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Criminal Justice Act 1988
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the recent review of section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. [91828]
Kate Hoey: This review was conducted by means of communications between Ministers and officials of various Departments, and legal advice to Ministers. The Code of Practice on Access to Government Information indicates that such internal discussion and advice is exempt from the commitment to provide information in that Code. The review did not lead to any change of policy or practice.
Miscarriages of Justice (Compensation)
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many wrongfully convicted people, excluding motoring or summary offences, have been granted compensation since 1990; and what is the average time taken to process a claim. [91827]
Kate Hoey: There have been 154 successful applications for compensation for wrongful conviction or charge, under the statutory or the ex-gratia schemes, since 1990. (This figure excludes a large group of successful applications stemming from the quashing of a high number of convictions for drink-driving in Greater Manchester, between 1987 and 1989, but not any other motoring or summary offences.) The average time from the date of these applications to the decision to pay compensation is 210 days. Once such a decision has been taken, the time taken to make the final payment of compensation depends primarily on how quickly the successful applicant submits the full details of the claim (to allow the independent assessor to determine quantum) and accepts the subsequent award. The average time from the date of those successful applications since 1990 in respect of which a final payment has been made, to the final payment, is 895 days.
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department following the Bentley case, what assessment he has made of the benefits of granting compensation where miscarriage of justice has been caused by judicial error. [91797]
Kate Hoey: It is my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary's policy to pay compensation for a wrongful conviction caused by judicial error, under the ex-gratia arrangements announced by the then Home Secretary (Mr. Hurd) in his reply to Mr. Tim Smith on 29 November 1985, Official Report, columns 689-90, in cases where the judicial error is of an exceptional nature. The Divisional Court in the case of R v. Home Secretary ex parte Garner & Others held that it would be "a very rare case indeed" where the judicial misconduct is of the exceptional nature required to justify an ex-gratia payment.
Special Services (Costs)
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes are proposed in the charging policy for the policing of football matches for the 1999-2000 season; how those charges are assessed; and if he will make a statement. [91915]
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Kate Hoey:
It is for chief constables to decide when to charge for special services such as the policing of football matches. The scale of charges is determined by the police authority. Under Home Office guidelines, the level of charges should represent the full economic cost of providing the special service.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes are proposed in policing costs for road closures for sporting and public events; and if he will make a statement. [91916]
Kate Hoey:
I understand that the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has issued guidance that the current practice by police forces of using their powers to achieve road closures during sporting events, such as football matches and other public events, is inappropriate. The ACPO advice is that, for planned events, it would be more appropriate for the organisers to apply to the relevant local authority for a road closure order. The fees and charges involved would be a matter for the local authority to determine.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the percentage of cases where election is made for trial by jury and the defendant changes the plea to guilty prior to the start of the trial. [91914]
Mr. Boateng:
Crown Prosecution Service statistics for 1998 show that 18,500 defendants elected trial in 1998 in addition to 47,185 either-way cases directed to the Crown Court by magistrates. During the same period, 76 per cent. of defendants in either-way cases pleaded guilty before the commencement of the Crown Court trial.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial savings are projected as a result of the proposed changes in the right to trial by jury. [92130]
Mr. Boateng:
The information requested is not currently available. Detailed estimates of the costs and savings of the proposed procedure are still under consideration.
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is proposing as a follow-up to the Forum on Animal Experiments held on 11 July (a) to reduce the number of animals used in experimentation and (b) to co-ordinate research on alternatives to animal experimentation. [91918]
Mr. George Howarth:
For the reasons I outlined in my reply to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 11 May 1998, Official Report, column 51, the total number of scientific procedures involving animals is not a true measure of the effectiveness of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The total number of procedures is dependent on a number of factors, including the implications of scientific breakthroughs and the buoyancy of United Kingdom industry.
We will, however, continue to work to minimise the amount of suffering caused and the number of animals used by ensuring that alternatives (which replace animal
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use, reduce the number of animals needed for a particular purpose and refine protocols to lessen suffering--the 3Rs) are used wherever possible.
Following the Forum I hosted on 9 July, I am keen to see whether it might be possible to co-ordinate more effectively the various programmes of work aimed at developing, testing or validating alternatives. I have already written to a number of colleagues in other Departments to obtain information on their funding of such work and have asked officials to write over the summer to other bodies that sponsor, commission or undertake such work, including charities, animal welfare bodies and industry. I will also be asking the Animal Procedures Committee for advice on this matter.
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further meetings he is planning with animal welfare organisations, research organisations and others with an interest in animal experimentation as a follow-up to the Forum on Animal Experiments held on 11 July. [91917]
Mr. George Howarth:
In the last 12 months, I have met with a number of such organisations and I have visited a number of establishments designated under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. I expect to continue to do so. I do, as far as possible, maintain an "open door" policy and generally find meetings with all those with an interest in the use of animals in scientific procedures to be very useful and constructive.
I am currently giving consideration to the possibility of holding further events, similar to the Forum, but have no firm plans at this stage.
Mr. Wyatt:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being taken to prevent early retirement by police officers under investigation by the Police Complaints Authority. [91836]
Kate Hoey:
Retirement cannot take place where a police officer is suspended. Under the Police (Conduct) Regulations 1999, a chief police officer has the power to suspend an officer where there has been a complaint which indicates that the officer's conduct does not meet the standards set out in the regulations, whether or not the matter has been investigated. In the case of early retirement on ill health grounds, police authorities have discretion to delay retirement until misconduct proceedings have been concluded.
Mr. David Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 1999, Official Report, columns 28-29, concerning juvenile secure accommodation, what progress there has been on reform of juvenile secure accommodation; and if he will make a statement. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, [92120]
Mr. Straw:
I set out our programme of reform of juvenile secure accommodation in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Stretford and Urmston (Ms Hughes), on 29 July 1998, Official Report, columns 255-56 and to my hon. Friend, the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie), on 8 March 1999, Official
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Report,
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