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Prison Visitors (Illegal Drugs)
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons visiting prisons during 1997 were (a) found to be in possession of illegal drugs and (b) subsequently charged with an offence; and if he will make a statement. [25437]
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Mr. George Howarth:
In 1997, 1,179 arrests by the police of people visiting prisons in connection with possible drug-related offences were reported to Prison Service headquarters. The Prison Service does not record what action was subsequently taken by the police.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications he has received for licences for research into the therapeutic use of natural cannabis in the last five years; how many have been granted; and to which bodies; and if he will indicate whether each application is for clinical or laboratory research. [24524]
Mr. George Howarth:
Five; all were granted as listed. Licences do not distinguish between clinical and laboratory research.
Professor A. Smith, University of Oxford
Mr. D. Todd, James Paget Hospital
Dr. R. Pertwee, University of Aberdeen
Dr. P. Taylor, Bethlem Hospital
Dr. A. Holdcroft, Hammersmith Hospital.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what form the cannabis supplied by the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and the University of London is made available to medical researchers. [24666]
Mr. George Howarth: I understand that the Laboratory of the Government Chemist no longer supplies cannabis in any form to medical researchers, although it has done in the past. The University of London has supplied cannabis extract in capsule form to one medical researcher.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 1998, Official Report, columns 326-27, in respect of the licences granted for medical research of cannabis, if he will make it his policy to collect information on the results of this research. [24735]
Mr. George Howarth: No. This is not a licensing requirement.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 1998, Official Report, column 326, concerning the origin of supplies of cannabis, if the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and the University of London grow their own cannabis plants. [24730]
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 1998, Official Report, column 326, what steps are taken by the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and the University of London to ensure that cannabis offered to medical researchers is of a consistent standard and quality. [25116]
Mr. George Howarth:
Standard and quality are not matters for the Home Office.
26 Jan 1998 : Column: 46
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes he proposes to make to the current position whereby the police investigate allegations of police misconduct. [24668]
Mr. Michael:
We are committed to finding ways of increasing public confidence in the investigation of complaints against the police including examining the scope for introducing a greater degree of independence into the system. We are currently considering these issues in the light of the Home Affairs Committee's recently published report on the police complaints and discipline system.
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to take to modernise voting methods. [24799]
Mr. George Howarth:
We have set up a Working Party on Electoral Procedures which will examine and review current electoral arrangements, including legislation where relevant, in the light of the recent general election. The Working Party began this review under my chairmanship last week and will be advising the Home Secretary on recommended changes to electoral practice in due course.
Mr. Whittingdale:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list those offences for which offenders have been sentenced to the Young Offenders Institution in Colchester indicating the number of offenders in each category; [24573]
(3) how many offenders have completed their service at the Colchester Young Offenders Institution; and how many of those have since been charged with a further offence. [24574]
Ms Quin: (i)
The information requested is shown in the table:
(2) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Young Offenders Institution in Colchester; and if he will make a statement; [24572]
| Principal Offence | Number of young offenders |
|---|---|
| Burglary | 21 |
| Robbery | 16 |
| Actual bodily harm | 6 |
| Grievous bodily harm | 5 |
| Wounding | 4 |
| Theft | 4 |
| Arson | 3 |
| Affray | 3 |
| Car crime | 3 |
| Possession of drugs with intent to supply | 1 |
(ii) At 20 January 1998, 36 young offenders had completed their sentence at Colchester YOI, and of those one is known to have been reconvicted.
26 Jan 1998 : Column: 47
(iii) I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Castlepoint (Ms Butler) on 22 January 1998, Official Report, columns 639-40.
The Institute of Criminology at Cambridge has been carrying out an assessment of the experimental regime at Colchester YOI. Preliminary results show that the regime can have a positive effect upon the attitudes of young offenders but do not prove that it deters young offenders from reoffending. However, the test of the effectiveness of the regime will not be known until the recidivism rate on all those who have been released from Colchester is known and cannot be fully known until a considerable period of time has elapsed.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects places on the Gaming Board to become vacant; and what procedure will be adopted for filling such vacancies. [24284]
Mr. George Howarth:
The Chairman of the Gaming Board is due to retire on 30 June 1998. The present terms of the other four Board members will expire on 31 December 1998, 31 August 1999, 31 December 2000 and 31 July 2001 respectively.
In dealing with appointments to the Board, the Government observe the Code of Practice for public Appointments Procedures. A competition is currently being held to fill the Chairman's post.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will release for public scrutiny the files held by MI5 relating to the Zinoviev letter. [24747]
Mr. Straw:
The Security Service recently released its records dating from 1909 to 1918 to the Public Records Office. Work has now started within the Service on the review of its files relating to the Second World War, and in due course attention will turn to the records surviving from the inter war period.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the (a) longest and (b) average recorded journey time endured by non-human primates imported into the United Kingdom for research purposes during (1) 1996 and (2) 1997 from (i) China, (ii) Mauritius, (iii) Indonesia and (iv) Philippines. [24748]
Mr. George Howarth:
Precise journey times are not available for 1996. When new measures were introduced early in 1996. The Home Office required only that an estimate of total journey time be provided prior to each acquisition and that, after each acquisition, confirmation be provided that the importation was in accordance with what had been authorised.
The information requested is as follows:
26 Jan 1998 : Column: 48
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will incorporate into section 5(4) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 measures to deal with the adverse effects which may be encountered by non-human primates during transport prior to arrival in the United Kingdom. [24745]
Mr. George Howarth:
Section 5(4) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 requires that in determining whether and on what terms to grant a project licence, the likely adverse effects on the animals involved be weighed against the benefits likely to accrue. This is the cost-benefit assessment. It does not provide for measures to deal with adverse effects.
China:
1996: Longest--54 hours; Average--not available.
Mauritius:
1996 Longest--31 hours; Average--not available.
1997: Longest--38 hours; Average--31 hours.
Indonesia:
1996: Longest--58 hours; Average--not available.
1997: No importations.
Philippines:
1996: Longest--38 hours; Average--not available.
1997: Longest--38 hours; Average--not available.
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