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Metropolitan Police (Civilian Officers)
Mr. Boateng: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations were received by the Metropolitan Police service from interested parties or bodies about the decision to transfer the posts and duties of civilian enforcement officers to the inner and outer London magistrates courts. [23444]
Mr. Maclean: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that his officials have received representations from the trade union side of the departmental Whitley council, the Public Services, Tax and Commerce Union, and that the Metropolitan police have liaised with the chair of the strategic management body for the outer London courts, a number of clerks for inner and outer London magistrates courts, the Lord Chancellor's Department, and the Association of Chief Police Officers.
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Police National Computer
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 25 March, Official Report, column 406, how many individual records for criminal convictions are held on the police national computer. [23537]
Mr. Maclean: Criminal record data held on the police national computer comprise 2.8 million records originating before 1981, which consist of name and criminal record office number and which are supported by microfiche records of convictions held by the national identification service, and 2.3 million records originating after 1981 which include details of convictions.
CS Gas
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the concentration of active agent used in the CS sprays currently on trial; what is the solvent used; and what is the total volume of liquid in each canister. [23563]
Mr. Maclean: The information is as follows: 5 per cent., methyl isobutyl ketone and 30 ccs.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will institute an urgent inquiry into the use of CS gas spray during an incident in Rank's south Wirral leisure park on 25 March. [23965]
Mr. Maclean: No. This is an operational matter for the chief constable, who is conducting an investigation.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions Merseyside police have used CS gas since its introduction on a trial basis in the Birkenhead division; [23963]
- (2) on how many occasions CS spray has been used in each pilot area in the United Kingdom; [24711]
(3) on how many occasions CS spray has been used in the pilot areas after the initial arrest. [24709]
Mr. Maclean: Statistical information will be made available when the trials are complete.
Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate
Mr. Peter Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of the misuse of gamma hydroxy butyrate have been reported to his Department during the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [24140]
Mr. Sackville: There is no requirement to report cases of misuse of gammahydroxybutyrate to the Home Office and any reports to the Department of health's drug misuse databases are not at present recorded separately.
Mr. Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations his Department has received that gamma hydroxy butyrate be re-classified as a dangerous drug and added to the list of controlled substances. [24139]
Mr. Sackville: Since mid-1994 we have received seven letters, three questions from Members of Parliament and a similar small number of letters from members of the public about the classification of the drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
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Immigration
Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-EC nationals travelling to the United Kingdom from other EU member states were found by the United Kingdom immigration service to have inadequate travel or entry documentation in terms of United Kingdom requirements during 1995 (a) at Heathrow airport, (b) at the port of Dover, (c) on trains from Brussels or Paris, (d) at Waterloo station and (e) at Coquelles shuttle terminal; and how many in each category were refused leave to enter the United Kingdom.[24003]
Mr. Kirkhope: The information requested is as follows:
- (a) The number arriving specifically from European Union airports is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
(b) 1,526.
(c) Subsumed within the figure at (d) (all Paris and Brussels trains terminate at Waterloo; records are not maintained according to the place of embarkation).
(d) 1,218.
(e) All passengers travelling to the United Kingdom via Coquelles are seen by a United Kingdom immigration officer at Coquelles; those without adequate documentation are not permitted to travel.
Statistics relating to the number of passengers who arrive both without adequate documentation and who are also refused leave to enter are not readily available. Such information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Kirkhope: The information requested is as follows:
- (a) The number arriving specifically from European Union airports is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
(b) 116.
(c) The provisions of the Act do not apply to channel tunnel traffic.
(d) The provisions of the Act do not apply to channel tunnel traffic.
(e) The provisions of the Act do not apply to channel tunnel traffic.
Deportations
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were deported in (a) January, (b) February and (c) March. [24426]
Mr. Kirkhope: The numbers of persons removed under the deportation process, including voluntary departures after deportation action had been initiated, in January and February 1996 were 149 in each month. In addition, 241 and 197 illegal entrants were removed, or
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departed voluntarily, in the respective months. All the figures are provisional. The corresponding data for March are not yet available.
Winson Green Prison
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those people detained in HM prison Winson Green under Immigration Act powers during the months of January, February and March have been deported. [24425]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Alastair Papps to Lynne Jones, dated 3 April 1996:
Dr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were detained in HM prison Winson Green, under Immigration Act powers in (a) January, (b) February and (c) March; and what were the nationalities of those detained. [24424]
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking, how many of those people detained in Birmingham prison under Immigration Act powers during the months of January, February and March have been deported.
There were 23 people discharged and deported from Birmingham prison in January and 22 in February. There is no information currently available for March.
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Alastair Papps to Lynne Jones, dated 3 April 1996:
(11) Provisional figures.
Dr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who had at some stage applied for asylum were detained in HM prison Winson Green during (a) January, (b) February and (c) March; and what were the nationalities of those detained. [24423]
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking, how many people were detained in Birmingham prison under Immigration Act powers in (a) January, (b) February and (c) March; and what were the nationalities of those detained.
Information for 31 January and 29 February is given in the attached table. There is no information currently available for March.
Number
Nationality 31 January 29 February
Bangladesh 2 --
China 5 3
Algeria 2 6
India 27 25
Nigeria 4 5
Pakistan 6 9
Others 5 7
Total 51 55
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Mr. Kirkhope: The information requested is in the table.
| Nationality | 31 January | 29 February | 29 March |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | -- | 4 | 5 |
| Bangladesh | 2 | -- | 2 |
| China | 6 | 4 | -- |
| India | 22 | 16 | 14 |
| Pakistan | 8 | 9 | 7 |
| Nigeria | 2 | 2 | -- |
| Others | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 42 | 36 | 31 |
(12) Estimated breakdown.
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