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Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will replace the "prior ventilation rule" by a "simultaneous ventilation rule" in relation to the procedure for submitting complaints to the Prisons Ombudsman;
Whether they consider that the "prior ventilation rule" tends to deter prisoners from putting their grievances to the Prisons Ombudsman; and
Whether they have conducted any study to ascertain whether the inclusion of the "prior ventilation rule" in the procedure of submitting complaints to the Prisons Ombudsman tends to deter prisoners from using this procedure; and if not, whether they will undertake such a study, or request the Prisons Ombudsman so to do.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch): The Prisons Ombudsman was established by the Home Secretary in order to provide an independent point of appeal for prisoners who have failed to obtain satisfaction from the Prison Service's internal complaints procedure. It is right that the Prison Service should have the opportunity to consider grievances before they are referred to the Prisons Ombudsman and no change to the arrangement is planned. There is no evidence that this deters prisoners from using the Prisons Ombudsman. Numbers of complaints are monitored regularly, but no study has been carried out on this matter and none is currently proposed. The Prisons Ombudsman in his recent annual report states that the high number of complaints made to him shows that prisoners were prepared to put their trust in his independence.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey): An exercise conducted by the Hong Kong Government in the first half of this year put the estimated size of this community at 8,000.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: We have had reports of a meeting between senior KDP officials and representatives of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad during early November. We are unable to confirm the truth of these reports. It would be inappropriate to comment on our contingency planning. We have warned Baghdad against further military intervention in the north. At talks in Ankara on 30th and 31st October KDP and PUK agreed not to seek the intervention of any other forces which could aggravate their conflict. It is up to the UN Secretary-General to decide when the conditions are right for the implementation of SCR 986. The Iraqi attack on Irbil in August forced a delay. We hope SCR 986 will be implemented soon.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: We are aware of reports of visits by senior Iraqi officials, including Saddam Hussein's son, Qussay, to the KDP since the latest cease-fire in northern Iraq. We are unable to confirm the truth of these reports. The KDP have not informed us of any such contact.
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen): In 1995, on average, just over five children a week were killed in road accidents. Between 1990 and 1995 there were 1,985 children, up to 15 years of age, killed in road accidents, which represents a weekly average of 6.3. It is estimated on the basis of the latest available information from 1990 to 1994 that there were 1,715 children killed in road accidents of which about 90 were killed in accidents involving drink drivers.
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Viscount Goschen: Data for the whole of the UK is not readily available. The following table summarises the available figures:
Year | London | Great Britain outside London | Great Britain |
1986-87 | 1,164 | 4,177 | 5,341 |
1987-88 | 1,207 | 4,085 | 5,292 |
1988-89 | 1,211 | 4,004 | 5,215 |
1989-90 | 1,188 | 3,886 | 5,074 |
1990-91 | 1,178 | 3,672 | 4,850 |
1991-92 | 1,149 | 3,516 | 4,665 |
1992-93 | 1,129 | 3,351 | 4,480 |
1993-94 | 1,117 | 3,268 | 4,385 |
1994-95 | 1,167 | 3,253 | 4,420 |
1995-96 | 1,205 | 3,178 | 4,383 |
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Viscount Goschen: Data for the whole of the UK is not readily available. The following table summarises the available figures:
Year | London | Great Britain outside London | Great Britain |
1986-87 | 278 | 1,882 | 2,160 |
1987-88 | 276 | 2,065 | 2,342 |
1988-89 | 285 | 2,104 | 2,390 |
1989-90 | 292 | 2,150 | 2,442 |
1990-91 | 304 | 2,144 | 2,448 |
1991-92 | 316 | 2,172 | 2,488 |
1992-93 | 330 | 2,185 | 2,515 |
1993-94 | 343 | 2,242 | 2,585 |
1994-95 | 356 | 2,293 | 2,649 |
1995-96 | 353 | 2,270 | 2,623 |
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Chesham: We do not believe that there are sufficient grounds for granting the right of abode in the United Kingdom to this group. Their home is in Hong Kong and their position there is secure. In the unlikely event that they come under pressure to leave Hong Kong, my right honourable friend the Prime Minister has guaranteed admission to and settlement in this country.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Chesham: We continue to follow the work of the European Commission for Democracy through Law. However, we remain concerned that the Commission's work may not add to the work already being carried out elsewhere. We consider that our support for pluralist democracy, particularly for the new democracies of central and eastern Europe, remains best channelled through other Council of Europe programmes and our Know-how Fund. We do not want our existing effort to be diluted by devoting resources, already under pressure, elsewhere at this stage.
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