asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support the Government are providing for chief constables and police authorities as a result of the burden of policing in the coal dispute.

The Government have shown the full extent of their support for the police in the unprecedented scale of our assistance with the additional costs of policing the dispute. I have already announced that for each police force area we shall meet 90 per cent. of the additional costs above the product of a penny rate and that no police authority's share of the cost will exceed the product of three quarters of a penny rate. We have also paid out advances of £128 million to help with police authorities cash flow.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is considering introducing any new measures to seek to prevent intimidation.

In his review of the law on public order my right hon. and learned Friend has considered the powers of the police and the courts to deal with intimidation, but he is not yet ready to announce his conclusions. In the course of the miners' dispute the police have acted vigorously to deal with assaults and other criminal offences. For details of charges brought under section 7 of the Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act 1875, which created a specific offence of intimidation, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given today to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Chislehurst (Mr. Sims).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use has been made of section 7 of the Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act 1875 during the miners' dispute.

The figures which have been regularly given in answer to questions about charges for different offences during the miners' dispute relate to the main charge brought on arrest or summons. Further charges may be added subsequently. I understand that in total 643 charges have been brought under section 7 of the Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act 1875, including those charges added at a later stage. Details are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to make facilities available for the inquiry by the European Assembly into police conduct at pit heads.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what co-operation his Department will be offering to the European Assembly's investigation on the policing of the miners' dispute.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government concerning co-operation with the inquiry set up by the European Parliament to inquire into the policing of the miners' dispute in Britain.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mr. Proctor) on 18 January, at column 238.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest figure for miners arrested in connection with the National Union of Mineworkers — National Coal Board dispute; and if he will make a statement.

8,552 of the 9,374 people arrested in connection with the miners' dispute between 13 March and 29 January inclusive were miners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the maximum sentences passed by the courts for offences for which people have been convicted in connection with the miners' dispute.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sentences have been passed by the courts for the most serious offences committed during the miners' dispute.

As at 25 January 1985, 112 defendants had been dealt with by the Crown court on charges related to the miners' strike, of whom 91 had been convicted. The offences of those convicted and the sentences passed on them are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been lodged against the police as a result of the miners' strike; and in how many of these complaints the inquiries have been completed.

The available information is that, in the period from 13 March 1984 to 15 January 1985, 534 complaints were made against police officers relating to actions arising from the policing of the dispute and that 100 of these have been withdrawn. Information about the number of complaints in respect of which investigation has been completed could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many custodial sentences have been passed for offences committed in the course of the miners' dispute.

In the period 13 March to 29 January inclusive, 141 immediate custodial sentences were passed for offences committed in connection with the miners' dispute. These included one sentence of five years and one of three years for causing grievous bodily harm; and one sentence of three years and eight of two and a half years for arson.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about the policing of the miners' dispute.

I am glad to reaffirm our full support for the police in the action they are taking to maintain order and to ensure that those who wish to exercise their right to go to work are able to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been disciplined for incidents connected with the mining dispute; how many disciplinary charges are pending; and how many complaints have been made about the behaviour of police officers.

In the period from 13 March 1984 to 22 January 1985, 537 complaints were made against police officers relating to actions arising during the course of the dispute. 102 of these have been withdrawn. Most of the remainder are still under investigation. I understand that the Police Complaints Board will include in its annual report for 1984 statistics on the number of investigation reports received by them which they have identified as dealing with complaints arising from the policing of the miners' strike and on the outcome of the investigations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Depaartment if he will collate centrally information on the training of civil defence volunteers.

Yes. Information derived from local authorities, including that from visits made by the co-ordinator of volunteer effort in civil defence, will be collated by our officials with the assistance of the new civil defence adviser.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what regulatory powers the Government will apply to ensure that civil defence grants are not misused by those local authorities opposed to civil defence.

The Civil defence (Grant) Regulations 1953 (as amended) make adequate provision for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the working party on standardisation of training of civil defence volunteers heard evidence from any volunteer bodies engaged in civil defence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence was taken by the working party on standardisation of training of civil defence volunteers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether evidence was taken by the working party on standardisation of training of civil defence volunteers from any of the Devon emergency planning officers or from members of the Devon emergency volunteers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the working party on standardisation of training of civil defence volunteers accepted any evidence from Sir Leslie Mavor.

The working party did not call for or take evidence in any formal way. It drew primarily on the experience of its members and the views it received from people such as Sir Leslie Mavor with experience in civil defence volunteer matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the civil defence publications which his Department and Easingwold will make available in 1985; and what other informative materials he has plans for thereafter.

We expect to make the following documents available during the next 12 months or so:

The Consolidated Circular of Guidance to Local Authorities on Emergency Planning;

A technical handbook designed to help local authorities identify potential communal shelters;

A publication which will include advice on protective measures;

Revised material dealing with the effects of nuclear and other weapons;

A revised version of "Civil Defence—The Basic Facts";

A revised booklet on the work of the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation;

The reports of the Home Office-Civil Defence College working party on the standardisation of training of civil defence volunteers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil defence volunteers per 100,000 of the population will be needed to supply reasonable civil defence support.

The number necessary to fulfil their responsibilities under the Civil Defence Regulations is for individual local authorities to decide in the light of local circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide guidance for local authorities on travel and subsistence rates for civil defence volunteers.

Reasonable expenditure thus incurred is eligible for grant-aid, but the rates are a matter for individual local authorities. Nevertheless, if my hon. Friend has a particular issue in mind I would be glad to hear from him.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to encourage more local effort in crime prevention.

The Home Office crime prevention unit has been actively encouraging and assisting a wide range of local initiatives aimed at preventing burglary, theft, autocrime and violence. This will continue. The unit is helping in the preparation of a report for local authorities and police forges giving examples of good practices. It is also revising the guidelines for local crime prevention panels; and promoting a number of regional panel conferences.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how his Department plans to ensure that a higher priority is given by national and local government to crime prevention.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire, South-East (Mr. Lightbown) earlier today. In addition to the activities I have already referred to, we are co-operating with other central departments in giving more prominence to crime prevention nationally. The Home Office Standing Committee on Crime Prevention, which I chair myself, is considering ways of enhancing its role and influence. To stimulate public awareness a £1·5 million television and press campaign was mounted in London and the midlands last autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further steps he intends to take to combat the increase in crime.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to take to combat the increase in violent crime.

Chief officers of police are encouraged by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary to formulate strategies both for the prevention and investigation of crime which reflect prevailing local patterns of crime and which make best use of the resources at their disposal. Strategies for the most effective use of available resources against crime are also being developed by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. The Home Office crime prevention unit is supporting and encouraging local crime prevention activity involving the police, other relevant agencies and the public.An effective criminal justice strategy must include an adequate range of sentencing powers which will command confidence. In addition to measures already introduced, the Government are supporting a private Member's measure by my hon. Friend the Member for Delyn (Mr. Raffan) to increase to life imprisonment the maximum penalty for persons convicted of trafficking in class A drugs and intends to introduce at the next legislative opportunity a measure similarly to increase the maximum penalty for persons convicted of carrying firearms in furtherance of crime.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about the use of overtime in prisons.

Overtime working by prison officers in the current year is expected to cost nearly £97 million. Prison officers are working on average about 16½ hours overtime each week. This places a severe strain on them and their families and my right hon. and learned Friend is determined to use any reasonable way which can be found of reducing it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to increase the television licence fee.

As my right hon. and learned Friend indicated in his reply to the hon. Member for Falkirk, West (Mr. Canavan) earlier today, he is considering an application from the BBC for increased licence fees.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he as received regarding the British Broadcasting Corporation's request for an increased licence fee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the British Broadcasting Corporation's application for an increase in its licence fee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters he has received on the subject of the cost of a television licence since the beginning of the Session.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Falkirk, West (Mr. Canavan) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next proposes to discuss the licence fee with the British Broadcasting Corporation.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans at present for a meeting with the BBC.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to incorporate the existing links between local authorities and their local radio stations into the wartime broadcasting service.

