| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Public Bodies
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department which (a) have a statutory base, (b) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings and (c) hold open meetings for the public; and if in each case this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntarily. [16181]
26 Feb 1996 : Column: 389
Mr. Sproat
[holding answer 22 February 1996]: The information is as follows:
(a)
British library
British museum
British Tourist Authority
Broadcasting Complaints Commission
Broadcasting Standards Council
English Heritage
Football Licensing Authority
Imperial war museum
Millennium Commission
Museum of London
National gallery
National heritage memorial fund
National maritime museum
National museums and galleries on Merseyside
National portrait gallery
National museum of science and technology
Natural history museum
Public Lending Right Registrar
Royal armouries
Tate gallery
Victoria and Albert museum
Wallace collection
(b) None.
(c) None holds formal open board meetings for the public, although many engage in regular dialogue with, or arrange informal events for, members of the public to discuss matters of policy.
Isle of Wight (Expenditure)
Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the total expenditure by her Department in 1994-95 on the Isle of Wight, broken down by category. [16773]
Mr. Sproat: My Department recorded expenditure of £395,020.84 on the Isle of Wight in 1994-95. This related to Osborne house convalescent home; the following table provides the available expenditure breakdown.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| i. Payments to the Civil Servants Benevolent Fund: | |
| Reimbursement of deficit | 359,490.39 |
| Furniture and equipment | 35,000.00 |
| ii. Payments to Medina Borough Council: | |
| Council Tax | 530.45 |
Scott Inquiry
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage at what hour and minute of which day the report of the Scott inquiry was delivered to her office. [16492]
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
[holding answer 22 February 1996]: During the afternoon of Friday 16 February 1996.
26 Feb 1996 : Column: 390
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the members of her Department who saw the report of the Scott inquiry before it was presented to the House; and when each saw the report. [16521]
Mrs. Bottomley
[holding answer 22 February 1996]: None.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she first saw the report of the Scott inquiry. [16597]
Mrs. Bottomley
[holding answer 22 February 1996]: On Thursday 15 February 1996.
Mrs. Jane Kennedy:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which Ministers in her Department entered the writing rooms of the Press Gallery on 15 February. [16485]
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
[holding answer 22 February 1996]: None.
Ms Lynne:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage in what circumstances the owner of two households is required to purchase a television licence for only one property when a television is being used at both properties; and what is the estimated extra revenue that would be generated by making a television licence compulsory for every household where a television is used. [16064]
Mr. Sproat:
A person may not instal or use a television set except under authority of a television licence, which is generally valid at the single place specified in the licence. However, there has been a practice whereby the Licensing Authority has permitted people owning second homes not to notify temporary changes of address when moving between those homes, and thus not to hold a second television licence, provided that they confirm that no use of television ever occurs simultaneously in both homes. This practice is currently under review by the BBC, which has responsibility for administration of the television licensing system and determination of licensing requirements in individual cases. We understand that the BBC hopes to be able to make an announcement shortly. No accurate figures are available for the number of second homes in which television is installed. However, there are approximately 38,000 second homes with television for which, by agreement with the licensing authority, no second licence is currently held. If a full colour television licence were to be taken out for each such home, this would raise about £3 million in extra revenue.
Mr. Nigel Evans:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when regulations will be laid to bring into effect the television licence fee increases from 1 April. [17728]
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley:
On 14 December 1995, Official Report, column 753, my hon. Friend the Minister of State announced that, from 1 April 1996, the fee for a colour television licence would increase to £89.50 and that for a black and white licence to £30. The regulations necessary to bring these fees into force were laid before Parliament on Friday 23 February.
26 Feb 1996 : Column: 391
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many nurses and doctors are employed within the Prison Service per 100 inmates. [16702]
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. Neil Gerrard, dated 26 February 1996:
The prison population as at 21 February was 53,040.
Mr. Garel-Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response he has received to the proposed closure of the Hertfordshire probation and bail hostel in Watford; how many letters have been received about the proposed closure and if he will list them; and how many and what proportion are (a) in favour of closure and (b) opposed. [16630]
Mr. Sackville:
Representations have been received from five Members of Parliament, the chairman of Hertfordshire probation committee, the Bishop of Hertford, the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, the high sheriff of Hertfordshire, the chairmen of the North Hertfordshire, Watford and St. Albans benches; the secretary of the south-west Hertfordshire young homeless group, the right noble Lord Parkinson of Carnforth and his honour Judge Colston QC. All these representations were opposed to the closure of the hostel.
However, in view of the sub-standard condition of the hostel and the fact that, over the last year, it has on average been two-thirds occupied, my right hon. and learned Friend decided last month that the hostel should close shortly.
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners died in prison in England and Wales in each year since 1992; and of these deaths how many were (a) self-inflicted, (b) accidental, (c) homicides, (d) due to disease, (e) due to AIDS, (f) due to tuberculosis, (g) due to cancer and (h) due to vascular and heart disease. [16682]
26 Feb 1996 : Column: 392
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. Neil Gerrard, dated 26 February 1996:
Note:
These figures do not include deaths of prisoners which occurred outside of prison, for example on home leave or while unlawfully at large.
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 A. J. Pearson to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 26 February 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.
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of nurses and doctors employed within the Prison Service per 100 inmates.
Information on the whole time equivalents of part time health care staff, which would alow an accurate comparison per 100 inmates, is not available centrally.
The available information is set out in the table below.
Staff Number
Doctors 270
Nursing grades 600
Health Care Officers 1,037
Total 1,907
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of suicides in prisons in England and Wales since 1 January. [16321]
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about deaths in prison custody in England and Wales since 1992.
The detailed information requested is not recorded centrally. The attached table gives the number of deaths for each year since 1992 broken down into self-inflicted, natural causes, accidental deaths and murders.
Cause of death 1992 1993 1994 1995
Self-inflicted 41 47 62 60
Natural causes 34 42 43 56
Accidental death 4 3 0 0
Murder 2 2 3 1
Total 81 94 108 117
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of suicides in prisons in England and Wales during 1995. [16319]
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the total number of suicides in prisons in England and Wales since 1 January.
There have been 11 self inflicted deaths between 1 January and 21 February 1996. No inquests have yet been held into any of these deaths.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |