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Mr. Maclean: Based on assessments made when the tariff scheme was introduced, 40 per cent. of awards provisionally made might be expected to have been the same as, or less than, awards which would have been made under the scheme based on common law damages and as such to result in higher awards when reconsidered. It should be noted, however, that the provisional awards made are likely to have been typical since, because of the priority which was given to clearing the outstanding cases lodged before 1 April 1994 and the way in which the work was organised, the cases which were settled under the tariff scheme included a high proportion of nil awards.
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal injuries compensation cases outstanding under the common law scheme were decided between April 1993 and April 1994. [23748]
Mr. Maclean: In the year ending 31 March 1994, the board resolved 65,293 cases.
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal injuries compensation claims on behalf of children under the age of 18 years were (a) lodged and (b) determined under the tariff scheme between April 1994 and April 1995. [23759]
Mr. Maclean: Some 12,086 applications were received. Compensation was paid in 1,006 cases.
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Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many child victims of sexual abuse lodged applications for criminal injuries compensation between April 1994 and April 1995; and how many have been determined. [23761]
Mr. Maclean: Information about the number of such applications is not recorded. Compensation was paid in 225 cases involving child victims of sexual abuse.
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what were the administrative costs of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority between April 1994 and April 1995; [23763] (2) what is the estimated administrative cost of dealing with the consequences of the House of Lords decision on the criminal injuries compensation scheme; and how much additional criminal injuries compensation he estimates will have to be paid as a result of the decision in respect of cases lodged between April 1994 and April 1995; [23749]
(3) what was the cost of setting up the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. [23762]
Mr. Maclean: I would refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) on 25 November 1994, Official Report , column 446 , and 26 April, Official Report , column 561 .
The additional cost of compensation arising in respect of cases lodged in the year ending 31 March 1995 is likely to be in the order of £85 million.
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the time it will take to reassess those criminal injuries compensation cases previously decided under the tariff scheme, in the light of the House of Lords ruling. [23770]
Mr. Maclean: I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) on 1 May, Official Report, column 92.
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average length of time for determining criminal injuries compensation cases under the common law scheme between April 1993 and April 1994; and what was the average award. [23985]
Mr. Maclean: The board does not record information about the average length of time for determining cases, although paragraphs 3.11 and 3.12 of its 30th annual report do give some information on the subject. The average award was £4,064.
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal injuries compensation claims lodged between April 1994 and April 1995 and not determined under the tariff scheme involve (a) fatal injuries, (b) injuries sustained in sexual attack, (c) paraplegia, (d) quadriplegia, (e) hemiplegia, (f) serious brain damage and (g) brain damage resulting in serious impairment. [23750]
Mr. Maclean: Some 1,192 cases involving fatal injuries were awaiting initial determination. Information on the other categories is not available.
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal injuries compensation claims between April 1994 and April 1995 were (a) lodged under the tariff scheme, (b) decided under the tariff scheme, (c) accepted for eligibility under the tariff
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scheme, (d) rejected for eligibility under the tariff scheme, (e) rejected for eligibility under the tariff scheme which would have been eligible under the common law scheme. [23751]Mr. Maclean: The available information is that in the year ending 31 March 1995, 66,387 cases were registered under the tariff scheme. Some 4,891 monetary awards were offered, and 11,076 cases were rejected or received "nil" awards. There is no information as to how many of the cases rejected under the tariff scheme would have been eligible under the common law scheme.
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal injuries compensation cases have been decided under the tariff scheme, by tariff band. [23752]
Mr. Maclean: The breakdown of awards offered in the year ending 31 March 1995 was as follows:
Band |Number --------------------- 1 |1,160 2 |268 3 |1,324 4 |76 5 |432 6 |153 7 |736 8 |170 9 |93 10 |72 11 |70 12 |244 13 |50 14 |2 15 |5 16 |24 17 |12 18 |5 19 |2 25 |1
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal injuries compensation cases were (a) pursued by way of review to the review panel under the tariff scheme and (b) successfully appealed to the review panel under the tariff scheme. [23757]
Mr. Maclean: One hundred and twenty appeals were made to the appeals panel. The tariff scheme was withdrawn before the panel considered any cases.
