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Mr. Kirkhope: If declarations are made in respect of individual countries in accordance with the proposed benefit regulations, nationals of the countries concerned who submitted in-country asylum applications would be informed, as would relevant organisations and voluntary groups.

The benefit entitlement of all in-country applicants whose claims were lodged before 12 October will be protected until the next decision on their claim, regardless of whether their countries have undergone such events.

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of those applying for asylum in 1994 had children with them in the United Kingdom; what percentage of the total this represents; and how many children were involved;     [41502] (2) how many persons applied to the United Kingdom for asylum in 1994; and how many were successful.     [41499]

Mr. Kirkhope: In 1994, 32,830 principal applicants applied for asylum in the United Kingdom. Of those, approximately 4,000, 12 per cent., were accompanied by dependants. The estimated total number of dependants was 9,400, of whom approximately half were minor children.

In 1994, 825 principal applicants were granted asylum and a further 3,660 were refused asylum but granted exceptional leave: 16,500 were refused asylum.

Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of those seeking asylum do


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so (a) at the port of entry and (b) within the United Kingdom mainland after entry.     [41500]

Mr. Kirkhope: In the last year, October 1994 to September 1995, there have been 40,180 applications for asylum. Of these, approximately 30 per cent. were made at the port of entry and 70 per cent. made after entry into the United Kingdom.

Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people are currently awaiting a decision on their application for asylum in the United Kingdom; and what is the date of the oldest application;     [41498]

(2) how many of those currently awaiting determination of their applications for asylum in the United Kingdom submitted their application (a) after their existing leave to remain had expired and (b) within three weeks of its expiry.     [41496]

Mr. Kirkhope: The number of outstanding applications for asylum in the United Kingdom as at 30 September 1995 was 64,415. The oldest outstanding application for asylum is not separately identifiable. Of the 64,415 outstanding asylum applications, approximately 31,000 were lodged by people who had previously been given leave to enter or leave to remain in the United Kingdom. An estimated 7,200 of these applications were lodged after such leave had expired. Information regarding the number of these applications submitted within three weeks of their leave expiring is not readily available.

Remand Prisoners

Sir John Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current number of remand prisoners who have been held in custody for a period in excess of three months.     [41091]

Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Sir John Hunt, dated 6 November 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what is the current number of remand prisoners who have been held in custody for a period in excess of three months.

The latest provisional information relates to the length of time since first reception into a Prison Service establishment in England and Wales on 30 June 1995 and is given in the attached table.


C

Remand prisoners in Prison Service establishments in England       

and Wales on 30 June 1995 held on remand for over 3 months<1>      

On 30 June 1995                                                    

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

Number on remand for over 3 months |<2>4,200                       

<1> Awaiting trial or sentence. Time since first reception on      

remand into a Prison Service establishment. This includes any      

intervening time spent on bail, but excludes any time spent in     

police cells beforehand.                                           

<2> Rounded provisional estimate.                                  

Animal Experiments

Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his Department's inspectors monitor the use of research animals by personal licensees, project licence holders and designated establishments; and if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the inspection system.     [41041]

Mr. Kirkhope: All members of the animals (scientific procedures) inspectorate are involved in monitoring the use of animals in research. I am satisfied that the system is fully effective in delivering the objectives of the legislation.

Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of (a) personal licensees, (b) project licence holders and (c) designated establishments in the United Kingdom are permitted to carry out research on animals.     [41042]

Mr. Kirkhope: At 31 December 1994, there were 15,807 personal licensees, 4,013 project licence holders and 331 certificates of designation.

Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many procedures on animals were carried out for tobacco research in (a) 1993 and (b)

1994; and if he will give details of the experiments carried out for tobacco research;     [41043]

(2) how many procedures on animals were carried out for alcohol research in (a) 1993 and (b) 1994; and if he will make a statement;     [41044]

(3) if he will list the areas of research which were responsible for the increased use of primates between 1993 and 1994;     [41046] (4) if he will list the pharmaceutical products which use primates in their research; and what was the number of primates used in (a) 1993 and (b) 1994 for each product.     [41086]

Mr. Kirkhope: The numbers of procedures on animals are listed in "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain" for 1993, Cm 2746, and 1994, Cm 3012.

