Written Answers
Mr Ian Brady
asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they are taking to improve the health of Ian Brady, serving a life sentence in Gartree Prison, in view of the fact that on 2nd December his weight had dropped from 13 stone to 7 stone 12 pounds.
:Mr. Brady has been admitted to the prison hospital at Gartree. He has been seen and examined by an independent consultant physician and is at present co-operating in both the investigations which are taking place and the treatment which he is receiving.
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are now prepared to give effect to the recommendation that Ian Brady should be transferred to a special hospital, this recommendation having been made by the only Home Office psychiatrist to have examined him fully in recent years.
:My right honourable and learned friend the Home Secretary is empowered to direct the removal of a prisoner to hospital under Section 47 of the Mental Health Act 1983 only if he is satisfied by the reports of at least two suitably qualified doctors that the prisoner is suffering from a mental disorder of a nature or degree which makes it appropriate for him to be detained in hospital for medical treatment and, if the disorder is psychopathic disorder, that such treatment is likely to alleviate or prevent a deterioration of his condition. Although Ian Brady has been examined by a number of psychiatrists in recent years, my right honourable and learned friend has not received reports which meet these statutory requirements. If the requisite reports were received, any recommendation for transfer would be considered in the light of all the relevant circumstances.
Privately Employed Security Personnel
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are satisfied with the provisions for the regular maintenance of lists of persons employed in private enterprise police operations, with reference especially to their use of arms.
We are not aware of any such lists. Private security personnel have no rights or privileges beyond those possessed by ordinary citizens, who are not granted firearm certificates for security or protection purposes.
asked Her Majesty's Government:What regulations now provide for compulsory insurance of persons employed by private enterprise on police or security operations; and what information is supplied in support of character references by applicants for such employment.
We are not aware of any regulations providing for compulsory insurance of such persons. The supply of information in support of character references is a matter for the prospective employer and employee concerned.
Entry Certificate Refusal
asked Her Majesty's Government:Why, considering the assurances previously given by a Minister, an entry certificate was refused to a United Kingdom passport holder whose reference is C 279630/2 (S); when they expect to reply to a letter of 4th November on this case, and whether they will now give the assurance requested that further communication between the Home Office and the Deputy High Commission, Bombay, will be sent by telex rather than by post.
The assurance given was that the application would receive sympathetic consideration if the applicant, aged 22 years, was still fully dependent on his father. The application was refused because the entry clearance officer was not satisfied that the applicant was in fact fully dependent. However, my honourable and learned friend, having reviewed the case, has decided that the applicant should be given the benefit of the doubt, and an entry certificate will therefore be issued shortly. A reply has also been sent to the noble Lord's letter of 4th November. Further communications with the Deputy High Commission, like previous communications, will be sent by telex.
Election Expenditure By Political Parties
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware that the average contribution made in the years 1979–82 by the companies of the eight directors of private companies granted peerages exceeds £100,000 each and, as there is a limit on expenditure by candidates at general elections, whether there should not also be a limit on the national expenditure of political parties.
:Expenditure which is incurred by a political party in promoting or procuring the election of its individual candidates is subject to statutory limits and must be included in the return of each candidate's election expenses. It is for the courts to decide whether expenditure is or is not subject to the statutory limits in any particular case.
Palace Of Westminster: Security
asked Her Majesty's Government:What encouragement is given to fit members of the Metropolitan Security Corps within the Palace of Westminster to accept the obligations of a special constable, so relieving the pressure on the large establishment of regular police officers who could otherwise be available for duties outside the Palace.
Special constables act as a voluntary, unpaid police reserve, not as a substitute for full-time regular police officers. It is open to members of the security staff at the Palace of Westminster to apply to join the special constabulary if they wish and are qualified to do so. However, the duties of the security staff are not the same as those of police officers. Their enrolment as special constables would not affect their responsibilities as security officers or, in view of the importance of security at the Palace of Westminster, reduce the need for regular police coverage.