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to publish the 30th report of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. [23984]
Mr. Maclean: It was published on 11 May 1995.
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the highest and lowest criminal injuries compensation awards made to children under the tariff scheme between April 1994 and April 1995. [23760]
Mr Maclean: The highest and lowest awards made to persons aged under 18 were £30,000 and £1,000.
African National Congress (Bombing)
Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 23 February, Official Report, columns 330 31, what progress has been made in police investigations of the 1982 bombing of the
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London offices of the African National Congress. [24457]Mr. Howard: I understand that the police have now completed their review of the evidence and are considering whether there is a basis for further action in the light of Mr. Williamson's reported remarks.
Consultants
Mr. Roy Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work was carried out on behalf of his Department by EDMC Management Consultants in connection with proposals to privatise the escorting of vehicles carrying abnormal loads on motorways and other roads; and at what cost. [24753]
Mr. Maclean: EDMC Management Consultants analysed and defined the skills and competencies which are required for the escorting of abnormal loads on motorways and linked dual carriageways. Its work included advice and recommendations regarding assessment of these competencies and on how possible to draw up a formal qualification in escorting for issue by an awarding body. It is not the Department's policy to waste the value of individual contracts, on the grounds of commercial confidentially.
Data Protection Registrar
Mr. Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the office of the Data Protection Registrar. [25186]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The next five yearly review of the office of the Data Protection Registrar will take place in 1995 96. The first stage of the review will consist of a "prior options" study. In accordance with normal practice, this will consider whether the registrar's functions still need to be performed at all--and, if they do, whether they could be privatised, contracted out, or transferred to some other body. The study will shortly begin, and I would welcome comments from interested parties. Comments should be sent by 16 June 1995 to Mr. M. Jones, Room 978, Home Office, Queen Anne's gate, London SW1H 9AT.
Passport Agency
Mr. Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what performance targets he has set for the UK Passport Agency in 1995 96. [25185]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: During 1995 96 I shall expect the Passport Agency to continue to improve its standard of service to the public while seeking further efficiency savings in its operations. I have set the agency the following targets:
(i) to process properly completed straightforward applications within a maximum of 15 working days between April and August 1995, 10 working days between September and February 1996 and 15 working days in March 1996.
(ii) to process such applications within an overall average of seven working days for the year as a whole, and
(iii) to reduce unit costs by a further 5 per cent. in real terms in comparison with the outturn for 1994 95.
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The chief executive will remain directly accountable to me for the performance of the Passport Agency. An advisory board, including two private sector members with experience of delivering services to the public, will continue to provide me with an independent assessment of the agency's performance.Prisons Expenditure
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the criminal justice
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budget has been spent on the prison service, including accommodating prisoners in police cells; and what proportion has been spent on crime prevention in each of the last 16 years. [21607]Mr. Howard [holding answer 1 May 1995]: The full information sought is not available. The information readily available is as follows:
£ million
|1986-87 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total estimated expenditure on the criminal justice system in
England and Wales<1> |4,596 |7,629 |8,770 |9,204 |9,524 |10,100
Expenditure on prisons (including accommodating prisoners
in police cells) |697 |1,452 |1,586 |1,610 |1,507 |1,596<2>
<1> Figures include Home Office expenditure on prisons; Home Office and local authority expenditure on the police and
probation services; Lord Chancellor's Department expenditure on criminal business related administration, court services and
legal aid; and expenditure on the Crown Prosecution Service.
<2> Supply estimate figure.