Prior to 1 January, figures for the number of animal used in fundamental or applied research involving tobacco or its products were not separately recorded.

The number of procedures for alcohol research for 1993 was 7,328 and for 1994, 9,119.

The increase in the use if primates is attributable to increased demands for regulatory testing of medical and dental products. Primates are used in many ares of medical research. Where regulatory testing is concerned, it is not always known, at the time of testing, the product for which individual ingredients may be used.

Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the reasons for the delays in


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publishing "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain" for (a) 1993 and (b) 1994.     [41045]

Mr. Kirkhope: I refer the hon. Member to the replies which the then Under-Secretary of State gave to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 18 January, Official Report , column 527 , and the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) on 27 January, Official Report , column 455 . It was not practical to publish in July this year since the returns were not complete by that date. The annual Command Paper was last published in July in 1992, and for reasons explained in the earlier replies the annual publication is likely to appear in the autumn in future.

Sentenced Prisoners Convention

Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many countries have ratified the European Council convention concerning the return of sentenced prisoners; how many have agreements with the United Kingdom; how many British citizens have been repatriated to prisons in the United Kingdom over the last five years to date; what discussions have taken place with each country to determine the principles of repatriation agreements; if he will list the main features of each such agreement; what arrangements exist to review them; if the receiving country may reduce the sentence imposed by another jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement;     [41047] (2) how many British citizens given prison sentences in America have been repatriated to prisons in the United Kingdom in the last five years, to date; what prior agreement was reached in each case on the sentence to be served in the United Kingdom; what principles were agreed in discussions between both Governments before repatriation procedures were agreed; what arrangements were made for reviewing such procedures; and if he will make a statement;     [41084]

(3) if Her Majesty's Government reserve the right to arrange to vary any prison sentence set by an overseas jurisdiction in the case of any person legally repatriated to prison in the United Kingdom under international agreement; how many such persons in the last five years, to date, applied for such a variation to be applied; to whom such applications have been made; and if he will make a statement.     [41085]

Miss Widdecombe: The Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons has been ratified by the United Kingdom and 31 other countries. The United Kingdom and four other countries have ratified the Commonwealth repatriation scheme. The United Kingdom has also entered into a bilateral prisoner repatriation agreement with Thailand.

The principles of repatriation are set out in each of the three agreements, copies of which have been placed in the Library. The main features of all three agreements are that: repatriation requires the consent of both jurisdictions and the prisoner concerned; the prisoner's sentence is not subject to further appeal and has at least six months left to run, and the prisoner is a national of the jurisdiction to which repatriation is sought and the acts which gave rise


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to the sentence would have constituted a criminal offence there. The operation of the convention is reviewed by the European committee on crime problems of the Council of Europe. The Commonwealth scheme may be reviewed by the Commonwealth Secretariat. The bilateral agreement may be reviewed by either jurisdiction. All repatriation requests are considered on their individual merits in consultation with the foreign jurisdiction. The United Kingdom has opted to conduct repatriation arrangements on the basis of continued enforcement of the original sentence. Under these arrangements, the jurisdiction responsible for administering a prisoner's sentence following repatriation is bound by the legal nature and duration of the original sentence. It is not therefore possible for the United Kingdom to vary or reduce the sentence imposed by a foreign jurisdiction. If, however, a foreign sentence is by its nature or duration incompatible with the law of the United Kingdom, the sentence may be adapted to a sanction prescribed in law for a similar offence. Any such adaptation must not aggravate by its nature or duration the sanction imposed by the sentencing state or exceed the maximum prescribed by law in the United Kingdom. Since 1990, the United Kingdom has conducted one repatriation of a British prisoner on the basis of the original sentence being adapted in this way with the consent of the sentencing jurisdiction and the prisoner concerned.

