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Tote

Mr. Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the sale of the Tote and the future of the Levy Board. [111812]

Mr. Straw: The futures of the Horserace Totalisator Board (The Tote) and the Horserace Betting Levy Board have, for different reasons, been under review. I am now able to set out the Government's conclusions.

I announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Mr. Cunliffe), on 12 May 1999, Official Report, columns 159-160W, that the Government had decided to sell the Tote and that further work would be put in hand to determine the most appropriate method of sale. That work, which included the evaluation by independent financial advisers of a range of sale options, has now been completed. The options included flotation of the Tote on the stock market, its sale by open competitive auction and a sale to horseracing. Consideration of the best option was helped by the agreement of all relevant horseracing interests to support a single proposal to buy the Tote on behalf of racing, in order to maintain the position under which all the Tote's profits are used for the benefit of racing.

Following careful consideration of all the available sale options, I have concluded that a sale to racing represents the best match, in principle, with the Government's objectives for the sale as a whole, as set out in my May 1999 statement. While the price to be paid by racing for the Tote will need to be the subject of commercial negotiation, it will be important to ensure that it is a fair one which strikes the right balance between the respective legitimate interests in the Tote of both racing and the taxpayer.

Racing's proposal to Government aims to ensure that those who are responsible for managing and developing the Tote's business do so within a fully commercial operating environment. I believe that this represents the best options for the Tote and its staff, not forgetting, of course, all those who bet with it.

We therefore propose to bring forward legislation, at the appropriate time and when Parliamentary time allows, which would enable the sale to proceed on this basis. However, a final decision will need to take account of circumstances at the time, including the outcome of commercial negotiations and relevant legal considerations.

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I have also today published the report of the quinquennial review of the Horserace Betting Levy Board; copies have been placed in the Library.

The Levy Board was set up in 1961 to collect a levy on horserace bets from bookmakers and to disburse it for the benefit of racing.

The Report concludes that the Levy Board is an efficient body which carries out its statutory functions well, but that most of those functions no longer need to be carried out in the public sector. In particular, the arrangements under which racing receives income from bookmaking should become a matter for settlement between the parties on a commercial basis.

The Report recommends that the Government, in co-operation with the Levy Board and the industries involved, should take forward detailed consideration of all of the associated issues including the Board's important role in the provision of integrity services and its regulatory functions.

The Government agree with these conclusions, and propose to bring forward, once again at the appropriate time and when Parliamentary time allows, legislative proposals for the abolition of the Levy Board. We shall now be discussing with the Board, the British Horseracing Board and other representatives of the racing and bookmaking industries, the steps needed to put alternative arrangements in place. As part of this process I shall be asking the British Horseracing Board, as racing's governing body, to prepare a realistic plan which shows how racing will be run as a national sport without a statutory levy.

I should make it clear that the decision to abolish the levy system is no reflection on the performance of either the Board or its staff. Both have made a significant contribution to the administration of racing over many years, which we gratefully acknowledge.

The sale of the Tote and the abolition of the levy system will together mark an important change in the relationship between the Government and horseracing. The Home Secretary is responsible for policy on the regulation of gambling, which requires consideration of its social impact and measures to ensure protection against crime and exploitation. For reasons of history, this responsibility has involved the Government in the administration and financing of British horseracing to an extent and in ways which are no longer needed.

My recent announcement that the Government are to establish an independent review of gambling offers racing, and others, an opportunity to put forward their ideas for the future control and regulation of betting on horseracing. Meanwhile, the sale of the Tote and the abolition of the Levy should enable racing to take more control of its own affairs and finances, as befits a mature sport. In preparing the legislation needed to give effect to these changes, the Government are committed to working closely with racing, bookmaking and other relevant interests to ensure that the results which are delivered match up to our aspirations. Horseracing is an important and successful national sport which gives employment and pleasure to many people. We want it to prosper.

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Metropolitan Police (Private Medical Treatment)

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the Metropolitan Police Service report into the pilot project which involved the use of private medical facilities to treat Metropolitan police officers. [112751]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Commissioner tells me that the Metropolitan police are undertaking a "Spend-to- Save" pilot scheme for the early diagnosis of musculo- skeletal conditions that involves the use of private medical facilities. The scheme commenced in May 1999 and will run to the end of April 2000, after which a report will be published. I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library.

River Thames (Bodies Recovered)

Mr. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bodies recovered from the Thames by the Metropolitan police in the last five years have been incapable of identification. [111987]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Commissioner of the Metropolitan police has informed me that between 1 January 1995 and 24 February 2000 his officers recovered 197 bodies from the River Thames. Of these, seven currently remain incapable of identification.

Gammahydroxybutyrate

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of

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(1) the recent announcement by the President of the United States of America of the decision to place gammahydroxybutyrate in Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substance Act; and if he will make a statement; [111873]

(2) the impact of recent moves in the US to place gammahydroxybutyrate under the Controlled Substances Act; and if he will make a statement. [111722]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I am aware that in the United States of America the Controlled Substances Act has recently been amended to include gammahydroxybutyrate. This information will also be made available to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs who are responsible for keeping drug misuse in the United Kingdom under review.

It is important to bear in mind that drug misuse patterns vary from country to country. Gammahydroxybutyrate misuse has given rise to concern in the United States of America for a number of years. Historically, it has been widely available there and could be purchased over the counter in health food stores until 1992.

Prison Budgets (London)

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the financial budget allocated to each London prison in each of the last five years. [111938]

Mr. Boateng: Budgets are adjusted periodically during the year. The final budgets for the years 1995-96 to 1998-99 and the latest budget for 1999-2000 are given in the table.

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£000

	1995-96	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000
Belmarsh	22,251	23,607	25,400	26,445	27,090
Brixton	18,570	17,722	17,491	17,677	17,488
Feltham	15,776	15,711	16,472	17,067	19,615
Holloway	15,768	16,796	17,824	18,386	18,622
Latchmere House	2,404	2,396	2,497	2,440	2,667
Pentonville	16,323	16,229	17,346	19,352	19,988
Wandsworth	21,668	19,015	20,323	21,821	22,640
Wormwood Scrubs	20,273	20,803	20,912	20,937	20,558

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Civil Servants (Relocation)

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Government make use of relocation companies when relocating civil servants. [112063]

Mr. Straw: The Home Office and its agencies use one relocation company, Hambro Countrywide Relocation, to assist members of staff who have been authorised to move home at public expense following a transfer within, or into, the Department.

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