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Prison Health Policy Unit
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisons have drawn up health improvement programmes since the setting up of the Prison Health Policy Unit; [139824]
- (2) what progress has been made by the Prison Health Policy Unit on assisting health authorities to identify the health needs of prisoners in their area; and if he will make a statement. [139823]
Mr. Boateng: As part of the programme of reform set out in "The Future Organisation of Prison Health Care", each prison and its local health authority is required jointly to review the health needs of the local prison population and to develop joint improvement plans by the end of March 2001. Our assessment is that generally satisfactory progress is being made towards that objective, supported by the Prison Health Task Force and the Prison Health Policy Unit. To date, at least 38 establishments,
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with their local health authorities, have completed the needs assessment part of the process and are drawing up health improvement plans.
Search Warrants
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information was served on the justice of the peace who granted the search warrant for the searching of premises occupied by (a) Detective John Redgrave on 3 February 1997 and (b) Michael Charman on 17 July 1998; and if he will make a statement. [140115]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I understand from the Commissioner that the searching of Mr. Redgrave's premises on 3 February 1997 was as a result of a search warrant granted by a justice of the peace. The information presented to the justice of the peace was sufficient for the search warrant to be granted. It would not be appropriate to disclose the detailed information available to the police which was presented to the magistrate to obtain a warrant.
The premises of Detective Constable Charman to which my hon. Friend refers were in fact those of his girlfriend and they were searched on 16 July. This search was carried out under the powers in section 18 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
Operation Nectarine
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken following the judgment given by Judge Harvey Crush at Maidstone Crown court on trials consequent upon Operation Nectarine. [140375]
Mr. Charles Clarke: This is a matter for the Chief Constable of Kent Constabulary and the Director of Public Prosecutions. However, I understand that, due to concerns about the outcome of this case, they have both instigated internal reviews of the conduct of Operation Nectarine which will establish lessons to be learned and implications in respect of future similar prosecutions.
Stephen Lawrence
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to act on the recommendation 58 of the report by his honour Judge Macpherson into the death of Stephen Lawrence. [140101]
Mr. Straw: In March 1999, I published my Action Plan which set out how the Government proposed to take forward the recommendations of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry.
Recommendation 58 of the report is about steps which can be taken to ensure that serious complaints against police officers are independently investigated.
Following recommendations for change by the Home Affairs Committee in 1998, we commissioned a feasibility study by KPMG on the establishment of a more independent complaints system. At the same time but separately, Liberty undertook a study into an Independent Police Complaints Commission. The results of both studies were published for consultation in May 2000. We have now considered the responses to consultation and will announce our conclusions shortly.
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Departmental Employees (HIV)
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that people who are HIV-positive do not suffer discrimination as a result of employment practices followed by his Department. [137781]
Mr. Straw: The published Home Office business plan states that:
- The Home Office is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all staff, regardless of ethnic origin, religious belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability or any other irrelevant factor.
Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) it is unlawful for an employer to treat an employee or applicant with a disability less favourably than others because of that disability. The employer has a duty to make a reasonable adjustment if a disabled applicant or employee is at a substantial disadvantage in relation to others. The duty applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment and selection, training, transfer, career development and retention.
The DDA definition of disability covers a broad range of people. Special rules apply to people with progressive conditions which are covered by the DDA from the moment any impairment resulting from that condition has some effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. The Act cites HIV infection as an example of a progressive condition.
Metropolitan Police (Anti-corruption Campaign)
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) serving and (b) ex-police officers have been charged in the last year in connection with the Metropolitan police service's anti-corruption campaign. [139999]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Since November 1999, eight serving police officers have been charged with corruption related offences. Over the same period no ex-police officers have been charged with corruption related offences.
Sierra Leone
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, following the Adjournment debate initiated by the hon. Member for Thurrock, on 31 October 2000, Official Report, columns 192-201WH, he has assessed the evidence provided of corruption and arms dealing with Sierra Leone; and if he will make a statement. [140109]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that all the allegations arising from Operation Nightshade have been fully considered.
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Open Prisons
Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 8 November 2000, Official Report, column 255W, on open prisons, how many absconders from open prisons have been caught and re-imprisoned since 1997: how many of these were returned to open prisons; what steps he is taking to reduce the number of absconders; and if he will make a statement. [140347]
Mr. Boateng: The number of absconds from open prisons that have been caught and re-imprisoned are given in the table.
| Year | Absconders | Recaptures |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 720 | 539 |
| 1998 | 607 | 561 |
| 1999 | 570 | 459 |
| 2000(27) | 434 | 296 |
(27) Up to 6 November
The change in the figures given in my answer of 8 November 2000, Official Report, column 255W, for the numbers of absconds is due to additional information being inputted onto the Incident Reporting System.
The categorisation system seeks to ensure that prisoners who cannot be trusted not to abscond are not placed in open prisons. If, within an open prison, there are indications that a prisoner is going to abscond or abuse the trust placed in him or her, action can be taken to recategorise the prisoner and he or she may be returned to closed conditions. The Governor of each open prison is set a key performance target by his or her Area Manager, requiring absconds to be reduced below a certain level agreed for that prison.
Those recaptured may be placed in closed or open prisons. A breakdown of the numbers returned to each can be provided only at disproportionate cost. I invite the hon. Member to write to me if he would like advice on a particular case.
Registered Charities
Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional Government funding has been made available for registered charities known to be in financial difficulty in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [139662]
Mr. Boateng: The Home Office does not routinely keep records of the levels of all Government funding to charitable organisations.
The Home Office funds a range of charitable organisations in different contexts. These include, for example, organisations which support voluntary activity and promote race equality. Decisions on which charities to support and to what level are taken on the basis of how their work contributes to the Department's aims and objectives.
In accordance with Government expenditure rules relating to payments in support of outside organisations, the Home Office applies set criteria for the consideration of all applications for funding. These will include the organisation being able to provide assurances to the department that it is financially viable and has adequate
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management and financial controls in place to be able to administer the funding successfully and to achieve the objectives for which the funding has been provided.
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