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Electro-shock Batons
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the company that was responsible for
2 Feb 1999 : Column: 553
handling, storing and distributing the electro-shock batons that were trans-shipped from the United States to Saudi Arabia via the United Kingdom under the 1993 trans-shipment licence granted by the Department of Trade and Industry had been issued with the relevant licences under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968; [68190]
(3) what actions his Department has taken against (a) companies and (b) individuals that were not in possession of the relevant firearms licences for the handling, storage, distribution or manufacture of electro-shock batons. [68240]
Mr. Boateng:
Two of the four companies in question had authority to deal in weapons prohibited by section 5(1)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968, which would include electro-shock weapons as well as other types of weapons capable of discharging a noxious liquid, gas or other things. The other two companies, one of which was the company granted the trans-shipment licence, did not have such authority.
The investigation of possible offences under the Firearms Acts is a matter for the police, who will consider whether there are grounds to bring criminal charges. The decision as to whether or not to prosecute in an individual case rests with the Crown Prosecution Service. The Home Office have no powers to intervene. However, information about the two companies that did not have authority to deal in prohibited weapons was forwarded by the Home Office to the relevant police forces for their consideration. I understand that, in both cases, the police have decided to take no further action.
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the guidance in Home Office Circular 4/1998, relating to the payment of money to officers, either former or serving, involved in criminal proceedings, applies (a) to officers who have retired on health grounds with outstanding disciplinary charges against them and (b) to officers against whom outstanding disciplinary charges have been dropped because of a retirement on health grounds of another officer. [68225]
Mr. Boateng:
There is no express statutory provision enabling police authorities to provide financial assistance to officers involved in criminal proceedings. The circular makes it clear that it is entirely for individual police authorities to decide in the particular circumstances of a case and, on the basis of legal advice, whether to make financial assistance available to officers, either former or serving, in criminal proceedings. It does not seek to offer guidance on the specific circumstances of a case.
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review Home
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Office Circular 4/1998 relating to the payment of money to officers, either former or serving, involved in criminal proceedings in respect of the payment of the defence costs of officers from the police budget. [68845]
Mr. Boateng:
Home Office Circular 4/1998 was issued after full consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Police Superintendents Association, the Police Federation and the Association of Police Authorities. We have no plans at present to review it.
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average annual cost in the South Yorkshire Police Authority area of keeping a police constable on the beat. [68224]
Mr. Boateng:
I understand from the South Yorkshire Police Authority that the full average annual cost of a beat constable is around £41,300. This includes pay, pensions, and running costs.
Mr. Forth:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned in the past year into crime among ethnic minorities; and when the results of any such research will be made available to the public. [68111]
Mr. Straw
[holding answer 28 January 1999]: Since 1 January 1998, the Home Office has undertaken or commissioned a number of pieces of research which have included consideration of issues of ethnicity in the criminal justice system, patterns of offending between different ethnic groups, patterns of ethnic minority victimisation, and the operation of the criminal justice system in relation to ethnic minorities as suspects, offenders and victims of crime.
All commissioned research is published as a matter of course. I have strengthened the procedures for securing the integrity of regular statistical services by ensuring that they are published by the Director of the Research and Statistical Directorate and not Ministers, and on dates set well in advance.
I receive regular advice from my officials in the form of submissions and briefing papers about the research and statistical data available in the Department.
The current list, with dates of publication in brackets, is as follows:
PRG Crime Detection and Prevention Series 1998
(March 1998)
(April 1998)
Home Office Research Study 180
(July 1998)
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Home Office and Research Study 185
(August 1998)
(December 1998)
Home Office, Research, Development and Statistics Directorate
(Spring 1999)
Home Office, Research, Development and Statistics Directorate
(Spring 2001)
and, possibly:
Home Office, Research, Development and Statistics Directorate
(Spring 2000),
which is expected to provide information on many aspects of young people's lifestyles including fear of crime, victimisation and self-reported offending.
Dr. Kumar:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the provisions of the Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977 relating to the sale of exclusive right of burial to individual families. [68560]
Mr. George Howarth:
No. Burial authorities have a wide discretion under the 1977 Order as to the length of time for which they may grant an exclusive right of burial, up to a maximum of 100 years. We understand that these arrangements generally work satisfactorily.
Mr. Ivan Henderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines exist for striking out court cases on the basis that they are an abuse of process; and if he will make a statement. [68242]
Mr. Hoon:
I have been asked to reply.
Any application to stay proceedings on the grounds that they are an abuse of process is for the court to determine in accordance with the principles established in case law.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration has been given to the financial cost to local authorities of provision for the educational needs of school-age children of asylum seekers in the assessment of any special grant settlement. [67728]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
I have been asked to reply.
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Through the Local Government Finance Settlement, Local Education Authorities are funded to provide education for school aged children of asylum seekers on school roll, in the same way as they are for other children on school roll. This arrangement will not be affected by the current review of the asylum seeking process, or any changes to the funding of other costs incurred by Local Authorities in meeting the needs of asylum seekers.
Mr. McGrady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were on the waiting list in each health and social services board for fracture operations in (a) 1995, (b) 1996, (c) 1997 and (d) at the latest available date. [67859]
Mr. McFall:
Patients requiring fracture operations are treated on an emergency basis and therefore are not, routinely, placed on waiting lists for surgery. From time to time a small number of patients may have to wait for treatment. On 29 January, 31 patients were awaiting fracture operations, and 19 operations were scheduled for that day.
(2) if the companies that were granted export licences by the Department of Trade and Industry for the export of electro-shock batons from the United Kingdom between 1989 and 1994 had been granted the relevant licence under section 5 of the Firearms Act to (a) handle, (b) store, (c) distribute and (d) manufacture such weapons; [68191]
Tackling Street Robbery: a Comparative Evaluation of Operation Eagle Eye
Stockdale J. E. and Gresham P. J.
Ethnicity and Victimisation: findings from the 1996 British Crime Survey
Home Office Statistical Bulletin 6/98
Sentencing Practice: an examination of decisions in magistrates' courts and the Crown Court in the mid-1990s
Flood-Page C and Mackie A
Prison Statistics, England and Wales
(July 1998)
Entry into the criminal justice system: a survey of police arrests and their outcome
Phillips C and Brown D
Probation Statistics, England and Wales
(October 1998)
Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System
Published under section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991
Young Offenders from Different Ethnic Groups
Miller J
Evaluation of the Racially Aggravated Offences in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998
Fitzgerald M
1998 Youth Lifestyles Survey
Flood-Page C
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