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Inspectorate of Constabulary (Budget)

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the budget allocated to Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary in (a) 1992, (b) 1994, (c) 1995 and (d) 1996; and if he will make a statement. [26003]

Mr. Maclean: Budgets allocated were:

1992-93: 3,723
1993-94: 4,364
1994-95: 4,707
1995-96: 5,154
1996-97: 5,017

Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary has existed since 1856 and is the means by which my right hon. and learned Friend monitors the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces. The budget for 1996-97 will, as have previous budgets, enable Her Majesty's inspectorate to

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inspect police forces, monitor key police initiatives, advise on policing policy and promote good policing practices.

Police Officers

Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were (a) prosecuted and (b) disciplined in each of the last five years arising from cases where awards of damages or out-of-court settlements had been made; and in cases where offices were disciplined, what form the discipline took. [26009]

Mr. Maclean: This information is not held centrally.

Prisoners (Foreign Nationals)

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what records are kept by his Department of foreign nationals serving sentences in prisons in England and Wales; and how often these are updated. [26091]

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 Richard Tilt to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 24 April 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what records are kept on foreign nationals in prisons in England and Wales.
The information available centrally on individual prisoners is held on the Central System Database. Nationality information is included on that database and foreign nationals can be separately identified. The Central System Database is updated daily from information provided electronically by the individual prisons. Computer extracts are then taken once a month from the Central System Database for analytical purposes. Each prison will hold both manual and computer records for individual prisoners.

Chief Inspector of Prisons (Visits)

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unannounced prison visits have been made by the chief inspector of prisons since 1 January; and to which prisons in England and Wales. [26090]

Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prisons Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 24 April 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many unannounced prison visits have been made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons since 1 January; and to which prisons in England and Wales.

Since 1 January HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, or members of HM Inspectorate, have made four announced inspections of Prison Service establishments. The establishments inspected were Sudbury, Preston and Dartmoor prisons and Aylesbury young offender institution.

Boot Camps

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to set up boards of visitors

24 Apr 1996 : Column: 170

groups for military establishments being used as boot camps for young offenders; and if he will make a statement. [26303]

Miss Widdecombe: On 17 April, I announced our proposal to pilot a demanding new regime for young offenders at a young offender institution which is to be established at the military corrective training centre at Colchester. Her Majesty's young offender institution Colchester will be run under the young offender institution rules and will have a board of visitors appointed by the Home Secretary. There are currently no plans to pilot similar regimes at other military establishments.

Lowdham Grange

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the current and future use of the former borstal establishment and grounds at Lowdham Grange near Nottingham. [26416]

Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this mater 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 Richard Tilt to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 24 April 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the current and future use of the former Borstal establishment and grounds at Lowdham Grange near Nottingham.
Lowdham Grange has been mothballed since 1989. It is the Prison Service's intention to use the site for a 500 place closed training prison. The new prison will be built, financed and managed using the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). Contract signature is expected in the Autumn of 1996, with the view to opening the prison in December 1997.

Firearms Licences

Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licences for firearms and shotguns were (a) granted, (b) refused, (c) renewed and (d) varied for the last five years in Greater Manchester. [26466]

Mr. Maclean: The information requested is published annually in Home Office statistical bulletins "Firearm Certificate Statistics, England and Wales" (tables 2 and 4), copies of which can be found in the Library. The bulletin references are 23/91,19/92, 23/93, 22/94 and 11/95. Statistics for 1995 are not yet available.

Private Sector Contracts

Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a summary of the main contracts with the private sector for the provision of prison buildings and services, including information on the duration of contracts, and the terms of any break or review clauses, for each Prison Service establishment. [26038]

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.

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Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Jack Straw, dated 24 April 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about placing a summary of the main contracts with the private sector for the provision of custodial services in the Library of the House of Commons.
The contracts for the supply of custodial services at the Wolds, Blakenhurst, Doncaster and Buckley Hall prisons have been placed in the Library.
On 3 April, the contracts for the first two design, construct, manage and finance contracts for the provision of prisoner places at Bridgend and Fazakerley under the Government's Private Finance Initiative were also placed in the Library.
The only details not included in those copies is a relatively small amount of commercially sensitive information and, in the case of Bridgend and Fazakerley, an extensive design schedule which is sensitive for security reasons.
The parts dealing with duration and break clauses have been placed in the Library in full.

