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John Blair

Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when John Blair, detained in Her Majesty's prison Wakefield, applied to be repatriated to the Republic of Ireland; [28447]

(2) on what date John Blair, detained in Her Majesty's prison Wakefield, applied to be transferred to another prison; and when a decision is to be taken on his application. [28448]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 7 May 1996]: Mr. Blair, who is at present serving a prison sentence in Wakefield prison, registered an interest in repatriation to the Republic of Ireland in November of last year, when detained at Whitemoor prison. His case is at present under consideration.

Mr. Blair has not applied formally to transfer to another prison in England or Wales, so this information cannot be provided. Mr. Blair requested a transfer verbally and his request will be considered as soon as a vacancy arises.

Gang Violence

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what role has been played to date by MI6 in respect of gang violence; [28461]

(2) if he will commission an inquiry into the desirability of establishing a special national unit to tackle violent crime with particular reference to gang activity; [28463]

(3) what steps are being taken to investigate whether there is a link between organised crime, protection rackets and companies which supply bouncers and doormen to nightclubs and public houses; [28455]

(4) what steps are being taken to address the incidence of violence linked with gang activity; [28460]

(5) what percentage of violent crime can be attributed to organised gangs. [28466]

Mr. Maclean [holding answer 7 May 1996]: I will write to the hon. Member.

Patrick Kelly

Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when Patrick Kelly applied to be repatriated to prison in the Irish Republic; in which prison he was detained when his application for repatriation was accepted; and if he will make a statement; [28439]

(2) if he will list the names of those individuals and organisations who have submitted representations urging him to authorise the transfer to the Irish Republic of Patrick Kelly. [28440]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 7 May 1996]: Mr. Kelly first requested to be repatriated to the Republic of Ireland on 27 January 1994 at Parkhurst prison.

8 May 1996 : Column: 166

Consideration could not be given to this request until the Republic of Ireland ratified the Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons. The convention came into force for the Republic of Ireland on 1 November 1995.

Thirty-one representations have been received from members of the clergy, Members of Parliament, Members of the Irish Parliament, prisoner support groups and members of the public.

Scotland v. England Football Match

Mr. McAllion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure the safety of Scottish supporters at the Scotland v. England match at Wembley on 15 June, with particular reference to the segregation of rival supporters; and if he will make a statement. [28263]

Mr. Maclean [holding answer 7 May 1996]: The overall policing strategy for Euro 96 is aimed at ensuring the safety and well being of all genuine and law-abiding football supporters who will be coming to England to enjoy Euro 96. The hon. Member can be assured that adequate security arrangements will be in place for the England v. Scotland match on 15 June both inside and outside Wembley stadium.

The football authorities have taken account of the importance of segregating rival fans in their plans for allocating seats.

Anyone intending to disrupt Euro 96 matches, and so spoil the enjoyment of others, can expect to be swiftly dealt with by the police, prosecuting authorities and the courts.

Boot Camps

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what means he will evaluate the effectiveness of the boot camp experiment; and if he will make a statement. [27923]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 7 May 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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 8 May 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the means used to evaluate the effectiveness of the boot camp experiment.
We will assess changes in the attitudes and behaviour of the young offenders sent to Colchester young offender institution and the high intensity training centre at Thorn Cross young offender institution. We will also monitor re-convictions after release. The results will be compared with those from a control group of similar young offenders who will experience conventional young offender institution regimes.

Mr. Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research is available within the Prison Service on the probable reconviction rates from the high impact or boot camp regimes; and if he will make a statement. [27926]

8 May 1996 : Column: 167

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 7 May 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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 8 May 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about research available within the Prison Service on the probable reconviction rates from the high impact or boot camp regimes.
The two initiatives which we have announced, namely High Intensity Training and Colchester young offender institution, are both pilots. They themselves will be providing evidence of the effectiveness of the new approaches adopted, and there are no directly parallel initiatives to provide evidence at present on likely reconviction rates.
There is limited relevance in research on other schemes. Copies of readily available published research into American boot camps were placed in the Library of the House last year.
I must stress however that our two regimes are not copies of American boot camps.

Forensic Science Service

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many laboratories will close and how many jobs will be lost as a result of the merger of the Forensic Science Service with the Metropolitan police forensic science laboratory and if he will make a statement. [27925]

Mr. Maclean [holding answer 7 May 1996]: Restructuring proposals within the Forensic Science Service will result in the closure of one laboratory at Aldermaston, at the end of 1996. Possible closure of a further two laboratories is subject to further consultation. The merger with the Metropolitan police forensic science laboratory has allowed the restructuring to be planned on a national basis throughout England and Wales, but the need for major restructuring to streamline the service had been identified prior to the decision for the two organisations to be merged. All present scientific caseworking staff will be offered jobs in the FSS, but there will be some reduction in support staff.

Mr. Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when plans to merge the Forensic Science Service with the Metropolitan police forensic science laboratory will become operable; what safeguards will be put in place to ensure the impartiality of the new service; and if he will make a statement. [27927]

Mr. Maclean [holding answer 7 May 1996]: The Metropolitan police forensic science laboratory merged with the Forensic Science Service on 1 April 1996 to make the new FSS a national service throughout England and Wales. It remains a Home Office executive agency and the chief executive continues to have delegated authority for its operation under the terms of its framework agreement and within the policies determined by the Secretary of State. These include maintenance of the required impartiality and quality of its work, including its science. The FSS leads the way for forensic science organisations in external accreditation of its procedures to NAMAS M10 and ISO 9000 standards.

8 May 1996 : Column: 168

Police Information Technology Organisation

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the police information technology organisation will become operable; what plans he has to contract it out; and if he will make a statement. [27928]

Mr. Maclean [holding answer 7 May 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Lady Olga Maitland) on 1 April at column 60. There are no plans to contract out the police information technology organisation, although many of the information technology services it provides will continue to be delivered under contract by private sector suppliers.

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