One of the principle objectives of the crimial justice system is the prevention of crime. All constituent parts of the system contribute to this objective. Indeed, the Government's White Paper "Police Reform" published in June 1993, Cm 2281, listed fighting and preventing crime as a main aim of the police, who account for over half of all criminal justice expenditure. It is not possible to isolate the resources associated with the crime prevention part of the work of criminal justice agencies. Information about specific Home Office initiatives in crime prevention is set out in paragraphs 4.41 to 4.48 of the Home Office annual report 1995, Cm 2808.
Probation Service
Mr. Bermingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the terms of the informal agreement between the European Community Commission and Her Majesty's Government on the use of the restricted procedure in procurement process for the probation service house II framework agreement. [24391]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The conditions for use of the restricted procedure in the procurement process are set out in the Public Supply Contract Regulations, S.I.1991. No. 2679, a copy of which is in the Library. These conditions were complied with in the establishment of the house II--Home Office Unix systems environment--framework arrangement used to set up the agreement for probation services.
Mr. Bermingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Treasury has been alerted to the facsimile correspondence from his Department's Mr. Lindsay Watson to Mr. Guy Lougher of Wragge and Co. on 9 February 1995; and if the questions raised about the award of the house II framework contract are factually and legally accurate. [24393]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Mr. Lindsay Watson's letter of 9 February 1995 was prepared in consultation with the Treasury, who is content that the procedure under which the house II framework arrangement was awarded was in compliance with the Public Supply Contracts Regulations, S.I. 1991, No. 2679.
Mr. Bermingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the award by a probation
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committee or board of any contract to Bull Information Systems Ltd. under or in pursuance of the house II framework agreement will need to comply with the relevant European Procurement rules in all respects; and if it will need to be separately advertised or publicised by the said probation committee or board under those rules. [24392]Mr. Nicholas Baker: Since the house II--Home Office Unix systems environment--framework arrangement was awarded in accordance with the Public Supply Contracts Regulations, there is no need to have a further competition each time a probation committee or board awards any contract to Bull Information Systems Ltd. under or in pursuance of the house II framework agreement.
Mr. Bermingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the relevant European public procurement regulations and laws in relation to the house II--Bull framework agreement--have been implemented. [24390]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The house II--Home Office Unix Systems Environment--framework arrangement was awarded following a competition which complied with the Public Supply Contracts Regulations, SI 1991, No. 2679. The regulations are the mechanism by which the EC supplies directive is implemented.
Race Relations
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what race relations policies the Prison Service has; and to what extent they are mandatory; [23087]
(2) what means are in place to check establishments for compliance with race relations policy; and what training is given to those who check compliance; [23088]
(3) what special arrangements the Prison Service provides for prisoners who are foreign nationals; [23089]
(4) how many prison governors have a race relations element in their contracts; and what formal race relations management training is given to prison governors; [23135]
(5) how many prisons have facilities for serving kosher or halal food; [23081]
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(6) how many prison race relations management teams have a membership which includes a representative from an outside racial equality organisation; [23082](7) how many formal complaints on racial grounds have been received by his Department (a) from staff and (b) from prisoners in each of the last five years. [23083]
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 9 May 1995]: 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. Doug Hoyle, dated 17 May 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about race relations in the Prison Service.
The Prison Service's race relations policy is set out in its policy statement on the subject, a copy of which is attached. This states that all prisoners should be treated impartially and without discrimination on grounds of colour, race and religion. Under the policy, which is mandatory, racially insulting, abusive or derogatory language towards prisoners is not tolerated.
To check establishments are complying with race relations policy, the prison governors' standard business plan includes targets on race issues, for which governors are accountable to their area manager. Governors are also required to complete an annual race relations checklist. These checklist returns form the basis of an annual report on race relations to the Prisons Board. Additionally, annual reports of Boards of Visitors and reports of inspections by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons frequently cover race issues. No specific training for the purpose of checking compliance is given. However, some of those involved, for example, area managers and some Board of Visitors members, will have received general race relations training.
