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Car Crime
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many private motor vehicles have been stolen and not recovered in the past five years in the United Kingdom. [15181]
Mr. Maclean: The available information relates to recorded offences of theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle and is given in the table. The information given relates to England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the respective Secretaries of State.
| Year | Recorded offences(12) | Vehicles recovered | Vehicles not recovered(13) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 581,901 | 372,412 | 209,489 |
| 1992(14) | 586,362 | 363,956 | 222,406 |
| 1993(14) | 596,128 | 350,862 | 245,266 |
| 1994(14) | 540,639 | 315,111 | 225,258 |
| 1995(15) | 448,143 | 283,903 | 164,240 |
(12) Includes attempts. Please note that it is not possible to exclude attempts for all forces.
(13) The number of vehicles recovered subtracted from the number of recorded offences.
(14) Excluding Dyfed-Powys.
(15) Excluding Metropolitan Police and Dyfed-Powys.
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding delays in obtaining hearings of claims by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; and what is his estimate of the number of unresolved claims which were more than three years old in (a) 1990 and (b) at the latest date for which such figures are available. [15422]
Mr. Maclean: Since 1 January 1996, we have received 15 letters about delays in appeals directly from claimants and 15 through hon. Members. In addition, two hon. Members tabled questions on the subject.
The board advises that data about numbers of outstanding appeals in 1990 are no longer available, but of 26,000 cases currently awaiting oral hearing, 2,067 have been waiting for more than three years.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I increased membership of the board from 43 to 50 in 1996 to help clear the hearings backlog more speedily. Under the new tariff scheme introduced in April 1996, which has a new review procedure and a new independent appeals panel, we expect appeals to be dealt with considerably more quickly than under the superseded scheme.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken in relation to the European Commission's decision to make 1997 the European Year Against Racism, Xenophobia and Anti-semitism; and if he will make a statement. [15263]
12 Feb 1997 : Column: 214
Mr. Kirkhope:
The decision to make 1997 the European Year Against Racism, Xenophobia and Anti-semitism was taken by member states of the European Union in July 1996 and is fully supported by the United Kingdom.
I am chairing the national co-ordinating committee for the year in the United Kingdom. The committee met for the first time on 2 December and meets again on 26 February.
The year was launched at European level on 30 and 31 January at a conference in The Hague at which I led the United Kingdom delegation. I shall also be hosting the launch of the year in this country which will take place at Lancaster house on 19 February.
The Government are working closely with the Commission for Racial Equality in the running of the year. The Home Office is providing specific funding to the Commission for Racial Equality to run a helpline and information service. A newsletter has been issued and details of funding available from the European Commission are now being disseminated. We are also in the process of pulling together a calendar of events: this will be sent out shortly and updated periodically throughout the year.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the six category A exceptional risk prisoners who escaped from Whitemoor prison in 1994 did not have category A books showing their period at Whitemoor in the special secure unit; and if other prisoners in that unit had such books. [14883]
Miss Widdecombe
[holding answer 11 February 1997]: 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. Kevin McNamara, dated 12 February 1997:
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the nature of the deteriorating health condition of each of the accused in the Whitemoor prison escape trial; what psychiatric and other medical examinations the accused have had since the trial was discontinued; and if he will make a statement. [14884]
Miss Widdecombe
[holding answer 11 February 1997]: 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. Kevin McNamara, dated 12 February 1997:
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Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) under what statutory basis the police are able to trace the movement of people by reference to their mobile phone records; [14364]
(3) what guidelines he has issued concerning police access to mobile phone records; and if he will make it his policy to review the current practice in respect of access to mobile phone records; [14366]
(4) if he will list by police authority the number of applications made by the police for permission to access the United Kingdom Cellnet system; and how many applications have been (a) granted and (b) refused; [14629]
(5) which foreign organisations are permitted to receive data obtained from the United Kingdom Cellnet system under existing interception of communication agreements; [14633]
(6) under what circumstances (a) the police including special branch, (b) the security services and (c) the Benefits Agency are allowed access to the national Cellnet system; what are the mechanisms for making and processing such applications; what factors apply in their assessment; who grants access; and what safeguards exist to ensure that information obtained is not misused; [14631]
(7) if he will list by police authority the number of applications made by special branch for permission to access the Cellnet system; and how many applications have been (a) granted and (b) refused; [14630]
(8) how many cases have been recorded by his Department where information obtained by accessing the Cellnet system has been used (a) in proceedings before the civil and criminal courts and (b) in proceedings before statutory and non-statutory tribunals. [14632]
Mr. Howard:
The circumstances under which the four mobile telephone operators may disclose personal information which they hold on computer for their own purposes--including for billing, fraud prevention and statistical analysis--are regulated by the Data Protection Act 1984, by the Telecommunications Act 1984, and by the terms of their Telecommunication Act licences which require them to take all reasonable steps to ensure the confidentiality of customer information. It is an offence, under section 45 of the Telecommunications Act, for an operator to disclose any information concerning subscribers' use of the system except where the disclosure is made for specified purposes including the prevention or detection of crime; for the purposes of any criminal
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proceedings; in the interests of national security or in pursuance of a court order. All operators are also required to observe a code of practice on the confidentiality of customer information, and they are subject to the normal civil law obligations towards their subscribers.
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about Category A books for prisoners in the special secure unit (SSU) at Whitemoor prison.
Category A exceptional risk prisoners held in the SSU in 1994 did not have movement recorded in Category A books because it was judged that, within the discrete area of the SSU, this was unnecessary as it was a small location in which no significant movement was possible.
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the nature of the deteriorating health condition of each of the accused in the Whitemoor prison escape trial.
For reasons of medical confidentiality, it is not possible to give detailed information on the health of individual prisoners.
All prisoners in special secure units are subject to medical review by the prison medical officer at three monthly intervals. As the prisoners who were charged with escaping from Whitemoor prison are held in special secure units they are subject to these regular medical reviews.
There is no medical evidence that the health of prisoners held in special secure units is being significantly affected by their imprisonment in these units.
(2) what discussions he has had with (a) the Association of Chief Police Officers and (b) mobile phone operating companies, concerning police access to mobile phone records to trace the movement of people; [14365]
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