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Sunlight

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the variations in the duration of sunlight in the United Kingdom since 1977. [10951]

Mr. George Howarth: Following a preliminary survey in 1987, the Home Office commissioned a survey of interest groups in 1988 into options for summer time arrangements. The views of respondents and the arguments that were advanced were reviewed in the 1989 Green Paper "Summer Time: A Consultation Document", Cm 722.

Responses to the Green Paper showed that there was a lack of consensus about the merits of the United Kingdom moving to central European time, also known as single/double summer time. A private Member's Bill, The British Time (Extra Daylight) Bill, which would have achieved such a move did not attract enough support for a Second Reading when it was debated on 19 January 1996. The debate illustrated the strength of feeling and diversity of opinion on the issue.

Special Secure Units

Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the recommendations made by Sir Donald Acheson in his report on special secure units indicating which have been implemented; and if he will make a statement. [11098]

Ms Quin: Sir Donald Acheson's report contained nine recommendations. Action has been taken on these as follows:

"1. Given the short duration of the present regime, it is premature to come to a firm conclusion on its impact on prisoners' health. We therefore advise that the general health of prisoners detained in special secure units (SSUs) be reviewed at regular intervals, taking into account their degree of susceptibility to psychological symptoms.

Response

The SSU Operating Standards have been amended to require that medical officers should undertake formal reviews of the health of prisoners detained in SSUs every three months.

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2. A standard set of procedures applicable to all SSUs should be devised, circulated to all parties and enforced to ensure the most expeditious transfer of prisoners requiring emergency treatment to National Health Service hospitals.

Response

The Operating Standards have been amended to emphasise the importance of prompt action.

3. SSUs should be provided with the same level of first aid and emergency aid equipment as other wings in the prison. Personnel trained in using this equipment should be on duty in the SSU at all times.

Response

Healthcare in SSUs is comparable to that elsewhere in the Prison Service. Arrangements exist to ensure that first aid be administered immediately to prisoners in SSUs.

4. Prisoners should be held in SSUs for as short a period as possible.

Response

This is existing policy.

5. Prisoners should be informed when their cases are coming before the SSU committee and be given the opportunity to submit written representations. When feasible, an indication as to how long prisoners will be required to stay in the SSU system should be given.

Response

This is existing policy.

6. Sentence planning should be introduced as with other long term prisoners.

Response

The overriding consideration is determining the length of time a prisoner spends in a special unit must be security. However, the Operating Standards have been amended to provide that regular reviews are undertaken of prisoners' behaviour, attitude and other relevant issues. Review arrangements ensure that the necessary information is collected on the prisoner to inform my future sentencing planning.

7. More opportunities for mental stimulation and physical exercise should be provided, including the provision of meaningful activity.

Response

This is existing policy. Opportunities for constructive activity have increased.

8. It is the unanimous view of the group that, in the interests of health, prisoners in the SSUs should have access to open visits with members of their immediate family. We believe that it should be possible for the Prison Service to devise visits which prevent the passage of unauthorised items whilst at the same time retaining the advantages to the prisoners of physical contact possible only in open visits. Given the logistics involved in conducting secure open visits, it is for the Prison Service to determine their frequency and management.

Response

This recommendation has not been accepted although the policy is under review.

9. Staff should be encouraged to form relationships with prisoners, yet remain sufficiently detached to maintain objectivity and resist being compromised.

Response

This is existing policy."

Metropolitan Police

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what disciplinary action was taken against Metropolitan police officers involved in a disturbance outside minicab offices on the Holloway road in north London on 17 March 1996. [9963]

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Mr. Michael: The commissioner informs me that two Metropolitan police officers are to face a disciplinary board on charges of abuse of authority and two other officers were admonished as a result of the investigation.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were employed by the Metropolitan police in each year since 1979. [11156]

Mr. Michael: I am advised by the Metropolitan police service that the number of officers employed by it from 1979 is as follows:
1979: 22,786
1980: 23,691
1981: 25,161
1982: 26,350
1983: 26,806
1984: 26,844
1985: 26,783
1986: 27,005
1987: 27,438
1988: 28,009
1989: 28,267
1990: 28,364
1991: 28,455
1992: 28,229.7
1993: 28,045.3
1994: 28,070.6
1995: 27,719.4
1996: 27,420.4

These figures are as at 31 December--end of year figures--and do not include any officers on secondment to or from the Metropolitan police service. Figures for 1992 onwards show a full-time equivalent figure and take account of part-time work; there were no part-time workers prior to 1992.

HMP Belmarsh

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress towards providing prisoners detained in the special secure unit at Her Majesty's prison Belmarsh with four hours of education a day on request. [9964]

Ms Quin: Prisoners in the special secure unit at Belmarsh prison can, if they wish, attend formal education classes for up to three hours a day. This exceeds the number of hours of education available in the main prison and, given the extremely low take-up of education by SSU prisoners, there are no plans at present to increase further the number of hours available.

In addition to formal education classes, prisoners can study in their cells if they so wish. In the past, a number of SSU prisoners have participated in Open university courses in this way.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on provision of adequate ventilation for cells and recreation areas within the special secure unit at HMP Belmarsh. [9965]

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Ms Quin: Adequate ventilation is available in cells in the special secure unit at Belmarsh. It has, however, been accepted by Belmarsh that the ventilation of the association areas needs to be improved during periods of hot weather.

To facilitate this, Belmarsh has recently changed procedures to allow prisoners to keep open cell doors and windows at times when they are out of their cells. It has also installed large fans. These measures have greatly increased the ventilation of the association areas, improving matters significantly.

Diarmuid O'Neill Investigation

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Police Complaints Authority has completed its investigation into the shooting of Diarmuid O'Neill on 23 September 1996; and if he will make a statement. [9962]

Mr. Straw: The Police Complaints Authority's investigation is continuing. I understand that some of the evidence in the case may also be relevant to the forthcoming trial of the men arrested with Mr. O'Neill and that the Police Complaints Authority's investigation will not be completed until their trial is over, lest its inquiries prejudice the trial.

Disabled People (Access to Polling Stations)

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for making an assessment of the recommendations in the SCOPE report, "Polls Apart 2", with specific reference to (a) increasing the grant to local authorities for providing temporary ramps for polling stations and (b) increasing the grant for low-level accessible polling booths. [10471]

Mr. George Howarth: The Government are considering SCOPE's report, which we welcome. At present, 50 per cent. grants are available towards the cost of purchasing temporary ramps and 80 per cent. grants are available for polling screens adapted for use by electors in wheelchairs. Funds for such grants are not capped and since 1992 a total of £213,000 has been spent towards the provision of temporary ramps. Separate figures are not kept on the purchase of specially adapted polling screens.

We are looking very carefully at the arrangements for future funding for this equipment.

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