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Dartmoor Prison
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how often the Governor of HM prison Dartmoor authorised the use of (a) bodybelts, (b) ankle straps, (c) handcuffs and (d) special segregation unit cells between January 1990 and the present date; [2092]
- (2) on how many occasions since January 1990 prisoners in HM prison Dartmoor were kept in bodybelts for more than 12 hours. [2093]
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. David Jamieson, dated 27 November 1995:
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The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the use of restraints at Dartmoor prison.
Ms Corston:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions in the last five years from which figures are available inmates at Dartmoor prison have been (a) detained in a strip cell known as the box and (b) restrained by bodybelt for both medical and non-medical purposes; [2263]
Since January 1990, the governor of Dartmoor has authorised the use of a bodybelt on three occasions, once for 4 hours 45 minutes, once for 19 hours 5 minutes and once for 24 hours. The use of ankle straps has not been authorised during the period concerned.
Handcuffs are used routinely when escorting prisoners outside the secure perimeter of the prison to court or to another prison. They have only been used within the prison twice, on a prisoner who had staged a roof-top protest at another prison and had threatened to repeat the protest at Dartmoor. The governor decided that the prisoner would be handcuffed when moving from his cell to the visits area in order to reduce the possibility of him carrying out the threat.
The segregation unit special cells have been used on 331 occasions from January 1990 to date.
(2) what is the (a) shortest, (b) longest and (c) average time during which inmates in Dartmoor prison are detained in a bodybelt or mechanical restraint. [2264]
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 Ms Jean Corston, dated 27 November 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the use of restraints at Dartmoor prison.
There are two special cells in the segregation unit at Dartmoor. They contain no furniture other than a low level plinth on which a prisoner may lie down and a small stool on which he may sit, both fastened to the floor of the cell. Since January 1991, the cells have been used on 281 occasions to locate prisoners who have exhibited behaviour which could result in them harming themselves or others. There have been two occasions since January 1991 when a prisoner at Dartmoor has been restrained in a bodybelt.
Since January 1990, the governor of Dartmoor has authorised the use of a bodybelt on three occasions, once for 4 hours 45 minutes, once for 19 hours 5 minutes and once for 24 hours. The use of ankle straps has not been authorised during the period concerned.
Drug Abuse (Prisons)
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average number of disciplinary actions taken against prisoners for illegal drug use in each of the past five years. [2165]
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. Paul Flynn, dated 27 November 1995:
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The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the average number of disciplinary actions taken against prisoners for illegal drug use in each of the past five years.
Use of a controlled drug by prisoners in Prison Service establishments became a disciplinary offence in January 1995 under Prison and Young Offender Institution Rules. Provisional data for the period from January to October 1995 show that there have been 921 proved adjudications for this offence.
EC Measures
Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EC measures impose fines or other criminal penalties on people and businesses in the United Kingdom. [2091]
Miss Widdecombe: EC measures do not impose fines or other criminal penalties directly: they are implemented by means of United Kingdom law.
Information about criminal penalties imposed to comply with our EC obligations is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Immigration
Mr. Bernie Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place a copy of Commissioner Gradin's proposals on immigration, asylum policy and border controls put to the recent meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in the Library; and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy in respect of these proposals. [2826]
Miss Widdecombe: The meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council at La Gomera on 14-15 October 1995 was an informal meeting and as such took no formal decisions. I have, however, provided a summary of the discussions to the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Select Committee on European Legislation.
During the meeting, Ministers considered the prospects for the third pillar of the treaty on European Union at the forthcoming intergovernmental conference. Commissioner Gradin expressed the view that immigration and asylum policy should be transferred into Community competence. She did not, however, put forward any formal proposals.
The Government do not share that view. We firmly believe that the matters dealt with under the third pillar, including immigration and asylum, should remain subject to intergovernmental co-operation. There was broad agreement with this position from other member states at La Gomera.
Mr. Spearing:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a Green Paper and a White Paper concerning current trends and problems in the fields of asylum and immigration and his proposals for legislation. [2690]
Miss Widdecombe:
We have no plans to publish a Green Paper or a White Paper on these matters. The statement that my right hon. and learned Friend made to the House on 20 November identified a number of pressing issues requiring early action. Parliament will shortly have the opportunity to debate the Government's proposals for legislation.
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Mr. Bernie Grant:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on the European Commission's three proposed directives on the right to travel and the elimination of controls on persons crossing the internal frontiers of the European Union. [2828]
Miss Widdecombe:
The Commission's proposals are not acceptable, as they conflict with our firm determination to maintain the United Kingdom's frontier controls with other member states of the European Union. Explanatory memoranda on the draft directives were laid on 12 October 1995.
Mr. Bernie Grant:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who represented Her Majesty's Government at the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in the Canary Islands on 14 and 15 October. [2825]
Miss Widdecombe:
The Government were represented at the informal Council in La Gomera by Mr. Timothy Walker, a deputy Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office and the United Kingdom delegate to the K4 committee.
Ms Janet Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has that beat patrolling by police constables has suffered as a result of greater emphasis on panda car patrols. [1673]
Mr. Maclean:
There needs to be a balance between foot and mobile police patrolling to meet the operational requirements of individual forces and the communities which they serve. This is a matter for chief constables to decide.
Ms Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are employed on the beat at any one time, per head of population. [1677]
Mr. Maclean:
This information is not centrally collected. At the end of March 1995, 68,240 officers were deployed to patrol duties in England and Wales.
Ms Janet Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will be in a position to respond to the first report of the Home Affairs Select Committee of Session 1994-95, HC 17, on the private security industry. [1674]
Mr. Maclean:
The Government are looking in detail at the recommendations contained in the Select Committee report and will give a full response as soon as possible.
Ms Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received about regulation of the private security industry. [1691]
Mr. Maclean:
We have received a total of 16 representations in the last two months.
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