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Mr. Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he expects to allocate the 3,000 new police officers outlined in the Prime Minister's speech of October 1995; where he will locate the officers; what is the timetable; and if he will make a
statement. [41453]
Mr. Maclean: Funding will be provided to enable chief constables to recruit an additional 5,000 officers over the next three financial years. The basis on which that funding will be distributed between police authorities is still to be decided. An announcement about police funding will be made after the Budget.
Gaming Act Review
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish his review of the Gaming Act 1968; and if it is his intention to introduce legislation in the next Parliamentary Session. [41364]
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Mr. Kirkhope: We are currently reviewing the present controls on casinos and bingo clubs as part of the Government's deregulation initiative. Public consultation would be necessary before introducing legislation. We hope to publish a consultation paper soon.
Young Offenders (Yorkshire)
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to establish a secure unit for young offenders in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire or (c) Yorkshire. [41367]
Mr. Maclean: We have no plans to set up a secure training centre in Barnsley, South Yorkshire or Yorkshire and no plans to establish a new young offender institution in this area.
Prisoners from Wales
Mr. Allan Rogers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) convicted and (b) remand prisoners from Wales are currently in custody (i) by county (ii) by sex and (iii) in total. [41382]
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. Allan Rogers, dated 7 November 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many a) convicted and b) remanded prisoners from Wales are currently in custody i) by county ii) by sex and iii) in total. Table 1 gives the number of prisoners born in Wales who were held on 30 September in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales. Information by county of birth is not routinely collected. However, the 1991 National Prison Survey collected this information for the prisoners in that sample. The numbers given in table 2 should be treated with care as they are taken from a medium sized sample study.
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Table 1: Population in Prison Service establishments in England
and Wales on 30 September 1995 whose country of birth was
Wales<1>
Sex
Type of custody |Males |Females
----------------------------------------------------------------
Remand |489 |3
Sentenced |1,754 |25
Fine defaulters |20 |-
Total |2,266 |28
<1> Provisional figures, total includes 3 non-criminal
prisoners.
Table 2: The 1991 National Prison Survey sample showing county of birth within Wales County |Number in the sample --------------------------------------------------------------- Clwyd |15 Dyfed |11 Gwent |28 Gwynedd |10 Mid Glamorgan |29 South Glamorgan |41 West Glamorgan |25 Powys |3
Police Standard Spending Assessment
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take into account the number and type of police stations within a police authority's area when calculating the police standard spending assessment. [41275]
Police (Firearms)
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the last year officers in each police force had to draw firearms in the line of duty; and what are the figures for each of the previous three years. [41363]
Mr. Maclean: Numbers of police operations in England and Wales in which firearms were issued to officers are as follows:
|1 April 1994 to 31
Forces |1991 |1992 |1993 |March 1995
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon and Somerset |66 |42 |56 |175
Bedfordshire |35 |27 |53 |36
Cambridgeshire |64 |105 |66 |73
Cheshire |42 |43 |40 |93
City of London |71 |93 |23 |8
Cleveland |5 |28 |22 |107
Cumbria |16 |11 |18 |44
Derbyshire |14 |31 |28 |68
Devon and Cornwall |38 |46 |51 |29
Dorset |33 |27 |28 |46
Durham |49 |27 |134 |100
Dyfed-Powys |14 |9 |7 |16
Essex |107 |140 |138 |267
Gloucestershire |5 |6 |10 |27
Greater Manchester |100 |100 |107 |110
Gwent |27 |15 |13 |20
Hampshire |94 |180 |215 |195
Hertfordshire |49 |53 |57 |69
Humberside |14 |6 |89 |49
Kent |96 |74 |89 |95
Lancashire |9 |23 |45 |57
Leicestershire |27 |18 |41 |78
Lincolnshire |21 |22 |41 |50
Merseyside |35 |57 |74 |116
Metropolitan Police |1,520 |1,838 |<1>2,585 |1,804
Norfolk |38 |28 |30 |56
North Wales |38 |29 |34 |60
North Yorkshire |16 |26 |25 |25
Northamptonshire |11 |10 |43 |40
Northumbria |325 |320 |299 |593
Nottinghamshire |35 |28 |77 |47
South Wales |24 |18 |22 |55
South Yorkshire |39 |78 |244 |172
Staffordshire |15 |18 |29 |21
Suffolk |84 |99 |75 |119
Surrey |37 |64 |36 |60
Sussex |116 |63 |53 |375
Thames Valley |37 |34 |48 |65
Warwickshire |12 |12 |28 |25
West Mercia |63 |64 |73 |50
West Midlands |66 |172 |209 |141
West Yorkshire |200 |377 |258 |181
Wiltshire |15 |18 |12 |26
England and Wales Total |3,722 |4,479 |5,625 |5,843
<1> This figure is unreliable due to inadvertent double-counting.
