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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 5 March 1997
HOME DEPARTMENT
Hunger Strikers
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what independent medical assessment (a) is allowed and (b) has been made of the condition of the hunger strikers at Rochester prison or moved from Rochester prison; [18473]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the medical condition of (a) Mr. Naser Lechibi and (b) the other hunger strikers at Rochester prison or moved from Rochester prison. [18472]
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 4 March 1997]: No immigration detainees at Rochester are currently refusing food. Those who do so are taken to an outside hospital if their condition gives cause for concern. Detainees who persist in food refusal clearly take risks with their health: medical records are confidential, but none of those who took part in the recent protest is currently assessed as giving cause for medical concern.
Taylor Inquiry
Mr. Loyden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if evidence from Dr. Ed Walker was offered to the Taylor inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster; for what reasons he was not called to give oral evidence; and if he will make a statement. [18500]
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 4 March 1997]: Dr. Walker did not give evidence to the Taylor inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster. The inquiry was concerned with the events at the Hillsborough stadium. The precise circumstances in which the victims died were matters for the coroner's inquest. A statement given by Dr. Walker to police on 20 July 1989 was made available to the coroner's inquest.
Child Prostitution
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the penalties for those who entice children into prostitution. [18492]
Mr. Maclean: The Government announced on 16 January that it had decided to carry out a review of existing maximum penalties for sex offences. This will include the offence of causing or encouraging the prostitution of a girl under 16. The purpose of the review will be to identify any anomalies in existing penalties, and to ensure that penalties properly reflect the comparative gravity of existing offences.
Telephone Interceptions
Mr. David Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received calling for interceptions of telephone
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conversations involving alleged criminals to be usable as evidence in criminal trials; and if he will make a statement. [18448]
Mr. Howard:
The right hon. Lord Lloyd of Berwick has raised the issue on a number of occasions, including at chapter 7 of the report of his inquiry into legislation against terrorism, where he recommended that section 9 of the Interception of Communications Act 1985 be amended so as to allow the prosecution to adduce intercepted material in cases affecting national security. That recommendation is under consideration. The views of the law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies have been sought by my Department. Otherwise, I am aware of no recent representations on the subject.
Mr. Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people (a) aged under 18 years and (b) in total were (i) arrested for, (ii) cautioned for, (iii) charged with and convicted of offences relating to knives in north Yorkshire in each of the last five years; [18261]
Mr. Maclean:
Detailed data of the number of people arrested and charged are not collected centrally.
(2) how many people (a) from York, (b) from north Yorkshire and (c) nationally were convicted of offences relating to knives carried out by (i) persons of all ages and (ii) persons aged under 18 years at the time of the offence in each of the last three years. [18262]
| Area | Disposal | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrying article with blade or point in a public place [Criminal Justice Act 1988, Sec 139] York petty sessional division(1) | ||||||
| Cautions | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| Prosecutions | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | |
| Convictions | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | |
| North Yorkshire police force area | ||||||
| Cautions | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
| Prosecutions | 3 | -- | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| Convictions | 3 | -- | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| England and Wales | ||||||
| Cautions | 328 | 423 | 418 | 497 | 544 | |
| Prosecutions | 274 | 277 | 222 | 392 | 435 | |
| Convictions | 185 | 207 | 168 | 296 | 305 | |
| Carrying of offensive weapons(2) without lawful authority or reasonable excuse in a public place [Prevention of Crime Act 1953, Sec 1] York petty sessional division(1) | ||||||
| Cautions | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| Prosecutions | 1 | 1 | -- | 1 | 2 | |
| Convictions | 1 | 1 | -- | 1 | 1 | |
| North Yorkshire police force area | ||||||
| Cautions | 2 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 5 | |
| Prosecutions | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 4 | |
| Convictions | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |
| England and Wales | ||||||
| Cautions | 1,258 | 1,274 | 1,387 | 1,350 | 1,290 | |
| Prosecutions | 731 | 733 | 659 | 692 | 834 | |
| Convictions | 494 | 439 | 377 | 408 | 482 |
(1) Includes convictions at the Crown court where the committing magistrates' court was York PSD.
(2) May include a small number of offences involving truncheons etc.
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| Area | Disposal | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrying article with blade or point in a public place [Criminal Justice Act 1988, Sec 139] York petty sessional division(3) | ||||||
| Cautions | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| Prosecutions | 8 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 13 | |
| Convictions | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 10 | |
| North Yorkshire police force area | ||||||
| Cautions | 4 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 4 | |
| Prosecutions | 28 | 10 | 25 | 13 | 26 | |
| Convictions | 21 | 9 | 19 | 9 | 20 | |
| England and Wales | ||||||
| Cautions | 704 | 1,055 | 1,282 | 1,292 | 1,512 | |
| Prosecutions | 2,397 | 2,640 | 2,553 | 3,366 | 3,474 | |
| Convictions | 1,737 | 1,848 | 1,852 | 2,502 | 2,559 | |
| Carrying of offensive weapons(4) without lawful authority or reasonable excuse in a public place [Prevention of Crime Act 1953, Sec 1] York petty sessional division(3) | ||||||
| Cautions | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| Prosecutions | 11 | 18 | 18 | 9 | 11 | |
| Convictions | 9 | 16 | 14 | 3 | 8 | |
| North Yorkshire police force area | ||||||
| Cautions | 4 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 7 | |
| Prosecutions | 51 | 55 | 56 | 58 | 42 | |
| Convictions | 34 | 42 | 38 | 35 | 28 | |
| England and Wales | ||||||
| Cautions | 2,697 | 2,911 | 3,172 | 3,026 | 2,973 | |
| Prosecutions | 5,979 | 5,795 | 5,148 | 5,419 | 5,215 | |
| Convictions | 3,907 | 3,606 | 3,118 | 3,295 | 3,190 |
(3) Includes convictions at the Crown court where the committing magistrates' court was York PSD.
(4) May include a small number of offences involving truncheons etc.
Mrs. Ganiat Lasoye (Deportation Order)
Miss Emma Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will review the deportation order served on Mrs. Ganiat Lasoye; [18223]
- (2) if he will reverse the deportation order on Mrs. Ganiat Lasoye; what professional advice and from which (a) bodies and (b) individuals he assessed prior to the decision to deport her; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of procedures followed in taking the decision to deport her; and if he will make a statement. [18245]
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Mr. Kirkhope: I am satisfied that the original deportation decision was properly based. However, in view of the exceptional compassionate circumstances, we have concluded that deportation action should not now be taken.
Prison Staff Ratios
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current average staff to prisoner ratio in category C prisons. [17973]
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.
| Prisoners | Staff | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| 12,840 | 9,842 | 1:1.3 |
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