Police Recruits: Initial Training
asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the length of the initial training course for newly joined police constables and women police constables at Home Office schools on 1st January 1980 and what is the length today.
:In January 1980, recruits to provisional police forces in England and Wales attended Home Office Police Training Centres for a 10-week initial course of training. This will be extended to 14 weeks from January 1984, as recommended by a working party of the Police Training Council in a report published in July 1983, a copy of which is in the Library.
Prisoners: Consent To Medication
asked Her Majesty's Government:On how many occasions in 1982 drugs were administered to patients without their consent in Parkhurst, Holloway, Styal, Wakefield, Albany, Gartree and Wormwood Scrubs respectively.
Emergencies justifying the medication of prisoners against their wishes are very rare, but information is not available in the form requested.
Life Prisoners: Transfer From Open Prison
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many prisoners serving life sentences have been transferred from open to closed prison conditions during each month of 1983.
The information is set out in the following table:
Month | Number of life sentence prisoners transferred from open to closed prison |
January | 1 |
February | 1 |
March | Nil |
April | Nil |
Month | Number of life sentence prisoners transferred from open to closed prison |
May | Nil |
June | 1 |
July | 2 |
August | 2 |
September | 1 |
October | 6 |
November | 2 |
December | Nil to date |
Life Prisoners: Release Dates
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many life sentence prisoners have had their early release date cancelled during 1983.
Life sentence prisoners are given provisional dates for their release, and in all cases release is dependent upon their continued good behaviour, upon suitable arrangements being made for their resettlement and, in most cases, upon the satisfactory completion of periods in open conditions and/or on the pre-release employment scheme. So far during 1983, 19 life sentence prisoners have had their provisional release dates cancelled as a result of failure to observe these conditions. In addition, a further 18 life sentence prisoners have had their provisional release dates deferred.
Hazardous Wastes: Licensing Costs
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they accept the principle that charges for site licences for sites accepting hazardous wastes should cover the cost to local authorities of monitoring and licence enforcement.
:The Government have not yet taken a view about the basis on which charges should be levied for licences for sites accepting hazardous wastes. This would be premature, pending legislation to provide for charging.
Zoo Animals: Temporary Removal
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend, on the coming into force of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, to permit owners of zoo animals covered by a licence under that Act, to be exempted from the requirements of Section 22, which concerns the removal of animals temporarily from the establishment.
:On the coming into force of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, Section 22 will disapply the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 in so far as it presently applies to animals temporarily taken out of a zoo. Such animals will then be covered by the conditions of the licence issued for the zoo under the 1981 Act. There is no power under the 1981 Act to grant exemption from the provisions of Section 22.
"Agriculture And Pollution": Royal Commission Seventh Report
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are yet in a position to reply to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's Seventh Report,
Agriculture and Pollution.
The Government's response to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's Seventh Report has been published today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.As the Royal Commission pointed out, the last 30 years have seen something of an agricultural revolution in the United Kingdom. In 1953, the industry contributed less than two-thirds of that part of the nation's food supply that can be produced at home. Today it contributes about three-quarters. This impressive record has resulted from advances in a wide range of agricultural practices and techniques. But continued efficient food production must go hand in hand with effective protection of the environment, and it is equally important to minimise the effects on agriculture of pollution from other sources.The Royal Commission, under the chairmanship of SirHans Kornberg, produced a well-balanced, constructive and realistic report, with a wide variety of recommendations on these issues. We are all most grateful to the commission for a job well done. The time taken in responding to the Royal Commission's recommendations reflects the detailed attention which the Government have given to them. Even now, we have not quite completed matters; but, as is apparent from our response. we have been able to accept most of the recommendations. Some have already been implemented, and action on others is in hand.
"Oil Pollution Of The Sea": Royal Commission Eighth Report
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are yet in a position to respond to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's Eighth Report.