Between 1990 and 1994, 44 British prisoners were repatriated to the United Kingdom from foreign jurisdictions, including 11 prisoners repatriated from the United States of America. In each case, repatriation was conducted on the basis of both jurisdictions and the prisoner concerned consenting to the arrangements to be made for the continued enforcement of the sentence imposed.

Internet

Mr. French: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what investigations his Department has made into the practicality of the regulation of material available on the Internet;     [41819] (2) what representations he has received about the possible regulation of material available on the Internet.     [41817]

Mr. Kirkhope: My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of letters expressing concern about the availability of obscene and pornographic material on the Internet. The

interdepartmental group on obscenity is examining this issue and hopes shortly to be discussing it with Internet service providers. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is responsible for more general questions relating to the regulation of the Internet and other computer networks.

Industry is responsible for more general questions relating to the regulation of the Internet and other computer networks.

Mr. French: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers are available to the police


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to take action against users who make material available on the Internet which would be illegal in any other medium.     [41818]

Mr. Kirkhope: The provisions of the criminal law apply to material disseminated on the Internet in the same way as to material disseminated on other media. It is, for example, an offence to publish obscene material or child pornography on the Internet. We have recently taken action in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to ensure that our controls keep pace with advances in technology. This has included clarification of the law to assist the police in gaining access to computer bulletin boards.

Ridgewell Air Force Base

Sir Alan Haselhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration is being given to the former Air Force base at Ridgewell in Essex as the site for a new high security prison; and if he will make a statement.     [41709]

Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Sir Alan Haselhurst, dated 6 November 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the former airforce base at Ridgewell in Essex as I have operational responsibility for the Prison Service.

The Prison Service has not been considering this site for a new high security prison. If the site is available, the Prison Service will examine its suitability as a potential site for new prison development.

Prisons Ombudsman

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of cases referred to the prisons ombudsman since his appointment.     [40943]

Miss Widdecombe: The prisons ombudsman had received 1,810 letters of complaint by 31 October 1995, of which 464 were eligible for investigation by his office; the eligibility of a further 159 was being considered.

Prisons (Drugs)

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of persons in the last 12 months who have been caught trying to take illegal drugs into prison while visiting an inmate.     [41859]

Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 6 November 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of persons in the last 12 months who have been caught trying to take illegal drugs into prison while visiting an inmate.


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Between 1 January and 30 September this year, the total number of incidents reported to Prison Service headquarters of visitors caught trying to take illegal drugs into prison while visiting an inmate was 1,109.

Visitors' Visas

Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors' visas were (a) granted and (b) refused from applicants in (i) Pakistan, (ii) India, (iii) Bangladesh and (iv) Nigeria in (1) 1992, (2) 1993, and (3) 1994.     [41723]

Mr. Kirkhope: Information on visas granted and refused by country of application is published in table 2.1 of the Home Office Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 1994", issued on 10 August 1995, Cm 2935, by HMSO, a copy of which is in the Library.

Fires

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) deaths and (b) severe injuries from fires occurred in houses in multiple occupation for the years 1992 93, 1993 94 and 1994 95.     [41053]

Mr. Kirkhope: Information about deaths and injuries in fires in houses in multiple occupation, attended by local authority fire brigades, is published in table G of the Home Office publication "Fire Statistics United Kingdom 1993", available in the Library; 1993 is the latest year for which such statistics are available.

Discretionary Life Sentences

Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has issued a notice of appeal against the High Court judgment concerning the case of Paul Norwey, Stephen Nordone, Sean Kinsella, Noel Gibson and Brendan Dowd; what action he is taking to change procedures concerning discretionary life sentence prisoners applying for parole; and if he will make a statement.     [40565]

Miss Widdecombe: My right hon and learned Friend has decided not to appeal against the High Court judgment in this case. Arrangements are now in hand to ensure that the cases of discretionary life sentence prisoners are referred to the Parole Board so that they may be heard by a discretionary lifer panel immediately on expiry of the prisoners' tariffs or shortly thereafter. It will be entirely a matter for the panel to decide whether to direct release.