Prison governors' contracts include a race relations element and race relations issues are addressed as part of the modular training course for middle managers, including governor grades. This is delivered by the Prison Service Colleges in conjunction with Leeds Metropolitan University. Governors recruited under the Accelerated Promotion Scheme receive race relations training both as part of initial officer training and on subsequent development courses. In 1993 94, the latest year for which figures are available, the number of prisons which could provide kosher and halal food were 119 and 117 respectively.
At present, 39 prison race relations management teams have a membership which includes a representative from an outside racial equality organisation.
Information on how many formal complaints on racial grounds have been received by the Prison Service from staff and from prisoners in each of the last five years is not available. However, analysis of the annual checklist returns shows that the number of recorded racial incidents, which includes complaints, is as follows:
|Staff |Prisoners
----------------------------------------
1990-91 |0 |22
1991-92 |11 |95
1992-93 |20 |121
1993-94 |16 |206
1994-95 |<1>- |<1>-
<1> Information not yet available.
With regard to foreign nationals, the Prison Service has produced a Foreign Prisoners' Resource Pack, which provides information and guidance for prison staff working with foreign nationals, and the prisoners themselves. The pack is available in 12 languages and topics include awareness of foreign prisoners' needs and concerns, the criminal justice system, immigration, customs and excise, embassies, interpreting and translating. There is also a Prisoners' Information Pack which is available in 14 languages. In addition the Prison Service has given support for the Nuffield Interpreters Project to encourage accredited interpreters; and has introduced the language line telephone interpreting service into all prisons.
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Prison Service race relations policy statement1. The Prison Service is committed absolutely to a policy of racial equality and to the elimination of discrimination in all aspects of the work of the Prison Service. It is opposed also to any display of racial prejudice, either by word or conduct by any member of the Service in his or her dealings with any other person. 2. All prisoners should be treated with humanity and respect. All prisoners should be treated impartially and without discrimination on grounds of colour, race and religion. Insulting, abusive and derogatory language towards prisoners will not be tolerated. 3. Race relations concerns every member of the Prison Service. It is the responsibility of every member of staff to ensure that the Department's policy is carried out in relation to other members of staff as well as prisoners.
4. Members of minority religious groups have the same right to practise their faith as those of the majority faith. Wherever feasible in prison circumstances arrangements are made to give them the same practical opportunity to do so.
5. All inmates should have equal access to the facilities provided in the establishment including jobs. The distribution of inmates throughout the establishment and its facilities should as far as practicable and sensible be broadly responsive to the ethnic mix of the establishment.
6. No particular racial group should be allowed to dominate any activity in the establishment to the unfair exclusion of others.
Young Offenders
Mr. Mike O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the numbers of offences attributed to juvenile offenders (a) in 1979 and (b) in 1994; what were the numbers of juveniles given custodial sentences (i) in 1979 and (ii) in 1994; and what were the reasons for trends in those statistics. [23936]
Mr. Maclean: It is not possible to present an accurate picture of the nature and extent of crime committed by youths aged 10 to 17, as much crime is unreported and not all reported crime is cleared up. We cannot therefore measure the number of crimes actually committed by young people. The best indicator we have is the number of young people known to have been involved in offending, that is, those cautioned by the police for, or convicted by the courts of, a crime. Information given in the tables show (a) the number of known offenders by age and type of offence and (b) persons sentenced to immediate custody by age and type of offence for the years 1979 and 1993.
Reasons for the trends in known offending may include the demographic fall in the general population of persons aged 10 to 17 from 6.4 million in 1979 to 4.9 million in 1993. The trends may also partly reflect the increased use of informal methods for dealing with young offenders.
1994 data will not be available until autumn 1995.