Oil Pollution of the Sea.
The Government's response to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's Eighth Report was published yesterday. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.The Royal Commission concluded that marine oil pollution at current levels is unlikely to cause long-lasting damage to the environment. But they recognised the severe short-term local dislocation, frequently accompanied by heavy losses of sea birds, caused by large spills, and made recommendations for improving matters, both as regards prevention and as regards clean-up when preventive measures have failed.I am glad that we have been able to accept most of the Royal Commission's recommendations. Prevention is a collective responsibility. Governments, shipowners, port authorities and many others have an important part to play. If accidents are to be avoided, tankers must be built and operated to high standards. Offshore oil exploration and production must be carefully handled. Our response to the Royal Commission sets out a great variety of steps which are being taken both nationally and internationally to minimise the risk of accidents and deliberate polluting discharges.As for clean-up, the Royal Commission recommended a fully integrated response to a major spill—on land and at sea. The Government accept this recommendation. The United Kingdom environment departments' direct responsibilities in relation to onshore clean-up—both of oil and of chemicals—are therefore to be transferred to the Department of Transport's Marine Pollution Control Unit, which already has responsibility, within the Government for dealing with oil at sea. Following discussions between the Government and the United Kingdom Petroleum Industry Association, the private sector will also be playing a fuller part in clean-up operations. The new arrangements will help to ensure that all concerned—central Government, local authorities and industry—are better able to mount a swift, co-ordinated and, most important, effective response when necessary.We see no need to take legislative powers to compel local authorities to help to clean-up in a particular way following a spill: we believe that the present voluntary arrangements are adequate. Nor do we see the need to alter the present financial arrangements whereby each organisation bears the immediate costs of any operation which it initiates or controls, except in the case of costs which are directly attributable to a particular area being used as a safe haven. From now on, central Government will reimburse such clean-up costs as are reasonably attributable to the use of a place as a safe haven.However, the extent to which we differ from the Royal Commission is far outweighed by the extent to which we are at one with them. My right honourable friends and I are most grateful to the commission for their excellent report.
Hares Down And Knowstone Moors Sssi
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they can confirm that the Minister of Transport recently stated that her department "strives to safeguard wildlife", whether this policy means that they will take steps to prevent damage to Sites of Special Scientific Interest caused by new road proposals, and whether in particular they will take steps to ensure that the North Devon Link Road will not cross Hares Down and Knowstone Moors SSSI.
My honourable friend the Minister of State for Transport recently stated that the department would try to avoid Sites of Special Scientific Interest so far as possible. The proposed route of the North Devon Link Road Stage 2A, published on 22nd March 1983 in a draft order under the Highways Act 1980, crosses Hares Down and Knowstone Moors SSSI. A public inquiry into the proposed route starts on 5th January 1984, at which it is likely these issues will be discussed. It will be for my right honourable friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and Transport to decide in due course whether the proposal should proceed.
Easter 1984: Parliamentary Recess
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in view of the late date of Easter in 1984, they will give consideration to the timing of the next Easter Recess.
Yes. I hope to be able to propose that, subject to the progress of parliamentary business, the House should rise for the Easter Recess in the week ending Friday 13th April 1984, rather than in the following week.
Belize And Guatemala
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that there is still a threat to the independence of Belize from Guatemala; and what consultations are taking place on this subject.
Guatemala continues to refuse to recognise Belize's independence, although the Guatemalan Foreign Minister has stated Guatemala's intention to pursue her territorial claim by peaceful means. We are no longer a party to the Belize/Guatemala dispute, but British officials have been observers at talks between Belize and Guatemala about the dispute since independence.
Drugs Misuse: Advisory Facilities
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether a voluntary or statutory organisation could be established to advise parents, teachers, youth and social workers and others dealing with young people, if they are worried that young people may have become involved with drug taking.
