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Prisoners (Report and Health)
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the report by Sir Donald Acheson on the health of prisoners to be published. [15702]
Miss Widdecombe: 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. Chris Smith, dated 18 February 1997:
18 Feb 1997 : Column: 525
Mr. Nigel Evans:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures of crime prevention have been initiated by his Department in Lancashire since 1992. [16148]
Mr. Maclean:
Apart from the benefit it has derived from the wide variety of national initiatives designed to promote crime prevention, Lancashire has received £464,000 in specific funding for closed circuit television systems.
Mr. Sutcliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of police officers per thousand people in each of the last two years in West Yorkshire. [16042]
Mr. Maclean:
The information, based on police strengths as at 30 September and the latest population figure (June 1995), is as follows:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the report by Sir Donald Acheson on the health of prisoners.
The Prison Service asked Sir Donald Acheson to examine what effect, if any, the regime in the Special Secure Units at Belmarsh, Full Sutton and Whitemoor, might have on the health of prisoners held there and to report any findings to the Director of Security. Sir Donald presented his report in June 1996.
The report was commissioned internally and was not intended for publication. We have however provided copies on request and I attach a copy for your information.
The Prison Service has considered the report and taken careful note of its findings and recommendations (which are essentially based on what might result from a prolonged period of detention in an SSU rather than findings of present harm). We have made a number of amendments to procedures and will ensure that the general health of prisoners detained in SSUs is reviewed at regular intervals.
| Police officers per 1,000 of population | |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 2.43 |
| 1996 | 2.45 |
Prevention of Terrorism Legislation
Mr. Nicholls: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to publish the report from Mr. J. J. Rowe QC on the operation in 1996 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989; and if he will make a statement. [16841]
Mr. Howard: I have today arranged for copies of Mr. Rowe's report to be placed in the Library. Mr. Rowe recommends that the legislation should be renewed in its entirety for a further 12 months. This is also the Government's view and a draft order to give effect to this is being laid before the House today.
Data Protection
Mr. Nicholls: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has in respect of enforced subject access under the Data Protection Act 1984. [16853]
Mr. Sackville: The Government recognise the objections in principle to enforced subject access. However, this problem cannot be resolved through the Police Bill because the practice affects not only police records but many social security records and possibly others. Therefore, we intend to include a general solution in the legislation giving effect to the data protection directive. We will first consult employers' organisations and others likely to be affected.
Crime Statistics
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the number of convictions for (a) violent crime, (b) car crime, (c) serious crime and (d) in total, in each year since 1979 for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [13202]
18 Feb 1997 : Column: 526
Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 30 January 1997]: The information is given in the table.
| Offence description | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Violent Crime(26) | Car Crime(27) | Serious Crime(28) | Total crime(29) |
| 1979 | 60,581 | 45,739 | 412,346 | 1,898,152 |
| 1980 | 65,123 | 48,330 | 455,425 | 2,211,707 |
| 1981 | 62,901 | 47,067 | 464,562 | 2,104,629 |
| 1982 | 63,876 | 46,661 | 475,131 | 2,031,043 |
| 1983 | 62,833 | 41,280 | 461,023 | 2,095,529 |
| 1984 | 58,496 | 37,651 | 449,449 | 1,962,996 |
| 1985 | 58,564 | 37,821 | 443,936 | 1,910,917 |
| 1986 | 53,201 | 35,048 | 384,209 | 1,894,209 |
| 1987 | 58,925 | 35,214 | (30)397,053 | (30)1,605,281 |
| 1988 | 65,450 | 32,735 | (30)396,694 | (30)1,604,903 |
| 1989 | 70,890 | 29,836 | (30)348,833 | (30)1,583,530 |
| 1990 | 69,215 | 30,252 | (30)352,057 | (30)1,562,663 |
| 1991 | 63,599 | 30,472 | (30)346,808 | (30)1,519,904 |
| 1992 | 61,596 | 24,914 | (30)330,710 | (30)1,528,419 |
| 1993 | 57,335 | 22,091 | 307,584 | 1,425,314 |
| 1994 | 58,408 | 21,612 | 314,148 | (30)1,424,623 |
| 1995 | 57,464 | 20,149 | 302,177 | (30)1,429,709 |
(26) Includes the indictable offence groups of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery and the summary offences of common assault.
(27) Includes the indictable offences of theft from a vehicle, theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle, aggravated vehicle taking and the summary offences of stealing and unauthorised taking of a conveyance and aggravated vehicle taking.
(28) Taken as all indictable offences.
(29) Taken as all indictable, summary non motoring and summary motoring offences.
(30) Includes allowance for known shortfalls in the data. It is not possible to produce estimates for the more detailed offence categories.
Asylum Seekers
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers on hunger strike at Her Majesty's prison, Rochester have been detained longer than two months. [15580]
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 13 February 1977]: On 14 February 1997, the total number of detainees taking part in the protest at Rochester was six, of whom five have sought asylum at some stage. All have been detained for longer than two months.
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hunger strikers at Her Majesty's prison, Rochester have alleged torture in their applications for asylum; and how many of these have had access to independent medical assessment of their allegations. [15581]
Miss Widdecombe
[holding answer 13 February 1997]: Such information is not readily available but any such allegations would have been considered very carefully by both the Home Office and, if an appeal had been heard, by independent adjudicators. The Prison Service affords detainees at Rochester and their legal advisers the facilities to obtain independent medical assessments and advice.
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Sir Ivan Lawrence:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the annual report of the Prison Service agency for 1995-96.[15507]
Miss Widdecombe
[holding answer 17 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 Sir Ivan Lawrence, dated 18 February 1997:
Sir Ivan Lawrence:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes have taken place to the Prison Service agency's month by month forecast of planned (a) in-use certified normal accommodation and (b) operational capacity for 12 months ahead, as it existed in October 1996; and to what extent each such change has been due to (i) cancellations or delays of projects because of difficulties in obtaining planning consents and (ii) other reasons, indicating the reasons in each case. [15509]
Miss Widdecombe
[holding answer 17 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 Sir Ivan Lawrence dated 18 February 1997:
18 Feb 1997 : Column: 528
Miss Widdecombe
[holding answer 17 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.
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the publication date of the Annual Report of the Prison Service Agency 1995-96.
The preparation of the Annual Report is now in its final stages. Arrangements for printing and distributing will be made soon and I expect it to be published shortly.
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question concerning what changes have taken place to the Prison Service Agency's month by month forecast of planned (a) in-use certified normal accommodation (b) operational capacity for 12 months ahead, as it existed in October 1996; and to what extent each such change has been due to (i) cancellations or delays of projects because of difficulties in obtaining planning consents and (ii) other reasons, indicating the reasons in each case.
/brev>
The Prison Service building and refurbishment programme at existing prisons is running to plan and not being held up by planning delays. We are also looking for sites for temporary prisons to provide about 800 places as a short term measure.
Our preferred option was to use RAF Finningley, near Doncaster. A notice of the proposed development was lodged with Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council but the council has objected to the proposal. I am therefore looking at other possible options.
The Prison Service took possession of a floating prison, which is currently berthed in New York, on 31 January 1997. An application for planning consent was considered by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council on 6 February. The council rejected the application which has now been referred to the Secretary of State for the Environment and it is hoped that a decision will be reached by mid-March.
A proposed development for a former leisure facility at Heysham, was submitted on 20 December 1996 under Environment Circular Instruction 18/84, for a change of use to a prison. The planning application has yet to be determined.
Sir Ivan Lawrence:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the outturn or planned (a) in-use certified normal accommodation and (b) operational capacity for the prison estate for each month from October 1996 to September 1997; and if he will list the establishments in which the main changes have occurred or are planned to occur over that period, with the number of places involved in each case. [15508]
| Date | In-use CNA | Operational capacity |
|---|---|---|
| October 1996 | 53,500 | 59,000 |
| November 1996 | 54,000 | 59,600 |
| December 1996 | 54,000 | 59,800 |
| January 1997 | 54,200 | 60,000 |
| February 1997 | 55,000 | 60,300 |
| March 997 | 55,200 | 60,500 |
| April 1997 | 56,000 | 61,200 |
| May 1997 | 56,500 | 61,300 |
| June 1997 | 57,100 | 61,900 |
| July 1997 | 57,200 | 62,100 |
| August 1997 | 57,600 | 62,400 |
| September 1997 | 57,900 | 62,600 |
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