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Prisons (Government Policy)
Ms Corston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the 1991 White Paper on prisons represents Government policy on prisons. [19001]
Miss Widdecombe: Both the 1991 White Paper "Custody, Care and Justice" and the Woolf report which preceded it, identified the need for a proper balance between essential security measures and effective, constructive regime activities. This remains Prison Service policy today. We have already implemented most of the White Paper commitments.
Public Interest Immunity
Mr. Allason: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his predecessor signed a public interest immunity certificate in the case of R v. Roche, and others, at Plymouth Crown court in July and August 1991. [18812]
Mr. Howard: No public interest immunity certificate was issued by the then Home Secretary in this case.
Prison Service (Director General)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people (a) applied for and (b) were approached to apply for the post of Director General of the Prison Service when it was vacated by Mr. Derek Lewis. [19835]
Mr. Howard: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Cox) on 26 February, Official Report, column 417.
Executive Action
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those areas of executive action other than citizenship where he has discretion to act in respect of an individual without giving reasons for this decision. [20074]
Mr. Howard: Comprehensive records are not kept in the form requested, but no provision comparable to that in section 44(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 has been identified from readily available sources.
Fire Services (Wales)
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each financial year from 1990-91 to 1996-97 the finances made available for each fire brigade in Wales in (a) cash and (b) real terms and the sources from which this funding came. [20273]
Mr. Sackville: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales is responsible for the revenue funding of Welsh local authorities. Welsh local government revenue settlement resources are not hypothecated to specific services such as fire. Funding for fire authorities' revenue services is an integral part of local authorities budget setting. Returns from local authorities showing expenditure on fire have been placed in the Library. No information is available yet for 1996-97.
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Convictions
Mrs. Currie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of cases brought to court secured convictions (a) 20 years ago, (b) 10 years ago and (c) in each of the last five years. [20346]
Mr. Maclean: The information is given in the table:
| Type of Offence | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indictable | Summary non motoring | Summary motoring | All offences | |
| 1974 | 92 | 92 | 96 | 94 |
| 1984 | 86 | 89 | 92 | 90 |
| 1990 | 73 | 81 | 83 | 80 |
| 1991 | 69 | 79 | 80 | 77 |
| 1992 | 66 | 78 | 77 | 75 |
| 1993 | 64 | 78 | 74 | 73 |
| 1994 | 63 | 77 | 74 | 72 |
Cyclists (Pedestrian Injuries)
Mr. Deva: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of serious incidents and injuries caused to pedestrians by people who ride their bicycles on the pavements; what plans he has to address this problem; and if he will make a statement. [20388]
Mr. Maclean: Personal injury road accident data are recorded by the Department of Transport. No estimates are available of the number of accidents between cyclists and pedestrians on pavements. The following table shows the total number of injury accidents on public roads reported to the police in 1994 which involved a pedal cyclist and one or more pedestrians. It is not possible to estimate the proportion of these accidents which occurred on the pavement.
| Killed | Seriously injured | Slightly injured | Total casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casualties resulting: | ||||
| Pedestrian casualties | 3 | 95 | 241 | 339 |
| Pedal cyclists casualties | 0 | 14 | 68 | 82 |
The manner in which enforcement of the offence of cycling on the pavement is carried out, including the allocation of resources for the purpose, is a matter for individual chief officers of police. The Home Office intends soon to seek views on whether cycling on the pavement should be made a fixed penalty offence.
By the use of publicity campaigns, such as "cycle safe", the Department of Transport will continue its efforts to remind cyclists that they should adopt a responsible attitude and comply with the law and with normal standards of common sense and courtesy to others.
14 Mar 1996 : Column: 715
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which is the lead Department on the funeral industry; and what consideration is being given to amending relevant legislation, along lines suggested by the National Funerals College executive director, the Reverend Doctor Peter Jupp, for the re-use of graves after a period of years. [19172]
Mr. Sackville:
The Department of Trade and Industry are responsible for consumers' interests in goods and services provided by the funerals industry, while the Home Office is responsible for the law relating to burial and certain related matters. There are no present plans to amend legislation to provide for the proposed re-use of graves.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the level of recorded crime in Essex; and what was the level two years ago. [19199]
Mr. Maclean:
The police in Essex recorded 101,687 offences in the 12 months to June 1995 and 115,895 offences in the 12 months to June 1993, a fall of 14,208 offences.
Mr. Harry Greenway:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the role of CCTV in tackling crime. [19240]
Mr. Maclean:
Police operational experience and independent research show that closed circuit television can have a significant impact in reducing crime and the fear of crime. CCTV prevents crime happening in the first place; it aids the investigation and detection of crime; and it provides evidence to help convict the guilty.
We are making £45 million available to promote the use of CCTV technology in the fight against crime with the aim of providing 10,000 new cameras over the next three years.
Sir John Hunt:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is currently the waiting time for those applying for an oral hearing by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; [20639]
(3) what steps he is taking to reduce the waiting time for those applying for an oral hearing by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. [20637]
Mr. Maclean:
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board advises that the average waiting time for an oral hearing is currently 14 months, although almost 50 per cent. of applications for, or referrals to, a hearing are resolved within 12 months.
The number of appeals cases awaiting resolution rose from some 18,000 on 1 March 1995 to 22,800 on 1 March 1996 by reason of the significant increase in the volume
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of initial decisions issued--93,000--since the first tariff scheme was withdrawn on 5 April 1995, requiring all the previous year's applications to be reprocessed.
The board has expanded its hearing programme to meet this demand and, at the request of its chairman, Lord Carlisle QC, my right hon. and learned Friend recently made additional appointments to the board for this purpose. From 1 April 1996, under the new tariff scheme approved by Parliament in December, there are procedures designed to help contain the number of cases where such hearings are necessary and to enable cases which do require a hearing to be resolved more quickly.
Mr. Michael:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the costs to date to his Department for the tendering exercise for financial reporting software for the PROMIS project; [19674]
(3) at what stage in the tendering process his Department will ensure that all companies are able to meet the mandatory requirements for the PROMIS project. [19676]
Mr. Howard
[holding answer 11 March 1996]: The recent PROMIS procurement exercise designed to obtain a comprehensive information technology solution to support the Home Office's purchasing and supply function was halted because no compliant solutions were put forward.
The Home Office has no plans to invite further tenders to meet the full PROMIS requirement.
The total cost of the procurement exercise to the Home Office is approximately £160,000.
(2) how many cases are currently awaiting an oral hearing by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; and what was the number at 1 March 1995; [20638]
(2) if the companies that withdrew from the tendering process for the PROMIS project will now be invited to resubmit their tenders; [19675]
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