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HOME DEPARTMENT
Theatres Act 1968 (Amendment)
Mr. Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider extending the Theatres Act 1968 so that minors could be prevented from witnessing material considered to be of an adult nature; and if he will make a statement. [30859]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: We do not believe it would be appropriate to amend the Theatres Act 1968 in the way described.
Age classifications awarded to films and videos remain appropriate for each subsequent showing because of the unchanging recorded image. Each theatre performance is, however, unique because it is "live". As a result, different productions and performances of the same play may vary according to artistic interpretation, making a classification system unworkable.
Electro-shock Equipment
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department has taken to follow up allegations made in January in relation to the illegal and unauthorised production, export and arrangement of sale of electro-shock weapons and equipment; what legal action has been and is being undertaken in consequence of such investigations; and if he will make a statement. [31030]
Mr. Maclean: Electric shock weapons are covered by section 5(1)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, which prohibits the unauthorised possession, manufacture, purchase, acquisition, transfer and sale of any weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other thing. Following the allegations made in January, my Department has reviewed the terms of all authorities which are currently on issue to companies in England and Wales under section 5(1)(b) of the 1968 Act. There is no company which has authority to possess electric shock weapons.
Police investigations and the prosecution of alleged offences are matters for chief officers of police and for my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General. The control of exports is a matter for my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.
Prisoners (Statistics)
Ms Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) women and (b) men are currently imprisoned as a result of conviction for (i) murder and (ii) manslaughter; and how many of these offences in each case related to the killing of a partner of the opposite sex. [31270]
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.
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Letter from A. J. Pearson to Ms Short, dated 29 June 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking how many (a) women and (b) men are currently imprisoned as a result of conviction for (1) murder and (2) manslaughter; and how many of these offences in each case related to the killing of a partner of the opposite sex.The available information is given in the attached tables.
Population under sentence for
murder or manslaughter<1>. Prison
Service establishments England
and Wales, 31 December 1994.
|Male |Female
----------------------------------
Murder |2,515 |95
Manslaughter |495 |40
<1> Excludes any prisoners for
whom offence is not centrally
recorded.
Information about the relationship between the victim and perpetrator is available for those convicted of homicide from 1982. The table below shows the numbers held in Prison Service establishments on 31 December 1994 who had been sentenced since 1 January 1982 and, of those, the numbers where the victim was a spouse, lover or cohabitant of the opposite sex.
Population sentenced since 1
January 1982 for murder or
manslaughter<1>. Prison Service
establishments England and Wales,
31 December 1994.
|Male |Female
----------------------------------
Murder |2,021 |90
Manslaughter |447 |40
Of which, victim was partner of opposite sex.
|Male |Female
----------------------------------
Murder |292 |31
Manslaughter |57 |9
<1> Excludes any prisoners for
whom offence is not centrally
recorded.
<2> Spouse, lover or cohabitant.
The figures are approximate and
may include cases where the
victim was a relative or
acquaintance of the partner.
Ms Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a breakdown of the length of custodial sentences imposed on (a) men and (b) women currently in prison who were convicted for manslaughter of a partner of the opposite sex. [31272]
Mr. 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 A. J. Pearson to Ms Clare Short, dated 29 June 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking if he will publish a breakdown of the length of custodial sentences imposed on (a) men and (b) women currently in prison who were convicted for manslaughter of a partner of the opposite sex. Information about the relationship between the victim and perpetrator of manslaughter is not available for those convicted before 1982. The available information since then is given in the attached table.
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Population sentenced since 1 January 1982 for
manslaughter<1> of
partner<2> of opposite sex. Prison Service
establishments England
and Wales, 31 December 1994
|Males |Females
-----------------------------------------------
Sentence length
Under 1 year |- |-
1 year under 4 years |1 |2
4 years under 7 years |31 |7
7 years less than life |12 |-
Life |13 |-
Total |57 |9
<1> Excludes any prisoners for whom offences
is not centrally recorded.
<2> Spouse, lover or cohabitant. The figures
are approximate and may include cases where
the victim was a relative or acquaintance of
the partner.
Mrs. Quereshi Bibi
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 26 June, Official Report , column 488 , when the report arising from the interview on 5 February with the sponsor of Mrs. Quereshi Bibi--Ref. BV 100/25109--was sent to his office; when it was sent to the post in Islamabad; what recommendation was made; when a decision is to be made on Mrs. Quereshi Bibi's application; and if he will make a statement. [31608]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Papers were sent from the immigration office at Leeds-Bradford airport to the entry clearance officer in Islamabad on 23 February and 7 April No recommendation was made. The decision on the application is a matter for the entry clearance officer.
