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Police Custody (Deaths)
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many deaths in police custody in each year an inquest verdict has been brought in of (a) natural causes, (b) misadventure or accident, (c) drug addiction or alcoholism, (d) suicide, (e) unlawful killing and (f) open verdict; and in how many cases no inquest was held. [11931]
Mr. Maclean: The available information is published in the annual Home Office statistical bulletin entitled "Police Complaints and Discipline, England and Wales" and, for the Metropolitan police district, in the annual report of the Commissioner of Police. Copies of both publications are available in the Library.
Ms Jowell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have died in police custody (a) in total and (b) by police force area in each year since 1990. [11487]
31 Jan 1996 : Column: 764
Mr. Maclean:
This information is published in the annual Home Office statistical bulletin entitled "Police Complaints and Discipline, England and Wales" and, for the Metropolitan police district, in the annual report of the Commissioner of Police. Copies of both publications are available in the Library.
Ms Jowell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the ethnic origin of each prisoner who has died in police custody since 1990. [11488]
Mr. Maclean:
This information is not at present collected centrally but the present procedures are being amended as from April 1996. It will thereafter be published annually in the Home Office statistical bulletin entitled "Police Complaints and Discipline, England and Wales" and, for the Metropolitan police district, in the annual report of the Commissioner of Police.
Ms Jowell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued to police forces in the use of control and restraint procedures. [11489]
Mr. Maclean:
Home Office circular--number 62/1992--deals with the use of handcuffs by police officers. The Association of Chief Police Officers issues guidance on self-defence and restraint.
Ms Jowell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department will take to improve conditions at Holloway prison; and what extra resources will be made available for this. [11514]
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 Tessa Jowell, dated 31 January 1996:
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was (a) the maximum number of inmates permitted at Her Majesty's prison Holloway and (b) the highest prison population for each year since 1990. [12266]
31 Jan 1996 : Column: 765
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. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 31 January 1996:
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. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 31 January 1996:
Miss Widdecombe:
My right hon. and learned Friend and I have received representations from the board of visitors at Holloway on this matter. Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons also raised his concerns with me and with the temporary Director General of the Prison Service following his unannounced visit to Holloway in December 1995.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all programmes which his Department funds that are aimed at deterring under 16-year-olds from committing crimes; and if he will make a statement. [12723]
Mr. Maclean:
The bulk of the Home Office funding in this area was transferred to the single regeneration budget at the Department of the Environment in April 1994. This budget supports many crime prevention activities with a youth focus. The Home Office programme development unit funded a small group of experimental projects on reducing criminality in 1992; final reports are expected shortly.
31 Jan 1996 : Column: 766
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on licensing arms exports to the states of the former Yugoslavia. [11993]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor
[holding answer 26 January 1996]: UN Security Council resolution 1021 established a timetable for phased lifting of the arms embargo on former Yugoslavia. Light weapons can be imported 90 days after signature of the peace agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina--that is, from 13 March--and the embargo will be lifted completely 180 days after signature and after submission of a report from the UN Secretary General on the arms control negotiations called for in the peace agreement--that is from 11 June. The Government have decided that, taking into account the overall situation in the states of the former Yugoslavia and the paramount importance of ensuring the safety of British and other troops deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, applications for arms export licences will be dealt with on the following basis:
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the advantage of extending the scope of the laser weapons protocol to include civil war conflicts; what measures he proposes to improve the transparency and verification arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [12757]
Mr. David Davis:
In common with other western countries, we support the extension of the scope of the 1981 UN weaponry convention protocols on both laser blinding weapons and land mines so that they apply also during non-international armed conflict. We also support the inclusion of effective transparency, compliance and verification arrangements. We shall pursue these questions at the concluding session of the weaponry convention review conference in Geneva from 22 April to 3 May.
31 Jan 1996 : Column: 767
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with his Indian counterparts their policy towards the laser weapon protocol, with particular reference to its extension to cover civil war conflict; and if he will make a statement. [12758]
Mr. Davis:
We intend to hold discussions with a number of countries before the final session of the 1981 UN weaponry convention review conference in Geneva from 22 April to 3 May with a view to securing the extension of the scope of the convention's protocols on land mines and laser building weapons to non-international armed conflict.
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about Holloway prison.
A new governor has recently been appointed at Holloway prison and tasked with improving conditions there. As part of the improvement process, a new health care manager has been appointed, who is carrying out a full review of health care services at Holloway. Sixteen additional prison officers have also been drafted into Holloway from other prisons on a temporary basis.
An additional £300,000 was provided to Holloway last October to recruit and train 25 additional new staff who will take up post in January and February this year, which will enable a fuller regime to operate in the prison.
An external contractor, with expertise in pest control, is now working in Holloway and has made progress in eradicating rats and other vermin.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what allocation of funds for education at Her Majesty's prison Holloway he expects to make in 1996-97. [12268]
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about Holloway prison.
The maximum numbers of prisoners (the operational capacity) and the highest prison population for each year since 1990 is given in the attached table.
Year Operational capacity Highest population
1990 517 493
1991 517 494
1992 517 495
1993 532 476
1994 532 507
1995 532 527
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received covering the provision of education in Her Majesty's prison Holloway; and if he will make a statement. [12271]
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the allocation of funds for education at Holloway prison in 1996-97.
No decision has yet been made by the governor about how much of the 1996-97 budget should be allocation to education.
(a) for Slovenia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, applications for licences to export military equipment listed in group 1 of part III of schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 and dual-use goods will be considered on a case by case basis;
The Government will encourage our EU and other partners to take a similar approach, and keep this policy under review, particularly in the light of progress in implementing the peace agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
(b) for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia our policy is not to allow the export of military equipment listed in group 1 of part III of schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order of 1994 during the period of the NATO-led implementation force's deployment. Against the background, applications for export licences will continue to be considered on a case by case basis, as will applications for export of dual-use goods.
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