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Voluntary Organisations

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total amount of funding given by central Government Departments to voluntary bodies in the financial year 1993 94; and if he will make a statement.     [36345]

Mr. Howard: Central Government funding of voluntary organisations in 1993 94 amounted to £3,567 million. Of this, £2,955 million was payments to housing associations and £612 million went directly to voluntary organisations to support the provision of services and a wide range of activities and projects. This latter figure shows that Government funding of the voluntary sector excluding housing associations increased in cash terms by 9 per cent. and in real terms by 5 per cent. over the level of provision in 1992 93.

The amount spent by each Department in 1993 94 was as follows:


                                                      |£                          

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Attorney General's Office (Crown Prosecution Service)                             

Direct grants                                         |20,000                     

                                                                                  

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food                                                   

Direct grants                                         |242,500                    

                                                                                  

Defence                                                                           

Direct grants                                         |18,919,259                 

                                                                                  

Education                                                                         

Direct grants                                         |5,907,649                  

                                                                                  

Employment                                                                        

Direct grants                                         |50,057,200                 

Equal Opportunities Commission                        |38,108                     

                                                                                  

Environment                                                                       

Direct grants                                         |27,981,147                 

Countryside Commission                                |4,178,000                  

English Nature                                        |804,183                    

Housing Corporations                                  |2,510,000,000              

Rural Development Commission                          |4,743,870                  

Urban Development Corporations                        |11,036,000                 

Urban Programme                                       |28,305,927                 

                                                                                  

Foreign and Commonwealth Office                                                   

Direct grants                                         |3,594,248                  

                                                                                  

Health                                                                            

Direct grants                                         |49,433,555                 

Alcohol and drug misuse                               |2,300,000                  

Health Education Authority                            |1,250,000                  

                                                                                  

Home Office                                                                       

Direct grants                                         |59,204,588                 

Commission for Racial Equality                        |5,213,000                  

                                                                                  

Lord Chancellor's Department                                                      

Direct grants                                         |182,500                    

Legal Aid Board                                       |942,052                    

                                                                                  

National Heritage                                                                 

Direct grants                                         |832,420                    

Sports Council                                        |20,218,645                 

                                                                                  

Northern Ireland Office                                                           

Direct grants                                         |19,764,035                 

Housing associations                                  |49,292,631                 

Sports Council for Northern Ireland                   |728,484                    

Youth Council for Northern Ireland                    |1,421,339                  

                                                                                  

Overseas Development Administration                                               

Direct grants                                         |158,499,755                

                                                                                  

Scottish Office                                                                   

Direct grants                                         |24,230,855                 

Highland and Islands Enterprise                       |1,075,000                  

Housing associations                                  |273,302,000                

Mental Illness Specific Grant                         |5,141,834                  

Scottish Arts Council                                 |176,164                    

Scottish National Heritage                            |2,900,000                  

Sports Council for Scotland                           |1,897,932                  

Urban Programme                                       |48,062,000                 

                                                                                  

Social Security                                                                   

Direct grants                                         |13,109,895                 

                                                                                  

Trade and Industry                                                                

Direct grants                                         |14,434,830                 

                                                                                  

Transport                                                                         

Direct grants                                         |422,000                    

                                                                                  

Welsh Office                                                                      

Direct grants                                         |14,070,944                 

Cardiff Bay Development Corporation                   |285,000                    

Development Board for Rural Wales                     |575,093                    

Flexible Community Care                               |1,602,508                  

Housing for Wales (Tai Cymru)                         |122,082,000                

Rural Initiative                                      |1,705,984                  

Sports Council for Wales                              |1,645,080                  

Urban Programme                                       |4,631,691                  

Wales Tourist Board                                   |287,140                    

Welsh Development Agency                              |398,000                    

                                                                                  

Grand total                                           |3,567,097,045              

These figures have been collected and presented as far as possible on the same basis as the 1992 93 figures. We intend to review the way in which the data are collected and presented before announcing Government funding of the voluntary sector in 1994 95.

I shall shortly be placing in the Library a list of voluntary bodies funded by the Government in 1993 94, other than those funded under housing programmes and the urban programme or via non-departmental public bodies.

European Parliamentary Constituencies

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Boundary Commission has to conduct a supplementary review of European parliamentary constituencies in Wales.     [36396]

Mr. Howard: The commission has informed me that it intends to consider making a supplementary report on the European parliamentary constituencies in Wales, and to commence forthwith a general review of the European parliamentary constituencies in Wales.

Metropolitan Police Committee

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what grounds the Metropolitan Police Committee meets in private; and if he will make a statement.     [35183]

Mr. Maclean: I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) on 3 July, Official Report , column 26 . Policy advice to Ministers is confidential.

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list all the members of the Metropolitan Police Committee; how they were chose; and what were their attributes and qualifications for being appointed to the committee;     [35054] (2) if he will make public (a) all the recommendations of the Metropolitan Police Committee and (b) whether they have been accepted or rejected.     [35055]

Mr. Maclean: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 9 February to my hon. Friend the Member for East Hampshire (Mr. Mates), Official Report , columns 382 83 ; to the answer I gave on 20 February to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche), Official Report , column 19 ; and to the answer I gave on 3 July to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green, Official Report , column 26 .

Child Abuse (Witnesses)

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce legislation addressing the treatment of child witnesses in cases of child abuse.     [35323]


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Mr. Maclean: We have no present plans to amend the law in this area. We are, however, currently considering the evaluation of the child evidence provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 which was carried out by Professor Graham Davies.

Abdul Qayyum Raja

Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if prisoner Abdul Qayyum Raja, C43848, Her Majesty's prison, Long Lartin, has been given full access to all reports which presently determine his status as a category A prisoner;     [35286]

(2) for what reasons the status of prisoner Abdul Qayyum Raja, C43848, Her Majesty's prison, Long Lartin remains category A; and when he expects this status will change.     [35285]

Mrs. Widdecombe: 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. Roger Godsiff, dated 19 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about Mr. Abdul Qayyum Raja, a category A prisoner at Long Lartin prison.

It is not the policy of the Prison Service to provide prisoners or their representatives with copies of reports prepared for the purposes of security category reviews. In accordance with the High Court judgement, in December 1993, in the case of Regina v. the Secretary of State for the Home Department, ex-parte Duggan, a prisoner is, subject to any necessary exceptions arising out of public interest immunity, informed of the gist of any matter of fact and/or opinion relevant to the determination of his security category; and given reasons for any decision which results in him remaining as a category A prisoner.

Mr. Raja's security category was reviewed by the category A Committee on 21 June. The Committee's recommendations will shortly be submitted to the Prison Service Director of Security for consideration. Mr. Raja will be informed of the outcome as soon as practicable. His security category was previously reviewed in October last year when it was decided that he should remain as a category A prisoner. Mr. Raja was provided with the reasons for that decision.

Public Houses (Children's Certificates)

Mr. Hawksley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's monitoring of conditions being imposed by magistrates when issuing children's certificates.     [35333]

Mr. Nicholas Baker: We hope to complete our assessment of evidence of concerns about the operation of the system of children's certificates by the early autumn.

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what action his Department is taking to support the restrictions on smoking associated with children's certificates in pubs granted by magistrates;     [35020]

(2) what guidelines his Department has issued to magistrates regarding the issuing of children's certificates in pubs and restrictions on smoking.     [35065]

Mr. Baker: It would not be proper for us to seek to intervene in the exercise by the licensing justices of their statutory discretion to attach specific conditions to the


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grant of children's certificates, whether as to smoking or on other matters.

Prisoners (Northern Ireland Residents)

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons normally resident in Northern Ireland are currently serving sentences in prisons in Great Britain.     [35592]

Mrs. Widdecombe: 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. Roy Beggs, dated 19 July 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many persons normally resident in Northern Ireland are currently serving sentences in prisons in Great Britain.

No information is available centrally for England and Wales regarding a person's place of residence before being committed to custody. Information for Scotland may possibly be obtained from the Scottish Office.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when section 117 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 will be brought into effect.     [35326]

Mr. Maclean: There are no plans to bring into force any of the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 relating to the criminal injuries compensation scheme.

Clause 11 of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Bill currently before Parliament will repeal sections 108 to 117 of, and schedules 6 and 7 to, the 1988 Act. Clause 7 of the Bill will, however, introduce a provision similar to section 117 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

Prisons (Fire Prevention)

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date a fire prevention survey last took place in each prison in England and Wales.     [34762]

Mrs. Widdecombe: 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 19 July 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking the date a fire prevention survey last took place in each prison in England and Wales.