The purpose of the wartime broadcasting service is to ensure the survival of a basic national and regional sound broadcasting service if normal systems fail after a nuclear attack. The service will be extended to include local radio stations as appropriate and as resources permit.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for the last 12 months, what percentage of refusals of entry clearance through the operation of the primary purpose rule was accounted for by men from the Indian subcontinent.

This information is not available because the collection of the necessary data is confined to the Indian subcontinent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time taken to hear (a) an appeal from abroad against refusal of an entry clearance and (b) an appeal by a person in the United Kingdom against refusal to vary leave to remain; and what were the comparable waiting times in 1979.

I understand from the appellate authorities that appeals from abroad against refusal of an entry clearance can be heard by an adjudicator by between three and nine months from the date on which the appellant's representative in the United Kingdom signifies his readiness to proceed with the appeal, depending on the centre at which the appeal is heard. Appeals against refusal of variation of leave to remain are heard on average between two to three months from the date on which the appeal is received by the appellate authorities.During 1979 the average delay for all appeals was 14 months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for settlement on behalf of children were refused in the latest 12-month period because entry certificates had not been obtained prior to arrival in the United Kingdom.

According to the readily available information, during the 12 months ending September 1984, a total of about 190 persons claiming to be dependants, including about 110 from the Commonwealth, were refused admission to the United Kingdom at ports of entry when seeking to enter for settlement without the entry clearance required by the immigration rules. To identify the number of children within these totals would involve disproportionate cost and it is not possible to say how many of the persons concerned would have qualified for and been granted entry certificates had they applied.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further representations he has received about the operation of the primary purpose rule in relation to applications for entry clearance by husbands of British citizens.

During the last 12 months representations have been received from several sources, including right hon. and hon. Members, most of whom were writing on behalf of constituents. It is not possible, without disproportionate cost, to give precise figures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now take steps to gather information on the number of occasions on which visiting forces have claimed primary jurisdiction for their nationals under the terms of the Visiting Forces Act.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many, and which, metropolitan district councils have indicated an interest in controlling police and fire services within their area.

At the time of their initial response to "Streamlining the Cities" (Cmnd. 9063), six metropolitan districts (Rochdale, Wirral, Sefton, Solihull, Dudley and Wolverhampton) indicated their interest in various forms of district involvement with the police and fire services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the cost of providing effective, fully operational headquarters for (a) police and (b) fire services for each metropolitan district area where this facility does not exist; and if he will list these costs.

Such estimates could be prepared only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is planning any further measures to prevent young people experimenting with dangerous drugs.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Health has announced that the Government intend to launch a major education and prevention campaign directed at parents and young people. An advertising agency has now been asked to develop proposals for the campaign, taking into account information derived from market research commissioned by the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the use of the prevention of terrorism legislation over the recent Christmas period will be included in the first annual review of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984.

Yes, but Sir Cyril Philips' task is concerned with the pattern of use of the powers under the Act; he will not be reporting in relation to individual cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further plans he has to combat terrorism.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my statement of 22 January, at columns 864–876, in which I announced new measures to combat terrorism. The Government will continue to monitor developments closely and give all necessary support to the agencies of law and order. We shall also continue to play a full part internationally in encouraging consultation and co-operation with other Governments in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what point persons who are detained under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act are logged as being a notifiable statistic; whether persons interviewed by police officers at ports of entry, including airports, under the provisions of the Act are advised that they are being so detained; how the procedure has varied between the Prevention of Terrorism Acts 1974, 1976 and the 1984 Act; if persons who are asked to fill in a card giving their details and whereabouts whilst in Ireland are notified as being examined under the provisions of the Act; and whether there have been any changes in statistical analysis of persons detained under the provisions of the 1984 Act and of the 1974 and 1976 Acts.

All detentions under the Prevention of Terrorism Act or the supplemental order are recorded for statistical purposes. However, a person may be examined at a port for up to 12 hours without being detained; such examinations are recorded after one hour and at that point the person is notified in writing of his position. A person may be required under the supplemental order to complete a landing or embarkation card, but that would not be recorded for statistical purposes unless he was subsequently examined for more than one hour or detained.There were no specific provisions on the collection of statistics or advice to persons examined in the 1974, 1976 or 1984 Acts. Full statistics on the operation of the legislation have been collected and published from 1979 in a series of quarterly bulletins, following a recommendation by Lord Shackleton; statistics of those examined for more than one hour but not detained have been collected and published from 1984, following a recommendation by Lord Jellicoe.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate the number of people held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act between 1 January 1983 and the present; and of these how many were detained (a) whilst Parliament was in recess and (b) while Parliament was sitting.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 January 1985, c. 275]: Information on detentions under the Prevention of Terrorism Acts is given in tables 1 and 2 of the latest quarterly Home Office Statistical Bulletin, issue No. 1/85. Of the total of 394 detained in 1983 and 1984, 120 were detained while Parliament was in recess, and 274 while Parliament was sitting.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate the number of people held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act from 1983 onwards together with (a) a breakdown of this total by country of origin, (b) the number of these whose period of detention was extended by his Department who were subsequently charged, (c) the number of these whose period of detention was extended by his Department who were subsequently released without charge and (d) a breakdown of the reasons for his Department's decision to extend the period of detention.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 January 1985, c. 275]: The available information is given in the following table. I consider personally applications for extensions of detention; each decision is taken on an individual basis and it would not be appropriate for me to discuss the reasons for them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his assessment of the incidence of racial attacks during the last 12 months.

We are much concerned about racial attacks and racial incidents and are particularly disturbed that the total number of incidents involving Asian and black victims has increased.The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has made this problem one of the two new priority objectives for the Metropolitan police in 1985. We will continue to give every support to the police in their efforts to develop more effective ways of dealing with racial attacks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to alter the regime in detention centres.

On 24 July 1984 my right hon. and learned Friend announced a programme to establish a consistent regime for the whole detention centre system. He will be announcing shortly his plans for the implementation of the new regime.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will include instruction in the properties and effects of chemical and biological weapons on courses at the Civil Defence college, Easingwold.

These effects are dealt with in a small number of specialised courses, and appropriate reference is made to them in others.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on police visits to schools for educational purposes in the metropolitan area.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has our full support in all his efforts to make contact with young people, including visits to schools.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the public warning system will differentiate between different types of attack.

Initial public warning of an air attack of whatever form will be given by sirens and radio broadcasts without differentiation. Following an attack, radio broadcasts will provide more specific information, and, if appropriate, maroons will also be used to indicate a danger of radioactive fallout.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Auld report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a statement about the reform of the Shops Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now make a statement about the Auld report on shop hours.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will announce an early decision on the conclusions of the Auld report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now make a statement about the Auld report on shop hours.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the reform of the Shops Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a statement about the Auld report on shop hours.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply I gave to questions from my hon. Friends the Members for Ravensbourne (Mr. Hunt) and for Halifax (Mr. Galley) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish a commission of inquiry to investigate and make recommendations on the future structure and finances of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no present plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has had on the implications for immigration policy in relation to Vietnamese refugees of the agreement on the future of Hong Kong.

We have discussed the Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong with various individuals and organisations, but none of these discussions has been in the context of the agreement on the future of Hong Kong.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that all the records held by the special branch of the Metropolitan police contain only necessary and relevant information, properly authenticated, and that there is an effective system of updating information and destroying information no longer related to the discharge of special branch functions.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is aware of the provisions of the Home Office guidelines on the work of a special branch (issued on 19 December 1984) and my right hon. and learned Friend is satisfied that he takes all the necessary steps to ensure that they are complied with the Metropolitan police special branch, both as to the keeping of records and more generally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has discussed with the chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority the independent Broadcasting Authority's new policy on regulations for independent local radio.

Last autumn my right hon. and learned Friend discussed the regulation of independent local radio in general terms with the chairman and director-general of the IBA, and he has since written expressing his support for the approach recently outlined by the authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further measures the Government intend to introduce to tackle the problem of drug abuse.

