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Criminal Cases Review Commission
Mr. Hutton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were received for appointment as chairman of the Criminal Cases Review Commission; and which recruitment consultants were appointed to assist in the selection procedure. [36253]
Mr. Kirkhope: Thirty-seven applications were received in response to the advertisement for the post of chairman of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, and 87 candidates were drawn from other sources. Recruitment and Assessment Services was appointed to assist in the selection process.
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Mr. Raghbir Singh
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to respond to the resolution carried in the European Parliament over the case of Mr. Raghbir Singh. [36360]
Mr. Howard: I have noted the resolution carried in the European Parliament. I have no plans to respond.
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received about the case of Raghbir Singh from (a) members of the British Sikh community, (b) right hon. and hon. Members and (c) from other individuals and organisations. [36401]
Mr. Howard: The number of representations received from members of the British Sikh community and from other individuals and organisations is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. For the number of representations from right hon. and hon. Members, I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the reply given to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 1 July 1996, column 311.
Stalking
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish his proposals to deal with stalking; and if he will make a statement. [36688]
Mr. Howard: I am today publishing a joint consultation paper with the Lord Chancellor on stalking. A copy has been placed in the Library.
Stalkers can have a devastating effect on the lives of their victims, who are entitled to expect that the law will protect them. But this is a difficult area in which to legislate as stalkers often behave in ways which do not overtly threaten their victims. But its sheer, oppressive persistence makes this activity so threatening.
The consultation paper proposes a new tort which will allow the victims of stalkers to seek an injunction against further harassment. It also proposes two new criminal offences which are intended to ensure that stalkers can be punished for activity which causes people to fear for their safety or which more generally causes harassment, alarm or distress.
It is important that any new measures against stalkers deal effectively with the problem whilst at the same time do not prevent people from going about their lawful business. That is why it is important for the Government to consult on this subject.
Ms Lynne:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many temporary release failures have occurred at Buckley Hall prison since December 1994; what is the percentage of total temporary decisions that have resulted in temporary release failures at Buckley Hall prison; and what is the percentage of total temporary decisions that have resulted in temporary failures at male category C prisons. [33772]
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Miss Widdecombe
[holding answer 24 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.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 9 July 1996:
Mr. Pickthall:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost, for each police authority, of policing car boot sales in the last year for which figures are available; and if it is policy for site owners to contribute to such costs. [35586]
Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 8 July 1996]: This information is not collected centrally. If the organisers of car boot sales request a police presence, chief officers of police can consider making a charge under section 15 of the Police Act 1964 for the provision of special police services.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for (a) 1993, (b) 1994 and (c) 1995 the mean and range of the delays between advice being issued by the Committee on Safety of Medicines relating to compulsory variation of a product licence and a letter in terms of paragraph 6 of schedule 2 of the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations Etc.) Regulations 1994 or previous equivalent legislation begin issued; and what assessment he had made of the performance of the Medicines Control Agency and Committee on Safety of Medicines in this regard. [35090]
Mr. Malone:
In 1993 and 1994 there were no compulsory variations.
In 1995 there were three compulsory variations, two of which related to the same safety issue. The times between advice being formulated by the Committee on Safety of Medicines and a letter being issued under paragraph 6 of schedule 2 of the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, etc.,) Regulations 1994 were on2, 82 and 84 days.
No specific assessment has been made of this issue.
Mr. Spearing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the reply sent by
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members of the Cabinet expenditure committee to each of the eight matters drawn to their attention by the Alliance of Service Users, Carers, Advocates, Purchasers and Providers in Community Care. [35633]
Mr. Thurnham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish his response to the letter dated June 1996 from the President of the Association of Directors of Social Services, on behalf of the Alliance of Service Users, Carers, Advocaters, Purchasers and Providers in Community Care, headed "Funding for Community Care". [36002]
Mr. Bowis:
I am considering my response to the matters raised by the Alliance of Service Users, Carers, Advocates, Purchasers and Providers in Community Care.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the relationship between life style and (a) asthma and (b) diabetes; and if he will make a statement. [35857]
Mr. Horam:
Information on research commissioned by the Department of Health is contained in "The Centrally Commissioned Research Programme" and "The Centrally Commissioned Research Programme: Commissions in 1994-95", copies of which are available in the Library.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action he is taking to ensure the implementation in all NHS hospitals of their "The Health of the Nation" nutrition guidelines for hospital catering with particular reference to (a) helping patients needing assistance with eating and drinking while their meals are hot, (b) reviewing patients at risk of malnutrition as agreed in their individual care plan and (c) setting up local groups including patient representatives to implement the guidance; and if he will make a statement; [35838]
Mr. Horam:
These are matters for local management. Further detailed guidance on catering good practice, "Hospital catering--Delivering a quality service", which includes a section relating to the nutrition guidelines, will be issued on 16 July. I will place copies of this guidance in the Library.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce legislation to entitle people to gain access to all medical reports made about them by clinicians who have not been responsible for their clinical care, with particular reference to reports commissioned by insurance companies; and if he will make a statement. [35842]
Mr. Horam:
A person already has a right of access to medical reports, if held on computer, under the Data Protection Act 1984. The European Community directive
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on data protection, 95/46/EC, requires the extension of our existing data protection to certain manually held records. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department is currently consulting on the implementation of the directive in the United Kingdom. We shall be considering in due course what action is called for.
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question on temporary release failures at Buckley Hall prison since December 1994 and the percentage of total temporary release decisions that have resulted in temporary release failures at male category C prisons.
Since December 1994, seven hundred and sixty four prisoners have been released on temporary licence from Buckley Hall prison, of which thirty eight (4.9 per cent) have failed to return on time. Recent improvements in risk assessment at Buckley Hall has resulted in a drop in the failure to return on time rate to 2.6 per cent. for the first quarter of 1996-7.
The percentage of total temporary release decisions at all male category C prisons which have resulted in failures to return since December 1994 is 0.4 per cent.
(2) what action he is taking to ensure the implementation in all NHS hospitals of their "The Health of the Nation" nutrition guidelines for hospital catering in respect of patients with sensory disabilities; and if he will make a statement. [35839]
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