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Crime (Clear-up Rates)

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the crime clear-up rate and annual percentage change in each year since 1979 in each region; and if he will make a statement; [15014]

(2) what was the clear-up rate for all crimes in Scotland in (a) 1979, (b) 1983, (c) 1987 and (d) in each year since 1992 for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [15015]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information is set out in the table. During the period in question, the overall Scottish crime clear-up rate has increased significantly--from 30 per cent. in 1979 to 39 per cent. in 1995. It is expected that further measures such as the provision of additional officers, funding for closed circuit television schemes and enhanced technological support to help the police in solving crime will contribute positively to the continuing fight against crime in Scotland.

Crime clear-up rates (percentages) and annual changes (percentage points) by police force area, 1979-1995

	Central	Dumfries and Galloway	Fife	Grampian	Lothian and Borders	Northern	Strathclyde	Tayside	Scotland
1979
Clear-up rate (percentage)	37.6	40.4	43.4	37.4	29.3	60.7	25.6	35.0	30.0
1980
Clear-up rate (percentage)	38.3	39.1	39.7	36.3	34.6	61.1	28.3	37.1	32.6
Change	0.7	-1.3	-3.7	-1.1	5.3	0.4	2.7	2.1	2.6
1981
Clear-up rate (percentage)	37.8	38.7	38.9	35.9	29.1	57.7	28.0	36.5	31.2
Change	-0.6	-0.4	-0.8	-0.4	-5.5	-3.4	-0.3	-0.6	-1.4
1982
Clear-up rate (percentage)	36.9	37.8	38.3	31.9	25.1	57.6	27.4	39.2	29.8
Change	-0.9	-0.9	-0.6	-4.0	-4.0	-0.1	-0.6	2.7	-1.4
1983
Clear-up rate (percentage)	40.4	39.2	40.6	33.8	25.2	59.0	28.4	42.5	30.9
Change	3.5	1.4	2.3	1.8	0.2	1.4	1.0	3.3	1.1
1984
Clear-up rate (percentage)	39.9	44.7	38.1	35.1	27.4	58.1	27.4	41.0	30.8
Change	-0.5	5.5	-2.5	1.3	2.2	-0.9	-1.0	-1.6	-0.1
1985
Clear-up rate (percentage)	44.1	46.8	40.6	34.5	33.2	62.5	28.9	44.1	33.6
Change	4.2	2.1	2.5	-0.5	5.8	4.4	1.5	3.1	2.8
1986
Clear-up rate (percentage)	47.6	54.3	41.5	31.3	38.2	62.4	28.4	41.0	34.2
Change	3.5	7.5	0.9	-3.2	5.0	-0.1	-0.4	-3.1	0.6
1987
Clear-up rate (percentage)	48.8	53.8	41.8	31.5	38.9	62.9	29.3	42.7	34.9
Change	1.2	-0.5	0.2	0.2	0.7	0.5	0.8	1.7	0.7
1988
Clear-up rate (percentage)	48.2	51.0	39.8	33.9	38.4	65.4	28.0	42.4	34.0
Change	-0.5	-2.8	-2.0	2.4	-0.5	2.5	-1.3	-0.3	-0.9
1989
Clear-up rate (percentage)	47.0	50.6	38.5	35.3	38.5	61.4	27.5	40.7	33.4
Change	-1.2	-0.3	-1.3	1.4	0.2	-4.0	-0.5	-1.6	-0.6
1990
Clear-up rate (percentage)	46.1	42.7	36.2	33.0	35.1	61.8	26.7	41.4	32.1
Change	-0.9	-8.0	-2.3	-2.3	-3.4	0.4	-0.9	0.6	-1.3
1991
Clear-up rate (percentage)	44.7	45.0	32.9	32.4	33.9	59.2	26.1	38.2	31.1
Change	-1.4	2.4	-3.3	-0.7	-1.2	-2.7	-0.6	-3.1	-1.0
1992
Clear-up rate (percentage)	56.0	40.7	32.7	31.1	34.4	56.9	28.0	37.5	32.3
Change	11.3	-4.3	-0.2	-1.3	0.5	-2.3	1.9	-0.8	1.2
1993
Clear-up rate (percentage)	55.4	46.1	38.2	32.6	36.5	56.8	30.6	32.5	34.3
Change	-0.5	5.4	5.5	1.5	2.2	-0.2	2.6	-5.0	2.0
1994
Clear-up rate (percentage)	57.0	48.1	42.4	34.3	37.4	59.2	33.9	37.1	37.1
Change	1.6	2.0	4.2	1.7	0.9	2.5	3.3	4.6	2.8
1995
Clear-up rate (percentage)	61.2	57.4	48.1	35.9	38.2	65.8	34.6	38.6	38.8
Change	4.2	9.3	5.8	1.7	0.8	6.6	0.7	1.5	1.7

