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Contact Orders
Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for assault have occurred as a result of incidents (a) prior to, (b) during and (c) after contact between parents whose children were subject to contact orders made under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 in each year since 1991. [14850]
Mr. Maclean: Information on the number of convictions for assault relating to incidents where contact orders were made under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 is not collected centrally.
Pregnant Prisoners
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to his oral statement on 18 January, Official Report, column 893, if the policy of shackling pregnant prisoners whilst they are escorted to the hospital is still in force; [15000]
- (2) if he will make it his policy that women receiving hospital and maternity care will be escorted by women officers. [14999]
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 Mr. George Howarth, dated 15 February 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the treatment of pregnant prisoners.
Except where there is a medical objection to using restraints or where the governor decides, following a risk assessment, that restraints are unnecessary, pregnant prisoners en route from closed prisons to hospital for antenatal or other appointments will normally be restrained on the journey to the hospital and on the way from the vehicle to the hospital waiting area, or hospital entrance in the case of women prisoners who are being taken to hospital to give birth.
It is the Prison Service's policy that prisoners may be escorted by officers of either sex except where this would place the officer or the prisoner in an unreasonable position in terms of privacy or decency. For prisoners giving birth our aim is that both officers should be female, but sometimes, for example in the case of an emergency, there may not be sufficient staff on duty to allow this. In this situation, one of the officers must be a woman.
Secure Training Centres
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the current estimated costs for the construction and operation for secure training centres; and if he will indicate when the successful tenders will be announced; [15013]
- (2) for what reasons tenders for the first two sites for secure training centres have been resubmitted. [15012]
Mr. Maclean:
Each of the proposals submitted was non-compliant in some respects. Negotiations are continuing with the tenderers, who are being asked to revise the relevant aspects of their bids. For reasons of competition and commercial confidentiality, I cannot disclose the prices of the bids. Contracts will be signed, and announced, as soon as the terms have been settled.
15 Feb 1996 : Column: 703
Mr. David Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of state for the Home Department what powers the police have to test drivers for driving under the influence of drugs; how many convictions there have been over the past two years; and what representations he has had urging (a) more testing and (b) higher penalties. [15061]
Mr. Maclean:
Section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1988--as amended by section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1991--empowers a constable to arrest a person if he has reasonable cause to suspect that that person has been driving or been in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle when unfit through drugs. Section 7 of the 1988 Act empowers a constable to require the suspect to provide a specimen for a laboratory test.
Separate statistics for driving offences involving drugs only are not available centrally. I am not aware of any representations urging higher penalties for the offences but I know that the Association of Chief Police Officers is concerned about drugs and road safety and has called for the development of a device to test for drugs in drivers similar to the roadside breathalyser for alcohol. As a first step, research into the extent of drug use by drivers is being commissioned.
Mr. John Marshall:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which fire station provides cover for Brent Cross; and what level of cover is provided. [14746]
Mr. Sackville:
This is a matter for the London fire and civil defence authority. My hon. Friend should contact the chairman of the LFCDA for details.
Mr. Chris Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those local authorities which are currently budgeting to spend on fire services (a) more than their standard spending assessment, (b) at the level of their standard spending assessment and (c) below their standard spending assessment. [14910]
Mr. Sackville:
Information is not yet held centrally on the budgets which fire authorities in England are in the process of setting for 1996-97.
Mr. Meale:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made as to whether all fire brigades in the United Kingdom will be able to meet, alongside their other statutory responsibilities, the emergency needs of their communities in the year 1996-97. [15401]
Mr. Sackville:
Under section 1 of the Fire Services Act 1947 a fire authority has a duty to make provision for firefighting purposes and, in particular, to secure the services of a fire brigade and equipment in order to meet efficiently all normal requirements. Section 3(1)(e) of the Act gives the fire authority discretionary powers to employ its brigade and use its equipment for purposes other than fire fighting. Fire authorities have been able to provide such services from within the resources available to them for firefighting purposes. Fire authorities do have arrangements in place for mobilising assistance from neighbouring authorities in the more serious incidents, for example Windsor castle.
15 Feb 1996 : Column: 704
Mr. Meale:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made as to whether all fire brigades in the United Kingdom will be able to meet the minimum statutory standards for their rescue and fire fighting roles in the year 1996-97. [15400]
Mr. Sackville:
Such an assessment can be made only by individual fire authorities in the light of their own local circumstances. It is for each fire authority to set a budget which will allow it to comply with its statutory duties under the Fire Services Act 1947.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the name of the new Director General of the Prison Service; and if he will make a statement. [14977]
Mr. Howard:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 5 December, column 204.
Mr. George Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if women who have been assessed for open conditions, and then placed in the HMP Holloway, are subject to mechanical restraints whilst on escort. [15002]
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. George Howarth, dated 15 February 1996:
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many written parliamentary questions were passed for answer to executive agencies and non-governmental departments in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [14984]
Mr. Howard:
This is a matter of public record. Although the information readily available in the Department does not give figures for each of the last five years, it suggests that the total number of written parliamentary questions which have been passed for answer to executive agencies since they were established is:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about women who are subjected to mechanical restraints while one escort.
Women who have been approved for open conditions are not normally subject to mechanical restraints. Women who are sent back to Holloway prison as being unsuitable for open conditions will be subject to mechanical restraints while on escort.
15 Feb 1996 : Column: 705
No parliamentary questions have been passed for answer to non-governmental departments.
Cemeteries
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will legislate to amend the Local Authority Cemetery Act 1977, and the Local Government Act 1972, to allow exhumation in defined circumstances to allow the re-use of graves; and what response he has sent to the representations on this topic from Reverend Peter Jupp, director of the National Funerals College. [14048]
Mr. Sackville: There are no plans to amend the Local Authorities' Cemeteries Order 1977 or the Local Government Act 1972 to permit the exhumation of human remains for the re-use of existing graves. We have no record of the receipt of any representations from Reverend Jupp on this matter.
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