Figures for operations in which firearms were issued to officers are not available for the first three months of 1994. The number of operations in which police firearms were fired was five in 1991, 12 in 1992, five in 1993 and six between 1 January 1994 and 31 March 1995.
Domestic Violence
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide figures collected by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary on domestic violence incidents recorded by the police in England and Wales in 1994 in terms comparable with the 1993 figures given in the answer on 26 October 1994 to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton), Official Report, columns 640 41 . [41173]
Mr. Maclean: The information available has been provided by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary and is in the table. It covers incidents of domestic violence recorded by the police in England and Wales in calendar year 1993 and financial year 1994 95. HMIC is currently examining the reasons for the disparities highlighted in the table and the methods used by police forces to record incidents of domestic violence.
Domestic violence incidents recorded by the police in England and
Wales in 1993 and 1994-95
Forces |1993<1> |1994-95<2>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon and Somerset |n/a |1,570
Bedfordshire |n/a |6,338
Cambridgeshire |2,253 |2,566
Cheshire |17,918 |3,117
|different classification used
City of London |0 |3
Cleveland |3,448 |3,397
Cumbria |654 |1,857
|collection and systems
|improved
Derbyshire |7,606 |n/a
Devon and Cornwall |n/a |7,294
Dorset |5,624 |6,138
Durham |3,277 |1,619
Dyfed-Powys |1,223 |1,612
Essex |1,724 |12,011
|under-recording in 1993
Gloucestershire |2,401 |4,612
Greater Manchester |33,988 |35,084
Gwent |135 |207
Hampshire |n/a |4,908
Hertfordshire |3,367 |3,748
Humberside |8,401 |514
|different classification used
Kent |5,875 |5,865
Lancashire |6,090 |5,601
Leicestershire |4,075 |4,467
Lincolnshire |373 |625
Merseyside |11,956 |14,088
|1993 figure revised from
|previous table
Metropolitan Police |11,420 |n/a
Norfolk |881 |n/a
North Wales |287 |357
North Yorkshire |15,841 |n/a
Northamptonshire |2,104 |2,508
Northumbria |2,071 |10,364
|used wider classification
Nottinghamshire |1,990 |2,267
South Wales |3,451 |3,830
South Yorkshire |482 |n/a
Staffordshire |n/a |n/a
Suffolk |1,396 |1,619
Surrey |3,155 |4,471
Sussex |1,157 |2,107
Thames Valley |9,167 |3,547
|1993 includes domestic
|disputes
Warwickshire |n/a |500
West Mercia |916 |631
<1> Calendar year.
<2> Financial year.
Child Sex Offenders
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what records exist within his Department in respect of convicted child sex offenders who have committed such offences outside the United Kingdom; [40945]
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(2) in what circumstances his Department seeks to be informed of people convicted of sex offences overseas who have served their prison sentence and have then departed to the United Kingdom. [40944]Mr. Maclean: The national criminal intelligence service maintains a paedophile index which holds detailed intelligence based information on known active paedophiles, whether they are active in the United Kingdom or abroad. There is no formal requirement for NCIS to be notified of the convictions of people normally resident in the United Kingdom who commit child sex offences abroad, but it receives information from foreign law enforcement agencies and also from non-governmental organisations concerned about overseas paedophile activities.
