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Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they intend to ensure that the position of the litigant of modest means will be protected from the undue impact of increased fees, as recommended by Lord Woolf in his Final Report 'Access to Justice', July 1996.

The Lord Chancellor: The implementation of the reforms to civil procedures recommended by

Lord Woolf will necessitate a review of the current fee structure to ensure that fees are charged at an appropriate level and at an appropriate point in the progression of a case. During this review full account will be taken of the position of litigants of modest means.

Creagan Bridge

The Earl of Mar and Kellie asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have any plans for the former railway bridge over the narrows of Loch Creran, at Dallachoilish and Creagan.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office (The Earl of Lindsay): The proposed improvement of Creagan Bridge makes use of much of the existing foundations of the redundant railway bridge. A Design and Build competition is expected to develop the outline design, which includes a new bridge deck suitable for modern highway loading.

European Court of Justice: Role in EU Third Pillar Conventions

Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their approach to the role of the European Court of Justice in future Third Pillar conventions; and what conclusions they have reached regarding the role of the court in relation to the Conventions on the Protection of the European Communities' Financial interests and on the Use of Information Technology for Customs Purposes.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch): The Government's policy on the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in respect of conventions negotiated under the Third Pillar of the Treaty on European Union is to consider each case on

19 Nov 1996 : Column WA134

its merits. But we and our European Union partners recognised in agreeing to the protocol to the Europol Convention that the best way forward in that case lay in a flexible formula under which member states could choose whether to make a declaration that they were prepared to accept the jurisdiction of the court to give preliminary rulings as to the interpretation of the convention on the basis of references by their national courts. As regards the role of the ECJ in the Conventions on the Protection of the European Communities' Financial Interests and on the Use of Information Technology for Customs Purposes, the Government have concluded that they can agree to a flexible solution on similar lines to that in the Europol Convention protocol. Accordingly, we shall signal our agreement to the draft protocols for this purpose prepared by the Irish Presidency, which would enable member states to make a declaration accepting ECJ jurisdiction to give preliminary rulings as to the interpretation of these conventions on the basis of references by national courts. We shall make clear that it would not be the United Kingdom's intention to make such a declaration in respect of our own courts.

Escaped Prisoners: Tabular Information

Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each of the last five calendar years, and for 1996 to date, the number of category A and category B prisoners who have escaped from custody, showing in respect of each the name and security category of the prisoner, the offence for which in custody and the location and date of escape and of recapture.

Baroness Blatch: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter to Lord Marlesford from the Director General of the Prison Service, Mr. Richard Tilt.

Lady Blatch has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the publishing of a table showing escapes by category A and category B prisoners.

Information on category A escaped prisoners is given in the attached table. Four of the escaped prisoners remain at large; two are known to be in the Republic of Ireland.

Information on category B escaped prisoners before 1995 could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Tables showing the position in 1995 and to 9 November 1996 are attached.

The tables do not include the names of escaped prisoners. The Prison Service adopts a general policy that precludes release of the names and offences of individuals.

Escapes from escorts--category A prisoners 1991-1996 (to 10.11.96)

Date of escape	Establishment	Location of escape	Date of recapture	Offence	Status
31.12.91	HMP Wakefield	Seacroft Hospital Leeds	31.12.91	Rape	Convicted
17.2.93	HMP Manchester	Manchester Crown Court	6.3.93	Murder	Convicted
5.4.95	HMP Wormwood Scrubs	West Hendon Magistrates Court	At Large	Attempted Murder	Remand
5.6.95	HMP Belmarsh	En Route Old Bailey Belmarsh	19.7.96	Kidnap, Robbery	Remand
5.6.95	HMP Belmarsh	En Route Old Bailey Belmarsh	5.6.95	Kidnap, Robbery	Remand
11.10.95	HMP Frankland	Newcastle General Hospital	At Large	Murder	Convicted

19 Nov 1996 : Column WA135

Escapes from establishments--category A prisoners 1991-1996 (to 10.11.96)

Date of escape	Establishment	Date of recapture	Offence	Status
7.7.91	HMP Brixton	At Large	Conspiracy to Murder	Remand
7.7.91	HMP Brixton	At Large	Conspiracy to Murder	Remand
22.10.91	HMP Parkhurst	4.1.92	Possession of Firearm	Convicted
1.4.92	HMP Frankland	2.8.92	Robbery	Convicted
9.9.94	HMP Whitemoor	9.9.94	Murder	Convicted
9.9.94	HMP Whitemoor	9.9.94	Conspiracy to Cause Explosion	Convicted
9.9.94	HMP Whitemoor	9.9.94	Explosion	Convicted
9.9.94	HMP Whitemoor	9.9.94	Possession of Firearms	Convicted
9.9.94	HMP Whitemoor	9.9.94	Explosion	Convicted
9.9.94	HMP Whitemoor	9.9.94	Conspiracy to Cause Explosion	Convicted
3.1.95	HMP Parkhurst	8.1.95	Murder	Convicted
3.1.95	HMP Parkhurst	8.1.95	Conspiracy to Cause Explosion	Convicted

Escapes: 1995--category B prisoners

Date of escape	Establishment	Location of escape	Date of recapture	Offence
3.1.95	HMP Parkhurst	HMP Parkhurst	8.1.95	Murder
14.2.95	HMP Durham	Local Hospital	14.7.96	Violent Disorder
24.3.95	HMP Liverpool	Local Hospital	8.6.95	GBH
11.4.95	HMP Birmingham	Birmingham Crown Court	12.4.95	Burglary
10.5.95	HMP Blundeston	Local Hospital	23.5.95	Assault with Intent to Rob
22.6.95	HMP Durham	En route Wetherby to Leeds	22.6.95	Robbery
24.7.95	HMP Frankland	Chester-Le-St-Hospital	15.1.96	Robbery
25.7.95	HMP Blundeston	HMP Blundeston	27.7.95	Murder
30.7.95	HMP Wormwood Scrubs	HMP Wormwood Scrubs	7.8.95	Murder
30.7.95	HMP Wormwood Scrubs	HMP Wormwood Scrubs	8.2.96	Murder

Escapes: 1996 (to 9.11.96)--category B prisoners

Date of escape	Establishment	Location of escape	Date of recapture	Offence
3.1.96	HMP Maidstone	Outside Hospital	3.1.96	Robbery
13.3.96	HMP Kingston	Home Visit	23.8.96	Murder
9.11.96	HMP Blundeston	En Route Blundeston to London Prisons	At Large	Robbery
9.11.96	HMP Blundeston	En Route Blundeston to London Prisons	At Large	Robbery
9.11.96	HMP Blundeston	En Route Blundeston to London Prisons	At Large	Robbery
9.11.96	HMP Blundeston	En Route Blundeston to London Prisons	13.11.96	Robbery
9.11.96	HMP Blundeston	En Route Blundeston to London Prisons	10.11.96	Robbery
9.11.96	HMP Blundeston	En Route Blundeston to London Prisons	At Large	Possible Firearm with Intent

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