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DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Civil Servants
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants there are currently. [1045]
Dr. David Clark: At 1 January 1997 there were 482,770 permanent civil servants. There were also 23,450 casual staff. Information for 1 April will be available shortly.
WALES
Housing (Energy Efficiency)
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how he proposes to enable councils to modernise houses with defective windows and doors and install central heating; and if he will make a statement. [631]
Mr. Win Griffiths: We are taking forward the Manifesto commitments to a phased release of capital receipts for building new houses and rehabilitating old ones; to support effective schemes, involving partnership with the private sector and registered social landlords, and to deploy private finance to improve the public housing stock and to introduce greater diversity and choice.
Nursery Vouchers
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the nursery voucher scheme. [633]
Mr. Hain:
I announced on 12 May that nursery vouchers in Wales are to be abolished from the end of this term.
21 May 1997 : Column: 75
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how he proposes to move young people aged 24 years and under from benefits to work or training; and if he will make a statement. [635]
Mr. Hain:
The Government's Welfare to Work proposals will ensure that no young person between the ages of 18 and 24 need be unemployed for longer than 6 months. We intend to offer these young people the choice of working and training with employers, voluntary or environmental organisations or participating in full time education or training. The Government is determined to break the vicious cycle of unemployment, frustration and alienation experienced by too many young people in Wales.
Mr. Forth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average cost of NHS treatment per patient in Wales. [649]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
The average cost of NHS treatment per patient for primary healthcare in Wales is not available centrally. For secondary healthcare the 1995-96 average cost per episode, for cases using a bed, is £1,053 in Wales.
Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the outstanding repair and maintenance backlog at NHS facilities by health authority in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [780]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
Backlog Maintenance statistics were collated by Health Authority area until 31 March 1995 but following reorganisation are collected and presented on a Trust basis.
| Health authority (Including Trusts) | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clwyd | 40.3 | 44.5 | 49.6 | 31 |
| East Dyfed | 25.4 | 18.9 | 14.6 | 17.0 |
| Gwent | 36.7 | 33.9 | 25.5 | 36.0 |
| Gwynedd | 12.6 | 16.3 | 16.2 | 8.0 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 38.1 | 25.5 | 33.8 | 28.0 |
| Pembrokshire | 8.8 | 9.6 | 7.6 | 7.5 |
| Powys | 3.5 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 6.0 |
| South Glamorgan | 83.9 | 84.9 | 88.3 | 95.0 |
| West Glamorgan | 16.0 | 20.9 | 24.4 | 46.5 |
| Totals | 265.3 | 260.4 | 265.8 | 275 |
21 May 1997 : Column: 76
GP Lists
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions in each of the last five years patients have been removed from GPs' lists (a) in Wales and (b) in each health authority. [788]
Mr. Win Griffiths: The information requested is not held centrally.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Citizenship Applications
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that persons who have been resident in the United Kingdom for at least 10 years and whose application for British citizenship has been turned down will be given the reason for refusal. [263]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The question of giving reasons for decisions on applications for British citizenship is currently before the courts. We are reviewing our practice and shall continue to do so in the light of the judgment of the House of Lords. It would not be appropriate for the length of a person's residence in the United Kingdom alone to determine whether reasons are given.
Residency Applications (Hong Kong)
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for permanent residency in the United Kingdom have been received from non-Chinese ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. [269]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not available as the ethnic origin of persons seeking settlement in the United Kingdom is not recorded.
New Prison (Onley)
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what environmental impact assessment he has carried out of the proposals for a new Category 'B' Prison at Onley. [130]
21 May 1997 : Column: 77
Ms Joyce Quin:
An assessment of the visual impact of the proposed new prison has been carried out by independent consultants. An illustrative landscape scheme has been prepared on the basis of this assessment: a wildlife study will follow.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a final financial compensation offer to Judith Ward, wrongly convicted of the 1973 M62 coach bombing. [181]
Mr. Michael:
Judith Ward's final claim for compensation was only received in the Home Office in April 1997. The next stage involves reaching agreement with Ms Ward on the terms of a memorandum setting out the details of her claim, which will then be forwarded to the independent assessor who is responsible for determining the amount of compensation to be offered. In the circumstances, it is not possible to say precisely when the final offer will be made.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many claims for financial compensation in the case of individuals who were found by the Court of Appeal to have been wrongfully convicted were settled in 1996-97; and on what dates their convictions were quashed. [183]
Mr. Michael:
Sixty-five compensation claims were settled during 1996-97, including 50 stemming from the quashing of a high number of drink-driving convictions in Greater Manchester following possible contamination of blood samples. No central record is maintained of the dates on which the convictions were quashed in those cases involving wrongful conviction.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the policy under which inmates in prison special secure units may only receive visits if they are physically separated from their visitors by a glass screen. [184]
Ms Joyce Quin:
The policy of mandatory closed visits for exceptional risk prisoners will be kept under review.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to take in respect of the March 1997 Amnesty International report relating to conditions in the special secure units at HMP Full Sutton, HMP Belmarsh and HMP Whitemoor. [309]
Ms Quin:
Ministers will consider the Amnesty International report and a response will be submitted in due course.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Mohammed Al Fayed has lodged a fresh application for British citizenship. [1023]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
It would be for Mr. Al Fayed to disclose any such details.
21 May 1997 : Column: 78
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long prisoner Ellis Sherwood has been on hunger strike; and if he will make a statement. [159]
Ms Joyce Quin
[holding answer 19 May 1997]: Mr. Sherwood first began his food refusal on 12 April 1997 in protest at being held on the basic regime wing at Long Lartin prison
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