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HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if tobacco smoke is used as an agent in research on animals under the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986; and if he will make a statement. [119718]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government stand firmly by their ban on the testing of tobacco products announced in November 1997. There will be no approval for any such tests.

Two recently approved applications are for programmes that do not test the effects of tobacco smoke, which are already widely known, but enable the development of treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema which seriously debilitate many people. These health problems derive mainly from smoking, including passive smoking, as well as occupation-related lung diseases, such as those caused by the inhalation of coal dust. Tobacco smoke is the only test material to model reliably the effects that will enable a better understanding of the disease processes and improved medical treatments. The licensed research programmes are to investigate medical treatments, not the safety of tobacco products.

The Inspectorate and the Animal Procedures Committee have advised that the licences are justifiable and that the benefits to man and animals would outweigh the costs to the animals involved. As with all project licence applications, these two licences were issued only after a full and careful assessment including whether there were alternatives which replace animal use, reduce the number of animals needed or refine the experimental design to minimise suffering.

Cannabis

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total number of (a) convictions and (b) police cautions for possession of cannabis in each year since 1980. [119921]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The information requested for the period 1980 to 1998, the latest year for which figures are currently available, is given in the table. Separate breakdowns are not available for cautions and convictions prior to 1982.

Cautions and convictions for possession of cannabis, UK1980 to 1999

	Number of cautions	Number of convictions
1980	(11)--	(12)12,450
1981	(11)--	(12)13,074
1982	422	14,856
1983	1,078	16,628
1984	1,948	15,914
1985	3,328	14,885
1986	4,014	12,421
1987	5,747	12,833
1988	8,307	14,921
1989	11,781	18,249
1990	16,282	19,804
1991	19,583	18,874
1992	22,113	15,330
1993	30,871	14,495
1994	39,248	25,850
1995	41,155	27,447
1996	38,318	26,636
1997	45,362	32,150
1998	48,480	40,119

(11) Not available

(12) Total number of cautions and convictions

Source:

Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate

3 May 2000 : Column: 153W

Stop and Search

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the breakdown was by percentage of stop and searches for each police borough in the Metropolitan police area under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 by (a) ethnic appearance and (b) reason for search, in 1998-99. [119830]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has provided the information requested which I have placed in the Library.

These statistics update those published by the Home Office, under section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, in 'Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System', in December 1999.

Prisoners (Progressive Moves)

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date Quayyum Raja, currently detained at HMP Long Lartin, was convicted; what was his sentence; how long he has been detained at Long Lartin; and when he is due to be released. [120035]

Mr. Boateng: Quayyum Raja was sentenced to life imprisonment on 7 February 1985. He was given a tariff of 25 years which expires on 1 February 2009. His readiness for release or transfer to open conditions will be considered by the Parole Board for the first time in 2006. He has been detained at Long Lartin prison since 17 February 1992.

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners detained at HMP Long Lartin were offered progressive moves to other prisons in each of the last three years, and in the current year to date, and of those how many (a) accepted and (b) declined the transfer; and of those who declined the transfer, how many were placed in segregation. [120004]

Mr. Boateng: This information is not readily available and cannot be provided in the form requested except at disproportionate cost. It is known, however, that during the last 30 months Long Lartin prison has offered progressive moves to approximately 50 category B life sentence prisoners.

A minority of prisoners do indicate a reluctance to comply with initial transfer instructions, but in almost all cases do move following representations to Prison Service headquarters.

Prisoners are not placed in segregation for refusing a progressive move.

3 May 2000 : Column: 154W

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if prisoners who undertake a progressive move normally become eligible for home leave or parole prior to release. [120036]

Mr. Boateng: Life sentence prisoners become eligible for escorted absences to towns near their establishments after having completed six months in category C conditions. They are not eligible for any form of unsupervised home leave or any other form of temporary release until they have reached open conditions.

All prisoners sentenced to determinate sentences of four years or more are eligible to be considered for parole once they reach the halfway point of their sentence. Moves between prisons and recategorisation do not affect their eligibility for parole.

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason Mr. Quayyum Raja was placed in segregation at HMP Long Lartin after refusing a progressive move to HMP Swaleside; and whether (a) he and (b) his officials were informed of this prior to the segregation taking place. [120037]

Mr. Boateng: Mr. Quayyum Raja has never been placed in segregation as a result of refusing a progressive move from Long Lartin to Swaleside prison.

Mr. Raja's refusal to move to Swaleside was in contravention of his sentence plan, a crucial part of his progress towards eventual release. This led to him being downgraded to basic level on the Prison Service incentives and earned privileges scheme and moved to the basic regime wing at Long Lartin prison.

The Prison Service has now re-considered Mr. Raja's case in the light of recent changes in the availability of accommodation at Gartree prison and Mr. Raja has now accepted a move to Gartree.

Black Box Recorders

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Metropolitan police expects to install black box recorders in its police vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [120000]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis has informed me that the tendering process for the supply of black box recorders for police vehicles is under way and it is hoped that a contract will be awarded shortly. A phased installation programme will then take place.

Illegal Drugs (Lancashire)

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were in Lancashire in each year since 1995 for (a) offering to supply or supplying and (b) possessing (i) cannabis and (ii) ecstasy. [119848]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The information requested for the period 1995 to 1998, the latest year for which figures are currently available, is given in the table.

3 May 2000 : Column: 155W

Convictions in Lancashire for supply and possession of cannabis and ecstasy, 1995-98

	1995	1996	1997	1998
	Supply
Cannabis	56	53	49	67
Ecstasy	10	17	15	9
	Possession
Cannabis	678	720	1,010	1,338
Ecstasy	38	49	38	25

Note:

Offering to supply and supply of drugs are both caught by Section 4(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and are not differentiated for statistical purposes.

Source:

Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate

Lord Archer

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost to date of the Metropolitan police investigation into the allegations of perjury made against Lord Archer of Weston-Super-Mare. [120001]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has informed me that up to 19 April, the staffing cost of the Organised Crime Group investigation into allegations of perjury made against Lord Archer is approximately £31,000.

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