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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 26 June 1997
HOME DEPARTMENT
Driving Offences
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action the Government are taking to ensure that non-British nationals committing driving offences in this country will be brought to justice in Britain. [4635]
Mr. Michael: Any person, whether or not a British national, who commits an offence of any kind in the United Kingdom and leaves the jurisdiction before being dealt with may be summonsed to return for trial. The summons may be served on the person out of the jurisdiction, though by virtue of section 2(3) of the Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990, failure to appear in response to the summons is not punishable under United Kingdom law. In the case of a serious offence, it may be possible to seek the person's extradition to stand trial in the United Kingdom.
Immigration
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the procedures to be followed in respect of those primary purpose cases before tribunals withdrawn following the guidance given to the Chief Adjudicator on 6 May; and if he will indicate when guidance will be given on the case of Mrs. Sewarra (case number TH/4170/96. [5494]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Following the abolition of the primary purpose rule, Home Office officials are reviewing all outstanding appeals where primary purpose was one of the grounds for refusal to decide whether there is sufficient evidence to contest the appeal on any of the other grounds quoted in the refusal letter. If the refusal was based solely on primary purpose or if there is insufficient evidence to contest the other grounds, the entry clearance officer will be instructed to issue entry clearance and invite the appellant to withdraw the appeal. In all other cases, the appeal will be contested. Officials are keeping the Independent Appellate Authority, which is solely responsible for listing appeals, informed as this review proceeds. The review of some 1,500 outstanding appeals will be completed as soon as possible. I have written to the hon. Member on the case he raises.
Perjury
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the longest term of imprisonment imposed by the courts on an individual found guilty of perjury since 1979; [5501]
- (2) how many persons have been prosecuted and found guilty of perjury in each year since 1979. [5502]
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Mr. Michael: The longest term of imprisonment imposed at the Crown Court since 1979 for an offence of perjury is five years (given in 1987 and 1989).
Prosecution and conviction data are shown in the table:
| Year | Prosecuted | Convicted (1) |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 149 | 135 |
| 1980 | 158 | 174 |
| 1981 | 146 | 145 |
| 1982 | 148 | 131 |
| 1983 | 147 | 139 |
| 1984 | 161 | 186 |
| 1985 | 166 | 162 |
| 1986 | 124 | 124 |
| 1987 | 183 | 167 |
| 1988 | 220 | 203 |
| 1989 | 226 | 195 |
| 1990 | 176 | 160 |
| 1991 | 217 | 166 |
| 1992 | 212 | 164 |
| 1993 | 198 | 150 |
| 1994 | 198 | 144 |
| 1995 | 232 | 193 |
(1) Includes persons proceeded against in earlier years or for other offences.
(2) An offence under the Perjury Act 1911 and Criminal Justice Act 1925, Sec. 36, Criminal Justice Act 1967 Sec. 89, Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969 Sec.12(2) (in part), Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 Sec. 106, Mental Health Act 1983 Sec. 126(4), County Courts Act 1984 Sec. 133, and Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Sec. 75.
Surrey Police Force
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of policemen trained by the Surrey Police Force remain with the Surrey Police Force after five years' service; and what is the corresponding figure for the rest of England and Wales. [5457]
Mr. Michael: The information is not available. However, if the hon. member would like to write to me setting out his concerns in detail, I will reply as fully as I can.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has for publishing further guidance notes. [5117]
Mr. Michael:
In accordance with paragraph 21 of the criminal injuries compensation scheme, which came into effect on 1 April 1996, the Authority published at that time its guide to the operation of the scheme as a whole. It has supplemented that by issuing more specialised guidance on the assessment of loss of earnings and special expenses, compensation in fatal cases, the procedures applicable in cases of child abuse and the administration of awards to minors. The Authority has no immediate plans for further guidance, but is always ready to consider requests for such guidance.
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Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next intends to meet the Internet Service Providers Association to discuss the issues of pornography on electronic networks. [4735]
Mr. Michael:
I intend to meet the Chief Executive of Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) shortly. The IWF is an independent industry body set up on 23 September 1996 with the support of the two major Internet Service Providers Trade Associations (the Internet Service Providers Association and the London Internet Exchange (LINX)) to tackle the problems of illegal material (particularly child pornography) on the Internet.
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which child pornography is being placed on the Internet by persons in the United Kingdom. [4736]
Mr. Michael:
We are concerned about the presence of child pornography on the Internet and the relative ease of access to such material. With the Metropolitan Police and other interested parties, we are examining ways of controlling access to such material. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) was set up last year to tackle the problems of illegal material (particularly child pornography) on the Internet and established a hotline on 3 December so that users could report the present of child pornography in a newsgroup. Since then, IWF, have received 94 reports, covering 1,008 separate items relating to child pornography, of which 9, covering 71 items, refer to material apparently placed on the Internet by persons within the United Kingdom.
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reconstitute the Bookmakers Committee. [6135]
Mr. George Howarth:
After careful consideration, we have decided to implement the proposals for reconstituting the Bookmakers Committee previously consulted on.
I have today made regulations under section 26 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 which will come into force on 24 July.
We consider that the new make-up of the Committee strikes a reasonable balance between the different bookmaking interests.
The Committee will continue to consist of 12 members. The main change is to give representation to a new body, the British Betting Office Association, which will be invited to appoint two members to the Committee.
The Betting Office Licensees Association (which previously appointed five members) is to appoint six members of the Committee, as a consequence of its merger with the National Sporting League (which previously appointed one member).
The National Association of Bookmakers is to appoint three members of the Committee (previously five): and the Scottish Starting Price (SP) Bookmakers Association will continue to appoint one member.
We will keep the position under review.
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Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fires occurred in houses in multiple occupation in the years 1990 to 1996; and how many (a) deaths and (b) injuries resulted from these fires. [4732]
Mr. George Howarth:
The available information on dwellings for 1990 to 1995 is given in the tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library. The data for 1994 and 1995 do not reliably identify houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) from other types of dwelling. A more detailed analysis of fires in multiple occupied dwellings in the United Kingdom was published in pages 30-33 of "Fire Statistics, United Kingdom, 1993", a copy of which is in the Library. The enforcement of fire safety precautions in HMOs is a policy responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions. His Department is currently funding a research study looking in depth at the incidence and causes of fire death in HMOs. It is hoped to publish the report later this year.
(3) Including additional late call and heat and smoke damage incidents (not recorded prior to 1994). Figures are rounded and the components do not necessarily sum to the independently rounded totals.
(4) Excluding fires confined to chimneys.
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(5) Including additional late call and heat and smoke damage incidents (not recorded prior to 1994). Figures are rounded and the components do not necessarily sum to the independently rounded totals.
(6) Excluding fires confined to chimneys.
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(7) Excluding fires confined to chimneys.
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(8) Excluding fires confined to chimneys.
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(9) Excluding fires confined to chimneys.
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(10) Excluding fires confined to chimneys.
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