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Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 16 March, Official Report, column 709, what was the conclusion of the research work at Nancekuke to develop a specification for the material used in the preparation process of the nerve agent GB; when this conclusion was reached; and when the results of this research were exchanged with the United States of America, Canada and Australia. [31965]
Mr. Freeman: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have therefore asked him to reply.
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Letter from J. Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 5 July 1995:Your question to the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 16 March, about specifications for the production of the nerve agent GB and the dates of release of this information to the members of the technical collaboration panel, has been passed to me to reply as Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) which, since April, includes the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment (CBDE) as one of its divisions. 2. The specification for the materials to be used in the production of the nerve agent GB was arrived at through systemic process chemistry studies at laboratory and pilot plant stage. The specification was arrived at by January 1956. At this time the United Kingdom decided unilaterally to abandon its offensive chemical warfare programme and the pilot plant was filled with decontaminant in 1956.
3. The materials which were involved in the specification are listed below:
Isopropanol
Hydrogen Fluoride
Methane
Triethylamine
Sodium Hydroxide
Aluminium tumings
Aluminium chloride
Phosphorus trichloride
Methyl chloride
Oxygen
Sodium Chloride
Nitrogen
The research data from the development programme was shared with the United States, Canada and Australia over a number of years extending from 1945 to 1956.
4. I hope this information is helpful.
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research has been carried out on the nerve agent GE at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down since the closure of the nerve agent plant at Nancekuke; what quality of the nerve agent GE has been used in this research at Porton Down; when the results of this research were exchanged with other countries; and under which defence agreement these results were exchanged. [31966]
Mr. Freeman: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have therefore asked him to reply.
Letter from J. Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 5 July 1995:
Your question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking for information of the work conducted with the nerve agent GE since the closure of CDE Nancekuke has been passed to me to reply as the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) which, since April, includes the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment (CBDE) as one of its divisions.
2. No research involving the nerve agent GE has been carried out at CBDE since the closure of CDE Nancekuke in 1979 as far as we are aware
3. I hope this information is helpful.
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what tests and studies have been carried out at the chemical warfare establishment at Porton Down on service volunteers with mustard gas since 1965; what was
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the purpose of these tests; how the gas was administered to the volunteers; what was the conclusion of the tests and studies; when these tests were carried out; how many service volunteers were involved in these experiments; and where and on what dates the results of these tests were published in open literature. [31972]Mr. Freeman: This a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have therefore asked him to reply. Letter from J. Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated
5 July 1995:
Your question to the Secretary of State for Defence requesting information on the studies involving the chemical and biological Defence Establishment (CBDE) since 1965 has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) which, since April, includes CBDE as one of its divisions.
2. The United Kingdom unilaterally abandoned its offensive Chemical and Biological Warfare capability in the late 1950's. Since then the role of the CBDE has been to provide safe and effective protection to the UK Armed Forces against the threat of chemical and biological weapons.
3. From 1965 studies with Service volunteers involving the use of the vesicant agent mustard were undertaken to determine the effectiveness of decontamination procedures and protective measures. Mustard agent, which is an oily liquid, was applied as small drops in patch tests. It would involve disproportionate costs to determine the exact number of volunteers exposed to mustard agent in the past thirty years. Our best estimate, however is that about 70% of volunteers in the late 1960's and 1970's were involved in studies of this nature. Research with Service volunteers and mustard agent ceased in the 1970's when reliable laboratory tests which did not require the use of this type of testing were developed. The results of the studies were not published in the open literature because of the defence sensitivity of this work.
4. I hope this information is helpful.
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 16 March, Official Report , columns 714 15 , which CW agents were used in the studies into the mark IV NBC suit involving service volunteers. [31958]
Mr. Freeman: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have therefore asked him to reply.
Letter from J. Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated
5 July 1995 :
Your question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking, pursuant to his Answer of 16 March, about which Chemical Warfare agents were used in the studies into the Mk IV NBC suit involving Service volunteers has been passed to me to reply as Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Establishment (DERA) which, since April, includes the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment (CBDE) as one of its divisions.
2. No chemical warfare agents were used in studies involving the
Mk IV NBC suit and Service volunteers. The protection afforded by the Mk IV NBC suit against chemical warfare agents was evaluated using laboratory techniques which did not require the use of Service volunteers.
3. I hope this information is helpful.
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the quantity of the nerve agent GB which is considered medically safe to be used in experiments involving service volunteers at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down; when this limit was set; and by whom. [31968]
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Mr. Freeman: All studies involving the use of human subjects must be approved by the independent ethics committee before the study can begin. The committee must be satisfied that the study involves no harm to the health of the volunteers and that there is a military requirement for the investigation. The most recent studies involving the nerve agent GB with service volunteers used levels of nerve agent which produce meiosis in the volunteer. Meiosis is a well-known short-term effect of exposure to nerve agent vapour and there is no evidence that the volunteers experienced any long-term effects. The specific amount of nerve agent GB required to produce this level of response is a defence sensitive matter.
