---

Women Police Officers

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women police officers in the metropolis have referred employment grievances to industrial tribunals in each of the last five years; and how many of these cases have been dismissed. [34758]

Mr. Maclean: The Commissioner informs me that the information requested is not available before July 1995. Since July 1995, the Metropolitan police have dealt with 49 applications to industrial tribunals by women police

27 Jun 1996 : Column: 185

officers. Of these cases, 10 have been withdrawn, three were settled and six dismissed. The remaining 30 cases are outstanding.

Hoax Calls

Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the annual number of hoax calls to the emergency services in each of the last five years (a) in Bolton, (b) in the north-west and (c) nationally, indicating the approximate cost of each call-out; [34408]

27 Jun 1996 : Column: 186

(2) if he will list the annual number of hoax calls to the fIre service in each of the last five years (a) in Bolton, (b) in the north-west and (c) nationally indicating the approximate cost of each call-out; and if he will make a statement. [34409]

Mr. Sackville: Information on the number of times the police attend a hoax call and on the cost of so doing is not available centrally. The readily available information on malicious false alarm incidents attended by local authority fire brigades in the north-west and the United Kingdom is shown in the table. Information on cost is not collected centrally.

27 Jun 1996 : Column: 185

Malicious false fire arms attended by local authority fire brigades in the North-West of England and United Kingdom, 1990-94

Year	Cumbria	Cheshire	Greater Manchester	Lancashire	Merseyside	United Kingdom
1990	660	1,604	11,610	3,474	6,249	137,540
1991	807	1,548	13,191	4,305	6,562	148,112
1992	1,013	1,457	11,972	4,745	6,451	160,302
1993	1,242	1,398	11,135	4,201	6,846	155,169
1994	1,004	1,491	10,461	3,868	7,048	149,201

Source:

Home Office.

27 Jun 1996 : Column: 185

Royal Commission on Criminal Justice

Mr. Thomason: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to issue a final response to the report of the royal commission on criminal justice. [35118]

Mr. Maclean: I have today placed in the Library a copy of the Government's final response to the report of the royal commission on criminal justice.

The royal commission made 352 recommendations. The Government have accepted, wholly or in part, 204 recommendations and 58 remain under consideration in the light of other initiatives and developments. The Government have decided not to implement 46 recommendations. The remaining 44 recommendations are not primarily for the Government, but the response indicates the action that the Government understand to have been taken.

Parole Board

Lady Olga Maitland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Parole Board will become an executive non-departmental public body; and how its functions will alter. [35119]

Mr. Howard: A commencement order has been made that will bring into effect on 1 July 1996 section 149 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. This will establish the Parole Board as an executive non-departmental public body. The statutory functions of the board will not be affected; the changes are essentially administrative and will make the board more accountable for its performance. A copy of the board's management statement and the financial memorandum will be placed in the Library.

Staffordshire Police

Mr. Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for Staffordshire police force the (a) number of serving officers, (b) number

27 Jun 1996 : Column: 186

of officers on the beat, (c) average police pay in real terms and (d) cost of the service in real terms for each year since 1979. [34346]

Mr. Maclean: Information on the number of serving officers is set out in table 1. Information on the number of officers specifically assigned to beat duties is not available. Estimates of the number of offices on patrol duties are available from 1989 and are also set out in table 1.

Information on average police pay and total force expenditure is available only from 1988-90 and is set out in table 2.

Staffordshire policeTotal force strength and number of patrol officers

Police strength		Patrol strength (5)
Month/year	All ranks	Year(6)	Number of officers
April 1979	1,980	--	--
March 1980	2,051	--	--
March 1981	2,096	--	--
March 1982	2,086	--	--
March 1983	2,080	--	--
March 1984	2,090	--	--
March 1985	2,066	--	--
March 1986	2,087	--	--
March 1987	2,113	--	--
March 1988	2,135	--	--
March 1989	2,164	--	--
March 1990	2,187	1989	1,278
March 1991	2,217	1990	1,300
March 1992	2,176	1991	1,091
March 1993	2,179	1992	1,304
March 1994	2,208	1993	1,234
March 1995	2,231	(7)1994-95	1,314
March 1996	2,209	(8)1995-96	1,302

(5) Based on returns provided by police forces, showing officers who spend more than 50 per cent. of their time on patrol duties. These include foot, car, beat and dog patrol, and mounted officers.

(6) Collected per calendar year--as at 31 December each year.

(7) The basis of collection changed in 1994 to the financial year. Figures now taken as at 31 March.

(8) Provisional.

27 Jun 1996 : Column: 187

Staffordshire police Total expenditure and average pay and allowance per police officer (at 1995-96 prices)

Year	Total force expenditure £	Average pay and allowances per officer (9) £
1988-89	81,550,000(10)	24,298
1989-90	84,499,000(10)	24,665
1990-91	93,196,000	26,780
1991-92	96,446,000	27,335
1992-93	99,778,000	27,644
1993-94	103,652,000	27,487
1994-95	105,514,000	27,777
1995-96	106,681,000(11)	n/a
1996-97	111,128,000(11)	n/a

(9) Estimated by dividing total pay and allowance expenditure by total police strength as shown in Table 1.

(10) Excludes capital and loan charges expenditure (information not readily available).

(11) Estimated expenditure.

Compliance Cost Assessments

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to ensure that each legislative measure put forward by his Department contains a compliance cost assessment (a) relating to small firms and (b) in respect of which small firms have been consulted. [34126]

Mr. Howard [holding answer 26 June 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 26 June, column 119.

Locks

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being taken by his Department to encourage the purchase of British manufactured locks in the establishments under the control of his Department. [34568]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 26 June 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.

27 Jun 1996 : Column: 188

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. David Winnick, dated 27 June 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about measures to encourage the purchase of British manufactured locks.
The Prison Service is required to comply with the requirements of public competition laws when letting a contract for the supply of locks. This is done irrespective of the country of origin.

Immigrants (Marriage Breakdown)

Ms Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) women and (b) men admitted to the United Kingdom on probation as a spouse were refused leave to remain due to the breakdown of the marriage before the end of the 12-month probationary period in (i) 1993, (ii) 1994 and (iii) 1995; and in each case what proportion of these marriages broke down due to the spouse seeking settlement having suffered domestic violence from the settled spouse. [34733]

Mr. Kirkhope: A decision to grant or refuse an application for indefinite leave to remain made on the basis of marriage to a person settled here would normally be taken at the end of the 12-month probationary period. The numbers of women and men refused leave to remain at that stage, which include those admitted as a spouse and those who married in this country, are given in the table. Allegations of domestic violence are not separately recorded.

Refusals of applications for indefinite leave to remain on the grounds of marriage 1993-95

	1993	1994	1995
Women	300	370	440
Men	330	410	490

---