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the arrangements for children giving evidence in court against alleged sex offenders; and if he will make a statement. [41708]
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 6 November 1995]: We keep this area of law under review. We have already done a great deal to make it easier for children to give evidence effectively and to make the experience less of an ordeal. Recent research has indicated that the provisions for children's evidence which we have introduced have been useful, particularly in reducing the level of trauma for the child. We are considering in conjunction with the other agencies involved how further practical improvements can be made.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to implement the recommendations of the report, "The Game's Up", on child prostitution. [39697]
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 6 November 1995]: We share the concern of the Children's Society about child prostitution and fully support the multi-agency approach recommended by the report. We will continue to encourage all the agencies concerned to give a high priority to action to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and young people.
Temporary and Part-time Staff
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are currently employed in his Department and in related agencies on (a) temporary or casual employment contracts and (b) part-time employment contracts, given as an actual figure and as a proportion of the total work force; and what were the corresponding figures for five years ago. [41121]
Mr. Howard: Breakdowns by Department and executive agency for 1 April 1995 of the number of permanent staff, the number of casual staff-- normally those engaged for a period of up to 12 months, but, exceptionally, up to two years--and the number of part-time staff are presented in the civil service staff in
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post summary table for 1 April 1995, a copy of which is in the Library. Estimates on a comparable basis for 1 April 1990 have also been placed in the Library.Crime, South Yorkshire
Sir Irvine Patnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the latest quarterly recorded crime figures for South Yorkshire metropolitan area; what the figures were one year ago; and if he will make a statement. [40978]
Mr. Maclean: There were 37,494 offences recorded in the South Yorkshire police force area in April to June 1995. This represents a fall of 3 per cent. over the April to June 1994 figure of 38,500 offences.
HM Inspector of Prisons
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the name of the new inspector of prisons. [40946]
Ministerial Transport
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost of ministerial transport in each of the past five years; what allowance has been paid to ministers who use their own vehicles; and what has been the cost in each of the past five years. [40738]
Mr. Howard: The information requested is as follows:
1990 91: £210,096
1991 92: £170,903
1992 93: £207,980
1993 94: £233,916
1994 95: £195,916
Home Office Ministers do not use their own vehicles for official business.
Prison Service Performance Indicators
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with the seven key performance indicators since the appointment of Derek Lewis as Director General of the Prison Service. [39603]
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 M s Janet Anderson, dated 7 November 1995 :
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the Prison Service's progress against its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) since April 1993.
The attached table shows the Service's KPI performance in the first six months of 1995 96 and compares this performance to 1992 93.
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Prison service performance against KPIs; April 1993-September
1995
Key performance |Performance: April |Comparison to
indicator (KPI) |to September 1995 |1992-93
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KPI1: Escapes |64 escapes in total |169 in same period
|so far, including 15 |1992-93 (annualised
|which, in previous |rate of 0.74 per cent.
|years, would have |of population):
|been the
|responsibility of the
|police, (annualised
|escape rate 0.19 per
|cent. of population)
KPI2: Assaults |2,739 assaults in |2,244 in same period
|total so far this year|1992-93 (annualised
|(annualised assault |rate 9.9 per cent. of
|rate 10.7 per cent. of|population). 10 per
|population) |cent. reduction on
|same period
|1994-95
KPI3: Overcrowding |no prisoners held 3 |average of 817 in
|to a cell for 1 so far|same period
|this year |1992-93
KPI4: Sanitation |97 per cent of |70 per cent in March
|prisoners have 24 |1992
|hour access to
|sanitation
KPI5: Purposeful |average of 25.5 |23.7 hours per
activity |hours per prisoner |prisoner per week
|per week so far this |in 1992-93
|year
KPI6: Time |41 per cent. of |24 per cent of
unlocked |prisoners unlocked |prisoners unlocked
|12+ hours at end of |12+ hours at end
|August |March 1993
KPI7: Minimum |100 per cent of |90 per cent. at end
visits |prisoners exceeding |March 1993
|minimum visits so
|far this year
KPI8: Cost per |in 1994-95, the |in 1992-93, the
prison place |average cost of a |average cost of a
|prison place was |prison place was
|£22,037 (at 1992-93 |£22,588.
|prices
<1> Escapes which would, in previous years, have been the responsibility of the police, are
shown separately. to ensure a like-for-like comparison, these are excluded in the
year-to-year measurement of escapes as a percentage of the prison population.