Correspondence
Mr. Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 6 April from the hon. member for Worsley regarding his constituent Mrs. Ava Fielden. [30617]
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 26 June 1995]: I replied to the hon. Member yesterday.
Mentally Ill Prisoners
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 18 April, Official Report , columns 92 94, if he will give a regional breakdown of the numbers of prisoners transferred to hospitals under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last 10 years. [31217]
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 27 June 1995]:
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. Paul Flynn, dated 29 June 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking for a regional breakdown of the numbers of prisoners transferred to hospitals under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last 10 years.
The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only by disproportionate cost.
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Foundation for Business Responsibilities
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 18 May, Official Report , columns 369 70, (1) what confirmatory evidence was sought by the Charity Commissioner's investigators that documents relative to their inquiry into whether the Foundation for Business Responsibilities had been used as a vehicle for political donations were stolen during burglaries at the offices of the foundation; [30952]
(2) what were the addresses and dates of the series of thefts which limited the Charity Commissioner's ability to determine conclusively whether the Foundation for Business Responsibilities was used as a vehicle for political donations; [30951]
(3) what confirmatory evidence was sought by the Charity Commissioner's investigators that thefts from the offices of the Foundation for Business Responsibilities had (a) occurred and (b) been reported to the police. [30953]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The Charity Commission investigators sought and received confirmation from the police that a break-in at 40 Doughty street, London WC1, which resulted in the theft of records belonging to the Foundation for Business Responsibilities, was reported to them as having taken place between 29 and 30 April 1993. The Charity Commission did not seek other evidence to confirm that the break-in had occurred.
There was no means of obtaining independent confirmation as to the actual records taken.
CERN Project Employees
Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provisions exist for British citizens employed on the CERN project and whose children were born in Switzerland between 1 January 1983 and 20 December 1994 to ensure that their grandchildren acquire British nationality if they too are born abroad; how many children were born with a reduced right of United Kingdom citizenship for their children; how many families have children with differing citizenship as a result of the exemption given to CERN under the 1984 designation order; what consideration was given to allowing all children born to British employees of CERN the opportunity of claiming full United Kingdom citizenship rights; and if he will make a statement. [30798]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: No special provision applies to employees of CERN unless they are on secondment from the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council--PPARC, formerly the Science and Engineering Research Council, SERC. Service under SERC was designated under section 2(3) of the British Nationality Act 1981 on 21 December 1984. The effect of this designation is that any children born abroad after that date to British employees of SERC or PPARC become British citizens "otherwise than by descent" and may transmit their British citizenship to a second generation born abroad. The Home Office does not keep records of the numbers of children born in Switzerland who are affected by this designation since the transmission of citizenship to and from them is a matter of law requiring no official intervention. There is no provision in the 1981 Act for designations to have retrospective effect, nor is there any
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discretionary power in the Act to vary a person's status from "by descent" to "otherwise than by descent".Overseas Domestic Workers
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are made, and by whom, on the condition and status of overseas domestic workers while they are in the United
Kingdom. [31102]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Detailed checks that the conditions of the overseas domestic worker scheme are met are carried out by the entry clearance officer before arrival. On arrival, the immigration officer must be satisfied that the domestic worker intends to leave the United Kingdom within the period of leave granted. Where the employer is here on a longer- term basis and the domestic worker applies for an extension of stay, the Department needs to be satisfied that the conditions of the scheme, including adequate maintenance and accommodation, continue to be met.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had in the last year to improve the status and rights of overseas domestic workers in the United Kingdom. [31104]
Mr. Baker: A review of the arrangements for overseas domestic workers was undertaken last year, resulting in the changes announced on 9 December 1994, Official Report , columns 379 80 . Officials also recently met two organisations who speak on behalf of overseas domestic workers.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) visas and (b) work permits have been granted to overseas domestic workers for entry and work in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years. [31103]
Mr. Baker: Comprehensive figures for the number of overseas domestic workers granted entry clearance visas are not kept centrally. However, arrangements are being made to obtain some figures for the period 1 January to 30 June 1995 which I will let the hon. Member have when they become available. Work permits are not issued to overseas domestic workers.
