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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 18 June 1996
PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 18 June. [32060]
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 18 June. [32061]
The Prime Minister: This morning, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Berlin Bombing 1986
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister what changes have taken place in respect of Government policy relating to responsibility for the bombing of United States soldiers in 1986 in Berlin; what measures were taken to secure further information relating to Libyan involvement; and if he will make a statement. [32819]
The Prime Minister: None. The investigation of the 5 April 1986 bombing in Berlin is a matter for the German authorities.
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister if he will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the refusal of the United States Government to provide to the German prosecution authorities communication intercepts which the US authorities stated provide proof of the Libyan involvement in the Berlin Bombing in 1986; if he will raise the issue as being of community competence; and if he will make a statement. [32967]
The Prime Minister: No. This is a matter for the United States authorities.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Buckley Hall Prison
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he received the board of visitors' first annual report for Buckley Hall prison; and on what date it will be published. [30683]
Miss Widdecombe: The board of visitors' first annual report for Buckley Hall covering 1995 was received by my right hon. and learned Friend on 26 March.
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Boards of visitors' annual reports are not published documents. They are made to the Secretary of State who permits the board, if it wishes, to publish its report. In this case, the board decided at its meeting on 4 June to publish its annual report. A copy of the report can be made available to the hon. Member on written request to the vice-chairman of the board of visitors, Mr. J. H. Clements.
European Union Flag
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions were issued to his Department's offices and agencies in respect of flying the European Union flag on 8 May; and if he will make a statement. [31507]
Mr. Howard: I gave instructions that, as in previous years, the European Union flag should not be flown from Home Office buildings on 8 May.
Wandsworth Prison
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the present plans to refurbish A and B wings of Wandsworth prison; what is the estimated cost of such work; when is it proposed that this work will commence; and if he will make a statement. [32467]
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 18 June 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the present plans for the refurbishment of A and B wings at Wandsworth prison.
The Prison Service is considering three options for the refurbishment of A and B wings at Wandsworth prison which are not used at present. They are:
(i) comprehensive refurbishment at an estimated cost of £14m;
(ii) refurbishment and the installation of sanitation at an
estimated cost of £11m;
(iii) installation of basic sanitation at an estimated cost of £6m.
The start date for whichever option is chosen will depend on capital availability. Our aim is to start the work as soon as possible, given the general pressure on space in the prison system.
Prison Places
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average cost of a place in each prison for the financial year 1995-96. [32353]
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 A. J. Pearson to Mr. George Howarth, dated 18 June 1996:
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The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the average cost of a place in each prison for the financial year 1995-96.
These figures are not yet available. They will be sent to you as soon as they are ready.
Firearms Acts (Home Office Circulars)
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library an index of all Home Office circulars since 1967 relevant to the administration of the Firearms Acts 1968, 1992 and 1994, giving the number of circular, dated of issue and title. [32870]
Mr. Maclean: I have today placed an index of such circulars in the Library as requested.
Domestic Violence
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when is the next scheduled meeting of the ministerial group on domestic violence. [32697]
Mr. Maclean: I expect the group to meet again soon, once a range of work that has already been commissioned for it has been completed.
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons it is not possible for his Department to identify separately offences of domestic violence within the regular recorded crimes series collected centrally by the Home Office; and what plans he has to collate such statistics. [32698]
Mr. Maclean: There is currently no specific legislation which defines offences of "domestic violence" and therefore such incidents cannot be separately identified in the recorded crime data collection.
"Domestic violence" incidents could be recorded within one of several recorded crime classifications, that is public order offences, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm, indecent assault, rape or attempted rape, threats to kill, attempted murder homicide.
In terms of the recorded crime series, police forces are required to supply information by offence type rather than by victim and no data on the relationship of victim and suspect are routinely collected.
The ministerial group on domestic violence is currently considering ways of improving the statistical knowledge of the nature and extent of domestic violence.