Deregulation
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated saving to the Exchequer by the repeal of each rule and regulation which has so far been the subject of a reference to the Deregulation Committee from his Department; and in how many cases a compliance cost assessment has been carried out. [41545]
Mr. Howard [holding answer 6 November 1995]: My Department has laid two draft deregulation proposals to date. The measures concerned are not expected to accrue any significant savings to the Exchequer, but certain benefits to business are expected. For example, in the case
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of the draft Deregulation (Greyhound Racing) Order, the financial savings likely to accrue to the greyhound industry have been estimated at £260,000 per annum.The explanatory document which is presented to the Committee alongside each draft order is required to contain an assessment of the cost savings to business and any other persons whom the draft order is intended to benefit.
Michael Hunt
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what conditions Michael Hunt is released from prison; and if he will make a statement. [41076]
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 2 November 1995]: I will write to the hon. Member.
Secure Training Centres
Ms Armstrong: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now outline the measures he proposes to take following the court hearing of 26 September to ensure that the secure training centres conform to the Children Act 1989 and the volume 4 guidance and regulations. [41370]
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 6 November 1995]: Secure training centres will be regulated by secure training centre rules as provided for in section 6 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, and contract terms. Secure training centre rules will be made by statutory instrument shortly before the first centres open, and it is intended that they will take account for the principles on which the Children Act 1989 is based.
Volume 4 of the Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations produced by the Department of Health for children's homes will not apply to secure training centres. However, it is a source document for the development of the rules.
Ms Armstrong: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to complete the signing of the first two contracts for secure training centres; and if he will lodge the relevant documents in the Library, with particular reference to information which indicates how the contracts comply with the Children Act 1989. [41371]
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 6 November 1995]: The signing of the first two contracts for the provision of secure training centres at Gringley, Nottinghamshire, and at Cookham Wood, Kent will take place as soon as possible after completion of negotiations with tenderers. The final signed contract documents will be placed in the Library. These documents will not contain commercially confidential information such as costs or prices.
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to increase the security of the Needlewood centre in Barnsley to accommodate young offenders. [41366]
Mr. Bowis: I have been asked to reply.
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Responsibility for the arrangements for the accommodation of young persons in the Needlewood centre, Barnsley, lies with Barnsley metropolitan borough council. The hon. Gentleman may wish to contact the chairman of the social services committee of the council.SOCIAL SECURITY
Child Support Agency
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many absent parents had their Child Support Agency assessments (a) increased and (b) decreased as a result of the changes introduced in April; and if he will provide a breakdown. [41038]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 6 November 1995:
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary for Social Security about Child Support Agency assessments.
It is estimated that no more than 150 absent parents have had their child maintenance assessments increased because of the April changes. We believe that nearly all these relate to cases where parents with care were awarded an allowance for travel to work costs.
So far over 40,000 absent parents had their maintenance decreased because of the April changes. It is not possible to give a precise breakdown of this figure and cases are still being processed. It is estimated that almost 19,000 absent parents benefitted from the new 30% of net income limit on the amount of maintenance an absent parent is required to pay and 16,000 benefitted from the inclusion of all housing costs in exempt income. So far about 2,000 absent parent have benefitted from either the award of allowances of property and capital settlements or from the award of an allowance for travel to works costs. The balance of over 3,000 cases would have been reduced because they were affected by one or more of the other changes (e.g. reduction in the maximum amount paid under the formula; liability plus arrears to be a maximum 33% of absent parents earnings).
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will outline the specific changes that have recently been made to the accuracy measurements of the Child Support Agency to ensure that they align with the definition used by the National Audit Office. [41040]
Mr. Mitchell: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 6 November 1995:
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about accuracy measurements of the Child Support Agency.
The Child Support Agency developed a definition to measure the accuracy of maintenance assessments, in liaison with the National Audit Office during 1994/95.
The Agency asked the National Audit Office to examine how this definition worked in practice as part of the audit undertaken early in 1995. The National Audit Office concluded that we should alter our method of measuring the cash value of assessments in the following ways.
We should exclude from the calculation any cases which were closed prior to assessment.
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We should attempt to establish whether assessments made before all the evidence was gathered, were correct at the time of the assessment. If so these should be treated as correct, as the value of the assessment was not in error. Although procedures may not have been followed precisely, this will not have had an adverse impact on our clients. Other cases in this category, for instance where the missing evidence would result in a changed assessment, should be treated as errors.Both these changes were implemented from April 1995.