Pools (Deregulation)
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to allow all retail outlets to pay out small winnings to pools customers and give promoters the opportunity to establish a pool based on sporting events on any day of the week. [30533]
Mr. Michael Forsyth: I am currently reviewing the scope for further deregulation of the pools as part of the deregulation initiative. My officials are consulting with the Pools Promoters Association and have just received a further letter from it elaborating its proposals, including the proposals referred to by the hon. Member.
Government Escort Service (Cellular Vehicles)
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many new cellular vehicles are required for the court escort contracts still to be let; and at what cost to the Prison Service; [29962]
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(2) how many and on what dates new vehicles are still to be delivered to Group 4 and Securicor for the court escort service; [29961](3) how was the cost of providing new cellular vehicles taken into account when calculating and publishing the Prison Service's savings through contracting out the court escort service; [29963]
(4) what was the value of each of the unsuccessful bids to provide new cellular vehicles for the court escort service; [29982] (5) on what date the decision was taken to provide new cellular vehicles for the court escort services; which companies tendered for the supply of cellular vehicles; and which companies won contracts to supply cellular vehicles; [29959]
(6) what is the cost to the Prison Service of the successful bid to provide new cellular vehicles for the court escort service. [29960]
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. George Howarth, dated 29 June 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about cellular vehicles used by court escort contractors.
The vehicles used by private contractors for transporting prisoners to and from court are built to a specification required by the Prison Service. The procurement of the vehicles, whether purchased or leased, is undertaken by the court escort contractor. For those contracts still to be let, the tenderers' proposals will identify how many vehicles will be required and the type/size of vehicle best suited to the expected volume of prisoner movements, the geography of the contract area, the locations to be served and the detailed operational specification. These proposals will be compared and evaluated as part of the process leading up to contract award. Once the court escort service contract has been awarded, it is the responsibility of the contractor to acquire the vehicles required and have them ready for use by the required date. Although we check that the vehicle programme is proceeding to plan we do not monitor the detail of delivery schedules and consequently we do not hold information on the precise numbers and dates regarding new vehicles still to be delivered.
The cost of vehicles, which the contractor may purchase or lease, forms part of the overall contract price. Information about the cost of the vehicles, or about any other individual element within the total contract price, is a matter for the contractor. This applies to successful and unsuccessful tenders alike.
To calculate the savings from contracting out court escort services, the contract price for the first year of full operation was compared with the estimated cost in the same year of continuing the previous arrangements. In estimating the latter, account was taken of vehicle costs, inclusive of depreciation.
Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what system the Prison Service has in place to monitor the standards of maintenance and general safety of the cellular vehicles used by Group 4 and Securicor; [29964]
(2) what is the annual cost to the Prison Service of monitoring the standards of maintenance and general safety of the cellular vehicles used by Group 4 and Securicor; [29966]
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(3) on whom will fall the cost of new safety measures for existing cellular vehicles; [29968](4) what estimate he has made of the cost of providing safety measures, other than seat belts, for staff and prisoners in all existing cellular vehicles; [29981]
(5) on what date and on what basis the decision was taken not to fit seat belts for staff and prisoners in new cellular vehicles in court escort; [29965]
(6) what is the estimated cost of fitting seat belts to all existing cellular vehicles in the court escort service. [29967]
Mr. 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. George Howarth, dated 29 June 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about safety in cellular vehicles used in court escort contracts. Contractors may only use cellular vehicles if they comply with the demanding vehicle performance specification set out both in the invitation to tender for court escort and custody services and in the contract. The specification is the same as the one used by the Prison Service for its own new cellular vehicles and takes account of all the relevant legislation, including that on safety.
Once a contract has been awarded, it is the responsibility of the contractor to ensure the vehicles are always properly maintained and roadworthy. The contractor's responsibilities are the same as any other operator of a passenger carrying, or public services vehicle. This means that the vehicles must be awarded a certificate of initial fitness under the Public Service Vehicle (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment, Use and Certification) Regulations 1981 and they must be inspected annually by the Department of Transport Vehicle Inspectorate Agency. In addition, the contractor's operational procedures, which have to be agreed with the Prison Service before operation, require vehicle crews to undertake daily checks before the vehicles can be used.
