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National Express
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much National Express was sold for on privatisation; and what is its current stock market value. [3252]
Mr. Norris: The net proceeds to the National Bus Company from the sale of its subsidiary, National Express, in 1988 was £10.1 million. My Department does not hold details of its current stock market value but the present National Express Group bears no resemblance to the original company sold by NBC.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the chairman of British Bus concerning the payment of sums of money as gifts to the former chairman of National Express. [3336]
Mr. Norris: None. Any financial transactions between business partners of companies in the private sector are matters for them.
Vehicle Emissions
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints about vehicles emitting excessive exhaust fumes have been referred to the Vehicles Inspectorate in each of the last five years. [3471]
Mr. Norris: I have asked the chief executive of the Vehicle Inspectorate executive agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ron Oliver to Mr. David Chidgey, dated 30 November 1995:
30 Nov 1995 : Column: 881
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the number of complaints about vehicles emitting excessive exhaust fumes referred to the Vehicle Inspectorate in each of the last 5 years.
We cannot quantify the total number of complaints received on smoke emissions; many complaints made are on an ad hoc basis and do not exclusively deal with excessive exhaust fumes. However, since 1991 the Vehicle Inspectorate has run a system where members of the public can ring the "Smoky Vehicle Hotline" and report commercial vehicles seen producing excessive amounts of exhaust smoke.
The total number of reports received via the Hotline for the past 5 years were:
1991/92: 1,483
1992/93: 2,481
1993/94: 2,887
1994/95: 8,113
April to October 1995: 11,861
Light Rail Funding
Sir Tom Arnold: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the Manchester passenger transport authority's strategic development plan; if he will make a statement on the future of light rail funding; and what assessment he has made of the benefits which would arise from extending Metrolink. [3374]
Mr. Norris: I refer to the replies I gave on Friday 24 November to the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Bradley) and the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris), Official Report columns 349-50.
Vehicle Pollution
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to require local authorities to carry out spot checks for polluting vehicles. [3466]
Mr. Norris: We are currently consulting interested parties on how best to implement in practice enabling regulations which could be made under the provisions of section 87 of the Environment Act 1995 to permit local authorities, with police support, to carry out emissions checks on vehicles using the road.
Channel Tunnel Freight
Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate (a) the volume of goods currently being shipped by security approved freight forwarders by rail through the channel tunnel per week and (b) the volume being shipped by road and ferry because of the restrictions imposed by the Channel Tunnel (Security) Order 1994; and if he will make a statement. [2684]
Mr. Watts: The average number of containers from security approved channel tunnel freight forwarders carried through the channel tunnel for the month of October 1995 was over 260 per week.
Decisions on the means of transport are commercial ones for the shipper concerned.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Child Refugees
16. Sir Michael Shersby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the projected number of child refugees entering the United Kingdom during 1995; and if he will make a statement. [1370]
Mr. Kirkhope: It is estimated that some 600 unaccompanied children will claim asylum in the United Kingdom in 1995.
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17. Mrs. Mahon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions he has given to private prisons regarding H.O. Reg. 20/1989. [1371]
Miss Widdecombe:
Prison Department circular instruction 20/89 was superseded by the Prison Service policy on caring for the suicidal as set out in instruction to governors 1/94. Contractors responsible for privately managed prisons are expected to have arrangements which are consistent with this policy.
18. Mr. Clapham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to restructure the probation service. [1372]
Mr. Sackville:
To reinforce court and public confidence in the probation service's work, my right hon. and learned Friend has this year published both revised national standards for community sentences, and the Green Paper, "Strengthening Punishment in the Community", aimed at restructuring community punishment. In addition, my right hon. and learned Friend has recently announced new arrangements reforming the qualifying training and recruitment of probation officers.
19. Mr. Fabricant:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to visit Lichfield to discuss law and order; and if he will make a statement. [1374]
Mr. Maclean:
My right hon. and learned Friend has no immediate plans to visit Lichfield. We should congratulate Staffordshire police force on the 13 per cent. reduction in burglary and the 7 per cent. reduction in vehicle crime recorded by them in the 12 months to June 1995.
21. Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what percentage of British prisons illegal drugs have been detected in the last year. [1376]
Mrs. Widdecombe:
Illegal drugs have been detected in all but two Prison Service establishments in England and Wales during the period 1 November 1994 to 31 October 1995.
This means that drugs have been detected in 98.5 per cent. of establishments.
Mr. Austin-Walker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his latest estimate of the number of prisoners using drugs. [1375]
Miss Widdecombe:
It is too early in the implementation of mandatory drug testing to be able to give an accurate assessment of the number of prisoners misusing drugs.
Figures from the eight first phase sites show 36 per cent. confirmed positive drug tests, but this cannot be extrapolated to the total population.
30 Nov 1995 : Column: 883
22. Mr. Timms:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account he takes of the likely safety of asylum applicants if returned to Sri Lanka when deciding such applications; and if he will make a statement. [1377]
Mr. Kirkhope:
All applications for asylum, regardless of nationality, are carefully considered in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 United Nations convention relating to the status of refugees. Each case is assessed on its merits taking account of all the circumstances, including conditions in the country of origin.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of in-country applications for asylum are made within (a) one week of the applicant entering the country, (b) two to three weeks of entering the country, (c) three to four weeks of entering the country, (d) two to six months of entering the country and (e) more than six months of entering the country; and if he will make a statement. [2348]
Mr. Kirkhope
[holding answer 29 November 1995]: Information regarding the length of time between arrival date and application date, for those who enter the United Kingdom as visitors but subsequently claim asylum, is given in the table.
| Period of time between arrival and application | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 weeks | 27 |
| 2 to 4 weeks | 10 |
| 1 to 2 months | 10 |
| 2 to 6 months | 27 |
| over 6 months | 26 |
| Total | 100 |
(11) Estimated.
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of applicants for asylum (a) excluding and (b) including dependants, for each calendar month from January 1990, with totals for each year. [3227]
Mr. Kirkhope: Annual figures for the number of asylum applications both excluding and including dependants for the years 1984 to 1994 are given in table 1.2 of Home Office statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom" issue 15/95, a copy of which can be found in the Library. Table 2.3 of this publication gives monthly figures for the number of principal applications in 1994 and the first quarter of 1995. Equivalent information for 1991 to 1993 is given in issues 12/92, 19/93 and 17/94 of the same publication which can also be found in the Library. Monthly application figures for years prior to 1991, and monthly application figures including dependants, are not available.
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of persons who applied for political asylum who (a) were not admitted, (b) were admitted on a temporary basis, (c) had their applications refused, and (d) had their applications accepted, in each year between 1988 and 1994. [3142]
30 Nov 1995 : Column: 884
Mr. Kirkhope [holding answer 28 November 1995]: Information is given in table 1.1 of the Home Office statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1994", issue 15/95 on applications for asylum, split by those on arrival at a United Kingdom port of entry and those who applied "in country" after having been admitted to the United Kingdom for some reason under immigration rules, and on the number of decisions made on asylum applications, split by type of decision. A copy of this publication is available in the Library.
Those applying for asylum on arrival at a United Kingdom port maybe granted temporary admission pending the outcome of their application or, depending on the individual circumstances of the case, detained. Separate information on this is not available.
Mr. Fraser:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for political asylum are currently undecided. [1365]
Miss Widdecombe:
As at 31 October this year, there were 66,665 applications for asylum in the United Kingdom outstanding.
Mr. Steinberg:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are currently being held in prisons; and at what annual cost to public funds. [2497]
Mr. Kirkhope:
As at 21 November 1995, a total of 776 persons who had at some stage sought asylum were detained. Of these, 378 were detained in Prison Service establishments, including 253 at locations used almost exclusively for housing asylum detainees. These figures include people awaiting removal following refusal of their applications as well as those whose applications were under consideration or subject to appeal.
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