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National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will place in the Library copies of the submissions made to date to the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education. [15229]
Mr. Forth: Copies of papers submitted jointly by the Department for Education and Employment, the Scottish Office, the Welsh Office and the Department of Education for Northern Ireland were placed in the Library in July 1996, as was subsequent evidence by the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department in November 1996, the Department of Trade and Industry in November 1996 and the Department for Education and Employment earlier this month. It is for the committee of inquiry as an independent body to decide whether or not to make evidence submitted by others publicly available, taking into account any requests for confidentiality.
University Research
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what representations she has received relating to capital equipment for university research; and if she will make a statement; [15266]
- (2) what assessment she has made of the costs involved in replacing obsolete capital equipment for university research; and if she will make a statement. [15268]
Mr. Forth:
We have received a number of representations about the cost of updating research equipment from universities and other bodies, including the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals, the Committee of University Chairmen and the Standing Conference of Principals. These representations are reflected in the reports of the joint DfEE--higher education sector working groups submitted to my right hon. Friend and placed in the Library last July. In response to such representations, my right hon. Friend is making available to the Higher Education Funding Council for England additional earmarked funds in both 1996-97 and 1997-98 for research equipment, to be matched with private contributions. In particular, the extra £100 million grant announced at the Budget for the HEFCE in 1997-88 includes £20 million specifically for
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research equipment, which is expected to generate matching private funds. The costs of up-dating research equipment are always likely to be high, but the earmarked funds--together with contributions from other funders--represent a significant contribution towards meeting them.
Mr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the private finance initiative has met the Government's objectives in respect of capital equipment for university research; and if she will make a statement. [15267]
Mr. Forth:
Procurement decisions in the higher education sector rest in the hands of independent, autonomous institutions who may use a range of different financial sources to fund capital projects, including those for research equipment. The overall yield from PFI is therefore dependent on the decisions made by those independent institutions.
Following the joint DfEE-HE sector working group report on PFI in higher education, the HEFCE is currently considering a second round of bids for pathfinder status focusing on equipment.
Mr. Thurnham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received about the cessation of funding for adult training courses dependent upon the Further Education Funding Council; and if she will make a statement. [15464]
Mr. Paice:
The Department has received recently a number of representations on the subject of the funding of further education, including adult education training courses. On behalf of my right hon. Friend, I announced on 5 February arrangements for the future funding of further education, and copies of my letter to all further education colleges have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessments are made of the extent of skill shortages affecting employers. [15611]
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Mr. Paice:
The Department funds an annual survey of employers' recruitment difficulties and monitors similar surveys carried out by others.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new proposals he has to improve the accuracy of statistics on illegal drug use. [14189]
Mr. Sackville:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 11 November 1996, Official Report, column 1.
Mr. Madden:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration detainees were held in (a) United Kingdom prisons by establishment and (b) (i) Campsfield house, (ii) Harmondsworth, (iii) Haslar, (iv) Meadvale Queens building, Heathrow, and (v) Tinsley house, on the nights of 31 January 1996 and 31 January 1997; and if he will make a statement. [15692]
Mr. Kirkhope:
The information available is given in the table.
| Establishment | 31 January 1996 | 31 January 1997 |
|---|---|---|
| Prison Service establishment in England and Wales(14): | ||
| Haslar | 118 | (15)129 |
| Other establishments | 402 | (15)347 |
| 520 | 469(15) | |
| Immigration Service detention centres: | ||
| Campsfield house | 197 | 195 |
| Gatwick Meadvale | 29 | 42 |
| Harmondsworth | 91 | 90 |
| Heathrow Queen's building | 14 | 15 |
| Tinsley house | (16)-- | 134 |
(14) Corresponding data for Scottish prisons are incomplete and have been excluded.
(15) Figure relates to 31 December 1996.
(16) Not open at the time.
Asylum Seekers
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum seekers were detained for a period of more than 48 hours during 1996; [15583]
- (2) what percentage of asylum seekers were detained in (a) 1996 and (b) 1995. [15584]
Miss Widdecombe:
Reliable information on the historical flow of persons placed into detention, and on the length of such detention, can be obtained only through examination of individual case records. The information requested is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.
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Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the cases of asylum seekers on hunger strike at Her Majesty's prison Rochester have been brought for independent review before a judicial authority. [15600]
Miss Widdecombe:
On 12 February 1997, the total number of Rochester immigration detainees refusing food was eight, of whom six have sought asylum at some stage.
It has been open to all of these detainees to seek bail, habeas corpus or judicial review, and four are known to have done so.
Sir Ivan Lawrence:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the effect on the level of street crime in east Staffordshire of the introduction of closed circuit television in Burton and Uttoxeter. [15396]
Mr. Maclean:
The closed circuit television system in Burton has been operational for 16 months. The local police report that it has led to a reduction in auto-related crime of 95 per cent. and to a significant reduction in the number of public order offences. It has also had social benefits in terms of making people feel safer when visiting the town. Details of the effect of the system on crime levels in the wider east Staffordshire area are not available.
Although the borough of east Staffordshire was awarded a grant in the second Home Office CCTV challenge competition to assist with the installation of CCTV in Uttoxeter, the system has not yet become operational.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers he has to take disciplinary action against a chief constable responsible for the misuse of surveillance equipment; and what steps he has taken in consequence of such misuse within the last eight years. [15438]
Mr. Maclean:
My right hon. and learned Friend has no role in disciplinary proceedings except in that he is the appellate authority for all disciplined police officers. Under the Police (Discipline) (Senior Officers) Regulations 1985, the disciplinary authority for senior officers, including chief constables, lies with police authorities. In the Metropolitan police service, the disciplinary authority is the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. We are not aware of any disciplinary action having been taken against a chief constable in respect of alleged misuse of surveillance equipment.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what records are kept by (a) Ministers, (b) Home Office officials, (c) the Police Complaints Authority, (d) Her Majesty's inspectors of constabulary and (e) chief police officers about the use of surveillance equipment by chief police officers. [15435]
Mr. Maclean:
Records on the use of surveillance equipment by the police are not held centrally by Ministers or Home Office officials. Each force maintains its own records and these are available for inspection by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary. The Police
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Complaints Authority would not hold any information unless it related to an investigation into alleged misconduct.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Home Office guidelines exist for ensuring that surveillance equipment is not misused by police officers and what is the legal force of such guidelines; when were such guidelines first introduced; what happened prior to the introduction of the guidelines; when were the guidelines first published; how are copies of the guidelines obtained by the public; what modifications have been made since the guidelines were first introduced; and when and for what reason each modification was made. [15437]
Mr. Maclean:
Intrusive police surveillance operations are presently authorised in accordance with guidelines issued by the Home Office in 1984. These guidelines have no statutory force. Formal guidance was first introduced by the Home Office in 1977 and, prior to 1977, police forces operated under the individual direction of their own chief officers. The 1984 Home Office guidelines were made public in a reply to a question from the hon. Member for Berkshire, East (Mr. Mackay) on 19 December 1984, Official Report, columns 157-58, and a copy was placed in the Library. Copies are available to the public on request from the Home Office. The only modification has been the replacement of the 1977 guidance with the current 1984 guidelines.
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