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Mary Druhan
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a decision on Mary Druhan's appeal application. [14590]
Mr. Kirkhope: We are working urgently towards reaching a decision in this case.
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in the last three years from Justice on the case of Mary Druhan; and what response he has made. [14559]
Mr. Kirkhope: Representations from Justice were received in August 1993, and it has written occasionally with further points since then. In response, we commissioned inquiries by the Metropolitan police, whose report we are now considering.
Prisons
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account is taken of the cost of Home Office controllers when cost comparisons are made between private and public managed prisons. [14448]
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.
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Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 February 1996:
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on smoke detectors in homes. [14317]
Mr. Sackville:
Our policy is to ensure that people are aware of the potentially life saving benefits of smoke alarms and to encourage them to install smoke alarms in their homes and to maintain and test them regularly. Our efforts, and those of fire brigades, have been very successful. Ownership has increased from 9 per cent. in 1987 to its present figure of 74 per cent. of all households.
Mr. Spellar:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are being made to protect the position of police officers who volunteer for military duty in Bosnia through their membership of the Territorial Army, with particular reference to pensions, pay increments, annual leave, injury pensions and lump sum payments and death gratuities. [142394]
Mr. Maclean:
It is for chief constables to decide whether to allow officers leave of absence to volunteer for military duty in Bosnia.
Police officers who are members of Her Majesty's reserve forces and who are compulsorily called up for military service would be able to count such military service towards pension, pay increments and annual leave. They would also be eligible to have any shortfall in their military pay relative to their police pay made up and, provided they are members of the police pensions scheme, they would be covered by the "service men" provision--part I--of the police pension regulations.
Police officers who are members of the reserve forces and who volunteer for military duty need first to obtain the permission of their chief constable and, depending on the terms under which any leave of absence is approved, may be able to count the military service towards pension, pay increments and annual leave. Officers who are given approval to volunteer for military service, like those who might be compulsorily called up, are covered by the "service men" provisions of the police pensions regulations.
Mr. Spearing:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the expected average additional time that will elapse prior to the arrival of an appliance of the London fire brigade at a
13 Feb 1996 : Column: 512
fire if he accepts the proposals for reduced fire cover in London. [14332]
Mr. Sackville:
No requests have been received by the Home Office from the London fire and civil defence authority to reduce levels of fire cover and therefore there is no basis on which to make such an estimate.
Mr. Heppell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the levels of fines applicable to lorry operators convicted of overloading their vehicles; and when the levels were last reviewed. [14447]
Mr. Maclean:
The Government are satisfied that the penalties for offences relating to overloaded goods vehicles are adequate. Driving an overloaded goods vehicle carries a maximum sentence of a £5,000 fine. This level of fine was set in 1991 and has not been reviewed since because there is no evidence that the courts have found it too low.
Mr. John Marshall:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time fire appliances currently take to reach household fires in Hendon NW4. [14756]
Mr. Sackville:
The information requested is not available centrally in the form requested.
Mr. Henderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many entry clearance applications by husbands, wives or fiance(e)s were refused (a) partly and (b) wholly on primary purpose grounds in 1994. [14799]
Mr. Kirkhope:
Information for the Indian sub-continent--ISC--is given in the table. Corresponding information for non-ISC posts is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about what account is taken of the cost of Home Office controllers when cost comparisons are made between private and public managed prisons.
At each privately managed prison there is a controller, deputy controller and secretary. Their costs are included in the Prison Service annual report figures for cost per place and cost per prisoner at each private prison. They were not included in the analysis of comparative costs between private and public managed prisons carried out on 1993-94 figures. They are being included in the re-analysis being carried out in 1994-95 figures.
| Solely on primary purpose grounds | Partly on primary purpose grounds | |
|---|---|---|
| Husbands | 750 | 940 |
| Wives | 270 | 180 |
| Male fiances | 90 | 60 |
| Female fiancees | 60 | 20 |
Terrorist Groups
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy towards United Kingdom-based groups which issue statements of support for middle east terrorist organisations. [14650]
Mr. Howard:
The Government deplore all statements of support for terrorist organisations. The police and the Security Service attach a high priority to countering any active support in the United Kingdom for terrorist groups.
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Where there is evidence of involvement in terrorist, action will be taken against individuals, either under the criminal law, supported as necessary by the prevention of terrorism legislation, or under immigration Act powers.
Dr. Twinn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the first secure training centres to be opened for young offenders; and if he will make a statement. [14651]
Mr. Maclean:
Tender proposals for the provision of the first two secure training centres at Gringley, Nottinghamshire and Cookham wood, Kent, were received on 12 June 1995. Negotiations are continuing with the tenderers and as part of this process tenderers are being asked to revise certain aspects of their bids prior to the final assessment and selection of preferred bidders. Contracts will be signed as soon as possible once the terms of the contractual agreement have been finalised. The opening dates have not yet been settled: they will be specified in the signed contract.
Sir Ivan Lawrence:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he is proposing to complete his review of the workings of the Gaming Act 1968; and if he will make a statement. [14932]
Mr. Kirkhope:
I refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Knowsley, North (Mr. Howarth) on 26 January, Official Report, column 470.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances a visit to a prisoner by a person whose name appears on a correct visiting order (a) may be disallowed and (b) may be considered a threat to security at the prison; and if he will make a statement. [14497]
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.
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