Our main aim should be to encourage local statutory health, social, education, youth, police and probation services, in co-operation with voluntary organisations, to respond effectively to those seeking their advice and help. We are considering what more can be done in the light of the comments received on the recommendations of the Report on Treatment and Rehabilitation of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (HMSO 1982, £3.95 net) on the training and co-operation of professionals and voluntary workers.National voluntary organisations already providing advice and information, some with financial support from the Government, include:The Standing Conference on Drug Abuse, a co-ordinating body for voluntary organisations in the field of drug misuse;Release, which offers advice on the legal and other consequences of drug misuse, and publishes drug education material;The Teachers' Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drug Education, which provides education and training material primarily directed towards the formal education system;The National Youth Bureau, which publishes material which includes information on the legal aspects of drug misuse;The Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence, which produces information leaflets, health and social education material and materials for the training of professionals.The Health Education Council provides education materials covering drug misuse as part of the work on promoting health education.In view of the number of organisations with complementary roles working well together in the field of drug misuse, the Government do not propose to establish one.
"Public Bodies 1983"
asked Her Majesty's Government:When the 1983 edition of
Public Bodies will be published; what additional information will be included this year; and whether any further reductions have been achieved in the number of non-departmental public bodies.
Public Bodies 1983 is published today; copies have been placed in the Library.In addition to information about non-departmental public bodies and nationalised industries included in last year's edition, the 1983 edition gives details of staffing, expenditure and appointments to National Health Service authorities and appointments to certain public corporations. Men's and women's appointments are also shown separately for the first time.I am pleased to report that the Government's policy of continuing scrutiny of all non-departmental public bodies has enabled a further reduction in their number, from 1,779 to 1,697, since last year.
Royal Opera House And Royal Shakespeare Company
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are yet in a position to indicate the Government's conclusions on the report on the financial scrutiny of the Royal Opera House and Royal Shakespeare Company.
The Government broadly accept the findings and conclusions of the scrutiny, and have decided, subject to parliamentary approval of the Supply Estimates, to include, within the total grant of £ 100 million to the Arts Council for 1984–85, an additional sum of £4.1 million, over the allocation which would otherwise have been made. This sum comprises an additional £2.8 million for the Royal Opera House and Royal Shakespeare Company, and an additional £1.3 million for four other opera companies: English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Welsh National Opera and Opera North. A corresponding addition will be made to the total arts and libraries programme for 1984–85 as announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Autumn Statement, to be met from the contingency reserve. Provision will also be made for subsequent years.The additional sums for the ROH and RSC are intended to establish the following new total provision for them, in line with the Priestley recommendations:
ROH | £12.350million |
RSC | £4.900million |
Arts And Libraries: Allocations
asked her Majesty's Government:Whether they are in a position to announce the allocation of the arts and libraries programme for 1984–85.
Subject to parliamentary approval of the Supply Estimates. I propose the main allocations listed below for the financial year 1984–85. They are intended to allow broadly the present level of activity to be continued, taking account of the Government's assumptions on pay and price movements. It has also been possible to include provision for the following significant developments.First, in the light of the report on the financial scrutiny of the Royal Opera House and Royal Shakespeare Company, the Government have decided to make special provision amounting to £4.1 million, within the total Arts Council grant of £100 million, to establish a satisfactory baseline for the future operations of these two bodies, and to strengthen the financial base of the English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Welsh National Opera and Opera North. Details of these arrangements are being given in a separate parliamentary Answer.Secondly, the total recurrent provision for the national museums and galleries in England includes an additional £0.5 million to help meet their conservation and other special needs, together with an allowance for certain technical adjustments. Detailed allocations to individual museums and galleries for purchase grants and other running costs will be announced later. Provision for the Museums and Galleries Commission also includes an additional £0.5 million for a new scheme of grants to local museums for conservation and related purposes.Thirdly, provision to be made in the Supply Estimates for the Property Services Agency's Vote, which is charged against the arts and libraries programme, will allow for continued net expenditure on the new British Library St. Pancras building project as the work already authorised progresses, and for a substantial increase in building work expenditure at the national museums and galleries. This will enable priority to be given to an enlarged programme of repairs, maintenance and refurbishment at the museums and galleries; it will also allow for continued building work on the new Theatre Museum for which contracts have now been let.These allocations, together with provision for the staffing and administrative costs of the Office of Arts and Libraries and for certain other activities which will be the subject of separate announcements later, are within the total for the arts and libraries programme given in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Autumn Statement, as adjusted by the subsequent decision on funding for the Royal Shakespeare and opera companies.