New Prisons

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will name the prisons to be built by 2000, with the costs of each.     [40459]

Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 6 November 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about new prisons to be built by the year 2000.


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Six new prisons are planned to be built under the private sector design, construct, manage and finance (DCMF) initiative announced by the Home Secretary on 2 September 1993. The first two prisons will be at Bridgend in South Wales and at Fazakerley on Merseyside. These are due to open in 1997 98. A site for a third prison has been identified in the Salford area of Greater Manchester, but the local planning authority have objected to the proposal. The Prison Service is considering making a request to the Secretary of State for the Environment to determine the dispute and this could lead to a public inquiry. Site searching for the remainder of the DCMF projects is in progress and it is too early to give locations and likely timescales.

In addition to the six new DCMF prisons, the former Lowdham Grange prison near Nottingham will be rebuilt as a 500 bed, category B prison to be operated by the private sector. The prison is planned to open during 1997 98.

An annual management charge will be paid, subject to contract, so far as Fazakerley and Bridgend prisons, are concerned. Costs are not available at this time. Costs for Lowdham Grange and the other DCMF prisons are not yet known.

Prison Escorts

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will break down the savings achieved for each privatised prison escort area, showing how the savings are achieved;     [40463]

(2) what is the cost for letting each escort contract; to whom each contract has been let; what is the budget reduction for each area as a result of the privatisation of the escort service, to how many staff posts is this equivalent; and what redundancies have occurred so far.     [40462]

Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 6 November 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the contracted out court escort service.

To date contracts have been implemented for the provision of this service in four of the eight court escort areas in England and Wales. This work was previously undertaken by the Prison Service and the police.

The attached table shows the contractor in each area together with information about costs and, insofar as the Prison Service is concerned, budget reductions expressed in financial and staffing terms. The savings relate to posts in the police and Prison Service deployed on court escort duties on a full time and part-time basis and vehicle mileage costs.

The actual level of reduction in respect of police service posts could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Decisions about how to manage the reductions, which were effected by top slicing police service budgets, were taken locally.

The direct costs to the Prison Service of the process of letting the contracts were approximately £150,000 per area.


Area                                                                                                               |Budgetary                                                                                  

                                              |Annual                |Previous                                     |reduction             |Number of staff                                                     

                                              |cost                  |cost                  |Saving                |(Prison Service)      |posts lost                                                          

                       |Contractor            |£ million<1>          |£ million<2>          |£ million             |£ million<3>          |(Prison Service)<4>   |Redundancies                                 

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

7 (East Midlands)      |Group 4 Court Services|8.1                   |10.7                  |2.6                   |1.6                   |78                    |-                                            

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

3 (London)             |Securicor Custodial                                                                                                                                                                    

                       |  Services Ltd.       |22.0                  |29.8                  |7.8                   |3.8                   |250                   |3                                            

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

4 (East Anglia)        |Group 4 Court Services|7.8                   |8.3                   |0.5                   |1.9                   |86                    |1                                            

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

6 (Merseyside, Greater                                                                                                                                                                                         

  Manchester North                                                                                                                                                                                             

  Wales)               |Group 4 Court Services|12.5                  |14.7                  |2.2                   |2.7                   |124                   |-                                            

<><1.> Contract cost based on first year of full operation.                                                                                                                                                    

<2.> Equivalent cost of the Police and Prison Service operation prior to contracting out (includes overheads, vehicle costs, catering and medical support).                                                    

<3.> Budgetary reductions relates to Prison Service only.                                                                                                                                                      

<4.> The posts shown as being given up were those sufficient to meet the cost of the Prison Service contribution to the contract cost. Other officers previously employed on court escort work were redeployed 

to other operational duties.                                                                                                                                                                                   

Certified National Accommodation

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of certified national accommodation for each of the next five years.     [40458]

Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 6 November 1995 :

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent question about the estimate of certified normal accommodation in prisons in England and Wales for each of the next five years.

