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Risley Prison
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the most recent escape took place from Risley prison. [26335]
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 24 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 Mr. Doug Hoyle, dated 29 April 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the most recent escape from Risley.
The most recent escape took place on 9 April 1996, when a prisoner escaped by hiding on a Prison Service vehicle as it left the prison. An internal enquiry is currently underway.
Mr. Raghbir Singh
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long Mr. Raghbir Singh has been detained without charged; what reasons have been given to Mr. Singh for his detention; and when he can expect to be released. [26885]
Mr. Howard: Raghbir Singh has been detained since 29 March 1995, pending deportation on the ground that his presence is not conducive to the public good for reasons of national security. There is no proposal to release him before deportation.
The lawfulness of my decision to detain Mr. Singh under Immigration Act powers and to initiate deportation action against him has been the subject of judicial review proceedings before both the High Court and the Court of Appeal. On both occasions, the courts concluded that the action was lawful.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each financial year from 1990-91 the amount of capital expenditure for (a) the Prison Service, (b) police and (c) other Department functions covered by the private finance initiative or other unconventional capital arrangements, together with the figures from 1990-91 and for each future financial year for which information is available of the estimated revenue or other financial consequences of that capital expenditure. [26036]
Mr. Howard [holding answer 24 April 1996]: Details of the estimated capital expenditure and revenue consequences to 2000-01 are as follows:
29 Apr 1996 : Column: 406
| Year | Capital expenditure | Revenue consequences |
|---|---|---|
| 1990-95 | Nil | Nil |
| 1995-96 | 8 | Nil |
| 1996-97 | 72 | 2 |
| 1997-98 | 190 | 34 |
| 1998-99 | 105 | 89 |
| 1999-00 | n/a | 110 |
| 2000-01 | n/a | 111 |
| Year | Capital expenditure | Revenue consequences |
|---|---|---|
| 1990-94 | Nil | Nil |
| 1994-95 | (16)-- | 2 |
| 1995-96 | (16)-- | 4 |
| 1996-97 | 1.5 | 4 |
| 1997-98 | 0.5 | 7 |
| 1998-99 | 0 | 5 |
| 1999-00 | (17)-- | 20 |
| 2000-01 | (17)-- | 40 |
(16) The capital cost of the police national (telecommunications) network has largely been incurred during these years, and is estimated to be approximately £50 million.
(17) The capital cost of the public safety radio communications project, estimated at some £500 million, is expected to be incurred after 1998-99.
In addition to the above, individual police forces are expected to develop PFI projects.
| Year | Capital expenditure | Revenue consequences |
|---|---|---|
| 1990-95 | Nil | Nil |
| 1995-96 | 12 | Nil |
| 1996-97 | 34.5 | 4 |
| 1997-98 | 53.5 | 21 |
| 1998-99 | 58 | 55 |
| 1999-00 | n/a | 64 |
| 2000-01 | n/a | 65 |
EU Directives
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the directives which have affected his Department in each of the past three years and (a) the United Kingdom legislation introduced as a result of the directives, (b) the United Kingdom legislation which goes beyond the minimum standards set out in the directives and (c) the clauses within each piece of United Kingdom legislation which amplify the minimum standards set out in the directives. [27085]
Mr. Howard: Information is not held centrally concerning the directives which affect my Department, and such information could be compiled only at disproportionate cost. However, my Department has taken lead or shared responsibility for the following directives and resulting United Kingdom legislation during the past three years:
29 Apr 1996 : Column: 407
Directive (92/58/EEC) on the minimum requirements for the provision of safety and/or health signs at work, implemented by the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996;
Directive (92/91/EEC) concerning minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers in the mineral extracting industries through drilling, implemented by the Borehold Sites and Operations Regulations 1995;
Directive (93/96/EEC) on rights of residence for students, implemented by the Immigration (European Economic Area) Order 1994;
Directive (93/109/EC) laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for citizens of the Union in a member state of which they are not nationals, implemented by the European Parliamentary Elections (Changes to the Franchise and Qualification of Representatives) Regulations 1994;
7th directive (94/21/EC) on summer time arrangements, implemented by the Summer Time Order 1994;
Directive (94/80/EC) laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in local government elections for citizens of the Union in a member state of which they are not nationals, implemented by the Local Government Elections (Changes to the Franchise and Qualification of Representatives) Regulations 1995;
Directive (95/46/EC) on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, implementation required by 1998.
Electoral Registration
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the report of the working group on electoral registration. [26975]
Mr. Sackville: After consulting the political parties and local authority associations, we concluded that there was not enough support for the major changes discussed in the report to justify pursuing them.
Prison Escapes
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of escapes by prisoners in England and Wales during 1995; and how many are still at large. [26544]
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 29 April 1996:
29 Apr 1996 : Column: 408
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of escapes by prisoners in England and Wales during 1995 and the number still at large.
There were 122 escapes in 1995. Of these, 27 prisoners remain unlawfully at large.
Serco Ltd.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contracts his Department and his agencies have with Serco Ltd.; what is the current cost; when each contract ends; what are the penalties involved should he seek early termination of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [26682]
Mr. Howard: My Department has seven current contracts with Serco Ltd., as follows:
- (a) Five contracts, work on which has been completed and where there has been no early termination of contracts. Contracts will end when final accounts have been paid and any retention sums returned as appropriate. This is scheduled to be by September 1996.
(b) Two contracts due to expire on 31 May 1997 and 28 November 1997 respectively. The sums payable in the event of early termination cannot be pre-ascertained. Under the conditions of contract, if the Home Office were to terminate either contract early, through no fault of the Contractor, any payment would be calculated taking into account only the losses directly attributable to and unavoidably incurred, as a result o the termination. Were the contracts to be terminated due to contractor default or breach of certain contract terms, provisions exist for the Home Office to recover any losses incurred as a result.
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