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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 28 November 1996
HOME DEPARTMENT
Computers
Mr. Hoon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many separate computer programs his Department operates. [5515]
Mr. Howard: There is no universal definition of what constitutes a computer program. A formula or a simple line of executable code could be said to be a program. Most of my Department's information technology systems are supported by outside suppliers, so this information is known only to them. The major applications which are supported in-house are those of the police national computer, which has some 10,000 programs.
Mr. Hoon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many lines of computer code there are in his Department's computer systems. [5514]
Mr. Howard: Most of my Department's information technology systems are supported by outside suppliers, so this information is known only to them. The major applications which are supported in-house are those of the police national computer, which have some 1.5 million lines of code.
Women
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to measure and evaluate the effect of his Department's policies on women. [5490]
Mr. Howard: Policy appraisal guidance covering consideration of equal opportunities and equal treatment issues has been in place in the Home Office since 1989. The guidance requires officials to identify policy issues which might impact differentially on women and men, and other groups, to assess whether this is justified in policy terms, and to adjust the policy if it is not. The Department received revised guidance from the Department for Education and Employment in July this year and is currently considering how best to update existing guidance in line with this.
The recent Government report "One Year On" outlines action taken by Government, including my Department, to benefit women since the world conference on women, and also includes baseline statistics against which future progress can be measured.
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women are currently employed by his Department at each civil service grade. [6446]
Mr. Howard:
The following table shows the number of women currently employed by the Home Office at each civil service grade. The statistical information has been supplied from databases, which are currently being
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updated, held by the information technology unit of the central personnel management unit, the Directors General of Her Majesty's Prison Service and of the Forensic Science Service, and the chief executives of the United Kingdom Passport Agency and of the Fire Service College.
| All grades shown include Grade Equivalents where they exist | Number |
|---|---|
| Senior Civil Service (formerly grades 1-5) | 26 |
| Grade 6 | 30 |
| Grade 7 | 159 |
| Senior Executive Officer | 251 |
| Higher Executive Officer | 774 |
| Executive Officer | 2,740 |
| Administrative Officer | 3,790 |
| Administrative Assistant | 2,615 |
| Senior Forensic Scientist | 48 |
| Forensic Scientist | 125 |
| Assistant Forensic Scientist | 260 |
| Grade 4 (Prison Service) | 2 |
| Grade 5 (Prison Service) | 8 |
| Governor 1 (Prison Service) | 1 |
| Governor 2 (Prison Service) | 5 |
| Governor 3 (Prison Service) | 14 |
| Governor 4 (Prison Service) | 49 |
| Governor 5 (Prison Service) | 48 |
| Principal Officer (Prison Service) | 47 |
| Senior Officer (Prison Service) | 221 |
| Prison Officer | 2,177 |
| Prison Auxilliary | 616 |
| Nurse Grade 1 | 1 |
| Nursery Manager | 1 |
| Deputy Nursery Manager | 1 |
| Nursery Assistant | 1 |
| Total | 14,010 |
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of those employed by his Department in 1992-93 were women. [6475]
Mr. Howard: In September 1992--when annual monitoring data for 1992-93 were collected--of the total staff employed by the Home Office and its agencies, 26.2 per cent. were women. However, this figure rises to 50 per cent. if the Prison Service is excluded.
Casinos
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he had had with the chairman of the Wales tourist board concerning the relaxation of the casino regulations in Welsh resorts and cities under the pilot scheme. [5906]
Mr. Kirkhope: In July 1996, the Wales tourist board proposed that we should add Llandudno to the list of new permitted areas for casinos. We carefully considered this, but concluded that it would fall outside the criteria proposed by the Government.
We have sent our 12 November consultation paper to the chairman of the Wales tourist board. Comments are invited by 31 January, and we will take these into account when we make final decisions.
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Miss Emma Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the new measures announced on 9 December 1994 for the admission of overseas domestic workers will make the written agreement between employer and employee enforceable as a contract in the British courts. [5882]
Mr. Kirkhope:
The position of overseas domestic workers is no different from that of other employees in this respect. Contractual terms are matters for employers and employees to agree. Once agreed, they are legally binding and, in cases on non-compliance, employees can take action for breach of contract through the civil courts or, in certain circumstances, through industrial tribunals.
Miss Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions his Department has had with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Education and Employment regarding monitoring alleged abuse and exploitation of overseas domestic workers in the United Kingdom. [5883]
Mr. Kirkhope:
Domestic workers who are abused by their employers are advised to contact the police. Information about this is set out in the leaflet issued to domestic workers before arrival in the United Kingdom. These arrangements are kept under general review by the Government Departments concerned.
Miss Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department has had as to the feasibility of allowing overseas domestic workers in the United Kingdom to change employers. [5881]
Mr. Kirkhope:
We have received a number of representations in support of allowing overseas domestic workers to change employers, but we consider that this would be contrary to the purpose of the scheme, inconsistent with our immigration controls and against the interest of the resident labour force. Each case involving a domestic worker who wishes to remain in the United Kingdom after having left his or her employer is carefully considered and account is taken of any compassionate circumstances.
Mrs. Anne Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the outcome of recent negotiations with the National Federation of Retail Newsagents on the subject of the display of sexually explicit material appearing in newspapers such as Sunday Sport. [5776]
Mr. Sackville:
The Government share public concern about the manner in which the Sunday Sport is displayed in many newsagents. I regret that the National Federation of Retail Newsagents has not accepted that its members should display the Sunday Sport on the top shelf only. We are now considering what further action is open to us.
Mr. David Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued under the offensive weapons legislation in respect of the
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right of those selling (a) fish, (b) meat and (c) other foodstuffs from vehicles to carry in the vehicle suitable knives; and if he will make a statement. [5856]
Mr. Maclean:
None. Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 makes it an offence to carry a knife in public, but provides that it is a defence for a person to prove that he had good reason or lawful authority for having the knife with him, or that he had it with him for use at work, for religious reasons, or as part of any national costume.
Mr. Callaghan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures police forces are taking in conjunction with local education authorities to warn pupils of the dangers of drug taking. [5891]
Mr. Maclean:
As part of the Government's strategy "Tackling Drugs Together", each force has developed its own drugs strategy. One aspect of this is that police forces will continue to assess their role in drug prevention work in schools in close liaison with the local education authorities and school governing bodies over the three years of the strategy. Each force is taking measures which it considers would best fit in with local arrangements and priorities. For example, Greater Manchester police has appointed schools liaison officers on each division to work with schools on designing and delivering lessons on drug misuse.
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