Chemical Weapons
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what details of Britain's past chemical warfare activities have to be disclosed to the relevant authority if Britain is to ratify the chemical weapons convention; to whom and when this information has to be disclosed; how many of his Department's staff are helping to prepare the document disclosing such past activities; where these staff are based; what records are being used to prepare such a document; and if he will make a statement. [31969]
Mr. Freeman: The United Kingdom will be required to make declarations of its past chemical weapons activities to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in accordance with article III of the chemical weapons convention not later than 30 days after it enters into force for the UK. MOD and other Whitehall officials, supported by CBDE staff, are currently formulating the draft declaration. Information has been collected from historical official documents, periodicals and visits to the sites concerned.
French Nuclear Tests
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advance information he received from the French about their decision to resume nuclear weapon testing; and what was his response. [32089]
Mr. Freeman: It is not our normal practice to reveal whether or not confidential advice has been received from other Governments.
Ballistic Missiles
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 May, to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark), Official Report , column 658 , what is the nature of the assumed threat to European security which necessitates the development of a ballistic missile system; and what is his estimate of the cost. [32087]
Mr. Freeman: In common with our NATO allies, we are concerned about the emerging risk posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. We are currently engaged in work, both nationally and with allies, to determine our response. We await the outcome of the UK pre-feasibility study for advice on options and costs associated with ballistic missile defence. No procurement decisions have been taken.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Prisons (Segregated Visits)
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what criteria prisoners are allowed only segregated visits; how many prisoners are affected by this provision; and if it extends to legal and parliamentary visits. [32222]
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. Jeremy Corbyn, dated
5 July 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the criteria by which prisoners are only allowed segregated visits; the number of prisoners affected by this provision; and if it extends to legal and parliamentary visits.
A policy of closed visits for all exceptional risk category A prisoners was introduced on 19 June. Our assessment was that this was a necessary security measure for visits to prisoners in the highest security category. There are currently thirteen such prisoners. The policy applies to all visits including legal and parliamentary visits. Visits under open conditions may be allowed in the most exceptional circumstances with the agreement of an operational director of the Prison Service.
In addition, prison governors have discretion to impose closed visits for any prisoner in any other security category where control or security considerations make them necessary.
Danny McNamee
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he received a submission on the case of Danny McNamee requesting referral to the Court of Appeal; and when he expects to be able to make a statement. [32223]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The submission enclosed with the hon. Member's letter of 7 September to my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary was received on 12 September. I shall write to the hon. Member once consideration of this case has been completed.
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, what percentage of remand prisoners transferred to hospital under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 was (a) convicted and (b) received a custodial sentence in each of the last 10 years. [31220]
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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 July 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking what percentage of remand prisoners transferred to hospital under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 were (a) convicted and (b) received a custodial sentence in each of the last 10 years. The attached table gives the information requested for remand prisoners transferred to prison under section 48 of the Mental Health
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Act 1983. All prisoners transferred under section 47 of the Act have been convicted and sentenced. The relevant breakdown of 1994 data is not yet available.
Percentage of remand prisoners transferred to hospital under S.48
of The Mental Health Act 1983, between 1985 and 1993, who were (A)
convicted and (B ) received a custodial sentence<1>
Convicted <2>Custodial
sentences
|Total
Year |admissions|Total |Percentage|Total |Percentage
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985 |41 |34 |83 |1 |2
1986 |53 |33 |62 |0 |-
1987 |77 |64 |83 |1 |1
1988 |85 |68 |80 |7 |8
1989 |100 |79 |79 |9 |9
1990 |181 |116 |64 |9 |5
1991 |264 |175 |66 |9 |3
1992 |380 |241 |63 |16 |4
1993<3> |486 |251 |52 |24 |5
<1>This table covers all persons who were admitted to hospital on remand and
subsequently disposed of at court.
<2> Excludes restricted hospital orders
<3> In 1993, 24 persons were disposed of at court where the outcome was
unknown.
Note:
1. In 1985, 1988, 1989 the admission figures include a small number of
unrestricted patients, as given in the answer of 18 April. The convictions
and custodial sentence figures, however, relate to restricted patients only.
There is therefore a slight understatement in the percentages for these
years.
Custodial sentences
Year Total admissions Total Percentage Total Percentage
1985 41 34 83 1 2
1986 53 33 62 0 --
1987 77 64 83 1 1
1988 85 68 80 7 8
1989 100 79 79 9 9
1990 181 116 64 9 5
1991 264 175 66 9 3
1992 380 241 63 16 4
1993 486 251 52 24 5
This table covers all persons who were admitted to hospital on remand and subsequently disposed of at court.
Excludes restricted hospital orders.
In 1993, 24 persons were disposed of at court where the outcome was unknown.
Note:
1. In 1985, 1988, 1989 the admission figures include a small number of unrestricted patients, as given in the answer of 18 April. The convictions and custodial sentence figures, however, relate to restricted patients only. There is therefore a slight understatement in the percentages for these years.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 18 April, Official Report , columns 92 94 , what percentage of (a) male and (b) female prisoners were transferred to hospital under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last 10 years. [31219]
Mr. 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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 July 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the Office, to reply to your recent Question asking what percentage of (a) male and (b) female prisoners were transferred to hospital under section 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last 10 years.
The information requested is given in the attached table.
Percentage of male and female prisoners transferred to hospital under
sections 47 and 48 of The Mental Health Act 1983 between 1985 and
1994
Male prisoners Female prisoners
|Percentage |Percentage
|of average |of average
Year |Transferred<1>|population<2> |Transferred<1>|population<2>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985 |119 |0.3 |22 |1.4
1986 |139 |0.3 |21 |1.3
1987 |181 |0.4 |23 |1.3
1988 |185 |0.4 |21 |1.2
1989 |207 |0.5 |24 |1.4
1990 |304 |0.7 |33 |2.1
1991 |422 |1.0 |35 |2.3
1992 |553 |1.3 |57 |3.6
1993 |718 |1.7 |58 |3.7
1994<1> |733 |1.6 |59 |3.3
<1> Provisional figures still under revision.
<2> Source of population figures: "Prison Statistics England and Wales 1993" table 1.5,
and "Home Office Statistical Bulletin", 8/95, table 1.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 18 April, Official Report , columns 92 94 , what was the average length of stay in hospital for prisoners transferred to hospital under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (a) before sentence and (b) after sentence in each of the last 10 years. [31221]
Mr. 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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 July 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 average length of stay in hospital for prisoners transferred to hospital under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (a) before sentence and (b) after sentence in each of the last 10 years.
Information is only readily available for restricted patients since 1994. Based on those prisoners transferred to hospital under sections 47 and 48 of the 1983 Mental Health Act in the hospital population at the end of 1994, the average length of stay on remand was seven and a half months and the average length of stay under sentence was three years.
Domestic Violence
Ms Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases of women currently imprisoned as a result of conviction for (a) murder and (b) manslaughter of a male partner there was a recorded history of domestic violence. [31271]
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 29 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 A. J. Butler to Ms Clare Short, dated 5 July 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking in how many cases of women currently imprisoned as a result of conviction for (a) murder and (b) manslaughter of a male partner there was a recorded history of domestic violence.
The cases of four women serving life sentences for murder are known to relate to domestic violence. I regret that no information is recorded centrally about the circumstances of manslaughter cases.
Prison Staff Pay
Sir Ivan Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what considerations have been given to establishing new pay determination procedures for prison governors and prison officers under section 128 of the Criminal Justice and Public order Act 1994; and if he will make a statement. [32992]
Mr. Michael Forsyth: With the agreement of the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, I propose to establish pay procedures which are based on direct negotiation between management and the recognised staff representative organisations. This form of pay bargaining would support the need for management and unions jointly to develop the implement pay arrangements which reflect the unique range of duties undertaken in the respective prison services and the changing demands on staff and available resources. I also
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propose to make available two supplementary procedures in the event that all efforts to reach a negotiated settlement were unsuccessful. First, the services of an independent conciliator would be made available. Secondly, if conciliation did not lead to renewed negotiations, provision would be made for either party to request that the issue in dispute was considered by a mediation panel which would make formal recommendations to the parties. These mediation arrangements would require the creation of one or more standing bodies, independent of the three prison services and the unions. Representative organisations and staff are being consulted on these proposals. Subject to the outcome, consideration will be given to laying before Parliament appropriate regulations under section 128 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act.Visitors (Gulf States)
Sir David Steel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors to the United Kingdom in 1994 came from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar; and how much they spent in the United Kingdom. [32202]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Exact figures are not available, but it is estimated that the number of visitors given leave to enter the United Kingdom in 1994 were:
|Number of
|admissions of
Nationality |visitors
-------------------------------------------------
United Arab Emirates |25,000
Bahrain |13,000
Qatar |10,000
The other information requested is not available.
Detainees
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 June, Official Report , column 135 which expensive ad hoc accommodation is now being used less to hold Immigration Act detainees; and if he will provide relevant comparative figures relating to the use of such accommodation in the current and previous two financial years. [32069]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The accommodation referred to includes short- term accommodation--up to five days, seven days if removal is to be effected within that period--provided by various private companies at ports of entry to the United Kingdom and police cells. It is not possible without disproportionate effort to disaggregate the costs of such accommodation from overall detention costs. However, an average cost of a night's detention in police cells is £289, whereas a night in an immigration detention centre costs some £80.
Mr. Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department expects to spending in total on detaining persons under Immigration Act powers in the current financial year. [32053]
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