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Competitive Tendering (Contracts)
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded in each of the last three financial years by his Department and its executive agencies after competitive tendering; and what was the total combined value of these contracts. [21028]
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Mr. Howard: The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, it is Home Office policy to buy all goods and services by competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary. Purchases in excess of about £100,000 are subject to European Community competition procedures, as laid down in statutory instruments.
Prison Service (Medical Staff)
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what controls (a) his Department and (b) the Prison Service has over medical staff who undertake work for them and are engaged in medical research; and if he will make a statement. [19953]
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 7 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. Letter from Alastair Papps to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 19 March 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about controls on medical staff who are engaged in medical research.
I understand that there are no medical staff employed on medical research in the main Home Office.
Within the Prison Service all medical and health care research requires ethical approval, the consent of the governor of the prison and the free and informed consent of the prisoner concerned.
Such ethical approval is obtained either from the Prison Service Health Research Ethics Committee, which has an independent chairman and membership drawn from the independent Health Advisory Committee to the Prison Service and health care professionals from outside the Prison Service or the appropriate NHS committee.
Harry Duggan
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Harry Duggan, who is serving a life sentence, was allowed to attend his mother's funeral in the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [21516]
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 18 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. Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. Max Madden, dated 19 March 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking if Harry Duggan who is serving a life sentence, was allowed to attend his mother's funeral in the Republic of Ireland.
An application by Mr. Duggan to attend the funeral of his mother in the Republic of Ireland was carefully considered but refused for security and jurisdictional reasons.
Hewell Grange (Maintenance and Repair)
Mr. Faulds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 8 March, Official Report, columns 411-12, what use Hewell Grange was put to when it was under Home Office responsibility before it was used as a prison; what maintenance and
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repairs were undertaken; and what condition the building was in when it was handed over to the Prison Service.[21443]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange a reply to be given. Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Andrew Faulds, dated 19 March 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the use Hewell Grange was put to when it was under Home Office responsibility before it was used as a prison; what maintenance and repairs were undertaken; and what condition the building was in when it was handed over to the Prison Service.
Hewell Grange has been used as an open prison for male adult offenders since 1991. Prior to that change of role, it was used as a Young Offenders Institution to accommodate young offenders in open conditions.
The building was acquired for use as a penal institution in 1947. There are no records of its condition at that time. A full range of maintenance work and repairs has been undertaken during its ownership by the Prison Service. Details are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Chief Fire Officers
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a reply will be sent to the hon. Member's letter of 13 February, ref. 3185/96, concerning chief fire officers. [21229]
Mr. Sackville [holding answer 18 March 1996]: My right hon. and noble Friend replied to the letter on 18 March.
Immigration (Pakistan)
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the home country report on Pakistan is to be completed and placed in the Library; what steps are taken to ensure the accuracy and completeness of such reports; if such reports are normally made available to those representing appellants at immigration appeals; and if he will make a statement. [21517]
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 18 March 1996]: Our aim is to finalise the report and place it in the Library quite soon. It will also be made available to those concerned with the asylum appeals system. The report, like those on Nigeria and Ghana, will draw on all available, relevant sources of information, and will be updated as necessary.
Alcoholic Lemonade
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned regarding the consumption of alcoholic lemonades by under-age drinkers; and what representations he has received regarding (a) such studies and (b) the prohibition of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic lemonades.[9462]
Mr. Maclean: Although no research has been commissioned by my Department into the consumption of alcoholic lemonades by under-age drinkers, concerns that these drinks may provide a temptation for children to start drinking have been expressed in letters from members of the public on general law and order issues. We welcome reports that the Portman group, set up by the eight leading
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United Kingdom drinks companies to promote sensible drinking and reduce alcohol misuse, are considering a code of practice to its industry members on the use of names that include, for example, lemonade, cola or other soft drinks.
SCOTLAND
Computers
Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all cases since 1987 in which his Department has bought computer capacity from (a) other Departments and (b) the private sector, giving the value of each contract and the name of the private sector contractors. [19454]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Since 1987, the Scottish Office has not purchased computer capacity from other Departments or the private sector to augment the Department's own computing capability. Payroll and superannuation processing services have been bought from other Departments, and these have included an element of computer processing.
| Department | Amount |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| Her Majesty's Treasury (Chessington Computer Centre--Payroll Services) | 1,922,400 |
| Ministry of Defence (Superannuation services) | 115,700 |
In addition, from time to time, the Scottish Office has purchased other services which may have included some computer processing as part of the work undertaken but it is not possible to identify these services except at disproportionate cost.
Multi-storey Housing Blocks
Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the total number of people living in multi-storey blocks of flats in Scotland. [21118]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: The information is not available in the form requested.
Local authorities in Scotland are estimated to have 51,000 dwellings in blocks of flats more than four storeys high.
Information on the number of households, by lowest floor level of accommodation, was published in the report of the General Register Office for Scotland on the 1991 census, a copy of which is available in the House Library.
Mr. Marshall:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of blocks of multi-storey flats over 10 floors high in Scotland; and where they are located. [21119]
Mr. Robertson:
The information is not available in the form requested.
| Authority | Super high rise (15 or more storeys) |
|---|---|
| Scottish Borders Council | 0 |
| Dumfries and Galloway Council | 0 |
| Fife Council | 223 |
| Highland Council | 0 |
| Clackmannanshire Council | 0 |
| Falkirk Council | 0 |
| Stirling Council | 0 |
| Aberdeenshire Council | 0 |
| City of Aberdeen Council | 2,943 |
| Moray Council | 0 |
| City of Edinburgh Council | 2,047 |
| East Lothian Council | 0 |
| Mid-Lothian Council | 0 |
| West Lothian Council | 0 |
| Argyll and Bute Council | 0 |
| City of Glasgow Council | 20,273 |
| West Dunbartonshire Council | 1,524 |
| East Dunbartonshire Council | 0 |
| East Ayrshire Council | 0 |
| North Ayrshire Council | 0 |
| South Ayrshire Council | 0 |
| East Renfrewshire Council | 0 |
| Inverclyde Council | 1,471 |
| Renfrewshire Council | 1,090 |
| North Lanarkshire Council | 2,982 |
| South Lanarkshire Council | 0 |
| Angus Council | 0 |
| City of Dundee Council | 2,230 |
| Perthshire and Kinross Council | 0 |
| Orkney Islands Council | 0 |
| Shetland Islands Council | 0 |
| Western Isles Council | 0 |
| Scotland | 34,783 |
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