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Doncaster Prison
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to ensure that Premier Prison Services Ltd. recognises trade unions in managing Doncaster prison; and if he will make a statement. [2396]
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. Martin Redmond, dated 29 November 1995:
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The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about trade union recognition at Doncaster prison.
Whether or not a trade union is recognised at a contracted out prison is a matter for the contractor. The contractor at Doncaster prison, Premier Prison Services Ltd., has decided not to recognise a trade union to represent staff.
Doncaster prison has a fully constituted Works' Council which represents all the staff at the prison.
Prison Service
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the management of the Prison Service. [1699]
Miss Widdecombe: My right hon. and learned Friend made a statement on 16 October 1995 about the report by General Sir John Learmont which made a number of recommendations about the management of the Prison Service. He has undertaken to come back to the House with a full response to those recommendations in due course. He will also take into account the results of consultation within the Prison Service on the recommendations of the senior management review.
Prison Costs
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1) by what amount he expects the cost of prisons to exceed the amount budgeted for 1995-96; [1685]
(2) what is his current estimate of the total cost of holding prisoners for 1996-97, and what was his previous estimate. [1695]
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 Janet Anderson, dated 29 November 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions asking by how much the cost of prison is expected to exceed the amount budgeted for 1995-96 and what is the current estimate of the total cost of holding prisoners for 1996-97, and what was the previous estimate.
The present provision for 1995-96 in Class VIII, Vote 2, Prisons, England and Wales is £1,660,160,000. While the financial requirements of the Prison Service are regularly monitored, it would be premature to estimate what the final requirement will be. A clearer picture of whether additional provision will be required will emerge in February 1996, at the time of the Spring Supplementary Estimates.
An announcement on the provision available for the Prison Service in 1996-97 will be made at the same time as the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget speech on 28 November.
Spending Plans
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about his Department's spending plans for 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98. [1680]
Mr. Howard: Detailed information for 1995-96 is set out in the supply estimates 1995-96 (HC271-VIII), subsequently amended by the revised estimate (HC465-VIII) and the winter supplementary estimate (HC4-VIII). Copies of these are available in the Library. My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the Government's latest plans for the following years in his statement yesterday.
Sunday Dancing
Mr. Simon Coombs: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to deregulate Sunday dancing. [54]
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Mr. Kirkhope: We are considering how to proceed in the light of the reports of the Deregulation Committee and the House of Lords Delegated Powers Scrutiny Committee on our draft Deregulation (Sunday Dancing) Order.
Bull Bars
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give instructions to remove bull bars from all police road cars and passenger transit vans. [2881]
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 28 November 1995]: The equipment fitted to police vehicles is the responsibility of individual chief officers. The police are aware of the concerns about the use of bull bars and in June of this year the Association of Chief Police Officers' Traffic committee invited all chief officers to consider removing bull bars from their vehicles, where so equipped.
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Mr. Madden:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many entrants to the United Kingdom have been found guilty of working illegally, how many were fined; how many were subject to a custodial sentence; how many were removed from the United Kingdom; and how many were found not guilty of any charge in each of the last five years. [2759]
Mr. Timothy Kirkhope
[holding answer 28 November 1995]: Information is available for 1990-94 on criminal proceedings taken against persons under section 24(1)(b)(ii) of the Immigration Act 1971--failure to observe conditions of leave, excluding overstaying and failure to report to a medical officer--and is given in table 1. Only a small proportion of persons found working in breach of conditions of leave are proceeded against in this way. The vast majority are dealt with under enforcement powers of the act and information on persons removed from the United Kingdom under these powers is given in table 2.
| Prosecutions | Proceedings terminated early(33) | Committed for trial(34) | Found guilty | Found not guilty(35) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Of whom | |||||||
| Fined | Immediate custody | |||||||
| 1990 | 76 | 14 | 5 | 55 | 30 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1991 | 41 | 10 | -- | 28 | 17 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1992 | 28 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 12 | 1 | 2 | |
| 1993 | 13 | 7 | -- | 6 | 4 | 1 | -- | |
| 1994 | 12 | 9 | -- | 3 | 2 | -- | -- | |
(32) Principal immigration offence.
(33) Including cases discontinued or "written off".
(34) At a Crown Court.
(35) Charge dismissed.
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| 1990 | 4,280 |
| 1991 | 5,804 |
| 1992 | 6,214 |
| 1993 | 6,076 |
| 1994 | 5,077 |
| 1995 January to June(37) | 2,345 |
(36) Including 'voluntary' departures after enforcement action was
initiated.
(37) Provisional figure.
Illegal Employment
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in his Department are dedicated to detecting illegal employment; where those staff are based; how those staff routinely operate; and to what extent those staff co-operate with the police. [2761]
Mr. Kirkhope [holding answer 28 November 1995]: No staff are dedicated specifically to detecting illegal employment. This task is part of the role performed principally by some 247 operational immigration staff employed at the main immigration service enforcement offices. These are located in London at the immigration
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service enforcement unit at Status park and at Becket house--with satellites at Stansted and Apex house, Gravesend; and at Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham airports. Other immigration staff are engaged in enforcement work from time to time throughout the United Kingdom.
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