Fire prevention surveys have been carried out in most prisons by local fire brigades as part of their familiarisation procedures. These surveys may be of a part or all of the establishment.

The Prison Service Fire Safety Section was formed in 1992 and fire safety advisers from the section paid preliminary visits to all establishments. A total of 52 prisons have subsequently received comprehensive fire prevention inspections and reports prepared and distributed to relevant departments.

The dates of the last fire brigade survey and Fire Safety Section inspections are set out in the attached table.


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                                        |Date of prison                         

                    |Date of last survey|service fire safety                    

Establishment       |by local fire      |section survey                         

                    |brigade                                                    

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Acklington          |10 February 1989   |May 1994                               

Albany              |-                  |-                                      

Aldington           |5 January 1987     |August 1993                            

Ashwell             |-                  |-                                      

Askham Grange       |9 December 1988    |-                                      

Aylesbury           |14 December 1989   |-                                      

Bedford             |19 June 1989       |-                                      

Belmarsh            |-                  |-                                      

Birmingham          |23 May 1989        |-                                      

Blakenhurst         |-                  |June 1993                              

Blantyre House      |7 March 1989       |April 1994                             

Blundeston          |1 November 1988    |-                                      

Brinsford           |-                  |-                                      

Bristol             |27 February 1986   |-                                      

Brixton             |1 June 1987        |June 1993                              

Brockhill           |1 June 1986        |December 1993                          

Buckley Hall        |-                  |-                                      

Bullingdon          |-                  |-                                      

Bullwood Hall       |-                  |July 1993                              

Camp Hill           |3 May 1989         |-                                      

Canterbury          |1 April 1986       |February 1994                          

Cardiff             |31 January 1989    |February 1993                          

Castington          |8 March 1988       |September 1994                         

Channings Wood      |10 November 1989   |-                                      

Chelmsford          |6 January 1989     |-                                      

Coldingley          |-                  |April 1993                             

Cookham Wood        |9 May 1989         |July 1995                              

Dartmoor            |1 October 1991     |September 1994                         

Deerbolt            |18 January 1989    |July 1995                              

Doncaster           |-                  |-                                      

Dorchester          |5 December 1988    |-                                      

Dover               |-                  |-                                      

Downview            |-                  |-                                      

Drakehall           |11 April 1988      |-                                      

Durham              |15 May 19989       |-                                      

East Sutton Park    |1 March 1990       |July 1995                              

Eastwood Park       |24 July 1990       |-                                      

Elmley              |-                  |-                                      

Erlestoke           |27 June 1988       |-                                      

Everthorpe          |23 June 1989       |March 1994                             

Exeter              |16 September 1991  |March 1993                             

Featherstone        |-                  |-                                      

Feltham             |25 May 1989        |-                                      

Finnamore Wood      |1 June 1989        |-                                      

Ford                |2 May 1989         |March 1994                             

Frankland           |7 July 1988        |January 1993                           

Full Sutton         |5 October 1988     |March 1994                             

Garth               |18 November 1988   |April 1993                             

Gartree             |10 April 1989      |February 1993                          

Glen Parva          |11 August 1989     |June 1994                              

Gloucester          |1 November 1986    |-                                      

Grendon             |17 October 1991    |-                                      

Guys Marsh          |7 January 1987     |-                                      

Haslar              |8 September 1989   |-                                      

Hatfield            |14 June 1989       |-                                      

Haverigg            |1 January 1990     |-                                      

Hewell Grange       |26 September 1990  |-                                      

Highdown            |-                  |-                                      

Highpoint           |25 July 1990       |-                                      

Hindley             |9 August 1988      |February 1995                          

Hollesley Bay       |-                  |August 1994                            

Holloway            |-                  |January 1994                           

Holme House         |-                  |-                                      

Hull                |5 May 1989         |June 1993                              

Huntercombe         |-                  |June 1993                              

Kingston            |17 August 1988     |-                                      

Kirkham             |31 October 1985    |-                                      

Kirklevington       |1 November 1990    |-                                      

Lancaster           |23 January 1989    |-                                      

Lancaster Farms     |-                  |-                                      

Latchmere House     |-                  |December 1994                          

Leeds               |12 August 1991     |-                                      

Leicester           |1 April 1989       | March 1993                            

