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table bargaining but, as the other four unions will not sit with the ISU, separate arrangements will be needed to cover immigration service grades. These are not yet finalised, but may involve separate negotiations with the NUCPS/PTC and with the ISU.Mr. Peter Clowes
Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement of the detailed charges which were brought against Mr. Peter Clowes in connection with the collapse of the Barlow Clowes companies and related matters, and of which Mr. Clowes was convicted; what was the sentence awarded by the courts in this case; what part of the sentence has so far been completed; what stage in the process of parole has been reach; if he will set out all statements made by the courts or parole authorities about the extent to which Mr. Clowes has had sufficient time in prison satisfactorily to consider and appreciate the impact of his action upon his victims; and if he will make it his policy to ensure that Mr. Clowes remains in prison for the full term of his sentence. [39325]
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 25 October 1995]: Mr. Peter Clowes was convicted in February 1992 on eight counts of making a false statement to induce investment contrary to section 13(1) of the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958 and on ten counts of theft contrary to section 1(1) of the Theft Act 1968. Mr. Clowes was sentenced to ten years imprisonment in all. To date he has served about three years eight and a half months of that sentence. Mr. Clowes became eligible for parole in June this year. All prisoners, like Mr. Clowes, who were sentenced before 1 October 1992 to sentences of 12 months imprisonment or more become eligible to be considered for parole after serving one third of their sentence. Mr. Clowes was not granted parole at his first review. His legal representatives sought leave to move for a judicial review of that decision. Leave was refused but an appeal against that refusal was successful. The decision not to grant parole will therefore be subject to judicial review. This aspect of Mr. Clowes' case is therefore sub judice and I regret that I am unable to give details of his parole reports.
Once eligible for parole, prisoners such as Mr. Clowes are assessed annually by the Parole Board and if release on licence is not recommended they are released unconditionally once they have served two thirds of their sentence. If Mr. Clowes is not granted parole he can expect to be released in October 1998.
Women's Refuges
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the funding for women's refuges for each of the last five years and for the current year. [38471]
Mr. Clappison: I have been asked to reply.
In 1995 96 the Department is providing, through the Housing Corporation, £2.2 million in capital funding for women's aid projects in England largely to provide refuge places. Comparative figures for earlier years are given in the table. No information is available about revenue funding.
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1994 95 £4.6 million1993 94 £5.8 million
1992 93 £5.4 million
1991 92 £5.2 million
1990 91 £1.7 million
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many women's refuges there are per region and in the country as a whole; [38469]
(2) what has been the percentage change in the number of women attending women's refuges in the past five years nationally and in each region. [38466]
Mr. Clappison: I have been asked to reply.
The Government do not have information about the number of women's refuges, or the number of women staying in refuges. Some information on the number and locations of refuges is being collected.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend the number of women's refuges; and in which regions they will be introduced. [38472]
Mr. Clappison: I have been asked to reply.
The provision of women's refuges is best decided by local authorities and other agencies, taking into account such issues as the local supply of housing available for short-term use in emergency situations.
SCOTLAND
Fox Hunting
Mr. McMaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to ban fox-hunting on land under his jurisdiction, and if he will make a statement. [39217]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: The Government believe that all field sports are a matter for the conscience and decision of the individual, and we have no plans to introduce legislation to ban fox-hunting. Fox hunting on land owned by my right hon. Friend and managed by the Forestry Commission is permitted only where it has traditionally taken place or where the right to hunt or to grant facilities to hunt has been reserved in the title. No permissions are currently granted for the hunting of foxes on any of the remaining land owned by my right hon. Friend.
Waste Disposal
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the materials which were licensed for dumping in the Irish sea and North channel, (a) within and (b) outside the area known as the Beaufort's dyke, in each of the last 20 years giving a brief description of such materials indicating who issued licensing permits for such dumping and the original source of the dumped
material. [38590]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson [holding answer 25 October 1995]: The Scottish Office is responsible for licensing the disposal of materials at sea in Scottish waters.