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many semi-automatic and pump action shotguns have been certified as shotguns after being modified from section 1 firearms classification under the terms of the Firearms Act 1988 in each year since the Act came into operation. [32882]
Mr. Maclean:
Since the provisions of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 came into force, I understand that the proof houses at London and Birmingham have certified a total of 61,169 shotguns as modified in this manner. An annual breakdown of this figure is available only at disproportionate costs.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the clear-up rate of (a) threats or conspiracies to murder, (b) rape, (c) attempted rape, (d) attempted murders and
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(e) woundings with intent in the west midlands for each year since 1990; and he will express the figures as a percentage change from 1990. [32878]
Mr. Maclean:
The available information is given in the tables. The clear-up rate for offences of attempted rape is included within the clear-up rate for the substantive offence and is not separately identifiable.
| Threat or conspiracy to murder | Rape | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Clear-up rate percentage | Percentage point change over 1990 | Clear-up rate percentage | Percentage point change over 1990 |
| 1990 | 97 | n/a | 77 | n/a |
| 1991 | 97 | 0 | 86 | +9 |
| 1992 | 92 | -5 | 73 | -4 |
| 1993 | 87 | -10 | 69 | -8 |
| 1994 | 95 | -2 | 77 | 0 |
| 1995 | 93 | -4 | 68 | -9 |
n/a = not applicable.
| Attempted murder | Wounding | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Clear-up rate per cent. | Percentage point change over 1990 | Clear-up rate per cent. | Percentage point change over 1990 |
| 1990 | 96 | n/a | 76 | n/a |
| 1991 | (1)104 | +8 | 76 | 0 |
| 1992 | 94 | -2 | 73 | -3 |
| 1993 | 88 | -8 | 71 | -5 |
| 1994 | 100 | +4 | 69 | -7 |
| 1995 | 88 | -8 | 65 | -11 |
(1) Offences cleared up in current year may have been recorded in an earlier year.
n/a = not applicable.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of crimes involving serious physical violence or immediate danger to life per 100,000 population in the west midlands for each year since 1990; if he will express the figures as a percentage change from 1990; and if he will give comparable figures for France, Germany and the Netherlands. [32880]
Mr. Maclean: The available information relates to offences of violence against the person and is given in the table. Comparable figures for France, Germany and the Netherlands are not available.
| Rate per 100,000 population | Percentage change over 1990 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 390 | n/a |
| 1991 | 407 | +4 |
| 1992 | 443 | +14 |
| 1993 | 417 | +7 |
| 1994 | 395 | +1 |
| 1995 | 328 | -16 |
n/a = not applicable.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of (a) rapes, (b) attempted rapes, (c) attempted murders, (d) woundings
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with intent to do grievous bodily harm and (e) threats or conspiracies to murder in the west midlands for each year since 1990; and if he will express the figures as a percentage change from 1990. [32879]
Mr. Maclean: The available information is given in the tables. Figures for the number of attempted rapes are included with the substantive offence and are not separately identifiable.
| Rape | Attempted murder | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Number of offences | Percentage change over 1990 | Number of offences | Percentage change over 1990 |
| 1990 | 170 | n/a | 25 | n/a |
| 1991 | 214 | +26 | 27 | +8 |
| 1992 | 207 | +22 | 33 | +32 |
| 1993 | 204 | +20 | 43 | +72 |
| 1994 | 211 | +24 | 38 | +52 |
| 1995 | 237 | +39 | 50 | +100 |
n/a = not acceptable.
| Wounding | Threat or conspiracy to murder | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Number of offences | Percentage change over 1990 | Number of offences | Percentage change over 1990 |
| 1990 | 9,952 | n/a | 168 | n/a |
| 1991 | 10,330 | +4 | 178 | +6 |
| 1992 | 11,269 | +13 | 232 | +38 |
| 1993 | 10,674 | +7 | 180 | +7 |
| 1994 | 10,149 | +2 | 152 | -10 |
| 1995 | 8,377 | -16 | 127 | -u24 |
n/a = not acceptable.
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