Lewes               |5 June 1989        |-                                      

Leyhill             |-                  |-                                      

Lincoln             |29 March 1989      |-                                      

Lindholme           |10 October 1991    |-                                      

Littlehey           |-                  |-                                      

Liverpool           |4 November 1987    |-                                      

Long Lartin         |29 April 1989      |-                                      

Low Newton          |-                  |-                                      

Maidstone           |-                  |-                                      

Manchester          |9 March 1989       |-                                      

Moorland            |-                  |-                                      

Morton Hall         |-                  |-                                      

The Mount           |1987               |-                                      

New Hall            |8 December 1988    |March 1995                             

Northallerton       |12 April 1988      |-                                      

Northeye            |27 November 1989   |-                                      

North Sea Camp      |19 April 1990      |-                                      

Norwich             |-                  |September 1992                         

Nottingham          |1 May 1990         |-                                      

Onley               |23 October 1987    |-                                      

Oxford              |-                  |January 1994                           

Parkhurst           |8 November 1988    |September 1994                         

Pentonville         |-                  |-                                      

Portland            |-                  |June 1993                              

Preston             |13 April 1987      |May 1993                               

Pucklechurch        |28 September 1988  |-                                      

Ranby               |-                  |August 1994                            

Reading             |9 January 1990     |-                                      

Risley              |13 January 1987    |September 1993                         

Rochester           |1 May 1987         |-                                      

Rudgate             |1 October 1986     |July 1993                              

Send                |1 December 1989    |March 1993                             

Shepton Mallet      |28 November 1989   |-                                      

Shrewsbury          |10 January 1989    |-                                      

Stafford            |18 April 1988      |-                                      

Standford Hill      |2 September 1988   |-                                      

Stocken             |10 April 1989      |February 1993                          

Stoke Heath         |3 October 1988     |-                                      

Styal               |6 November 1986    |March 1993                             

Sudbury/Foston Hall |-                  |September 1994                         

Swaleside           |11 July 1988       |-                                      

Swansea             |22 February 1990   |-                                      

Swinfen Hall        |-                  |-                                      

Thorn Cross         |--                 |February 1994                          

Thorp Arch          |19 December 1989   |-                                      

Usk/Prescoed        |-                  |March 1994                             

The Verne           |31 October 1990    |-                                      

Wakefield           |9 April 1986       |October 1993                           

Wandsworth          |-                  |December 1994                          

Wayland             |14 August 1990     |-                                      

Wellingborough      |13 April 1987      |February 1993                          

Werrington          |23 December 1987   |July 1995                              

Wetherby            |1 October 1986     |December 1994                          

Whatton             |10 November 1989   |July 1994                              

Whitemoor           |-                  |-                                      

Winchester          |9 August 1985      |January 1993                           

The Wolds           |-                  |-                                      

Woodhill            |-                  |-                                      

Wormwood Scrubs     |24 May 1991        |-                                      

Wymott              |14 March 1988      |-                                      

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time qualified fire officers are employed at each prison in England and Wales.     [34761]

Mrs. Widdecombe: 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 Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 19 July 1995: The Home Secretary of has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of full-time qualified fire officers employed at each prison in England and Wales.

There are no fire officers holding recognised fire safety qualifications employed on a full-time basis in prisons in England and Wales. All prison governors are however required to appoint a fire officer, the majority of these having part-time duties in relation to fire safety.

Prison fire officers are required to attend an approved fire brigade training course on fire awareness.

The Prison Service also has a Fire Safety Section comprising a senor fire safety adviser and three area fire advisers all holding statutory and professional qualifications. This section advises the Prison Service on all fire matters and carries out full fire prevention surveys.

World Wide Web

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the work his Department has carried out in the last 12 months in making information about his Department available to the public via the Government World Wide Web server known as "www.open.gov.uk" and his plans and policies to make additional and new information available electronically on the server in the next 12 months.     [34679]

Mr. Howard: My Department has used the World Wide Web server known as "www.open.gov.uk" since March 1995 to publish some summary statistics about crime and the criminal justice system, and information about statistical publications. Home Office press notices, and those of the national criminal intelligence service and the Police Complaints Authority, are made available on the Internet via a linked server provided by the Central Office of Information since April 1995. Consideration is currently being given to what further information about the work of the Home Office might be published on the Internet.

