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Drug Smuggling (Prisons)
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) arrested and (b) charged for attempting to smuggle drugs into prisons in England and Wales in each of the last three years. [87653]
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Mr. George Howarth:
The number of visitors arrested for possible drug-related offences is given in the table. Figures for the number subsequently charged are not kept centrally.
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 1,317 |
| 1997 | 1,183 |
| 1998 | 1,109 |
| 1999 (to May 31)(5) | 366 |
(5) Provisional figure
Driving (Illegal Drug Use)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there have been in England and Wales for driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of illegal drugs in each of the last three years. [87656]
Mr. Boateng: The information requested is not separately identifiable from convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol in the statistics collected centrally.
However, figures obtained from the Forensic Science Service show that 1,266 blood samples were submitted to them for analysis by police forces in England and Wales in 1996-97 and 1,863 in 1997-98, and approximately 90 per cent. of the samples submitted were found to contain one or more drugs.
The high proportion of positive findings is likely to be as a result of the absence of specific training or other aids to identifying drug impaired drivers, so that police officers arrest only motorists who are obviously and grossly impaired. Moreover, before a sample can be taken a police surgeon has to agree that drugs are an explanation for the motorist's condition.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted since 1969 for unlawfully casting a proxy vote. [87647]
Mr. Boateng:
The information is unavailable centrally as such offences are not identified separately by the Home Office Court Proceedings Database.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants have been caught while seeking to enter the United Kingdom by hiding in vehicles since 1 January. [87655]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Information is not recorded centrally on the precise circumstances in which illegal entrants are detected. It is not, therefore, possible to say how many clandestine entrants are detected while concealed in vehicles and how many come to light at some later point. Regrettably, I am therefore, unable to provide the information requested.
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| Month | All persons issued with notice of illegal entry | Of whom: clandestines |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,160 | n/a |
| February | 1,000 | n/a |
| March | 1,060 | n/a |
| April | 1,130 | n/a |
| May | 1,700 | n/a |
(6) Figures are provisional and rounded to 10
n/a = not available
Unlicensed Guns
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistics he has collated regarding the use of unlicensed guns in the committing of crimes during the last three years; and if he will publish them. [87850]
Mr. Boateng: An exercise to obtain information on homicides involving firearms was carried out in 1996 covering the years 1992 to 1994. Out of a total of 196 homicides involving the use of a firearm, it was known whether the firearm was legally or illegally held in 151 cases, and of these it was illegally held in 128 cases.
From 1997, the question as to whether firearms used in crime are legally or illegally held has been routinely asked but has been provided by the police in only 6 per cent. of cases. It was decided therefore, that the information was not complete enough to be published.
Animal Experiments
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he plans to implement European Directive 86/609/EEC. [87853]
Mr. George Howarth: The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 already implements, and in several ways, exceeds European Directive 86/609/EEC.
The most important ways in which the Act exceeds the Directive are:
23 Jun 1999 : Column: 381
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to abolish the LD50 test. [87897]
Mr. George Howarth:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr. Cohen) on 13 April 1999, Official Report, column 19, and to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 8 December 1998, Official Report, column 110.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate ways of facilitating the use of smart cards designed for electronic Government transactions as national identity cards. [86801]
Mr. George Howarth:
The White Paper on Modernising Government proposes the development of a framework for the use of smart cards in support of the delivery of Government services. No decision has so far been taken on the merits of a national identity card, but the potential for using smart card technology for this purpose is something we will keep in mind.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make advice given to Ministers public. [86781]
Mr. Straw:
Under the proposals set out in clause 14 of the draft Freedom of Information Bill, published on 20 May, Departments will be required to consider whether to exercise their discretion to disclose advice given to Ministers taking into account all the circumstances of the case including:
The proposed Information Commissioner would be able to regulate the exercise of the discretion by virtue of his powers under clause 43 of the draft Bill. As disclosure of this kind of information is discretionary he will not be able to require the Department to disclose any particular information, but he will be able to:
Advice to Ministers is exempt from the statutory requirement to disclose information under clause 8 of the draft Bill by virtue of the exemption set out in clause 28.
Mr. Kemp:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to establish courts dedicated to dealing with cases of domestic violence in the north-east of England. [87680]
Mr. Vaz:
I have been asked to reply.
23 Jun 1999 : Column: 382
the Directive requires, at Article 12, that either the experiments themselves or the details of the person conducting such experiments be notified in advance. The 1986 Act requires both that the programme of work be authorised by a project licence and that the individuals carrying out the procedures hold personal licences;
Article 12 of the Directive also requires that for experiments that might cause severe and prolonged pain, the authority must be satisfied that the experiment is of sufficient importance for meeting the essential needs of man or animal. Section 5(4) of the 1986 Act requires that, for all applications for project licences, the likely adverse effects on the animal concerned be weighed against the benefits likely to occur; and
the 1986 Act regulates the production and breeding of genetically modified animals, and harmful mutants as well as their use in scientific procedures. The Directive only covers their use in scientific procedures.
(a) the public interest in allowing public access to the information; and
(b) whether the disclosure to the applicant of the information in question would be in the public interest.
(a) require the Department to make a decision in accordance with that section; and
(b) specify matters to which the Department must have regard in making that decision.
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