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Firearms
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many (a) handguns and (b) accessories, broken down by (i) type and (ii) calibre, have been surrendered to each police force in Great Britain by (A) private citizens, (B) shooting clubs and (C) firearms dealers under the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997; [78153]
- (2) how much compensation (a) has been paid and (b) is outstanding in respect of firearms surrendered under the terms of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997; and when he expects the process to be completed. [78154]
Mr. Boateng: Over 162,000 large and small-calibre handguns were surrendered to the police following the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997. I regret that the more detailed information requested is not at present available. A total of £80.3 million has so far been paid in compensation. The total of compensation paid is expected to be in the region of £87 million.
Yemen
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recent arrest of Abu Hamza al-Masri; and what his policy is in respect of Yemen's request for his deportation. [78131]
Mr. Straw:
Abu Hamza al-Masri and two other men were arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 (PTA) on 15 March. I subsequently authorised extensions of detention beyond the initial 48 hours allowed by the Act. On 18 March, all three detainees were released from detention under the PTA, re-arrested under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and given police bail to return for further questioning in mid-May after further inquiries have been made.
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The United Kingdom has no extradition treaty with Yemen. The law contains provision in these circumstances for a special arrangement to be considered. I cannot say what would be the outcome were such an approach to be made by the Yemen, but it would be open to their authorities, if they so wished, to pursue the possibility.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Venezuelan nationals there are in British prisons. [78125]
Mr. George Howarth:
The latest available provisional information is for 31 December 1998. On that date, there were 16 Venezuelan nationals (15 males and 1 female) in prisons in England and Wales. Information on the numbers of Venezuelan nationals held in prisons in Scotland and Northern Ireland are available from the Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons Her Majesty's Government have not ratified the Council of Europe Protocol Number 6 to the convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms concerning the abolition of the death penalty; and if he will make a statement. [77284]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Home Secretary signed Protocol 6 in Strasbourg on 27 January 1999. An Explanatory Memorandum and a Command Paper relating to the ratification process will be laid before the House shortly.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons in England and Wales have had more than three principal governors within the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [77587]
Mr. George Howarth:
Bullwood Hall and Maidstone prisons are the only establishments to have had more than three governing governors, including those temporarily in charge, in the last three years.
Ms Oona King:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce a concession to the Immigration Rules granting asylum seekers from Sierra Leone immediate exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom. [77548]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
I do not consider that such a policy would be justified at present, but we are keeping the situation in Sierra Leone under continuous close review.
Following a decline in the country situation in December 1998, enforced removals to Sierra Leone were suspended on practical and precautionary grounds. In view of the continued fighting and the rebel invasion into parts of Freetown, consideration of asylum applications was suspended in January 1999.
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Appalling human rights violations and destruction have been perpetrated by the rebel forces in Sierra Leone. However, President Kabbah has remained in power and Freetown has recently been secured following action by ECOMOG troops. There are large numbers of internally displaced people in the city. In all the circumstances, it would not be appropriate to resume widescale enforced returns of rejected asylum seekers at this stage. We will consider the viability of making limited returns to Freetown now that the city is secure, but no one will be returned to Sierra Leone unless it is considered safe to do so.
As and when consideration of applications by asylum seekers from Sierra Leone is resumed, they will be considered in accordance with the standing instructions to caseworkers which point, among other things, to the grant of exceptional leave to remain in cases where there are compassionate or humanitarian reasons which merit not requiring the person to return to their country of origin or habitual residence.
Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the rates of sick leave reported in each police force in each of the last three years. [78391]
Mr. Boateng:
The information requested is shown in the tables.
Notes:
* Figures not available due to changes in data collection methods
24 Mar 1999 : Column: 235
| 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avon and Somerset | 11 | 12 | 10 |
| Bedfordshire | 10 | 11 | 14 |
| Cambridgeshire | 13 | 11 | 11 |
| Cheshire | 15 | 13 | 14 |
| City of London | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Cleveland | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| Cumbria | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Derbyshire | 12 | 14 | 14 |
| Devon and Cornwall | 10 | 11 | 10 |
| Dorset | 11 | 10 | 11 |
| Durham | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| Dyfed-Powys | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| Essex | 9 | 10 | 12 |
| Gloucestershire | 10 | 11 | 11 |
| Greater Manchester | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Gwent | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Hampshire | 8 | 9 | 11 |
| Hertfordshire | 12 | 14 | 12 |
| Humberside | 13 | 12 | 12 |
| Kent | 13 | 11 | 11 |
| Lancashire | 15 | 12 | 11 |
| Leicestershire | 14 | 14 | 12 |
| Lincolnshire | 12 | 14 | 12 |
| Merseyside | 17 | 19 | 12 |
| Metropolitan Police | 10 | 14 | 15 |
| Norfolk | 11 | 9 | 10 |
| Northamptonshire | 12 | 10 | 12 |
| Northumbria | 12 | 11 | 13 |
| North Wales | 12 | 9 | 10 |
| North Yorkshire | 12 | 11 | 11 |
| Nottinghamshire | 14 | 13 | 13 |
| South Wales | 15 | * | 17 |
| South Yorkshire | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Staffordshire | 13 | 14 | 13 |
| Suffolk | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Surrey | 10 | 11 | 13 |
| Sussex | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| Thames Valley | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Warwickshire | 13 | 13 | 14 |
| West Mercia | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| West Midlands | 10 | 13 | 12 |
| West Yorkshire | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Wiltshire | 8 | 10 | 9 |
| Provincial total | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| England and Wales total | 12 | 12 | 13 |
Notes:
* Figures not available due to changes in data collection methods
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