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Departing Service Personnel
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have left each of the services, quarterly, in each of the last five years. [78779]
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Mr. Doug Henderson:
The numbers of personnel who have left UK Regular armed forces during the last five years is as follows:
| Naval Service | Army | Royal Air Force | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January-31 March 1994 | 947 | 4,051 | 1,609 | 6,607 |
| 1 April-30 June 1994 | 1,385 | 3,782 | 2,407 | 7,574 |
| 1 July-30 September 1994 | 1,423 | 4,637 | 1,224 | 7,284 |
| 1 October-31 December 1994 | 2,416 | 8,480 | 1,152 | 12,048 |
| 1 January-31 March 1995 | 961 | 4,986 | 1,187 | 7,134 |
| 1 April-30 June 1995 | 992 | 3,803 | 1,273 | 6,068 |
| 1 July-30 September 1995 | 1,128 | 3,970 | 1,511 | 6,609 |
| 1 October-31 December 1995 | 1,387 | 3,622 | 1,634 | 6,643 |
| 1 January-31 March 1996 | 1,438 | 4,048 | 4,058 | 9,544 |
| 1 April-30 June 1996 | 1,712 | 3,887 | 1,540 | 7,139 |
| 1 July-30 September 1996 | 2,588 | 3,875 | 3,131 | 9,594 |
| 1 October-31 December 1996 | 1,385 | 3,558 | 1,813 | 6,756 |
| 1 January-31 March 1997 | 1,446 | 4,034 | 4,031 | 9,511 |
| 1 April-30 June 1997 | 1,268 | 3,446 | 1,198 | 5,912 |
| 1 July-30 September 1997 | 1,331 | 4,049 | 1,217 | 6,597 |
| 1 October-31 December 1997 | 1,216 | 2,457 | 1,066 | 4,739 |
| 1 January-31 March 1998 | 1,456 | 4,426 | 1,128 | 7,010 |
| 1 April-30 June 1998 | 1,398 | 4,018 | 1,316 | 6,732 |
| 1 July-30 September 1998 | 1,287 | 4,532 | 1,224 | 7,043 |
| 1 October-31 December 1998 | 1,367 | 4,157 | 1,179 | 6,703 |
El Shifa
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent of 22 February, on the El Shifa pharmaceuticals factory in Khartoum, if he will review his decision not to release information made available to Her Majesty's Government by the United States Administration on the matter. [84763]
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Mr. George Robertson:
I am afraid that I cannot discuss intelligence received in confidence from another Government, as is recognised by exemption 1 of the Code of Practice for Access to Government Information. However, as we stressed at the time, we had the assurance of the United States Government that their decision to resort to military action was based on compelling evidence that the El Shifa factory was connected with chemical weapons development or manufacture.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what powers are available to Ministry of Defence police (a) to search civilian property, (b) to interrogate civilians and (c) to lay charges against individuals; from what legal authority officers of the MoD police derive their powers; what remedy is open to civilians who believe they have been subject to ill-treatment or abuse by MoD police officers; how many complaints have been made against MoD police in each of the past five years; and what were the results of such complaints. [84783]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 20 May 1999]: Ministry of Defence Police officers derive their constabulary powers from the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987. MOD Police officers have the same powers as their Home Department Police colleagues to search civilian property, interview civilians and lay charges against individuals, in respect of matters that come within their jurisdiction as defined in the 1987 Act. The MOD Police are subject to comprehensive disciplinary procedures, overseen by the Police Complaints Authority in the case of complaints made by members of the public.
Details of complaints made against MOD Police are shown in the table:
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| (2)1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of complaint cases | 79 | 62 | 42 | 88 | 59 |
| Number of complaints | 180 | 106 | 96 | 212 | 108 |
| Informally resolved | 31 | 14 | 14 | 24 | 24 |
| Substantiated | 10 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Unsubstantiated | 89 | 51 | 51 | 34 | 9 |
| Dispensation from investigation | 31 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 12 |
| Withdrawn | 19 | 31 | 16 | 19 | 16 |
| Open | 0 | 0 | 11 | 124 | 47 |
(2) 1994-95 figures are for a 15 month period 1 January 1994 to 31 March 1995
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Firearms
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what measures he plans to take against the possession of illegally held firearms; and if he will make a statement; [84733]
- (2) what estimate he has made of the number of illegally held firearms in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [84735]
Mr. Boateng: There is no reliable estimate of the number of illegal firearms in circulation in this country.
Government Departments work closely with the police service and Her Majesty's Customs to prevent and detect the illegal use of firearms.
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A sub-committee has been set up by the Association of Chief Police Officers to consider the police response to the criminal use of firearms. The National Intelligence Service is compiling a strategic threat assessment of the firearms situation in England and Wales. An Interdepartmental Committee on Small Arms Policy has been created to ensure the structured co-ordination of all Government Departments concerned with the legal and illegal movement of firearms.
The Firearms Consultative Committee has been asked to consider as part of its current work programme what measures can be taken to reduce the illegal possession and use of firearms. Work is also continuing at international level to address the problems of the illicit manufacture and trafficking of firearms, notably through a Protocol to the proposed United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime.
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Mr. Stephen Twigg:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the occasions on which he or representatives from his Department have met representatives from (i) the Countryside Alliance, (ii) the Master of Foxhounds Association and (iii) the British Field Sports Society since May 1997 indicating in each case (a) the reason for the meeting, (b) where and when it took place and (c) its duration. [84717]
Mr. Straw:
I met the Master of the Foxhounds Association on 9 June 1998 in a meeting with him and others to discuss the policing of hunts. The meeting was held in the House of Commons and lasted approximately 30 minutes.
No meetings have taken place between officials from this Department and the Countryside Alliance, Master of Foxhounds Association and The British Field Sports Society.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have taken place under each section of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997; how many and what percentage of prosecutions have resulted in a conviction; how many cautions have been issued in relation to each section of the Act; and if he will make a statement. [84734]
Mr. Boateng:
The available data from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database, for 1997 and provisionally for the period January to September 1998, are given in the table.
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| Offence/disposal | 1997 | 1998 January to September (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Section 2--Offence of harassment (summary) | ||
| Cautioned | 171 | 431 |
| Total proceeded against | 507 | 3,011 |
| Total convicted | 249 | 1,604 |
| Conviction rate(5) | 49 | 53 |
| Section 3--Breach of the conditions of an injunction against harassment | ||
| Cautioned | 1 | 7 |
| Total proceeded against | 7 | 17 |
| Total convicted | 3 | 8 |
| Conviction rate(5) | 43 | 47 |
| Section 4--Putting people in fear of violence | ||
| Cautioned | 51 | 109 |
| Total proceeded against | 243 | 1,094 |
| Total convicted | 76 | 391 |
| Conviction rate(5) | 31 | 36 |
| Section 5--Breach of restraining order | ||
| Cautioned | 0 | 7 |
| Total proceeded against | 23 | 234 |
| Total convicted | 16 | 179 |
| Conviction rate(5) | 70 | 76 |
(3) Came into force on 16 June 1997
(4) Provisional
(5) The number of offenders convicted at all courts as a percentage of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts
(6) Came into force on 30 September 1998
Young Offenders
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young (a) men and (b) women up to the age of 21 years were sentenced to periods of imprisonment in England and Wales during each of the last five years. [84681]
Mr. Boateng:
Information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database is given in the table.
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(7) Immediate custody for persons aged 15 and under 21 comprises detention in a young offender institution
21 May 1999 : Column: 467
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