Stops and Searches

Mr. Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the total people stopped and searched by the police during the 12 months from April 1994 to March 1995 in each police force in England, Wales and Scotland were (a) white, (b) black, (c) Asian, (d) of other ethnic origin and (e) of unknown ethnic origin.     [34751]

Mr. Maclean: At present, information collated on stops and searches distinguishes only between white and ethnic minority persons. Statistics for 1994 95 are not yet available.

I understand that in Scotland there are no common procedures for monitoring the ethnic origin of those people stopped and searched by the police.

Knives

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of convictions in magistrates courts governing the Greater London area over the carrying of a knife as an offensive weapon in the first six months of 1995.     [34764]


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Mr. Maclean: Information on 1995 court proceedings data will not be available until autumn 1996.

Small Businesses

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the results of (a) his policies and (b) his Department in helping small businesses over the last 12 months as against the previous 12 months; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such

monitoring.     [34700]

Mr. Howard: The Government recognise the crucial role played by small firms in the United Kingdom economy. The Government continue to help smaller companies by keeping inflation and interest rates low and by reducing legislative, administrative and taxation burdens. They also provide direct assistance where appropriate. The White Paper announced in May 1995 outlines a programme of measures to assist the growth and competitiveness of the small firms sector. Since July 1994, the Home Office has demonstrated its continued commitment to helping small businesses by deregulating across a wide range of areas affecting business. Steps taken have included: Shopping hours : restrictions on shopping hours have been relaxed through the implementation of the Sunday Trading Act 1994 and by removing restrictions on weekday shopping hours.

Liquor licensing : accompanied children under 14 are now allowed into the bars of suitable licensed premises and we have introduced the Licensing (Sunday Hours) Bill to abolish the compulsory afternoon break in Sunday licensing hours.

Gambling : provision has been made for Sunday racing with on-and off- course betting; some of the restrictions on betting offices have been removed; the maximum prize in the national bingo game has been increased from £75,000 to £250,000; and the first use has been made of the deregulation order-making power with a view to relaxing the rules on greyhound racing.

Charities : close attention has been paid to the recommendations of the charities and voluntary organisations task force and to comments received during consultation on the draft regulations and other intended provisions, for example new controls on

fund-raising--which was brought into force 1 March 1995--and charity accounting--intended to be brought into force 1 March 1996.

Other areas : we have also removed the prohibition on admission charges to sporting events and activities on Sundays, and introduced a draft deregulation order permitting charging for public dancing on a Sunday.

The Government's White Paper on competitiveness in May 1995 set out some of our proposals for the further use of the deregulation order-making power and enforcement powers. The Government hope to be in a position soon to announce their views following the inter-departmental scrutiny of fire safety Legislation and enforcement.

Much of the deregulatory work undertaken in the past year in the Home Office has taken forward work which had been started in the previous 12 months. This had included the introduced of the Sunday Trading Bill, simplifying various aspects of the law on gambling, and


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the introduction of a range of measures in the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill, including proposals for a system of children's certificates in licensed premises, changes in weekday shopping hours, changes to the law in charities and to enable betting on Sundays. Other work undertaken by the Home Office which benefits small businesses includes crime prevention and assisting firms who wish to bid for Home Office business.

On crime prevention, we have continued to help small businesses to protect themselves against crime. In January this year, the Retail Action Group, the sub-group of the National Board for Crime Prevention--a non- departmental public body--published guides for shopkeepers on preventing robbery and burglary. Similar guides on preventing customer theft, violence to staff and external fraud will be published in due course. The Home Office crime prevention unit has published a research paper entitled "Crime on Industrial Estates", which incudes an assessment of the relevant security measures that are available.

On procurement, the Home Office gives encouragement and assistance to small businesses wherever possible. To that end, we provide potential suppliers to the Department with the booklet "Selling to the Home Office", which details the Department's purchasing needs and gives specific contact points for initial approaches. A central contact point is also available. The Home Office does not, however, hold detailed information on the volume of business placed with small firms.

On performance indicators, over 30 Home Office regulations which have an impact on business have been identified as possible candidates for amendment or repeal.

