14 May 1996 : Column: 381
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 14 May 1996
HOME DEPARTMENT
Police (Housing Allowance)
Mr. Mills: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ensure consistent application of regulations relating to police officers' previous housing allowance where career breaks were taken prior to 1994. [28912]
Mr. Maclean: The application of the police regulations is a matter for police forces and police authorities. The regulations are clear about preserved entitlements to housing allowance for police officers who were appointed before 1 September 1994, including those who had been granted leave of absence for a career break. It would be for the Police Negotiating Board to consider in the first instance whether further amendment to the regulations was desirable and to make whatever recommendations to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department it considered appropriate.
Gardian Family (Llandudno)
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received on behalf of the Gardian family of Llandudno, North Wales; and if he will make a statement. [28901]
Mr. Kirkhope: We have received representations on behalf of the Gardian family from 12 hon. Members, two noble Lords and numerous members of the public. I have considered the relevant factors in this case and have decided that in the light of all the particular circumstances deportation action is not appropriate.
Forensic Explosives Laboratory
Mr. Merchant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the work of the forensic explosives laboratory. [29688]
Mr. Howard: On 14 March, explosives contamination was found in a centrifuge at the forensic explosives laboratory which is a part of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. The laboratory carried out a preliminary investigation and laid all the information before the Government in a formal report. A copy of that report has today been placed in the Library.
The forensic explosives laboratory's primary role is to provide scientific support to the police service and to provide expert witnesses for the Crown Prosecution Service in cases involving the criminal use of explosives. One of the services that it provides involves the laboratory analysis of swab samples taken to determine the presence of explosives and the type involved. This "trace" analysis involves a range of procedures, including the use in many cases of a centrifuge.
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The explosives contamination involved a small amount, not more than 30 micrograms or 30 millionths of a gram, of the explosive RDX, one of the main components of the explosive Semtex. It was detected in a part of a laboratory centrifuge which was probably already contaminated on its arrival at the forensic explosives laboratory in 1989. By normal standards, the amount of explosive detected was tiny; nevertheless, it should not have been there.
The centrifuge involved was immediately taken out of operational action on discovery of this contamination and the trace laboratory thoroughly cleaned. No incidences of contamination from the centrifuge could, therefore, occur from that point on.
There is a small theoretical possibility that any casework sample showing RDX traces may have been affected by the centrifuge contamination. Regular quality assurance tests undertaken by the laboratory have not revealed RDX traces at a level which would suggest that casework samples are likely to have been contaminated but this cannot be ruled out completely. This may call into question evidence submitted by the FEL in criminal cases involving RDX.
On present information there may be around a dozen such cases which resulted in convictions, but the identification of all relevant cases and assessment of the possible risk of contamination are matters on which I want independent advice. I have therefore decided that an immediate independent review of the casework and procedures at the forensic explosives laboratory must take place. The terms of reference will require the reviewer:
As soon as it is clear which cases involved an RDX trace and resulted in a conviction, we will notify the representatives of those concerned.
Once the report has been completed, I will decide what further action should be taken, particularly with regard to any concerns raised about the possible contamination of casework samples which subsequently resulted in criminal convictions. If appropriate, I will consider whether particular cases should be referred to the Court of Appeal.
From the information currently available to me, it would appear that the risk of contamination is small, but in a matter of this sensitivity I am determined to act only on the basis of the most rigorous and independent scientific assessments. I will keep the House fully informed of the outcome of that scrutiny and the measures which flow from it.
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Mr. Merchant:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement as police authority for the Metropolitan police on the recent report by Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary on Metropolitan police area 1. [29689]
Mr. Maclean:
Yes. We have today placed in the Library a note of the recommendations from the report, together with the Commissioner's responses and the police authority responses, which takes into account the advice that my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary and I have received from the Metropolitan police committee.
Mr. Litherland:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from what source the redundancy payments for the employees of the British Council who lose their jobs will be funded. [28970]
Mr. Hanley:
Redundancy payments and other compensation arrangements will be made by the British Council. The possibility of the Government helping the British Council with some of these restructuring costs is currently being considered in the context of the studies being carried out with the aim of avoiding overseas post closures.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent attack on the Governor of St. Helena; and what assessment he has made of the cause of the incident.[29263]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
On 19 April a demonstration outside the castle in Jamestown was organised to press demands for increased social security benefits. A number--about 60 to 70--of those demonstrators forced their way into the Governor's office. They were eventually persuaded to leave: there was no damage to property or harm to the Government servants involved.
The ODA had sent an expert adviser on social security to St. Helena in March. He has recommended changes to the social security system on the island, which are being studied by the St. Helena Government.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 23 April, Official Report, column 81, if the review is considering the rights of civil servants on temporary contracts to maternity leave; and when he expects the reviews to be (a) completed and (b) published. [29264]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
The review of the unestablished work force in respect of maternity leave is now complete. A new order is in the process of being drafted for inclusion in the public service orders to make provision for unestablished females to be granted maternity leave. The order will be published by 1 June 1996.
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Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to submit the administration of civil service pensions for employees of MI6 to (a) market testing and (b) privatisation. [29287]
Mr. Rifkind:
There are no plans to do so.
Mr. Alfred Morris:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what information her Department evaluated on access to Wembley stadium for disabled people; how it compared with such access to other major sporting venues; and if she will make a statement. [28658]
Mr. Sproat
[holding answer 13 May 1996]: My Department has made no evaluation of Wembley stadium or compared it with other sporting venues. The provision of disabled facilities in existing stadiums is the responsibility of the management of the ground in question. The Government strongly support improvements in facilities for disabled spectators at sports grounds, and the Sports Council takes into account disabled access when distributing lottery funds for grounds and facilities. Also, the Disability Discrimination Act creates new rights of access for disabled people. The Act places a duty on service providers to make adjustments to the premises, where reasonable, in order to make them more accessible. My hon. Friend the Minister for the Disabled is currently analysing the results of a consultation on the timetable for implementing the rights of access.
(1) to report on the general likelihood of contamination being spread from the centrifuge to samples in the laboratory;
Professor Brian Caddy, professor of forensic science at Strathclyde university, has agreed to undertake this review and will begin work shortly. He will report to me in the first instance, but the results and recommendations of his review will be made public.
(2) to examine FEL papers on all cases in which RDX traces were found and a criminal conviction resulted and assess the likelihood of contamination;
(3) to examine FEL procedures in the trace laboratory and make recommendations.
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