post Office covering the initial handling of passport applications. This approach has been fully discussed with the Agency Trade Union Side (TUS). I have indicated to them that once the partnership arrangements are effectively in place we will wish to develop them further. It is accepted on both sides that changes to the partnership arrangements will be subject to prior consultation.
To explore the scope for achieving greater efficiency, we shall shortly commence a review of ways or involving the private sector in the issuing operation after the decision to grant a passport is taken, and in the provision of support services. Until the reviews have been undertaken I am unable to say whether or not private sector involvement is likely but if it is I can assure you that the Agency would require the system to be equally as secure and confidential as the present operation. There has been no secrecy about these reviews which were mentioned in the Home Secretary's statement, and in briefings to our staff.
We have also undertaken a review of the size number and location of the Agency's offices and this has recently been completed. Once we have sought Ministers' approval of the findings and recommendations we will advise our staff and consult the TUS.
The review has taken into account the Agency's current and future business needs and the needs of its customers and staff. We are committed to continuing to improve customer service and to maintaining the professionalism of staff. The outcome of the review will in no way diminish the Agency's resolve in these two very important areas.
As you will appreciate we are duty bound to carry out Government policy which as clearly explained in the two recent White Papers on the Civil Service requires us, among other things, to absorb increases in pay and prices through efficiency improvements. In seeking efficiency savings we simply cannot ignore our staff costs which currently account for more than 50% of our unit costs. The passport business is demand led. Passport demand shows a marked seasonality with demand averaging 100,000 applications per week between mid January and mid July, but tailing off rapidly to under 50,000 per week immediately after the main holiday season.
Our policy which I believe is a sensible one, is to match our staffing resources more closely to the pattern of passport demand. Over time this will mean some reduction in permanent full-time staff resources as we introduce more flexible and efficient staffing arrangements. These are likely to include the continuation of shift working which is already being used very successfully in four of our offices is providing job opportunities which would not otherwise exist and is proving very popular with those who prefer evening
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