Prisoners (Families)

Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on keeping prisoners in suitable accommodation as close to their families as possible; and what are the exceptions to that policy.     [34018]

Mrs. Widdecombe: 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. Tony Worthington, dated 19 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the policy on keeping prisoners in suitable accommodation as close to their families as possible and the exceptions to that policy.

The 1991 White Paper "Custody, Care and Justice" confirmed the Prison Service's commitment to preparing prisoners for release by providing opportunities where practicable for prisoners to maintain links with their families. The White Paper also endorsed the principle of holding prisoners as close to their homes as possible, subject to consideration of their status, security category, behaviour and sentence needs.

The Prison Service continues to adhere to this policy although, although the pressure of numbers often makes this difficult. The Service's plans for the development of the prison estate are directed to providing a better match between accommodation needs and provision in each area of the country, and to providing greater flexibility in the use of accommodation.


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Northern Ireland Peace Process

Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contribution his Department has made or proposes to make to the Northern Ireland peace process.     [34021]

Mr. Howard: Government policy towards Northern Ireland is co- ordinated by the Northern Ireland Office. My Department in common with other Departments, contributes as necessary according to its departmental responsibilities.

Prisoners (Home Leave)

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policy exists within the Prison Service for training and advice for home leave by prison inmates.     [34080]

Miss Widdecombe: 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 19 July 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about policy on training and advice for home leave.

Following the Home Secretary's announcement on 18 November last year the existing arrangements for home leave and temporary release have been replaced by a new system of release on temporary licence, which came into effect on 25 April.

Before its implementation, an Instruction to Governors (36/1995) setting out detailed guidance on the operation of the new scheme was issued to all establishments. A copy of this Instruction is in the Library of the House.

In addition, a series of fifteen regional training seminars, were held for representatives from all prisons. These were also attended by representatives of local police and probation services. Those attending the seminars were provided with training material suitable for other members of staff in their organisations.

There are three helpline telephone numbers in operation at Prison Service Headquarters to give advice and assistance on the new policy to prison staff, as well as the police and probation services. A pocket handbook on the new scheme for prison staff is now being prepared for distribution.

Prisoners (Ages)

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the age of the oldest (a) man and (b) woman prison inmate being held in a prison in England and Wales; what sentences they are serving; and what period of those sentences have now been served.      [34078]

Mrs. Widdecombe: I will write to the hon. Member.

Penile Plethysmograph Tests

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1) if he will list the Prison Service establishments at which the equipment is available for conducting penile plethysmograph tests;     [32249]

(2) how many plethysmograph tests have been carried out in Prison Service establishments (a) during 1994 and (b) during 1995 to the latest convenient date;     [32250]

(3) under what circumstances a prisoner not convicted of a sexual offence or with a spent conviction for such an


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offence may be made to take a penile plethysmograph test; on how many occasions this has occurred; and what right of appeal prisoners have against such decisions.     [32248]

Miss Widdecombe: 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 19 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about Penile Plethysmograph (PPG) testing.

PPG is one element in the comprehensive process of assessment which precedes the Sex Offender Treatment Programme. Prisoners who are believed to present a risk of future sex offending may be asked to participate in assessment so that appropriate treatment can be offered to them, but their participation is voluntary. No prisoners have been or would be forced to participate.

Concern about the risk of future sex offending is normally based on the nature of the offence for which the offender is serving a prison sentence. This might be either a conviction for a sexual offence or for a murder which involved a sexual element. Previous convictions are also taken into account as these are known to be predictive of future sexual offending.

During the financial year ending 31 March 1995, 103 prisoners took the PPG test. Of these, there were 10 prisoners who had not been convicted of a sex offence but who were thought to pose a risk of future sexual offending for other reasons.

The following establishments have the equipment available for conducting PPG tests: Albany, Dartmoor, Full Sutton, Leyhill, Maidstone, Swinfen Hall, Wakefield, Wandsworth and Whitemoor.

Terrorist Prisoners

Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 12 July, Official Report , column 594 , if he will list the names of the five life prisoners convicted for terrorist offences to whom he referred.     [35602]

Mrs. Widdecombe [holding answer 10 July 1995]: The five life sentence prisoners convicted for terrorist offences referred to in my answer of 12 July are: Sean Kinsella, Brendan Dowd, Stephen Nordonne, Paul Norney and Noel Gibson.


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