The Ministerial Group is continuing to consider ways of developing the Government's strategy. Meanwhile, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is providing 160 more customs officers, mainly to counter drug smuggling; my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services has commissioned an advertising agency to draw up proposals for a major education and prevention campaign and is providing more resources for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation; and the Government will be supporting the Bill which my hon. Friend the Members for Delyn (Mr. Raffan) has introduced to increase to life imprisonment the maximum penalty for trafficking in class A drugs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what number and proportion of prison service offices are trained to handle the problem of prisoners who are drug misusers; and whether he is satisfied with their number.

All prison officers receive a half day's training on the subject of drugs and their misuse, during the initial basic training at the Officers' Training School, Wakefield. Further training is given nationally, regionally and within establishments every year. With regard to the detection of drugs, specialist training in this area is provided for certain dog handlers and the number of such specialists is currently being increased. The Prison Service College is also preparing a video film and teaching pack on drug detection which will be issued to all establishments in 1985 for staff training purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will issue further guidelines to the special branch of the police on the use of surveillance techniques and the definition of the term subversive in the context of the recent guidelines which he has drawn up for them.

Special branch applies the definition of subversion formulated by Lord Harris of Greenwich in 1975, and quoted in paragraph 20 of the "Guidelines on the Work of a Special Branch" issued on 19 December 1984; "Subversive activities are … those which threaten the safety or well-being of the State, and which are intended to undermine or overthrow Parliamentary democracy by political, industrial or violent means" — Official Report, House of Lords, 26 February 1975, Vol. 357, c. 947. The definition is well understood by chief officers and we do not consider that any further guidance is needed on this point.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of alleged rape were reported in 1984; and how many resulted in conviction.

Statistics concerning rape include attempted rape and aiding or abetting an offence of rape. Numbers of offences of rape recorded by the police are published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" (table 2.9 of the volume for 1983, Cmnd. 9349). In the first nine months of 1984 the police recorded 1,077 such offences. Information on convictions for rape is also published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables" — table S1.1(A), Vol. 1 for magistrates courts and table 2.1(A), Vol. 2 for the Crown court. Convictions in one year do not necessarily relate to offences recorded by the police in that year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any further proposals for the exclusion of prisoners from parole, following the decision of the Court of Appeal in Findlay and Others v Secretary of State for the Home Department.

No prisoners are excluded from parole consideration by the policy held to be lawful by the House of Lords in the case of Findlay and others. We have no further proposals at present to change our policy on parole.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's current proposals for the development of community radio.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Hayward) on 23 January at column 417–18.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he proposes to amend the guidelines issued by his Department on the work of the special branch.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what safeguards exist to ensure that special branch officers adhere to the guidelines issued by his Department.

The chief officer of each force is responsible for ensuring that the activities of his special branch are properly controlled and supervised, having regard to the provisions of the Home Office "Guidelines on the work of a Special Branch", issued on 19 December 1984. Special branches are also subject to inspection by Her Majesty's inspectors of constabulary in the same way as other parts of police forces.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on future arrangements for police rent allowance.

The police arbitration tribunal recommended that the existing arrangements for calculating rent allowances should remain unchanged. My right hon. and learned Friend has accepted that recommendation. Under the Police Regulations, he has to approve force maximum limits, and he has thought it right to advise police authorities of the considerations which should be taken into account before giving approval.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reach a conclusion on the proposed increase in the establishment of the Thames Valley police force.

My right hon. and learned Friend has already done so. The police authority was informed on 25 January that he is prepared to approve an increase of 20 police posts in the current financial year and 30 posts with effect from 1 April 1985, provided that the police authority will find the necessary finance for these posts and its proposed civilianisation programme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the operation of racism awareness training course for the police.

The Home Office sponsored an experimental series of four courses in racism awareness training for police officers. An evaluation of that training was recently published. We are satisfied that training of this kind has a contribution to make to the community and race relations courses that are currently being developed by the police.The Home Office has also set up at Brunel university a centre for the study of community and race relations, with an emphasis on developing the training skills of police trainers in this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce on an experimental basis the tape recording of immigration interviews.

No. The outcome of a further review by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the possible use of tape recordings in interviews by entry clearance officers abroad is awaited. Until it is received no decision will be taken about the use of tape recorders in immigration interviews in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ask the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to defer plans for reorganising the district and area organisation of the police until the proposals have been debated in Parliament.

The Commissioner's plans for reorganising the Metropolitan police will be implemented over the next two years. As my right hon. and learned Friend said on 17 January, at columns 175–76, in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Mr. Wheeler) he hopes, subject to the usual consultations, that it will be possible to find time before Easter to give the House an opportunity to debate the Commissioner's recent report to him on his plans and priorities for the coming year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to assess (a) public support and (b) public opposition amongst the community in relation to the proposed changes in the management structure of the Metropolitan police.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has assured me that he will be consulting widely about the detailed development and implementation of his plans to restructure the force within the broad outline he has already announced. My right hon. and learned Friend has invited right hon. and hon. Members for constituencies in the Metropolitan police district to discuss with him, as police authority, any matters arising from the Commissioner's recent report to him, including the reorganisation of the force.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation amending the present statutory arrangements for the treatment of young offenders by adopting throughout England and Wales the hearing system for children in trouble currently practised in Scotland.

No. We believe that there is a need for fuller consideration and discussion of this and other alternatives to the present system (such as the establishment of family courts with some jurisdiction over juvenile offenders, as envisaged by the Social Services Committee in its second report of last Session) before any conclusion is reached.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners on rule 43 worked in their cells on the most recent convenient date; and what types of work they were employed in.

The information requested is not available centrally. Efforts are made to provide prisoners on rule 43 with work where local circumstances, including the availability of suitable work, permit. In the case of prisoners on rule 43 for their own protection this may include work in association.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners contracted salmonella in the recent outbreak at Leeds prison; how many of these prisoners shared cells; and when salmonella was first diagnosed.

The first prisoner at Leeds prison reported sick suffering from what proved to be salmonella poisoning on 13 October 1984. Five other cases were subsequently confirmed. All but one of these prisoners had been sharing cells at the time they became ill.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners had been convicted of terrorist offences at the most recent convenient date; and how many of these were serving life sentences;(2) how many terrorist murderers were in prison in England and Wales on the most recent convenient date; and for how long the longest serving has been detained.

The only information which is readily available relates to prisoners who are currently in custody in England and Wales and in category A. It does not cover prisoners who have never been in category A or who have been removed from category A. As at 25 January 1985 there were 64 prisoners convicted of terrorist-type offences, of whom 34 were serving life sentences. Twenty-two prisoners were convicted of terrorist-type murders, the longest serving of whom was first received in custody in England and Wales in October 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many terrorist murderers have been released from prison to date.

The only information which is readily available on prisoners convicted of murders relating to terrorism concerns prisoners who were in custody in England and Wales in category A at the time of release. One such prisoner has been released; he was suffering from terminal cancer and died three days later.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the minimum age of criminal responsibility in each country of western Europe.

There is no short or simple answer; I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many chief constables have made known to him their views on possible breakaways from the proposed police joint boards; and how many of them are in favour of such boards.

No chief constable has indicated to my right hon. and learned Friend that he favours a change in existing force area, or in the proposed joint boards.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions he has employed Zeus Security Consultants; and for what purpose.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will detail all the circumstances he takes into consideration prior to banning or approving a public procession;(2) if he will list his powers to ban processions

My right hon. and learned Friend has no powers to ban processions. In London that power rests with the Commissioner of Police, and elsewhere with the borough or district council. Section 3 of the Public Order Act 1936 provides that in London the Commissioner of Police for the City of London or the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis may, subject to the Home Secretary's consent, make an order banning all public processions or any class of procession but only if the believes that his powers to impose conditions on processions under section 3(1) of the Act will be insufficient to prevent serious disorder. Outside London if a chief constable similarly believes that his powers under section 3(1) will not be sufficient to prevent serious public disorder, he must apply to the borough or district council for an order banning all public processions or any class of procession: and the council may make such an order, subject to my right hon. and learned Friend's consent. In deciding whether or not to consent to a banning order the Home Secretary considers in each case the risk of serious public disorder and the resources available to the police to control it, and makes a judgment of what he believes will be in the public interest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide such details as are readily available of each order prohibiting processions made by him under the Public Order Act 1936 in each of the past five years and to date.

