| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Maternity Leave
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women took maternity leave for each year from 1992; and what proportion they represented (a) of all women employees and (b) all employees. [34967]
Mr. Heald: The information is not available.
9 Jul 1996 : Column: 139
War Pensions
Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 21 June, Official Report, columns 635-36, in which wars or military operations the additional 72,727 people in receipt of war disablement pension between 1990 and 1995 were disabled. [36120]
Mr. Heald: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
However, applications for consideration for a war pension can relate to any period of service in the armed forces including peacetime and training activities.
National Disability Council
Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the National Disability Council will report on its activities during the 1995-96 financial year. [36664]
Mr. Burt: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has today laid before Parliament the first annual report of the National Disability Council.
The NDC has reported on its activities since it was created in January 1996 and set out what it hopes to achieve during 1996-97.
The report shows that the NDC has been influential with Government and has a proactive approach to identifying what more can be done to ending discrimination against disabled people.
Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Nigel Evans:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the 12th annual report of the chief adjudication officer; and if he will make a statement. [36686]
Mr. Roger Evans:
The report is being published today. The chief adjudication officer's findings record a year of mixed achievement for the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service. We are pleased that, overall, the percentage of decisions correct in every respect shows an improvement on the previous year, but we are disappointed that the momentum of that year had not been carried forward to produce an even better performance.
Both the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service are committed to improving standards of adjudication. The chief adjudication officer will continue to work with the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service in this task, which will become all the more demanding and important in the short term whilst the jobseekers allowance is being introduced. His findings will, as he suggest, also provide an important contribution to the current review of the legal framework for decision and appeals.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has given to
9 Jul 1996 : Column: 140
the Director General of the Prison Service concerning the making of public statements on prison policy and operational matters. [34999]
Miss Widdecombe:
Guidance on such matters is contained in the agency chief executives' Handbook, a copy of which is in the Library.
Mr. Keith Hill:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many actions for compensation following alleged maltreatment by police were taken in the civil courts against the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis between 1 April 1991 and 31 March 1996; and, of that number, how many (a) were discontinued, (b) were decided in favour of the Metropolitan police, (c) were decided against the Metropolitan police, (d) were settled out of court and (e) are still pending. [35486]
| Discontinued | Settled out of court | Decided in favour of the Metropolitan police | Decided against the Metropolitan police | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | n/a | 74 | 7 | 9 |
| 1992 | n/a | 85 | 10 | 11 |
| 1993 | n/a | 140 | 8 | 6 |
| 1994 | n/a | 174 | 23 | 11 |
| 1995 | 15 | 140 | 28 | 22 |
| 1996 (to 3 July) | 6 | 47 | 4 | 9 |
I understand that records of cases pending are not kept as a high percentage are never formally discontinued.
Mr. Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in how many cases of actions for compensation following alleged maltreatment by police taken in the civil courts against the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis between 1 April 1991 and 31 March 1996, the commissioner (a) accepted liability and (b) issued an apology. [35487]
- (2) for each financial year from 1 April 1991 to 31 March 1996, what was the cost of (a) internal and (b) external legal fees expended separately by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis in respect of actions for compensation following alleged maltreatment by police taken in the civil courts against the commissioner; [35488]
(3) what was the cost of (a) internal and (b) external, legal fees expended by the Metropolitan police in respect of actions for compensation following alleged maltreatment by police taken in the civil courts against the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis for each financial year from 1 April 1991 to 31 March 1996; [35489]
(4) on what dates between 1 April 1991 and 31 March 1996, civil court actions for compensation following alleged maltreatment were decided against the Metropolitan police; and how much was awarded in each case. [35491]
Mr. Maclean: This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates between 1 April 1991 and 31 March 1996 actions for compensation following alleged
9 Jul 1996 : Column: 141
maltreatment by police were settled out of court; and where made public, what was the amount of the settlement in each case. [35490]
Mr. Maclean: This information is not available centrally.
Recidivism
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the most recently available numbers of prisoners reconvicted within (a) two years, (b) four years and (c) five years of discharge from each category C prison. [35595]
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. George Howarth, dated 9 July 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking for the most recently available number of prisoners reconvicted within (a) two years, (b) four years and (c) five years of discharge from each category C prison.
The information requested is not immediately available and I will write to the hon. Member when we have the figures.
Prisons (Boards of Visitors)
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of members of prison boards of visitors. [35598]
Miss Widdecombe: The total number of boards of visitors members currently serving as at 3 July is 1,711.
Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time members of prison boards of visitors currently serve. [35596]
Miss Widdecombe: Based on a representative sample of the 252 members who left the work of boards of visitors during 1995, the average length of time members of boards of visitors serve is 5 years 4 months.
Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of prison boards of visitors had served for longer than 14 years on 1 January. [35599]
Miss Widdecombe: The number of boards of visitors members who had served for longer than 14 years on 1 January is 140.
Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of prison boards of visitors have served for longer than 15 years. [35597]
Miss Widdecombe: The number of boards of visitors members who have served for longer than 15 years as at 3 July is 139.
Violent Offenders
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners who were convicted of an offence involving violence against the person are currently in an open prison. [35689]
9 Jul 1996 : Column: 142
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.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |