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Written Answers
Tuesday, 10th March 1998.
Nuclear Waste Storage
Lord Jenkins of Putney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will require the replacement of the reprocessing of nuclear waste by the dry storage method recommended by the Socialist Environment and Resources Association and which is also being adopted in other countries.[HL823]
The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Simon of Highbury): Decisions on whether to reprocess or seek alternative spent nuclear fuel management options are a matter for the owners of the spent fuel, subject to meeting the necessary environmental and regulatory requirements.
Sex Offenders Act 1997: Failure to Register
Lord Ashbourne asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have received representations from the police over the lack of automatic power to arrest those offenders who fail to register their name and address, as required by the Sex Offenders Act 1997.[HL859]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn): I am not aware of any formal representations to the Home Office since the Act was implemented last September.
The police do have the power to arrest unregistered sex offenders under Section 25 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), which provides a general power of arrest for all offences which are not, in themselves, arrestable. A police officer can exercise this power if he has reasonable grounds to believe that the person will cause physical injury to himself or others, or if he has reasonable grounds to believe that arrest is necessary to protect a child or other vulnerable person.
Obscene Publications Act 1959: Prosecutions
Lord Ashbourne asked Her Majesty's Government:
(a) how many prosecutions have been brought
in the last six years under Section 2 or 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 in cases where the article, as defined by Section 1, has been a book;
(b) how many of these prosecutions took place within the Metropolitan Police Force Area; and
(c) how many resulted in convictions.[HL860]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Data on the number of defendants prosecuted and convicted under Section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 as amended are given in the table. Information on the type of medium (book, magazine, internet etc.) used for such an offence is not collected centrally.
Information under Section 3 of the Act--Powers of search and seizure--is also not collected centrally.
(1) Includes persons proceeded against in earlier years or for other offences.
(2) Obscene Publications Act 1959 S2 (1) as amended by Obscene Publications Act 1964 Section 1 (1).
(3) Includes City of London.
The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The following table gives the available information for 1995 and 1996 (information for 1997 is not yet available). The calibre of the weapons and whether or not drugs were believed to be involved are not available centrally.
The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Sub-Committee on the Administration of Firearms and Explosives Licensing was set up by the Association of Chief Police Officers and meets primarily to consider issues of concern to the police service under this heading. Other bodies, such as the Firearms Consultative Committee and others with pro- or anti-shooting interests, also comment and make observations from time to time on various aspects of the administration and enforcement of the Firearms Acts. The approach of this Government means that we are always pleased to consider a wide range of advice before reaching decisions on any particular issue.
The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: We have no plans to revise the circular at this stage, but I understand that all chief officers are aware of the judgment.
Lord HolmPatrick asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many claims for compensation arising from the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 Compensation Scheme have been in respect of:
What is the total monetary value of claims for compensation arising from the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 Compensation Scheme in respect of:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: As at 5 March, there had been 8,727 compensation claims under the statutory
small calibre pistol surrender scheme received from the police. The categories of claim and their values will not be known until the claims are individually examined. The Home Office Firearms Compensation Section is at present concentrating on claims received under the earlier compensation scheme for large calibre handguns and the voluntary surrender scheme for small calibre pistols. Examination of the statutory small calibre pistol claims will begin when the overall work position permits.
Lord Roberts of Conwy asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: During the calendar year 1997, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Wales made a total of 111 statutory instruments in his name only. Of these:
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
Metropolitan Police area(3)
Prosecutions 227 105 206 215 219 214
Convictions 102 89 140 187 154 172
England and Wales
Prosecutions 363 213 293 309 357 335
Convictions 218 172 209 266 259 262
How many shooting incidents were reported in each month of the last two years in the Manchester Police Authority area, indicating in which cases drugs were believed to be involved, the calibre and
10 Mar 1998 : Column WA28type of weapon used, and whether any injury or fatality resulted.[HL849]
Type of firearm Type of injury
Total number Shotgun Pistol Rifle Other Fatal Other None
1995
January 10 3 4 -- 4 -- 7 4
February 4 -- 1 -- 3 1 3 --
March 5 1 4 -- -- 1 2 2
April 6 1 4 -- 1 1 5 --
May 4 -- 3 -- 1 -- 2 2
June 2 1 1 -- -- -- 1 1
July 5 1 3 -- 1 1 3 1
August 7 1 1 -- 5 1 5 1
September 6 2 1 -- 3 -- 3 3
October 3 -- 1 -- 2 -- 3 --
November 2 -- -- -- 2 -- 1 1
December 3 2 1 -- -- -- 3 --
Total 58 12 24 -- 22 5 38 15
1996
January 5 4 1 -- -- 1 2 2
February 6 2 4 -- -- 2 3 1
March 5 1 3 -- 1 -- 4 1
April 5 -- 3 -- 2 1 1 3
May 3 -- 2 1 -- -- 2 1
June 3 1 2 -- -- 1 1 1
July 6 2 4 -- -- -- 3 3
August 4 2 1 1 -- -- 4 --
September 1 -- 1 -- -- -- -- 1
October 4 1 3 -- -- -- -- 4
November 7 3 2 -- 2 2 3 2
December 6 3 2 -- 1 -- 1 5
Total 55 19 28 2 6 7 24 24
Following the judgment at Derby Crown Court on 15 January, whether they propose to continue to take advice from the Association of Chief Police Officers' administration of firearms and explosives Sub-
Committee on the administration of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997.[HL945]
Following the judgment at Derby Crown Court on 15 January, whether they propose to amend Home Office Circular No. 32/97 concerning the administration of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997; and, if so, how.[HL944]
How many claims for compensation arising from the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 Compensation Scheme have been received in respect of:
(a) Option A;
(b) Option B; and
(c) Option C; and[HL891]
(a) Option A;
(b) Option B; and
(c) Option C: and[HL892]
(a) Option A;
(b) Option B; and
(c) Option C.[HL893]What is the latest annual estimate of the total number of items of secondary legislation which involve the Welsh Office and of this total how many were:
(a) affirmative instruments;
(b) negative instruments;
(c) considered by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments; and
(d) considered by the House of Commons Select Committee on Statutory Instruments.[HL889]
(a) none was subject to affirmative resolution;
It is not anticipated that these figures will change dramatically in 1998.
(b) 58 were subject to negative resolution;
(c) 72 were considered by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments; and
(d) none was referred to the House of Commons Select Committee on Statutory Instruments.
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