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Drug Seizures
21. Mr. Simon Coombs: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total estimated street value of the drugs seized in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years. [6168]
Mr. Maclean: The total estimated street value of drugs seized by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise was £475 million in 1993, £551 million in 1994, and £458 million in 1995.
Estimates of the street value of police seizures of illegal drugs are not collected centrally.
Police and Local Authority Co-operation
22. Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make co-operation between local authorities and the police on matters of crime prevention a statutory requirement. [6170]
Holocaust Denial
24. Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make holocaust denial a criminal offence. [6172]
Mr. Kirkhope: I have no such plans.
5 Dec 1996 : Column: 748
Knives
25. Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the current legislation affecting the purchase by the public of knives; and if he will make a statement. [6173]
Mr. Maclean: The sale of flick-knives and gravity knives is prohibited under the Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959, as amended. My right hon. and learned Friend can prohibit the sale of other weapons by specifying them in an order under section 141 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Fourteen bladed and other articles have been prohibited in this way. My right hon. and learned Friend will consider adding further articles where they can be defined in a way which distinguishes them from articles which have legitimate purposes. There were 62 convictions for offences under these two pieces of legislation between 1985 and 1995. We have also proposed the introduction of a new offence of marketing a knife in a way which suggests a violent use for it.
Prisoners (Serving of Sentences)
27. Mr. Jacques Arnold: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that convicted prisoners serve their full sentence. [6175]
Mr. Maclean: I believe that there should be greater honesty in sentencing. Accordingly, the Crime (Sentences) Bill contains provisions which will ensure that the sentence actually served will match more closely the sentence imposed by the court.
Mr. Stephen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the effects of his proposals to abolish the present parole and early release arrangements. [4048]
Mr. Maclean: I refer my hon. Friend to amendment No. 76 to the Crime (Sentences) Bill and the associated new clause 8, which were considered in Committee on 3 December. The amendments make clear the intended effects of the Government's proposals to abolish the present parole and early release arrangements.
Homeless People (Voting Rights)
28. Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in the past year concerning the voting rights of homeless people; and if he will make a statement. [6176]
Mr. Sackville: As well as a small amount of correspondence from members of the public, we have received some 15 representations from hon. Members, mostly urging us to issue guidance to electoral registration officers. In addition, a petition organised by The Big Issue was received. Officials have also been in correspondence with organisations representing the homeless. Guidance was issued in July.
Japanese Pupils (Visas)
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Japanese citizens aged between 11 and 18 years held visas allowing them to study in the United Kingdom at boarding schools in each year from 1990 to 1996. [7280]
5 Dec 1996 : Column: 749
Mr. Kirkhope: The number of Japanese citizens aged 11 to 17 years who were admitted on arrival as students to the United Kingdom for more than six months were:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 860 |
| 1991 | 680 |
| 1992 | 890 |
| 1993 | 810 |
| 1994 | 870 |
| 1995 | 1,050 |
| 1996 January to September | (6)1,080 |
(6) Provisional.
Information on the type of education institution attended, and whether the person had an entry clearance, is not available.
Drunkenness (London)
Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the number of arrests for drunkenness in the Finchley and Golders Green division of the Metropolitan police during each of the past five years. [7251]
Mr. Maclean: The area of Finchley and Golders Green is policed by the Golders Green division of the Metropolitan police. The number of arrests for drunkenness on the division since 1994 is as follows:
| Year | Arrests |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 305 |
| 1995 | 366 |
| 1996 to date | 135 |
Figures for earlier years are not readily available.
Police (Administrative Burdens)
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in implementing each of the recommendations in the Home Office police research group paper 3, "Opportunities for Reducing the Administrative Burdens on the Police" (1993). [7444]
Mr. Maclean: The analysis contained in police research group paper 3, which was the work of independent consultants from PA Consulting Group commissioned by my right hon. and learned Friend, provided much of the source material for the Masefield scrutiny into administrative burdens on the police in the context of the criminal justice system.
The 16 recommendations contained in PA's report are reflected in the recommendations and endorsements subsequently presented in the Masefield scrutiny report. These recommendations are being taken forward by the trial issues group. An action plan is prepared quarterly to track progress with implementing the recommendations.
Mr. Straw:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the recommendations of the Masefield scrutiny report on police paperwork; what progress has been made in implementing these recommendations; and if he will place a copy of the document in the Library. [7445]
5 Dec 1996 : Column: 750
Mr. Maclean:
The Masefield scrutiny into administrative burdens on the police in the context of the criminal justice system reported in June 1995. Recommendation 4 and endorsements 8 and 9 in the report concerned police paperwork on case files.
Full or phased implementation of new style abbreviated files--endorsement 8--is taking place in 40 forces with the remaining three planning to introduce the new files by 31 December 1996. These new files were designed to reduce significantly the number of administrative documents required in cases which are likely to result in a guilty plea in the magistrates court. Police forces are required to prepare and implement a programme to employ civilians to produce records of taped interviews, or ROTIs--recommendation 4. A Home Office circular issued in July 1995 asked chief officers to implement this recommendation by 31 March 1997. In the new style abbreviated files, ROTIs have been replaced with short descriptive notes, or SDNs, comprising brief accounts of admissions, any mitigating or aggravating features and other relevant material. The SDNs are being piloted for 12 months.
The scrutiny endorsed the use of dual case files by the police and Crown Prosecution Service--endorsement 9. A total of 37 forces have now implemented the dual file system, with three others planning to do so by the end of 1996.
A copy of the scrutiny report has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Parry:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the current funding of the Merseyside police authority. [6169]
Mr. Maclean:
The Government's proposals give Merseyside police authority a total spending power of £235 million in 1997-98, an increase of £8.3 million or 3.7 per cent. over 1996-97. The increase includes £1.1 million in additional grant as Merseyside's share of funding for the recruitment of additional police officers. It would be sufficient to recruit 55 more officers in 1997-98. It is for the chief constable to decide how to allocate his resources.
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the overspend or underspend position of each trust and each health authority as at 30 September 1996; and what appraisal he has made of the overall position relative to the budget figures. [5910]
Mr. Hague:
NHS trusts are required to break even taking one year with another. This can be monitored only through accruals accounting reported in the trusts' income and expenditure statement. The Welsh Office receives regular monitoring returns from trusts and the position for the period ending 30 September is set out in table 1.
5 Dec 1996 : Column: 751
| Trust | £000 |
|---|---|
| Bridgend | (241) |
| Cardiff Community | 175 |
| Carmarthen | (414) |
| Ceredigion | (148) |
| Clwydian | 112 |
| Derwen | 154 |
| East Glamorgan | 122 |
| Glan y Mor | 175 |
| Glan Clwyd | 43 |
| Glan Hafren | (175) |
| Gwent Community | 24 |
| Gwynedd Community | 1,009 |
| Gwynedd Hospitals | 1,137 |
| Llandough | (1) |
| Llanelli | 18 |
| Mid Glamorgan Ambulance | 52 |
| Morriston | (1,608) |
| Nevill Hall | 132 |
| North Glamorgan | 21 |
| North Wales Ambulance | 140 |
| Pembroke | 129 |
| Powys | (25) |
| Rhondda | (71) |
| Swansea | 7 |
| SEWAT | (197) |
| UHW Dental | 135 |
| UHW | 923 |
| Velindre | 330 |
| West Wales Ambulance | 21 |
| Wrexham | (191) |
| Total | 1,788 |
| £000 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Health authority | Latest notified cash limit | Reported spend at end September |
| North Wales | 373,847 | 186,979 |
| Dyfed Powys | 294,847 | 143,514 |
| Morgannwg | 299,945 | 147,733 |
| Bro Taf | 436,830 | 222,769 |
| Gwent | 304,698 | 150,902 |
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