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Prison Nursing Services
Sir Raymond Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the review of prison nursing services to be completed. [38811]
Ms Quin: The consultation period on the nursing policy paper circulated on 21 October 1997 closed on 20 February 1998. The results of the consultation provided much useful feedback but produced no consensus on the proposals.
The position and role of nurses in the provision of health care to prisoners also forms part of the remit of the Joint Prison Service/National Health Service (NHS) Working Group established last autumn. The Joint Group is tasked to look at the broader question of the organisation of prisoners' health care, including whether the NHS should become the provider. The results of the consultation on the nursing policy paper are helping to inform the deliberations of the Joint Group and are being taken forward in the context of that work.
Firefighters Pension Scheme
Sir Raymond Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the review on the firefighters pension scheme. [38809]
Mr. George Howarth: The review was published on 31 March. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave that day to my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Mr. Clark), Official Report, columns 466-67.
Youth Justice
Sir Raymond Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the review of Government proposals for youth justice to be completed. [38816]
Mr. Michael: The results of the initial review are reflected in the Crime and Disorder Bill and the White Paper "No More Excuses" (Cm 3809). A considerable amount of work is being undertaken to make the youth justice system effective in preventing offending and reoffending and to prepare for implementation of our proposed reforms. I am pleased to say that the reforms are receiving very positive support and co-operation from the police and from local authorities and other interested parties.
Public Entertainment Licensing
Mr. Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the review of public entertainment licensing. [38824]
Mr. George Howarth:
A deregulation review of public entertainments licensing was undertaken during 1996 by the previous Government. I have not yet had an opportunity to look closely at the issues arising out of that review, but I hope to be able to make my views known within the next few months.
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Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet lay members of the General Synod of the Church of England to discuss the implications of the Human Rights Bill [Lords]. [38928]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has had a number of meetings about the implications of the Human Rights Bill for the Churches. These included a full discussion with the Bishop of Ripon and officials of the General Synod on 9 March. My right hon. Friend understands the strength of feeling about this issue but he does not believe that a further meeting with lay members would add significantly to the points that have been made.
Angela Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many service firefighters there are in each fire authority; and how many of these are women. [38651]
Mr. George Howarth:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Stringer) on 1 December 1997, Official Report, columns 58-82.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the agencies in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) the European Union responsible for monitoring, intercepting and prosecuting in respect of incidences of alleged nuclear smuggling. [38733]
Mr. Michael:
The agencies which could be involved, in the United Kingdom are: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, the relevant local police force, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Constabulary, the security and intelligence agencies, the Environment Agency, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Directorate of Civil Nuclear Security, the Ministry of Defence Atomic Weapons Establishment and the Crown Prosecution Service, depending on the nature of any incident.
International efforts to prevent or to track and prosecute nuclear smuggling are primarily taken forward in fora with a wider membership than the European Union. All member states of the European Union participate, on a national basis, in the collection and sharing of information on confirmed trafficking incidents through the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Miss Widdecombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons have access to Sky television sports channels for prisoners. [38940]
Ms Quin:
There is no readily available information about the number of Prison Service establishments which provide Sky television for prisoners, or which of the available channels they subscribe to. Some prisons
20 Apr 1998 : Column: 535
subscribe to satellite sports channels, and allow prisoners access during set periods of association with each other. The costs are not met from public funds but from a prison's general purpose fund: this is derived from prisoners' own contributions from their prison earnings, and from prison shop profits and external donations.
Miss Widdecombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answers of 15 January 1998, Official Report, column 285, and 2 February 1998, Official Report, column 516, when a decision about the future of in-cell television will be made. [38965]
Ms Quin:
The review of policy in this area is nearing completion, and we hope to make an announcement shortly.
Miss Widdecombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons (a) he and (b) his Ministers have visited since 1 May 1997. [38935]
Ms Quin:
Since 1 May 1997, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has visited eight prisons. I have visited twenty seven prisons since 1 May and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Minister for Knowsley, North and Sefton East (Mr. Howarth) has visited fourteen. Additionally, my hon. Friend The Minister of State has visited two prisons.
Miss Widdecombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to visit Maidstone Prison. [38937]
Ms Quin:
Neither my right hon. Friend nor I currently have any plans to visit Maidstone prison.
Miss Widdecombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on further implementation of the Learmont report. [38936]
Ms Quin:
The Learmont report made 127 recommendations about prison security and the management of the Prison Service. Of these, 112 have been accepted and implemented in full or in part and 13 have been rejected. Decisions remain outstanding on two recommendations (63 and 121) and one part-recommendation (66).
Miss Widdecombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum appeals were still awaiting resolution on (a) 1 April 1997 and (b) 1 April 1998; [38939]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Information on the number of outstanding cases relates to the position at the end of the month rather than the beginning.
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(2) how many asylum applications were still awaiting resolution on (a) 1 April 1997 and (b) 1 April 1998. [38938]
| Number of principal applicants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Applications outstanding | Appeals outstanding |
| 31 March 1997 | 54,950 | 23,215 |
| 31 March 1998 | 50,950 | 23,760 |
(42) Figures are provisional and rounded to the nearest five.
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