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Miss Elaine Connolly

Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will instruct the acting Director General of the Prison Service to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Rossendale and Darwen of 4 December 1995 about the case of Miss Elaine Connolly. [11315]

Miss Widdecombe: The temporary Director General replied to the letter from the hon. Member for Rossendale and Darwen on 24 January.

29 Jan 1996 : Column: 498

Community Officers

Mrs. Bridget Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which areas are currently covered by a community officer; and how many of these officers are currently operating in each area of the country. [11853]

Mr. Maclean: All police forces in England and Wales have community liaison departments and deploy community police officers.

Mrs. Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what ways he is monitoring the effectiveness of the community officer programme. [11854]

Mr. Maclean: Community liaison activities in police forces are monitored by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary.

Holloway Prison

Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pregnant women are currently in custody at Holloway prison. [11682]

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 Ms Janet Anderson, dated 29 January 1996:


Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the total expenditure each year since 1990 on education at HMP Holloway; and if he will make a statement. [11641]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 24 January 1996]: 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. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 29 January 1996:


Homicide Convictions

Mr. William Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and

29 Jan 1996 : Column: 499

(b) females are currently serving in Her Majesty's prisons following conviction for (i) murder, (ii) manslaughter and (iii) other homicide convictions. [11719]

Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to 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. William Powell, dated 29 January 1996:


Positive about Disabled People Symbol

Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for his Department and each of the agencies for which he is responsible if it uses the Employment Service's positive about disabled people symbol for (a) external recruitment and (b) internal recruitment and promotion. [11912]

Mr. Howard: The Home Office and all its agencies use the Employment Service's disability symbol both for external recruitment and for internal selection and promotion.

Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the total expenditure of his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies on publicity for each of the years (a) 1979-80, (b) 1989-90, (c) 1991-92, (d) 1993-94, (e) 1994-95 and (f) 1995-96 (i) to date and (ii) as estimated for the whole year; what estimate he has made of such expenditure for 1996-97; and if he will break these figures down to indicate expenditure on (1) advertising and (2) press and public relations. [11384]

Mr. Howard: Publicity expenditure is committed when there is a need to advise the public or inform them of their rights. Assessment takes account of policy objectives and prioritisation within available resources.

Advertising and press office staff, accommodation and administration costs for my Department are as follows for 1979-80 to 1988-89:

YearAdvertisingPress
1979-802,904,671283,140
1980-811,649,605392,532
1981-821,834,476381,799
1982-831,957,304424,290
1983-842,760,681516,632
1984-853,262,700560,512
1985-863,306,391606,996
1986-875,000,000548,136
1987-884,700,000599,282
1988-895,400,000674,945

29 Jan 1996 : Column: 500

From 1989-90 onwards, recording systems were improved to identify advertising and other publicity material such as publications, videos, exhibitions and posters:

YearAdvertisingOther publicity materialPress
1989-905,500,0003,088,065715,646
1990-915,728,0004,323,476786,519
1991-927,275,9403,600,288792,125
1992-937,334,6355,638,982835,441
1993-949,090,2225,062,327847,632
1994-9510,912,0083,190,350899,084
1995-96(8)7,398,6291,387,550727,169
1995-96(9)7,398,6293,387,550969,560
1996-97(9) 4,150,0003,750,000993,799

(8) Year to date

(9) Forecast


Press and publicity expenditure by my Department's Agencies was as follows:

Agency/YearAdvertising and publicity materialPress
Prison Service
1993-94206,900304,800
1994-95200,500594,900
1995-96 forecast228,400319,900
1996-97 forecast213,300318,200
Fire Service College
1992-9389,300--
1993-9455,700--
1994-9534,600--
1995-96 forecast24,3706,000
1996-97 forecast30,0006,000
Passport Agency
1991-9270,35762,492
1992-9367,45456,880
1993-9470,94568,981
1994-95127,040256,693
1995-96 forecast94,814160,701
1996-97Budgets not yet decided
Forensic Science Service
Under the Forensic Science Service agency's framework, document, press and publicity services are provided by the Home Office. These are marginal and are included in the Departmental spend.

It has not been possible in the time available for agencies to provide precise 1995-96 year to date figures, but they expect no substantial divergence from forecast.

I shall write to the hon. Member concerning publicity and press expenditure by my Department's non-departmental public bodies.

29 Jan 1996 : Column: 501

Frankland Prison

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 54, what steps have been taken to recover the cell key lost at Frankland prison. [12023]

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. Gerry Steinberg, dated 29 January 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the loss of a cell key at Frankland prison.



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