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Senator Pinochet
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which (a) Ministers, (b) officials,
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(c) lawyers and (d) foreign Governments information concerning the medical condition of General Pinochet has been made available. [110117]
Mr. Straw:
I informed the House on 12 January 2000, Official Report, columns 277-78, of the conclusions of the medical report on Senator Pinochet which I had commissioned. I have passed a copy of the report to my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department with responsibility for extradition matters, Lord Bassam, and another copy to my hon and learned Friend, the Solicitor-General. The report has also been copied to the Government's Chief Medical Officer; the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP); a member of the Treasury Solicitor's Department; and the separate sets of officials and Counsel advising the Solicitor-General, the DPP (in his capacity as domestic prosecuting authority) and me on this case. I sent a copy to Senator Pinochet's legal representatives on 11 January. I have not disclosed the report to any foreign Government.
I have also received medical information, from Senator Pinochet's legal representatives when I was considering the first Authority To Proceed in the case in December 1998, and from the Embassy of Chile in 1999. I have made this material available within the Government on the same basis as the report I commissioned. The material from the Embassy of Chile was passed to me by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and therefore was also seen by officials advising on the case and in some cases by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and other Ministers.
Mr. Geraint Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a decision in the case of Senator Pinochet. [106936]
Mr. Straw:
I will do so as soon as possible, but not before the High Court gives judgment in the current judicial review proceedings. I propose to give notice to the parties to the case, on the day before I expect to make my decision, and will notify the parties and this House immediately when the decision has been taken. It also remains my intention to make a full oral statement to the House when I am clear that it is appropriate to do so.
Ms Roseanna Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with (a) the Scottish Executive, (b) Scottish bodies and (c) the Scottish Parliament regarding the impact of the Terrorism Bill on devolved areas of responsibility. [109563]
Mr. Straw:
Under Section 30 and Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998, responsibility for the special powers and other special provisions for dealing with terrorism is reserved. Six organisations representing Scottish interests offered responses to the Government consultation paper "Legislation Against Terrorism" and their views, along with those of all other contributors, were taken into account in preparing the Terrorism Bill, Officials from this Department have been in regular contact with officials from the Scottish Executive about the contents of the Terrorism Bill.
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I am regularly in touch with the First Minister and the Minister for Justice about a wide range of issues, and I greatly value the co-operative spirit in which these discussions take place.
Ms Roseanna Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the legislation within the competence of the Scottish Parliament which falls to be amended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Bill. [109564]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Race Relations (Amendment) Bill does not contain any provisions which are within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account has been taken of Scottish interests in drawing up the proposal to merge the Moreton and Manstone Fire Service establishments. [108430]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Eccles (Mr. Stewart) on 20 December 1999, Official Report, columns 370-71W. Scottish fire service interests were fully consulted during the course of the Fire Service College Prior Options Review. We will continue to consult them in reaching decisions on the review's findings, including the further evaluation of the feasibility of the proposal to join up the activities of the Fire Service College at Moreton-in-Marsh and the Ministry of Defence Fire Services Central Training Establishment at Manston.
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Mr. Gerald Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to date to public funds of the hijacking of the Ariana Airlines aircraft. [109819]
Mr. Straw:
It is not possible to make an estimate at this stage.
Mr. Gerald Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy not to entertain asylum applications from the hijackers of the Ariana Airlines aircraft; and if he will make a statement on the status of applications for asylum by hijackers who arrived in the UK during the last five years. [109818]
Mr. Straw:
The United Kingdom is bound to entertain asylum applications made here under the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a legally binding international agreement. However, we also have the clearest possible obligations in respect of the prevention and deterrence of hijacking and other international terrorism. We condemn all hijackings unequivocally. The United Nations Convention provides that those convicted of or suspected of being involved in certain criminal acts shall be exempt from its provisions.
Asylum applications made by the Iraqi hijackers of the Sudanese Airbus in August 1996 remain under consideration.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how HMP Manchester has performed against its Service Level Agreement and key performance indicators in each year of the Agreement; and if he will make a statement. [109885]
Mr. Boateng:
The Manchester Service Level Agreement (SLA) commenced on 7 March 1994. The SLA was revised in August 1995 and October 1996. The information set out in the table outlines the target set by the SLA and the performance reached. SLA targets equate to national Key Performance Indicators.
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| Number of escapes | Number of proven assaults | Prisoners agreeing compact after 14 days | Mandatory drug testing | Average daily unlock weekdays | Purposeful activity | Training average staff per annum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | |||||||
| Target | (36)-- | (36)-- | 90 per cent. | (36)-- | 12 hours | 24.9 | 5.7 days |
| Performance | 0 | 71 | Not known | (36)-- | 13.1 hours | 20.0 | (36)-- |
| 1995-96 | |||||||
| Target | 0 | Less than 80 | 98 per cent. | (36)-- | 12 hours | 25.5 | 5.7 days |
| Performance | 0 | 105 | Not known | (36)-- | 12.4 hours | 21.8 | |
| 1996-97 | |||||||
| Target | 0 | Less than 75 | 98 per cent. | (36)-- | (37)12 hours | (37)26.5 | 46 hours |
| Performance | 1 | 76 | Not known | 27.2 per cent. | (37)12.2 hours | (37)27.8 | 39.5 |
| 1997-98 | |||||||
| Target | 0 | Less than 75 | 98 per cent. | (36)-- | (37)12 hours | (37)26.5 | 46 hours |
| Performance | 0 | 47 | Not known | 18.2 per cent. | (37)12.25 hours | (37)29.6 | 47.1 |
| 1998-99 | |||||||
| Target | 0 | Less than 75 | 98 per cent. | 20.0 per cent. | (37)12 hours | (37)26.5 | 46 hours |
| Performance | 0 | 56 | Not known | 15.5 per cent | (37)12.3 hours | (37)32.5 | 51.1 |
(36) Data not available
(37) Enhanced regime prisoners only
(38) Data not available
(39) Enhanced regime prisoners only
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Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors underlay the decision to subject HMP Manchester to market testing; and if he will make a statement. [109886]
Mr. Boateng:
The purpose of market testing Manchester prison is to drive up standards and obtain maximum value for money from the successful bidder.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the timetable for the competition for the operation of HMP Manchester; and if he will make a statement. [109887]
Mr. Boateng:
The intended timetable for the market test of Manchester prison is for the Invitation To Tender to be issued by 30 March, the receipt of Best and Final Offers by 15 June and the selection of the preferred supplier by October.
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