The following is the information in respect of banning orders made in England and Wales under section 3(2) or section 3(3) of the Act in the past five years:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisifed that there are available on a national basis an adequate number of places for the detention of mentally abnormal offenders; and if he will make a statement.

Decisions on how mentally disordered offenders should be dealt with are a matter for the courts, and the provision of hospital places for those detainable under the Mental Health Act 1983 is for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services. The range of facilities in the National Health Service is currently being expanded through the provision of regional secure units; and where the treatment is required under conditions of special security a place in a special hospital can be provided by my right hon. Friend. Difficulties sometimes arise, not least where there may be disagreement concerning a person's clinical condition or the suitability of a hospital placement; where this involves particular cases for which the Home Secretary has responsibilities he and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services together seek to resolve them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many London authorities or local authority organisations included in their responses to Cmnd. 9063 comments supporting the retention of a single Londonwide fire brigade; how many were opposed to the retention of a single fire brigade; and how many suggested special organisational changes for London's fire brigade when commenting on paragraph 2.19 of Cmnd. 9063.

Responses to Cmnd. 9063 indicated little support for change in the organisation of the London Fire Brigade. No London borough or local government organisation was opposed to the retention of a Londonwide brigade or suggested special organisational arrangements for its management by the joint fire board.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sums of money, both revenue and capital, will be made available to the London joint board for fire to cover the period from 1 September 1985 to 31 March 1986 to enable it to employ staff, acquire land and premises and enter into contracts; and what will be the source of those funds.

Clause 67 of the Local Government Bill would enable the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority to borrow in order to defray expenses incurred before the abolition date. The amount borrowed would be subject to a limit to be determined under subsection (2) and would have to be repaid before the end of the financial year 1986–87.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which responses to Cmnd. 9063 led him to propose the setting up of four area committees within the proposed joint board for the London Fire Brigade.

The idea of area committees originated from the Government's consideration of earlier proposals for the reorganisation of the London Fire Brigade, notably those published by the Greater London council in 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long a couple must have lived together as man and wife to be eligible for assistance with the cost of fares under the assisted prison visits scheme.

The assisted prison visits scheme is administered by the Department of Health and Social Security on behalf of the Home Office. In deciding for the purpose of processing claims under this scheme whether the couple have been "living together as man and wife", I understand that the Department of Health and Social Security applies broadly the same principles as it applies in relation to supplementary benefit claims, which are set out in the supplementary benefits handbook. Under those principles there is no fixed minimum period of cohabitation required to prove such a relationship, but where the couple have cohabited for only a few months there would have to be clear evidence that the case met the other criteria set out in the handbook.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give his estimates of the changes in police manpower at the ranks represented by (a) the Association of Chief Police Officers, (b) the Superintendents Association and (c) the Police Federation which would be required if the police authority function were devolved from the metropolitan county level to each of the 36 metropolitan districts of England.

Such estimates could be prepared only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the population of England outside the Greater London council and metropolitan areas are served by joint fire authorities.

There are no such authorities in England.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why it has already taken six weeks to check the records of 23 unsentenced prisoners who were segregated or put in solitary confinement at Winson Green prison during November 1984 to ascertain whether there is any reference to his noble Friend, Lord Elton, in the records concerning their segregation or solitary confinement; and when he expects these inquiries to be completed.

This reply also contains information pursuant to the reply of 20 December 1984, at column 291.The inquiries have been completed. They show that in addition to the 25 unsentenced prisoners segregated during November 1984 at Birmingham under rule 43 of the Prison Rules, one unsentenced prisoner was segregated under Prison Rule 48(2) pending adjudication and no unsentenced prisoners were awarded cellular confinement as a punishment. There is no reference to my noble Friend Lord Elton in any of the records pertaining to the prisoners' segregation. The time taken to obtain the information resulted from the need to look through the prisoners' records at Birmingham and other establishments to which some of the prisoners had been transferred.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners on remand were segregated from other prisoners or put in solitary confinement at Winson Green prison during November; and whether there is any reference to his noble Friend Lord Elton in any records concerning their segregation or solitary confinement.