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The majority of licences issued by the Department over the past 20 years in respect of the North channel and Irish sea have related to the dumping of dredge spoil to facilitate the safe passage of vessels, or from engineering works. In addition, licences have been issued covering the disposal of 50 tonnes of nitrocellulose sludge from the ICI/Nobels Ardeer explosives factory in 1974, 3,213 tonnes of creamery waste from the Stranraer creamery in 1978 and 1,890 tonnes of rainwater contaminated with gas liquors from a number of dismantled gas holders in 1985.Vandalism (Schools)
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what new measures are being considered to reduce the cases of vandalism in Scottish schools. [37938]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson [holding answer 20 October 1995]: There is a range of measures which education authorities can consider to reduce vandalism in schools, including for example physical measures such as installation of security lighting and closed circuit television surveillance. However, the most appropriate course of action in each case will depend on local circumstances.
Adam Busby
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans the Director of Public Prosecutions has to seek the extradition of Adam Busby from the Irish Republic. [38493]
The Attorney-General: I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 October 1995 by the Minister of State at the Scottish Office to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull North (Mr. McNamara), Official Report, column 16.
No warrant for the arrest of Adam Busby has been issued in England or Wales, and therefore the question of extradition to this jurisdiction has not arisen.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
AIDS
Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects are currently being supported by the Overseas Development Administration to care for people with HIV/AIDS in developing countries. [38780]
Mr. Hanley: The United Kingdom currently supports some 35 projects in 10 developing countries to care for people with HIV/AIDS. Financial commitments amount to £7.3 million through the bilateral aid programme. A proportion of the UK's contribution to UN organisations, the World Bank and European Commission is also used for HIV/AIDS-related activities, including care for people who are HIV infected. The UK has provided £37.3 million to the World Health Organisation global programme on AIDS since its inception in 1987.
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Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Overseas Development
Administration's strategy for addressing the needs of people infected with HIV/AIDS in developing countries. [38781]
Mr. Hanley: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Gerrard) on 25 October Official Report , columns 644 45 .
Tibet
Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what amount of EU funds have been made available to Tibet; for what purposes; and to which organisation. [38621]
Mr. Hanley: The EC is financing two projects in the Tibetan autonomous region. Both are being implemented through the non-governmental organisation "Medecins Sans Frontie res". These are: (i) a physiotherapy project aimed at training doctors and assisting people suffering from a crippling illness called "Big Bone Disease", --EC assistance approximately £98,000; and (ii) a health care and hospital refurbishment project in the Lhasa district--EC assistance approximately £315,000.
The EC is also considering a contribution of 7.6 million ecu--some £6.3 million--towards the cost of an integrated rural development project in Pa Nam. If the EC contribution is confirmed, it will focus primarily on support for agricultural extension, rural water supply, education and health services and a special project management unit.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Mr. Tom Ikimi
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his officials contacted Mr. Tom Ikimi, Foreign Minister for Nigeria, during his visit to the United Kingdom in September; and if he will make a statement. [39063]
Mr. Hanley: Neither Ministers nor officials had contact with the Nigerian Foreign Minister, who was in Britain on a private visit.
DEFENCE
Tenders (Anonymity)
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlie the need for anonymity for the organisation that won tender No. 4964A; and if he will make a statement. [38304]
Mr. Arbuthnot: I will write to the hon. Member.
Training, Germany
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has held with the German authorities concerning the availability of (a) land areas
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and (b) airspace over eastern Germany for training use by British forces; and if he will make a statement. [38118]Nuclear Tests (Memorials)
Mr. McMaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to commission a suitable national memorial to the British veterans of nuclear and atomic tests carried out since 1950; and if he will make a statement. [39221]
Mr. Soames: It has been a long-standing policy of successive Governments that the cost of such memorials is met from public subscription or private donations rather than from public funds.
Radioactive Waste
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what quantities of (a) radioactive wastes and (b) surplus conventional explosives his Department has disposed of in the Hurd Deep off Alderney; and if he will place in the Library copies of departmental documents which cover these disposals. [39256]
Mr. Soames: Complete records of past sea dumping of munitions at Hurd Deep are not available. Details of the UK's sea disposal programme for low and intermediate level radioactive wastes, including wastes generated by MOD establishments, some of which was disposed of in Hurd Deep, are contained in a report commissioned by the Department of the Environment titled "Report of the Independent Review of Disposal of Radioactive Waste in the Northeast Atlantic", published in November 1994.
