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Public Houses

Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his proposed anti-social neighbours legislation will apply to public houses. [4076]

Mr. Michael: We are working on the details of the Community Safety Order for inclusion in the Crime and Disorder Bill, but I would expect it to be capable of applying to anti-social behaviour arising from an individual's presence in a public house.

Prison Statistics

Dr. Brand: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the maximum number of prisoners that can be accommodated at (a) Camp Hill, (b) Albany and (c) Parkhurst prisons on the Isle of Wight; and on what occasions those limits have been exceeded during the past 10 years. [4084]

Ms Joyce Quin: The maximum number of prisoners that can be accommodated at a prison is known as the "operational capacity". This is defined as the certified total number of prisoners that can be held without serious risk to good order, security and the proper running of the planned regime. This number fluctuates, for example as accommodation is brought in and out of use and as assessments are revised by the Area Manager.

As at 18 June, the operational capacity at (a) Camp Hill was 531, (b) Albany was 436 and (c) Parkhurst was 349.

Centrally recorded information on whether operational capacity has been exceeded is available only from 1 January 1996, based on population figures for the last Friday of each month. This indicates that the figure was exceeded at Albany in March 1997 and from November 1996 to January 1997 at Parkhurst.

Electric Shock Devices

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many British companies have been licensed under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1982 to handle, distribute, store and manufacture electric shock devices in each year since 1992; and if he will name them; [3815]

(2) What assessment he has made of procedures which regulate the manufacture, sales, storage and distribution of electric shock devices by United Kingdom companies. [3942]

Mr. Michael: The unauthorised acquisition, purchase, possession, manufacture, sale and transfer of weapons discharging electric shocks are considered to be prohibited under section 5(1)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968.

Applications for authority under section 5 of the 1968 Act are considered by the Home Office, for companies in England and Wales, and by the Scottish Office. Because of the specially dangerous nature of prohibited weapons, applications are subject to rigorous scrutiny. None will be granted unless (a) the person or company making it is in all respects fit and proper; (b) they will comply with stringent security standards commensurate with the prohibited weapons to be held; and (c) there is

20 Jun 1997 : Column: 312

demonstrable evidence of a genuine and legitimate business or other need for the prohibited weapons in question.

Barcrest Limited were issued with authority under section 5(1)(b) of the 1968 Act on 22 April 1997 to purchase and possess four electric shock weapons to assist their research into preventing these from being used in attacks on gaming machines. This authority is valid for one year only.

No other company has been granted authority under the Firearms Acts in respect of prohibited electric shock weapons since 1992. I consider that these arrangements are effective in restricting trade in electric shock weapons in this country.

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Air Taser Incorporated, Scottsdale, Arizona is or has been licensed under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1982 to handle, distribute, store or manufacture electric shock devices in the UK. [3945]

Mr. Michael: No authority has been given to this company by the Secretary of State under section 5(1)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968 to possess, purchase, acquire, manufacture, sell or transfer such devices.

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if (a) Racing Lines of Darwen, Lancashire, and (b) Mark Hilliard of Darwen, Lancashire, are or have been licensed to handle, distribute, store or manufacture electric shock devices in the United Kingdom. [3937]

Mr. Michael: Neither company has been given authority by the Secretary of State under section 5(1)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968 to possess, purchase, acquire, manufacture, sell or transfer such devices.

Prisoners (Illiteracy)

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the illiteracy rate among the current prison population. [3790]

Ms Joyce Quin: Prison Service knowledge about literacy rates among prisoners is derived from the results of the basic skills screen test for literacy and numeracy which prisoners may be invited, but are not required, to take. These suggest that, while very few prisoners are actually illiterate, between 40 per cent. and 50 per cent. of those undertaking the test need help to improve their basic literacy and numeracy skills.

Metropolitan Police

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of police officers at each Metropolitan police station who have served with the Metropolitan police force for (a) up to five years, (b) five to 10 years, (c) 10 to 20 years and (d) 20 years and above; and in each case what is the amount spent on their pay. [3971]

20 Jun 1997 : Column: 313

Mr. Michael: The Commissioner has provided the following information.

Division	Up to 5 years service	5 and 10 years	10 to 20 years	20 or more years
1 Area
Belgravia	83	76	98	55
Brompton	127	102	129	46
Charing Cross	102	114	135	66
Fulham	76	59	57	34
Hammersmith	81	98	117	39
Marylebone	92	93	84	55
Notting Hill	81	71	68	31
Paddington Green	94	107	117	46
West End Central	73	74	106	55
Total	809	794	911	427
2 Area
Barnet and Hertsmere	41	63	96	81
Ealing	76	83	152	43
Golders Green	57	47	78	33
Hampstead	45	53	70	39
Harrow	46	73	123	40
Holborn	68	46	59	34
Holloway	79	74	80	31
Hornsey	71	69	86	50
Islington	76	105	95	32
Kentish Town	58	81	105	41
Kilburn	72	138	112	51
Southall	61	79	102	49
Tottenham	83	75	90	26
Wembley	69	70	88	42
West Hendon	54	49	96	45
Total	956	1,105	1,432	637
3 Area
Barkingside	74	52	106	63
Chingford	70	59	64	68
Dagenham	55	73	108	67
Edmonton	69	59	88	47
Enfield	72	67	87	58
Forest Gate	70	90	91	41
Havering	51	63	137	83
Ilford	73	51	84	49
Leyton	69	61	72	35
Limehouse	57	70	93	33
Plaistow	72	87	114	40
Shoreditch and Hackney	74	103	110	49
Stoke Newington	87	100	104	44
Whitechapel	79	99	105	45
Total	972	1,034	1,363	722
4 Area
Bexleyheath	65	59	91	70
Bromley and Orpington	94	95	169	125
Catford	73	77	85	58
Croydon	64	52	100	69
Epsom and Sutton	83	92	142	95
Greenwich	71	80	83	51
Lewisham	92	71	105	54
Peckham	80	78	112	30
Plumstead	73	64	101	75
South Norwood	81	66	116	67
Southwark	82	92	84	42
Walworth	64	87	71	35
Total	922	913	1,259	771
5 Area
Battersea	77	83	85	41
Brixton	69	106	110	32
Chiswick	49	52	55	39
Heathrow	4	57	177	141
Hillingdon	107	71	132	101
Hounslow	66	52	98	40
Kingston	83	67	133	80
Spelthorne	44	35	65	53
Streatham	73	69	87	36
Twickenham	69	52	97	66
Vauxhall	96	103	128	50
Wandsworth	81	89	120	52
Wimbledon	99	58	103	59
Total	917	894	1,390	790

The information requested on the amount spent on officers pay is not readily available and could be only obtained at disproportionate costs.

20 Jun 1997 : Column: 314

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the (a) training and (b) cost implications of retraining officers moved to new posts as a consequence of the tenure policy to be implemented by the Metropolitan police service. [3969]

Mr. Michael: The Commissioner informs me that there will be no increase in the Metropolitan Police's training budget as a result of the introduction of the new tenure policy. Any additional demands for training will be met within existing budgets. The majority of officers who transfer under the policy will do so to another police station and carry out the same function in a different environment. Those officers will therefore not require additional training.

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