Table A-Number of persons found guilty at all courts or
cautioned by age and type of offence 1979 and 1993
England and Wales Thousands
Persons aged All ages
10-17
Type of offence |1979 |1993 |1979 |1993
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indictable offences
Violence against the person<1> |13.6 |16.0 |53.1 |63.0
Sexual offences |2.7 |1.5 |10.2 |7.6
Burglary<2> |36.8 |19.1 |66.1 |53.1
Robbery |1.1 |2.1 |3.3 |5.8
Theft and handling stolen goods<1> |128.7 |73.1 |295.5 |238.8
Fraud and forgery |2.8 |1.9 |22.1 |25.5
Criminal damage<1> |5.3 |4.3 |11.2 |13.5
Drug offences |0.5 |7.5 |11.9 |57.0
Other (excluding motoring)<2> |1.9 |3.8 |13.4 |40.4
Motoring offences<1> <3> |3.0 |0.3 |21.8 |10.8
|-------- |-------- |-------- |--------
Total indicatable |196.5 |129.5 |508.7 |515.5
Summary (excluding motoring) |58.2 |38.5 |440.3 |551.1
All offences (excluding motoring) |254.6 |168.0 |949.0 |1,066.6
<1> A number of indicatable offences were reclassified as summary offences following the Criminal Justice Act
1988.
<2 >Offenders found guilty, or cautioned for, "going equipped for stealing etc." were counted against burglary
offences until 1986, and against "other" from 1987. Historical data provided in this table have been amended to
take account of this change.
<3> Offenders found guilty only; motoring offence may attract written warnings.
Table B-Number of persons sentenced to immediate custody at all
courts by age and type of offence 1979 and 1993
England and Wales Thousands
Persons aged All ages
10-17
Type of offence |1979 |1993 |1979 |1993
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indictable offences
Violence against the person<1> |1.0 |0.4 |6.9 |7.4
Sexual offences |0.1 |0.0 |1.5 |2.0
Burglary<2> |4.3 |1.4 |15.4 |11.8
Robbery |0.5 |0.3 |2.3 |3.4
Theft and handling stolen goods<1> |4.9 |0.9 |22.9 |10.1
Fraud and forgery |0.1 |0.0 |2.8 |2.4
Criminal damage<1> |0.3 |0.1 |1.4 |0.8
Drug offences |0.0 |0.0 |1.0 |3.6
Other (excluding motoring)<2> |0.2 |0.2 |1.8 |4.0
Motoring offences<1> <3> |0.2 |0.1 |2.0 |1.1
|-------- |-------- |-------- |--------
Total indicatable |11.6 |3.4 |57.9 |46.6
Summary (excluding motoring) |0.4 |0.4 |3.9 |3.6
All offences (excluding motoring) |12.0 |3.7 |61.9 |50.2
<1> A number of indicatable offences were reclassified as summary offences following the Criminal Justice Act
1988.
<2 >Offenders found guilty, or cautioned for, "going equipped for stealing etc." were counted against burglary
offences until 1986, and against "other" from 1987. Historical data provided in this table have been amended to
take account of this change.
<3> Offenders found guilty only; motoring offence may attract written warnings.
Animal Procedures Committee
Mr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the current members of the Animal Procedures Committee; and which members of the Animal Procedures Committee are employed by animal welfare organisations. [24014]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The current membership of the Animal Procedures Committee is given. Members' association with animal welfare organisations is shown where appropriate.
Professor Margaret Brazier (Chairman)
Professor Ronald S. Anderson
Professor Margaret Boden
Professor Barry Bridges
Dr. Fiona Broughton Pipkin
Dr. David Christopher
Dr. Yvonne Cripps
Mr. Roger Ewbank--Director of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare
Dr. John Flack
Dr. Paul Flecknell
Professor Susan Iversen
Mrs. Judy MacArthur Clark
Miss Cindy Milburn--Special Projects Director, World Society for the Protection of Animals
Dr. Iain Purchase
Dr. Jacqueline Southee
Professor Michael Spyer
Dr. Anthony J. Suckling--Director of Scientific Affairs
RSPCA
Mr. Les Ward--Director, Advocates for Animals
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