I hope this is helpful.
Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to establish an independent complaints adjudicator for the Child Support Agency. [41887]
Mr. Mitchell: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked the chief executive to look at current complaints procedures and see how they might be improved. One of the options could be the establishment of a Child Support Agency complaints adjudicator. It is too soon to say whether such an arrangement could operate in the context of CSA business.
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of the cases assessed by the Child Support Agency would have had no opportunity to arrange a child maintenance agreement (a) because they are new separations or (b) for some other reasons. [41339]
Mr. Mitchell: All cases assessed by the Child Support Agency have had the opportunity to make a child maintenance agreement whether or not they are newly separated. However, if an agreement is made which is insufficient to remove the need for the parent with care to claim either income support, family credit or disability working allowance, the parent with care may be required to authorise the Secretary of State to take action to recover child support maintenance.
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of the absent parents who had previously paid no child maintenance at the time they were taken on by the Child Support Agency were on benefits. [41341]
Mr. Mitchell: The agency does not collect this information as there is no business need for it.
Mrs. Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will report on the review of the arrangements for compensating clients who have a genuine grievance against the Child Support Agency. [42192]
Mr. Mitchell: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Morley and Leeds, South (Mr. Gunnell) on 17 July 1995, Official Report , column 1300 .
Since its inception, the agency has had the facility to consider special payments to compensate clients where a clear, unambiguous error or delay has been caused by the agency.
Although each case is considered on its individual merits, the agency has now established clear criteria for deciding whether, and if so, how much, to pay in compensation.
The details of this scheme, which is comparable to those operated by other DSS agencies, have now been
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developed from experience of cases arising in this new and unique business. This will ensure that each case receives fair and consistent consideration.Claimants, Doncaster and Mexborough
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of current benefit claimants at each of his Department's benefit offices covering the Doncaster and Mexborough area; and what the figure was 12 months ago. [39483]
Mr. Roger Evans: The administration of social security benefits is a matter for Mr. Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 6 November 1995 :
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what is the number of current benefit claimants at each of his Department's benefit offices covering the Doncaster Mexborough area; and what was the comparable figure 12 months ago.
The latest information for locally administered benefits (ie those benefits calculated and paid at the Benefit Agency's local offices) is provided in the enclosed Appendix A and includes the comparable figure for 12 months ago. You should note that more than one benefit can be payable to a customer at the same time.
Information is usually collated at District level. On this occasion, however, I am able to give you details about incapacity benefits for Doncaster East, Doncaster West and Mexborough offices and details about Income Support for Doncaster East and Doncaster West. The Rother and Dearne District includes Mexborough, Goldthorpe, Rotherham South and Rotherham North offices. Information about Income Support is only available at District Level for Rother and Dearne. I hope you find this reply helpful.
The latest available statistics for locally administered incapacity benefits are as follows:
Appendix A-incapacity benefits
|Doncaster |Doncaster |Mexborough
|West BO |East BO |BO
------------------------------------------------------------------
September 1994
Invalidity Benefit |7,457 |6,018 |4,025
Sickness Benefit |1,909 |1,354 |308
Maternity
Allowance |24 |24 |11
Severe Disablement
Allowance |1,095 |788 |577
September 1995
Incapacity Benefit<1> |8,323 |7,000 |4,239
Maternity
Allowance |41 |27 |11
Severe Disablement
Allowance |1,231 |839 |597
<1>From 13 April 1995 Invalidity Benefit and Sickness Benefit
were replaced by Incapacity Benefit.
Income Support
|August 1994|August 1995
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Doncaster East BO |13,039 |13,054
Doncaster West BO |17,397 |17,664
Rother & Dearne District Office |38,431 |38,686
Note:
More than one benefit can be payable to a customer at the same
time.
Grants
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what grant-giving funds his Department is responsible requiring a private sector contribution where the use of national lottery funds is not allowed to count towards that private sector portion. [38608]
Mr. Burt: We have no schemes which seek exclusively non-public sector funding in partnership.
Consultancy Costs
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the cost of the employment of Ernst and Young as consultants in two pilot areas commencing on 2 October in connection with the identification of benefit claimant fraud; and which two areas have been selected for this. [39973]
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