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Prison Service
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the siting of a new prison is an operational matter for the chief executive of the Prison Service. [3787]
Ms Joyce Quin: Yes. A preliminary decision on where to build a new prison is taken following strategic research to determine the geographic area of greatest need. A decision to proceed with a site identified for prison development is then dependent upon widespread public consultation and appropriate planning approval.
Prisoners (Education)
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the Prison Service budget is taken up with educational activities for prisoners; and if he will make a statement. [3789]
Ms Joyce Quin: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Colchester (Mr. Russell) on 19 June, Official Report, column 245.
Young Offenders Institution, Colchester
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list (a) the full cost of establishing the young offenders institution at Colchester Military Corrective Training Centre, (b) the maximum number of offenders who can be accommodated at any one time, (c) the number held there each week since it
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opened, (d) the number of staff employed, how many are Prison Service and how many military, (e) the date when the first offenders were admitted, and (f) the estimated annual running cost; and what are the comparative costs for an offender at Colchester and in a more traditional youth offenders institute. [3918]
Ms Joyce Quin:
The cost of establishing Colchester young offender institution was approximately £460,000.
There is accommodation available for up to 38 young offenders, although the planned population is 32.
From 20 February the population was 11. It increased to 21 on 4 April and to 29 on 15 May.
Colchester young offender institution has 23 staff. Of these, 13 were appointed from the Military Corrective Training Centre and the others from the Prison Service.
The first young offenders were admitted to Colchester young offender institution on 20 February.
The current estimated running costs for the financial year 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 are £1,006,000. These exclude an estimated charge of £114,292 made by the Ministry of Defence for rental of the accommodation and a contribution in lieu of rates.
Based on the figure for running costs given above and a population of 32, the annual cost per place at Colchester will be about £31,500, compared with about £17,500 in a typical young offender institution.
Mr. Dawson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the future of the Ethnic Minority Achievement Programme. [4614]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Payment of grant under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 to Lancashire County Council in respect of its three Ethnic Minority Achievement Projects to support pupils in schools is due to continue until August 1998. We shall announce as soon as possible our general intentions with regard to such funding for the period after that. We shall shortly be in touch with the relevant authorities about the implications of local government reorganisation which takes effect next April.
Sir Nicholas Lyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances a United Kingdom competitor will be able to train and take part in an Olympic Games event held in the United Kingdom which involves the use of a .22 weapon. [4869]
Mr. Michael:
If the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill is passed, then all small-calibre pistols will become prohibited. It would then no longer be possible to use these weapons for target shooting in Great Britain and training here will cease.
Three of the fifteen shooting events in the Olympic Games, if held in this country, would be affected by the prohibition. Competitors from any participating country could be allowed to take part in those three events by means of special authority being granted by the Secretary of State under the terms of section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968. Such authority would however be limited to the
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duration of the Games themselves. Unless the British competitors trained for these particular events outside Great Britain, they might be unable to qualify. The remaining twelve shooting events would be unaffected by the change and British competitors can continue to train for them in Great Britain.
Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to revise the rules and procedures on visitors' visas. [4805]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 19 May, Official Report, column 7.
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Government will introduce the 110 day rule applicable in Scots law to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. [2928]
Mr. Michael
[holding answer 19 June 1997]: The 110 day rule under the Scottish system sets custody time limits for indictable cases. Statutory custody time limits have applied also throughout England and Wales since 1991. For cases to be tried on indictment, they are 70 days from first appearance to committal and 110 days from committal to start of trial, although in many cases these limits are not being met. The Government have made a commitment to reduce delays in the criminal justice system and are currently developing a comprehensive strategy, including bringing down remand time to national targets, to achieve that aim. Time limits in Northern Ireland are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the implications of the OECD Multilateral Agreement on Investment for the Government's policy on quota hopping under the common fisheries policy. [3963]
Mr. Morley:
The OECD Multilateral Agreement on Investment, which is currently being negotiated, should not impact upon the Government's policy on quota hopping. We are not intending to limit foreign investment in the UK fishing industry but will be focusing on ensuring that the activities of UK registered fishing vessels contribute substantial economic benefits to those communities in the UK dependent on fishing and related industries.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what volume of beef or beef products consumed in the United Kingdom in 1996 was (a) home produced, (b) imported from other European Union countries and (c) imported from non-European Union countries; and if he will list the volumes from each country. [4651]
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Mr. Rooker:
Figures for the volume of beef and beef products consumed are not available in the form requested. However, the net supply 1 of beef to the UK market in 1996 was 742 thousand tonnes (dressed carcase weight equivalent) of which 15 per cent. was imported from EU countries and 10 per cent. from non-EU countries. Imports of beef and beef products, as recorded in the Overseas Trade Statistics, are shown in the following tables. Some imports may be destined for re-export rather than for consumption.
| Consignment weight in tonnes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Beef | Beef products | |
| Austria | 0 | 9 |
| Belgium--Luxembourg | 843 | 292 |
| Denmark | 849 | 331 |
| Finland | 0 | 0 |
| France | 8,091 | 1,765 |
| Germany | 3,551 | 1,485 |
| Greece | 0 | 57 |
| Irish Republic | 36,901 | 18,402 |
| Italy | 179 | 117 |
| Netherlands | 11,007 | 1,614 |
| Spain | 701 | 179 |
| Sweden | 42 | 0 |
| Total | 62,164 | 24,251 |
(2) Net supply is UK beef production plus imports less exports of beef and net of stock change of beef. A proportion of this supply will have been processed into beef products, some of which may have been exported rather than consumed in the UK. This supply also excludes the beef component of imported beef products.
(3) All data are provisional and subject to amendment.
| Consignment weight in tonnes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Beef | Beef products | |
| Argentina | 7,455 | 15,299 |
| Australia | 9,221 | 1,587 |
| Botswana | 6,927 | 419 |
| Brazil | 3,809 | 32,417 |
| Mauritius | 0 | 2,593 |
| Namibia | 6,388 | 0 |
| New Zealand | 3,880 | 1,333 |
| Paraguay | 115 | 0 |
| Romania | 0 | 395 |
| South Africa | 1,720 | 0 |
| Swaziland | 561 | 0 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 536 |
| U.S.A. | 2,847 | 1,146 |
| Uruguay | 8,115 | 4,012 |
| Zimbabwe | 5,209 | 2,091 |
| Other | 1,010 | 337 |
| Total | 57,257 | 62,166 |
(4) Net supply is UK beef production plus imports less exports of beef and net of stock change of beef. A proportion of this supply will have been processed into beef products, some of which may have been exported rather than consumed in the UK. This supply also excludes the beef component of imported beef products.
(5) All data are provisional and subject to amendment.
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what controls exist for the import of beef and beef products from non-European Union countries; and if he will make a statement. [4650]
Mr. Rooker:
All fresh meat imported into the UK, whether from other Member States or third countries, must have been produced in accordance with harmonised
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Community rules laid down in Council Directive 64/433/EEC. In the case of meat products the harmonised rules are laid down in Council Directive 77/99 (as amended).
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