18 Jun 1997 : Column: 155
Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 18 June 1997
HOME DEPARTMENT
Hillsborough Disaster
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reopen the inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster; and if he will make a statement. [4160]
Mr. Michael: My right hon. Friend is considering the representations which have been made, calling for a next inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster. He will announce his decision as soon as he can.
Fire Services
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the Government's policy towards the use of the 1979 pay formula to determine firefighters' pay. [4233]
Mr. George Howarth: The pay of firefighters is negotiated between the employers and employees in the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Fire Brigades. The Government have no proposals for changing the present arrangements.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the pay of firefighters. [3967]
Mr. Howarth: The determination of firefighters' pay is a matter for the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Fire Brigades.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review Circular 5/92 to take account of the interpretation of his powers under section 19 of the Fire Services Act 1947 made by the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority in 1996. [3970]
Mr. Howarth: My right hon. Friend will wish to consider whether generally there is a need to update and amend existing fire service legislation. This will be among the matters to be addressed.
Fire Risks
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria for identifying fire risk areas A to D in London. [3968]
Mr. George Howarth: Guidance on fire risk is given in Fire Service Circular No. 4/1985, which was issued on 22 May 1985. A copy is held in the Library.
Au Pairs
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the criteria determining privileged nationalities for the purpose of admission of au pairs; and what plans he has to review these criteria. [3966]
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Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Past criteria for inclusion in the au pair scheme reflected restriction to unmarried young people mainly from western European countries and the exclusion of countries which proved a significant source of immigration abuse. We have no plans at present to review the scheme.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the prison service budget for 1996. [3792]
Ms Joyce Quin:
The provision available to the Prison Service in 1996-97, as set out in the Main and Supplementary Supply Estimates presented to Parliament, was £1,642,316,000. Details of expenditure against this provision will be contained in the Appropriation Account for Class VII, Vote 2 (Prisons, England and Wales) due to be published towards the end of 1997.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of Colchester's role as a garrison town in evaluating the sums to be provided to the town for CCTV; [3977]
Mr. Michael:
Bids under round three of the closed circuit television challenge competition were assessed against the criteria set out in the published bidding guidance. Colchester was awarded £135,000; no bid received more. No more funds are available from the Home Office for CCTV in the current financial year. A decision on whether funds will be available in 1998-99 will be made later in the summer.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the percentage of prison inmates who were unemployed immediately prior to their incarceration. [3788]
Ms Joyce Quin:
No information is available centrally on prisoners' employment status immediately before reception into prison.
However, the National Prison Survey, conducted in January and February 1991, found that 49 per cent. of prisoners were not in paid work just before they came to prison; this included 33 per cent. who said they were unemployed. No more up to date figures are available.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the prison population in June 1996 and what is the prison population currently; and if he will make a statement. [3791]
Ms Quin:
The prison population in England and Wales on 30 June 1996 was 55,256. Provisional information for 13 June 1997 shows the prison population to be 60,871.
Dr. Brand:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were accommodated at (a) Camphill, (b) Albany and (c) Parkhurst prisons on the Isle of Wight on 1 April in each of the last five years. [4083]
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Ms Quin:
The available figures detailed in the attached table show the population recorded on 31 March on each of the last five years in the three Isle of Wight prisons.
(2) if he will provide Colchester borough council with £100,000 to complete the town's closed circuit television system. [3915]
| 31 March 1993 | 31 March 1994 | 31 March 1995 | 31 March 1996 | 31 March 1997 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Hill | 327 | 377 | 411 | 406 | 471 |
| Albany | 247 | 378 | 425 | 423 | 430 |
| Parkhurst | 205 | 239 | 222 | 266 | 289 |
Parkhurst Prison
Dr. Brand: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the capital expenditure at Parkhurst prison on the Isle of Wight in each of the past five years; and if the capital expenditure was required to maintain the prison's former category or current category. [4080]
Ms Joyce Quin: Capital expenditure at Parkhurst for the past five years was:
| Financial year | £000s |
|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 6,387.7 |
| 1993-94 | 2,583.3 |
| 1994-95 | 12,230 |
| 1995-96 | 9,032.1 |
| 1996-97 | 2,627 |
Of the £32,560, 200 spent on capital projects between 1992 and 1997, £9,600,000 can be directly attributed to security and of this £5,423,000 was specifically spent on maintaining Parkhurst's former category A status.
Prison Categories
Dr. Brand: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his plans in respect of the categorisation of (a) Camphill, (b) Albany and (c) Parkhurst prisons. [4082]
Ms Joyce Quin: The Prison Service has no present plans to change the security categories of the three Isle of Wight prisons. These will remain as:
Camp Hill: category C training prison
Albany: category B training prison
Parkhurst: category B training prison
Football (Arrests)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests have been made at (a) Premier League and (b) Football League grounds in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [4167]
Mr. Michael: The available information is as follows:
| Season | Arrests at Premier League matches | Arrests at Football League matches |
|---|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 2,114 | 2,892 |
| 1992-93 | 1,647 | 2,941 |
| 1993-94 | 1,630 | 2,597 |
| 1994-95 | 1,713 | 2,127 |
| 1995-96 | 1,697 | 1,740 |
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| Season | Arrests at cup matches |
|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 1,372 |
| 1992-93 | 1,739 |
| 1993-94 | 1,296 |
| 1994-95 | 1,265 |
| 1995-96 | 897 |
| Season | European matches | Play offs | Other matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 36 | 80 | 171 |
| 1994-95 | 97 | 126 | 297 |
| 1995-96 | 22 | 134 | 320 |
All the above figures are for arrests both inside and outside the grounds and have been provided by the National Criminal Intelligence Service. Figures for 1996-97 are currently being collected and will be available in due course.
Public Houses
Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend the right to object to the granting of pub licences to persons in addition to the police. [4078]
Mr. George Howarth: Under the existing licensing law, anyone may object to an application for a liquor licence.
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