25 Feb 1997 : Column: 127
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 25 February 1997
HOME DEPARTMENT
Scottish Grand Committee
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to public funds of the attendance of (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department at meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee in Scotland since December 1994; and if he will list the meetings of the Committee which (a) and (b) have attended, indicating the cost of attendance and the names of those who attended. [16571]
Mr. Howard: No Ministers or officials from the Home Office have attended a meeting of the Scottish Grand Committee.
Young Offenders
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evaluation he has made of the effectiveness of diversion schemes for young offenders. [16869]
Mr. Maclean: A recent evaluation by the Home Office of the Milton Keynes retail theft initiative, which aims to help young offenders convicted of shoplifting resist further offending, showed a reoffending rate of 3 per cent. for first-time offenders attending the scheme, compared with 35 per cent. for first-time offenders dealt with in other ways. Evaluations of motor projects and physically demanding programmes run by probation services are currently under way.
Interception of Communications
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 12 February, Official Report, column 215, what foreign organisations are permitted to receive data from the UK Cellnet system under existing interception of communications agreements. [16802]
Mr. Howard:
The United Kingdom is not a signatory to any international agreements expressly providing for material obtained by the interception of communications to be passed to foreign organisations. On occasion, overseas law enforcement agencies may apply, through Interpol, for information concerning the subscriber to a particular telephone number, and requests may be received from overseas prosecuting or judicial authorities for data to be used in evidence, in which case an application may be made to a court for it to be produced under the Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990.
25 Feb 1997 : Column: 128
The response by network operators to requests for data by foreign organisations is governed by their obligations regarding customer confidentiality under the Data Protection Act 1984, the Telecommunications Act 1984 and the terms of their operating licences.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the ways in which his Department has demonstrated the ability to improve efficiency and competitiveness through an environmental audit of the waste management within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16417]
Mr. Howard:
My Department is committed to using the resources entrusted to it to secure best value for money at the least possible cost to the environment. The "Home Office Green Housekeeping Strategy", published in August 1993, requires that property managers carry out an annual audit against environmental objectives which include waste management. Home Office waste management initiatives currently focus mainly on the recycling of paper, aluminium cans and toner cartridges.
Environmental guidance material promulgated to the Department's property managers has included the Environmental Agency's "Do-it-Yourself Environmental Performance Checklist", a draft of which was distributed on 9 August 1996, and the Department of the Environment's "Waste Guide", circulated on 4 November 1996.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the presence of (a) hazardous materials and (b) ozone-depleting substances within those buildings which his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16275]
Mr. Howard:
No central assessment has been made of the presence of hazardous or ozone-depleting substances within the buildings occupied by my Department. However, in accordance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 and asbestos regulations, all managers are required to ensure that appropriate records of hazardous substances are maintained in buildings for which they are responsible. The Home Office continues to provide relevant training for this. Similarly, the Home Office's green housekeeping strategy requires local managers to be alert to the existence of ozone-depleting substances and to any opportunity of phasing these out.
Mr. Hain:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the progress of the police investigation into the bombing of the London office of the African National Congress in 1982. [16456]
Mr. Howard:
I understand that the investigation is continuing. This has included interviews with a large number of people in South Africa, and is taking account of the disclosures which continue to be made in South Africa. When it is possible to conclude the police
25 Feb 1997 : Column: 129
investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service will complete its own review of the evidence and advise the police accordingly.
Mr. Brian David Jenkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of street crime in south-east Staffordshire of the introduction of closed circuit television in Tamworth. [17198]
Mr. Maclean:
Information from the local police indicates that, since the introduction of closed circuit television in Tamworth on 1 January 1996, there has been a 15 per cent. reduction in offences of robbery, and reductions of 59 per cent. in thefts from, and 34 per cent in thefts of, motor vehicles. Overall, crime in the area covered by the cameras has fallen by 29 per cent. Furthermore, overall recorded crime for the whole police sub-division fell by 17 per cent. in 1996 compared with the previous year.
Mr. Jenkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what analysis he has made of the success of the introduction of closed circuit television in reducing street crime in south-east Staffordshire relative to other west midlands areas. [17199]
Mr. Maclean:
None. Data are not collected in a format which would enable such an analysis to be made.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is the policy of the Metropolitan police to make available (i) all relevant information which they have and (ii) the relevant Police Complaints Authority report to (a) the coroner conducting an inquest into a death in police custody and (b) the next of kin of the deceased person; in what circumstances such documents are not made available; and if he will make a statement. [17053]
Mr. Maclean:
I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the Metropolitan police make all relevant information available, including the Police Complaints Authority report, to the coroner for use at a public inquest into a death in police custody. The investigating officer does not have authority to disclose any documentation or evidential material to the next of kin without the direction of the coroner. However, I understand that the investigating officer will attempt to liaise informally with the next of kin or their legal representatives to keep them informed of the progress of the investigation.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans the Government have to review the format of the absent voter forms to prevent fraud and misappropriation of proxy votes; [17137]
(3) what steps are being taken to monitor the exercising of proxy votes in local government elections; [17139]
25 Feb 1997 : Column: 130
(4) what systems are in place to monitor the number of people claiming proxy votes in elections; and if he will make a statement; [17138]
(5) if he will ensure the central collection of statistics on the use of proxy votes at local government elections.[17140]
Mr. Sackville:
Absent voting application forms were amended in 1994 to ensure that electors indicate clearly whether they are applying to vote by post or proxy, and to ensure that all appointments of a proxy are signed by the elector. These amendments help to prevent fraud. The number of proxies appointed to vote by constituency in the general election will be published in the booklet "Election Expenses", printed by the Stationery Office after the election on the order of the House. Information relating to proxy voting at local government elections is not collected centrally, and there are no plans to do so.
(2) if he will instruct his Department to collate centrally the number of proxy votes at the next general election; [17135]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |