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Written Answers
Wednesday, 17th September 2003
Iraq: BBC Coverage
Lord McNally asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the more general criticisms made of the BBC coverage of the Iraq war made by Alastair Campbell represent government policy.[HL3712]
The Lord President of the Council (Lord Williams of Mostyn): As the Prime Minister's Director of Communications said in his evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on 25 June, the BBC was responsible for some of the best journalism during the conflict in Iraq. However, as is well documented, the Government were critical of some aspects of its coverage. Mr Campbell was reflecting the Prime Minister's view.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they consider that a Minister of the Crown, civil servant, or special adviser has been wrongfully defamed in their governing reputation by the BBC in its coverage of the Iraq war and its aftermath; and, if so, whether they have any intention to bring civil proceedings for libel.[HL3860]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Any decision to initiate libel proceedings would be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the ministerial code.
Public Servants: Memoirs
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they impose restrictions on the publication for reward of the diaries or memoirs of serving or former Ministers of the Crown, civil servants or special advisers; and, if so, what are those restrictions.[HL4284]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The rules on the publication by Ministers and former Ministers of memoirs are set out in the ministerial code. Paragraph 107 states:
- "Ministers may not, while in office, write and publish a book on their Ministerial experience. Nor, while serving as a Minister, may they enter into any agreement to publish their memoirs on leaving their Ministerial position, without the agreement of the Prime Minister. Former Ministers are required to submit their manuscript to the Secretary of the Cabinet and to conform to the principles set out in the Radcliffe report of 1976 (Cmnd 6386)"
- "Civil servants should continue to observe their duties of confidentiality after they have left Crown employment".
- "Civil servants must not publish or broadcast personal memoirs reflecting their experience in government, or enter into commitments to do so, whilst in Crown employment. The permission of their Head of Department and the Head of the Home Civil Service must be sought before entering into commitments to publish such memoirs after leaving the service".
"Rhyming Round Belfast" DVD
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 9 September (WA 107) concerning a DVD called "Rhyming Round Belfast", what role the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure had in its production.[HL4453]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure had no role in the production of the DVD, "Rhyming Round Belfast".
House of Lords: Peers' Recess Mail
Lord Wigoder asked the Chairman of Committees:
- Whether he will look into the possibility of Peers' parliamentary mail being forwarded during the recess in an envelope which is easy to open.[HL4497]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): The envelopes used for forwarding Peers' mail are designed to ensure its security, and that must remain the top priority. They can be easily opened if torn along the perforated strip just below the seal. However, I have asked officials to explore the possibilities, once current stocks are used up, of either providing a new design of envelope or of printing clearer instructions on the existing design.
Prisons: Racism
Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, prior to the Commission for Racial Equality embarking into formal investigation of the Prison Service in 2000, the Home Office had received reports from the Prison Service on racism in prisons; and, if so, why they did not fulfil their statutory responsibilities to take action to ensure its elimination, rather than referring the matter to the Commission for Racial Equality for investigation.[HL4105]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Prior to the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) investigation, the issue of racism in prisons was considered and reviewed regularly through a number of long standing arrangements and forums. The Minister for Prisons (Paul Boateng) at that time held meetings regularly with successive director-generals. They were satisfied that the Prison Service was tackling the problem of racism and that the director-general had been leading on this issue as a main priority.
The Home Office wished to show its good intentions, and its desire for transparency, by inviting an independent investigation by a body such as the Commission for Racial Equality, in addition to any internal policies that it was putting in place, and any actions that it was taking, on its own initiative.
Prison Escapes
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each of the past five calender years and for 2003 to date the number of category A and category B prisoners respectively who have escaped from custody, showing the location and date of escape and recapture in each case.[HL4141]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: No category A prisoners have escaped since 1995. The number of category B prisoners who escaped from custody was one in 1998, seven in 1999, none in 2000, seven in 2001, six in 2002 and four in 2003, up to 17 July 2003. Escapes where the prisoner was recaptured within 15 minutes are not included.
As to locations and dates of escape and recapture, the information available in respect of category B prisons is shown in the tables. The second table shows data in respect of external escorts, mostly to court or to hospital. Dates of recapture are not always recorded. Locations of recapture are not recorded on the Prison Service's incident reporting system.
| Prison | Date of escape | Date of recapture |
| Altcourse | 20 May 1998 | 28 May 1998 |
| Lincoln | 10 March 1999 | Recaptured, date not recorded |
| Parc | 23 June 1999 | 23 June 1999 |
| Liverpool | 8 September 1999 | Recaptured, date not recorded |
| Grendon | 30 September 2001 | 2 October 2001 |
| Winchester | 10 December 2001 | Recaptured, date not recorded |
| Norwich | 18 July 2002 | 31 July 2002 |
Lord Wigoder asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The information collected centrally for England and Wales does not allow the number of separate trials in which convictions for jury-tampering were obtained to be identified.
The number of persons convicted of offences of intimidating, harming or threatening to harm jurors or witnesses under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, since it came into force, is however, contained in the table.
Information for Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Office and that for Northern Ireland for the Northern Ireland Office.
Location Date of escape Date of recapture
Whittington Hospital 10 May 1999 Recaptured, date not recorded
Cardiff Crown Court 18 June 1999 18 June 1999
Northampton Magistrates Court 4 October 1999 4 October 1999
Andover Magistrates Court 19 November 1999 19 November 1999
Banstead, en route 9 March 2001 9 March 2001
Kings College Hospital 10 April 2001 10 April 2001
Not recorded, funeral location 6 June 2001 6 June 2001
Snaresbrook Crown Court 25 September 2001 27 September 2001
Peterborough Crown Court 12 October 2001 17 October 2001
Lincoln Crown Court 18 January 2002 18 January 2002
Wood Green Crown Court 26 March 2002 26 March 2002
Isleworth Crown Court 1 October 2002 11 October 2002
Gloucester Royal Infirmary 2 December 2002 Recaptured, date not recorded
Kings College Hospital 19 December 2002 Recaptured, date not recorded
Solihull Magistrates Court 22 January 2003 22 January 2003
Hull Royal Infirmary 2 March 2003 Recaptured, date not recorded
Salford Magistrates Court 31 March 2003 31 March 2003
Leicester Royal Infirmary 13 April 2003 13 April 2003
For each of the past 10 years for which figures are available, in how many separate trials were convictions obtained for offences involving jury-tampering.[HL4190]
Intimidating a juror or witness or person assisting in investigation of offence (Sec 51(1) CJ&POA 1994) Harming or threatening to harm a witness, juror or person assisting in investigation (Sec 51(2) CJ& POA 1994)
1995 79 20
1996 315 51
1997 413 74
1998 411 74
1999 385 77
2000 364 66
2001 348 76
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