Original 1983–84 Allocations And Proposed 1984–85 Allocations
1983–84*
| 1984–85 | |
£million | £million | |
ARTS AND HERITAGE | ||
Arts Council | 92.000 | 100.000 |
British Film Institute | 7.200 | 7.710 |
National Film and Television School | 0.850 | 0.990 |
Crafts Council | 1.700 | 1.777 |
Public Lending Right | 2.000 | 2.000 |
South Bank Theatre Board | 0.300 | 0.100 |
Government Art Collection | 0.110 | 0.144 |
National Heritage Memorial Fund | 0.001 | 1.000 |
Acceptances in Lieu | 1.000 | 1.000 |
MUSEUMS | ||
National museums and galleries: purchase grants and other current provision | 55.086 | 58.227 |
Museums and Galleries Commission | 2.543 | 3.041 |
LIBRARIES etc | ||
British Library (current) | 45.865 | 46.850 |
Royal Geographical Society | 0.050 | 0.052 |
Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts | 0.373 | 0.386 |
British Records Association | 0.011 | 0.012 |
*as in original 1983–84 Supply Estimates. |
Joint Boards And Joint Committees: Cmnd 9063
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the joint boards proposed in the White Paper (Cmnd. 9063) will be able to determine how they are to be serviced, or whether that will be a matter for the Metropolitan District Councils to agree between themselves;Whether the joint hoards proposed in the White Paper (Cmnd. 9063) will be able to employ their own operational and administrative staff;Whether, under the proposals outlined in Cmnd. 9063, district councillors serving on joint hoards will be (
a) delegates of the district councils appointing them or ( b) representatives of those councils or ( c) appointed by but not legally responsible to those councils.
The White Paper Streamlining the Cities (Cmnd. 9063) states that the proposed joint boards would have power to employ staff. It indicates also that the Government would expect them, where appropriate, to make arrangements for the sharing of administrative and other staff.
As the White Paper indicates, the proposed boards would be responsible for their own decisions (including decisions on staffing and servicing). However, the councillors serving on the hoards would be appointed by the borough or district councils; they would be recallable at will, and would have to reflect the views of those councils. The boards' precepts would be subject to approval by the Secretary of State for the first three financial years; and there would be power to specify levels of manpower or manpower expenditure.
The Government will take final decisions on all these matters in the light of the outcome of the consultations which are now in progress.
asked Her Majesty's Government:Under the proposals contained in Cmnd. 9063 how many district councillors will be members of:
The White Paper contains proposals for the size of the statutory joint hoards. The size of any joint committees would be a matter for the constituent authorities to decide. The information is as follows:
Metropolitan Areas | Number of district councillors serving on joint boards* | Number of county councillors |
Greater Manchester | 90 | 106 |
Merseyside | 54 | 99 |
South Yorkshire | 36 | 100 |
Tyne and Wear | 45 | 104 |
West Midlands | 81 | 104 |
West Yorkshire | 66 | 88 |
*Assuming no councillor serves on more than one of the joint boards, and that there are three boards(for police, fire and public transport) in each metropolitan county area. |
asked Her Majesty's Government:What will be the minimum and maximum total number of:
to be set up in the areas presently covered by the six metropolitan county councils, if the proposals outlined in Cmnd. 9063 are implemented.