Firearms Amnesty

Mr. Trend: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can give further details of the forthcoming firearms amnesty. [26959]

Mr. Howard: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have today announced that a national firearms amnesty will start on 3 June and will run for the rest of that month. It will apply to England and Wales and to Scotland and will enable people to hand in to a police station illegally held weapons without fear of prosecution. It will not, however, give immunity against any offences committed using those weapons. The amnesty will also provide an opportunity for people to hand in unwanted but legally held weapons.

Guidance has been issued to the police to ensure that all appropriate arrangements are made to facilitate the surrender of weapons during the period of the amnesty.

Publicity material will be made available locally to provide people with information as to how they can hand in weapons.

Buckley Hall Prison

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the prisoner demonstration that occurred at Buckley Hall prison on 16 April; how many prisoners took part in a rooftop demonstration; how many were subsequently moved to another prison; and what investigations will be carried out by the Prison Service. [26024]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 23 April 1996]: 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 Richard Tilt to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 24 April 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking if he will make a statement on the prisoner demonstration that occurred at Buckley hall prison on the 16 April; how many prisoners took part in a rooftop demonstration; how many

24 Apr 1996 : Column: 172

were subsequently moved to another prison; and what investigations will be carried out by the Prison Service.
On 16 April a minor passive demonstration was made by a group of prisoners who wished to express grievances about tighter control on release on temporary licence. This was resolved by discussion and no disciplinary charges were laid. There was no roof top demonstration. The incident lasted approximately two hours.
Later in the day one prisoner was transferred to another establishment. Normal debriefing arrangements are now in hand with regard to the incident.

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions have been given to the local police in dealing with media inquiries in relation to Buckley Hall prison; and in what circumstances they are instructed by his Department to refer media inquiries about Buckley Hall prison to Group 4. [26025]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 23 April 1996]: 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 Richard Tilt to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 24 April 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what instructions have been given to the local police in dealing with media inquiries in relation to Buckley Hall prison; and in what circumstances they are instructed by his department to refer media inquiries about Buckley Hall prison to Group 4.
There are no instructions given to the local police when dealing with media inquiries in relation to Buckley Hall prison. Media incident inquiries within the Prison Service are normally referred to the Prison Service Press Office.
In addition Buckley Hall also refers inquiries to the Group 4 Press Office.

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 3 April, Official Report, column 291, on a full inspection of Buckley Hall prison, on what date, and by whom, the decision was taken that all new prisons should be operational for two years before being fully inspected and what are the implications of this for short, unannounced visits by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons. [25760]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 23 April 1996]: The decision that new Prison Service establishments should not be inspected until they have been operational for at least two years was taken in 1993 by the then chief inspector. The policy applies to inspections which are included in Her Majesty's inspectorate's annual programme of inspections. In addition, Her Majesty's chief inspector may inspect prisons unannounced, or direct a member of Her Majesty's inspectorate to do so, at any time.

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 3 April, Official Report, column 293, on security fencing at Buckley Hall prison, how the design of the initial fencing at the prison differed from other similar category C prisons; and for what reasons the cost of additional fencing and external cameras is being incurred by Group 4. [25761]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 23 April 1996]: 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.

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Letter from Richard Tilt to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 24 April 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the design of the fencing and the cost of additional fencing and external cameras at Buckley Hall prison.
The prison fence at Buckley Hall is a standard category C prison perimeter and was designed by the Prison Service.
Following the escape, on 19 February, of a prisoner who was serving a sentence of two and a half years for burglary a Prison Service investigation concluded that a number of factors had contributed to the escape.
Although Group 4's record for security at Buckley Hall is similar to that of comparable category C prisons, they were warned that the Prison Service took the view that there had been security failures and intended to impose a remedy. In the event Group 4, having reassessed physical security at Buckley Hall is investing in the provision of additional security measures including fencing and security cameras.

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