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Police and Fire Service Pensions
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set up a common inquiry into the funding of police and fire service pensions. [18678]
Mr. Maclean: No. The Government are not convinced that any radical change is needed on the funding arrangements for police and fire service pensions. In determining support for police authority and local government revenue funding, the Government already
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take into account the increasing amount which currently needs to be spent on pensions for police officers and firefighters.
For 1996-97, an additional £80 million is being made available to police authorities to help fund pension costs. A refinement of the model on which the pensions element of the police funding formula is based will help to ensure that money available for pensions goes where it is most needed.
For the fire service, £14 million has been added to the total in 1996-97 to assist fire authorities in meeting the cost of firefighters' pensions. An additional indicator to reflect pension costs has been built into the distribution formula for the standard spending assessment total.
The details of police and fire pension schemes have both been under review. The results will shortly be the subject of consultation with police and fire interests.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines exist for former members of immigration and nationality departments who leave the service to become immigration consultants. [18574]
Mr. Kirkhope:
There are no specific guidelines. All former members of staff remain bound by the provisions of the Official Secrets Acts and by their duty of confidentiality to the Crown. In addition, all staff who leave are reminded of their obligations under the business appointment rules.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received concerning the Asylum and Immigration Bill; and how many have been in favour of the proposals and how many against. [18576]
Miss Widdecombe:
In the period 23 November 1995 to 1 March 1996, the asylum division recorded 1,037 representations about the Asylum and Immigration Bill: 800 of these representations have been critical of the Bill and 158 have supported it; the views of the remainder are not recorded. A total of 2,134 names have been submitted on petitions against the Bill. Many of the letters were sent by supporters of a campaign which has been mounted by groups opposed to the Bill and I do not regard them as an accurate barometer of public opinion.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons Ronald Kray's brain was not buried with his body; and what consents were obtained. [18908]
Mr. Sackville:
I understand that at the time of Ronald Kray's funeral the brain was not buried with the body since it was still subject to an investigation to establish the cause of death. I am informed that the necessary consents were obtained from the coroner for East Berkshire.
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Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pages of guidance notes have been issued by (a) his Department, (b) regulatory authorities and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each of the last three years. [18637]
Mr. Howard:
The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 February, Official Report, column 158, for what reasons it has not proved possible to move as quickly as originally hoped in respect of children's certificates. [18760]
Mr. Kirkhope:
The main difficulties have been divergent practice in different licensing areas, and the absence of firm data on expected take-up rates.
Mr Soley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to provide additional financial assistance to the Prisoners' Wives and Families Society; and if he will make a statement. [18948]
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. Clive Soley, dated 6 March 1996:
Ms Lynne:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners, having failed to return from authorised leave, are on the run from Buckley Hall prison; and what are the equivalent average figures for other prisons. [18116]
Miss Widdecombe
[holding answer 29 February 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 A. J. Pearson to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 6 March 1996:
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Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the standard spending assessment for the west midlands fire and civil defence authority for each of the last five years; and if he will express the figures in (a) real terms and (b) as a percentage change on the previous year. [19053]
Mr. Sackville
[holding answer 5 March 1996]: The information is as follows:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about plans to provide additional financial assistance to the Prisoners' Wives and Families Society.
Although in recent years the Prison Service has made a small number of ex-gratia payments to selected organisations known to be in crisis over funding, there are currently no funds available for financial assistance to organisations supporting prisoner and family ties.
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about how many prisoners, having failed to return from authorised leave, are on the run from Buckley Hall prison, and what are the equivalent average figures for other prisons.
The number of prisoners who failed to return from authorised leave from HM Prison Buckley Hall from its date of opening on 14 December 1994 until 26 February 1996 and who are still unlawfully at large is 10.
The equivalent average figure for similar establishments, male category C training prisons, for the same period is 1.06.
| Actual | Percentage change | Real terms | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 67.29 | +7.6 | 70.55 |
| 1993-94 | 69.07 | +2.6 | 70.36 |
| 1994-95 | 68.35 | -1 | 68.35 |
| 1995-96 | 68.96 | +0.9 | 67.11 |
| 1996-97 | 69.57 | +0.9 | 65.9 |
1. Standard spending assessment figures include capital financing. 2. Figures up to 1993-94 include civil defence. Subsequent figures do not.
Key Performance Indicators (Prisons)
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost per in-use certified normal accommodation place in accordance with key performance indicators during the financial year 1994-95 for (a) Blakenhurst, (b) Doncaster, (c) Bullingdon, (d) Holme House and (e) Elmley gaols. [18937]
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 5 March 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.
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