Public Appointments, South Yorkshire
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all the non-departmental public bodies to which his Department makes appointments in the county of South yorkshire, indicating the total annual budget and the number of appointments made or renewed for each body in each of the last four years. [39423]
Queen's Flight
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what official duty the Duke of York was performing when he made use of an aircraft of the Queen's Flight on 22 July; and if he will make a statement. [39295]
Mr. Soames: The Duke of York attended the British open golf championship at St. Andrews on 22 July at the invitation of the Royal and Ancient. This was an official engagement which was listed in the court circular.
Private Lee Clegg
Mr. Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he gave to funding Private Lee Clegg's referral to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. [39746]
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Mr. Soames: In the absence of legal proceedings, it would not be appropriate for the MOD to provide funds. Should a reference to the Court of Appeal be made in future, the MOD would consider the matter.
Mr. Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he gave to treating Private Lee Clegg's application for financial assistance from the Ministry of Defence as if he had been on legal aid. [39747]
Mr. Soames: Like any other United Kingdom citizen, Private Clegg can apply for legal aid; the criteria for eligibility are not a matter for my Department.
Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
Mr. John Carlisle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has initiated a review of the Navy, Army and Air Force
Institutes. [40236]
Mr. Soames: A review of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes, NAAFI, has now begun, and is being led by Mr. Geoffrey Dart on secondment from Marks and Spencer plc.
As a Crown-owned body, the structure and scope of business of the NAAFI will be subjected to the normal prior options tests. Comments and contributions from those with an interest in NAAFI and its work would be welcome and should be sent, by 1 December 1995, to Mr. Dart, independent review of NAAFI, Ministry of Defence, Metropole building, room 4/55, Northumberland avenue, London WC2N 5BL.
Mr. Dart's report is due to be completed by 31 January 1996.
Mr. David Hart
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 October, Official Report , column 360 , on what projects, other than procurement contracts, Mr. David Hart provides advice. [39773]
Mr. Portillo: Mr. Hart offers advice on aspects of the management, efficiency and capabilities of the MOD and the armed forces.
Vehicle Accidents
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many accidents involving vehicles transporting his Department's weapons and ammunition have been recorded in each of the past five years; and if he will state in each instance the (a) date and time, (b) location and (c) cause of accident. [37722]
Mr. Soames [holding answer 19 October 1995]: My Department's traffic accident database only records loads as being "hazardous" or "non- hazardous"; it does not specifically identify weapons and ammunition. It has, however, been possible to separately identify the following accidents involving vehicles transporting MOD weapons and ammunition in each of the past five years:
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1990(a) 09.30 4 October 1990
(b) Shoeburyness
(c) Other driver error
1991
(a) 12.40 24 April 1991
(b) Hameln, Germany
(c) Driver error
1992
None
1993
(a) 07.45 23 June 1993
(b) Hameln, Germany
(c) Driver error
(a) 09.20 8 September 1993
(b) En route Crombie to Ernesettle
(c) Brake problems
1994
(a) 10.45 25 July 1994
(b) Dean Hill, near Salisbury
(c) Other driver error
(a) 18.00 1 September 1994
(b) Helensburgh
(c) Driver error
(a) 09.30 21 December 1994
(b) J12/J13 of M6
(c) Faulty wheelbearings.
Nuclear Weapons Tests
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 18 July, Official Report , column 1178 , if he will take action to correct the Blue Book data reference S-0514906 relating to ex- corporal J. D. Wilson's presence at British nuclear tests to include Grapple X with Grapple Y and to exclude reference to Grapple Z; and if he will send amended records to the War Pensions Agency. [37749]
Mr. Soames: My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Terrorists (Early Release)
10. Lady Olga Maitland: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received in relation to the call for early release of terrorists from prison. [36909]
14. Mr. Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he is taking on the early release of prisoners in Northern Ireland. [36913]
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