The most recent available projections were those published in May as part of the Prison Service's 1995 corporate plan. Revised and updated projections will be published in the new year as part of the 1996 corporate plan.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

Salaries

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Lord President of the Council what was the (a) lowest and (b) highest full-time salary paid to any employee in his (i) Department (ii) agencies and (iii)

non-departmental public bodies in (1) 1994 95 and (2) 1995 96.

Mr. Newton: It is the Government's normal policy to publish civil servants' salaries in bands. Accordingly, the lowest full-time salary in payment within the Privy Council Office fell within the band £10, 000 to £14,999 in both 1994 95 and 1995 96. The highest full-time salary fell within the band £65,000 to £69,999 in both years. I am not responsible for any agencies or non-departmental public bodies.

Annual Remuneration

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will estimate the number of individuals in his (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies whose annual remuneration including


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benefits in kind exceeded (i) £100,000, (ii) £200,000 and (ii) £300,000 in (1) 1985 86, (2) 1990 91, (3) 1992 93 and (4) 1994 95 and (5) 1995 96.

Mr. Newton: No member of the Privy Council Office staff receives or has received annual remuneration in excess of £100,000. I am not responsible for any agencies or non-departmental public bodies.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Strangers' Cafeteria

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the right hon. Member for

Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the staff who work in the Strangers' Cafeteria have yet been consulted on the proposed rearrangement of the cafeteria.     [41387]

Mr. Beith [holding answer 3 November 1995]: Yes. The management of the Refreshment Department has actively sought the views of staff who work in both the Members' and Strangers' Cafeterias since proposals were first made for the modernisation of these outlets in a consultant's report in July 1992.

Payment of Claims

Mr. Stern: To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will highlight, in the 1995 96 and subsequent reports of the Commission, in how many cases claims submitted by the hon. Members to the Fees Office are delayed for more than 50 per cent. of the average number of days for the year claimed.     [40275]

Mr. Beith: At present such statistics are not collected. A monitoring exercise such as the one described by the hon. Gentleman could be implemented only at disproportionate cost and with a loss of effective processing time which would lead to additional delays.

Mr. Stern: To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps he is taking to restore the average delay in payment of claims submitted by hon. Members to the Fees Office to the levels achieved in 1993 94.     [40274]


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Mr. Beith: The average delay in payment fluctuates with the number of claims received and available resources. The current turnaround of claims is better than the level recorded in the Commission's annual report for 1993 94 and therefore restoration measures are not required.

Staff (Ethnic Monitoring)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon- Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what proportion of those employed in domestic service in the House are from ethnic minority backgrounds.     [39943]

Mr. Beith: Ethnic monitoring of staff employed by the Commission has been in place since 1988. This is carried out on a voluntary basis and not all staff choose to respond to the ethnic monitoring questionnaire. The current figures for staff in the respective ethnic groupings are as follows:


                            |Numbers of                      

                            |staff     |Percentage           

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

White                       |877       |64.9                 

Asian (East African)        |1         |0.01                 

Asian (Indian)              |12        |0.9                  

Asian (Other)               |8         |0.6                  

Black (African)             |23        |1.7                  

Black (Carribbean)          |26        |1.9                  

Black (Other)               |3         |0.2                  

Other                       |8         |0.6                  

Questionnaires not returned |394       |29.1                 

                                                             

Total                       |1,352                           

Contracted-out Services

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the right hon. Member for

Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, which House of Commons work has now been contracted out; if he will give the date when the contract commenced and the numbers of workers; and what numbers of staff are not subject to any contracting out arrangements.     [39323]


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