The contractor's vehicles must comply with the performance specification laid down. The cost of those vehicles and their maintenance forms part of the overall cost of the contract to the Authority. Modifications are occasionally made to the specification, for example to take account of any new relevant legislation or in the light of developments in vehicle design. However, it would be unusual to apply such modifications retrospectively to existing vehicles. The cost of any modification to an existing vehicle would fall to the Authority if it represented a new requirement but to the contractor if the change was covered by the existing performance specification. Existing safety measures form part of the overall cost of a vehicle and the cost of providing any additional measures would depend upon their nature.
Seat belts for passengers are not required by law to be fitted in cellular vehicles. Their installation has been considered but the view has been taken, since the first specification was drawn up in 1989, that seat belts might be used by prisoners to attempt suicide or inflict self harm or as a weapon.
The cost of providing seat belts would depend on the type of belt used, the number of mounting points required and the type of construction employed on the vehicle. It is estimated that the cost could be between £75 and £300 per seat.
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Suicides (Prison)
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans will be put into operation during the next business year to reduce suicides in prisons in England and Wales. [29953]
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. George Howarth, dated 29 June 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about what plans will be put into operation during the next business year to reduce suicides in prisons in England and Wales.
The Prison Service regards every self-inflicted death in custody as a tragedy. A new strategy, Caring for the Suicidal in Custody, was introduced throughout the Prison Service in April 1994, based on research commissioned by the Prison Service and carried out by the Cambridge Institute of Criminology.
We will be maintaining this strategy and continuing with a major programme of staff training and the expansion of Listener Schemes, as well as working with the Samaritans and other groups and disseminating good practice.
The new strategy is currently being evaluated. When this is completed, we will introduce any improvements that are indicated by the evaluation.
Category C Prisons (Razor Wire)
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the cost of providing additional razor wire security to the perimeters of category C prisons. [29954]
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. George Howarth, dated 29 June 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the cost of providing additional razor wire security to the perimeters of Category C prisons.
The Prison Service is looking at a number of new measures designed to improve physical security. One possible development involves the use of razor wire coils as a barrier to make it extremely difficult for a prisoner even to reach the perimeter fence.
The use of razor wire on a significant scale would depend upon the results of current trials and further assessment in a pilot prison setting. The cost-effectiveness of alternative measures would also need to be assessed before any final decision was made. Although some preliminary work has been done on the cost of additional razor wire, specific estimates cannot be prepared until completion of the trials and our own evaluation of the precise needs of each individual establishment.
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Prisoners (Foreign Nationals)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisons in London which hold foreign nationals on (a) drugs offences and (b) immigration offences. [29544]
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 A. J. Pearson to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 29 June 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking for a list of the prisons in London which hold foreign nationals on (a) drugs offences and (b) immigration offences.
Prison Service establishments in London currently holding foreign nationals for drug offences are: Belmarsh, Brixton, Wandsworth, Pentonville, Holloway and Wormwood Scrubs. The only London establishment which now holds newly detained foreign nationals as immigration detainees is Holloway prison.
However, Belmarsh, Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs as well as Holloway have some foreign nationals in their custody who have recently completed prison sentences and are now held awaiting deportation or the results of appeals against deportation.
Prison Farms
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of prison farms in England and Wales. [59540]
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 29 June 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 number of prison farms in England and Wales.
There are 38 Prison Service establishments with major agricultural and horticultural enterprises. A further 24 establishments have smaller scale horticultural production units. All establishments have a ground maintenance enterprise.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if prisons must purchase food and produce from prison farms from within their prison food budget expenditure; and if he will make a statement. [29559]
Mr. Forsyth: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 29 June 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about prison farms.
Prisons are required to spend 26 per cent of their daily food allowance on items supplied by prison farms.
TREASURY
Scott Inquiry
Mr. Byers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants in his department or its agencies are presently working on matters related to the Scott
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inquiry; if dedicated units have been established; and what is the estimated cost to date of civil servants dealing with matters relating to the Scott inquiry. [30293]Mr. Kenneth Clarke [holding answer 22 June 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General gave him on 18 May 1994, Official Report , columns 481 82 . Costs incurred by the Treasury since then have been very small. There are presently six staff of HM Customs and Excise dedicated to working on matters related to the Scott inquiry. The total staffing cost of the Department's Scott liaison unit is now estimated to be around £612,000 to date. This figure does not include the personal costs of current and former Customs and Excise officials who have been asked to give written and/or oral evidence to the Scott inquiry.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 21 March, Official Report , column 108 , if he will list those occasions since the start of the current parliamentary year when (a) he and (b) the Chief Secretary did not give prior warning to hon. Members of visits to their constituencies. [30751]
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