The White Paper proposes three joint hoards (for fire, police and public transport) in each of the metropolitan county areas. For waste disposal the White Paper indicates that the Government intend to take reserve powers to establish statutory joint arrangements if they are not satisfied that the authorities have made adequate voluntary arrangements. For other services the district councils will decide any arrangements for voluntary co-operation where necessary.
Hazardous Waste Disposal
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they took into account the recent report on Hazardous Waste Disposal by the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology when drawing up their proposals in the White Paper,
Streamlining the Cities for dealing with waste disposal.
The White Paper, Streamlining the Cities makes it clear that, before the transfer of waste disposal and regulation to the London boroughs and metropolitan district councils, the Government will need to he satisfied that the authorities concerned have made effective co-operative arrangements for the future operation of these functions to ensure the proper discharge of disposal and regulation responsibilities. The more detailed consultation document on Arrangement for Waste Disposalsets out the key criteria against which we will consider the effectiveness of proposals for co-operation, and these reflect many of the views expressed by the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology in their Report on Hazardous Waste Disposal.
Domestic Waste
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will give for each of the 36 metropolitan district council areas an estimate of the percentage of domestic waste generated within each district which is finally disposed of within its own district area.
This information is not held centrally.
Waste Disposal Authorities
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many waste disposal authorities in England:
In England as a whole there were 1,166 waste disposal authorities in 1973 and 46 in 1983. Under the proposals in the White Paper, formal responsibilities for these functions in London and the 6 metropolitan counties will be transferred to a total of 68 boroughs and district councils. However, it is not possible at this stage to say how many operational units will be involved in the actual discharge of these functions, since this will depend on the co-operative arrangements to be established between councils in the light of the consultative document issued by the Department of the Environment on 10th November.
Grant Related Expenditure Breakdown
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the 1983–84 Grant Related Expenditure assessments adjusted to show the distribution of the GRE for services of the metropolitan county councils and the Greater London Council.
The breakdown of GRE between services for each local authority in England is contained in the department's publication, The Technical Handbook of Grant Related Expenditure 1983–84. A copy is available in the Library.
Rate Bills
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will state the number of separate notices of the poundage and amount being levied by individual rating authorities and by each precepting authority that would be received by domestic and business ratepayers in metropolitan areas if the proposals outlined in paragraph 5.13 of the
Rates White Paper (Cmnd. 9008) and in paragraph 5.10 of the White Paper, Streamlining the Cities (Cmnd. 9063), and for the establishment of joint boards as outlined in White Paper (Cmnd. 9063), were to be implemented.
Ratepayers will receive one rate bill as now, on which will be shown clearly the amount of that bill attributable to each major precepting body.
Local Authorities: Capital Debt
asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the present estimate of the capital debt per head of population transferred to each of the 36 metropolitan district councils in the event of the six metropolitan county councils being abolished.
It is not yet possible to say what part of the capital debt of the six metropolitan county councils will fall to be serviced by each of the metropolitan district councils. Among other things, this will depend on the level of the outstanding debt at the time of abolition and the detailed distribution of assets to individual district councils.
Brue Basin, Somerset: Drainage Proposals
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware that the Wessex Water Authority are, at the request of their Regional Land Drainage Committee, considering a major land drainage improvement scheme in the Brue Basin (Somerset) which could seriously affect the scientific interest of several thousand acres of land which the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) consider is a Site of Special Scientific Interest status; and whether they will condemn these moves in view of the efforts by the Somerset County Council, the NCC and others to produce a sensible solution for conservation on the Somerset Levels and Moors.
The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead):Wessex Water Authority have consulted my department and the Department of the Environment over possible improvements to the existing arterial drainage arrangements in the Brue Basin. They are currently consulting conservation and other interests before formulating their proposals further. Any application for grant they make will be considered by Ministers with regard to all the relevant factors