12 Feb 1997 : Column: 239

Song Birds

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the consequences for the numbers and varieties of song birds of the range of arable incentive schemes proposed by his Department. [14676]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: The rules of the arable area payments scheme have always encouraged arable farmers to maximise environmental benefits on their set-aside land and further changes announced last year will be of additional benefit. Furthermore, the environmentally sensitive area scheme, and forthcoming countryside premium scheme, contain prescriptions and measures directly aimed at conserving, improving or providing particular habitats which will increase the areas of cover, feeding and nesting sites for a wide range of bird species including song birds.

12 Feb 1997 : Column: 240

Crime Prevention Budget (Prisons)

Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the current crime prevention budget has been allocated to projects in prisons; and if he will make a statement. [15109]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: No part of the Scottish Office's current crime prevention budget is used for projects in prisons since the costs of programmes which address the offending behaviour of prisoners are met from the prison service budget. A significant part of the crime prevention budget has, however, been allocated to two projects designed to prevent re-offending by persistent young offenders.

Electro-convulsive Therapy

Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to modify the rules,

12 Feb 1997 : Column: 241

regulations and guidelines concerning the use of electro-convulsive therapy in the treatment of patients suffering from mental illness; and if he will make a statement. [15110]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My right hon. Friend proposes to consult very soon on the Scottish Law Commission's report on incapable adults, which includes recommendations relating to the use of electro-convulsive therapy. A copy of the consultation paper will be placed in the Library when published.

AIDS (Prisoners)

Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) male prisoners and (b) female prisoners (i) are HIV positive and (ii) have AIDS; and if he will make a statement. [15111]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked the chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Dr. Norman A. Godman, dated 12 February 1997:

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your question about the number of prisoners in Scotland who are HIV positive or have AIDS.

Prisoners are encouraged to undergo testing for transmissible diseases on a voluntary basis. The results are confidential to prison medical staff and individual prisoners and are not collated centrally. Independent research surveys have been commissioned, however, to estimate the prevalence of HIV among prisoners. Eleven surveys were carried out in 8 establishments between 1991 and 1996, conducted by Drs Graham Bird and Sheila Gore. Prisoners gave a saliva sample and completed a questionnaire, on a voluntary and anonymous basis. Although HIV is not found in saliva, the tests can identify antibodies which the body makes against the virus. The results are given in the following table. Cornton Vale holds female prisoners.

Results of voluntary anonymous screening of prisoners for HIV+

Year	Establishment	Number of prisoners tested	Number of prisoners HIV+
1991	HMP Edinburgh	363	17 (5 per cent.)
1992	HMP Edinburgh	236	8 (3 per cent.)
	HM YOI Polmont	421	0 (0 per cent.)
1993	HMP Glenochil	227	12 (3 per cent.)
1994	HMP Glenochil	296	7 (2 per cent.)
	HM YOI Glenochil	162	0 (0 per cent.)
	HMP Barlinnie	978	10 (1 per cent.)
1995	HMP Perth	304	6 (2 per cent.)
	HMP and YOI Cornton Vale	136	0 (0 per cent.)
1996	HMP Low Moss	293	2 (1 per cent.)
	HMP Aberdeen	157	2 (2 per cent.)

Farms (Negative Equity)

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full-time farm businesses were in a negative equity position in each year since 1985; and if he will make a statement. [12755]

12 Feb 1997 : Column: 242

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson [holding answer 28 January 1997]: The table presents the percentage of farms in the farm accounts survey in Scotland that had liabilities exceeding business assets. The information is available only from 1986-87 onwards.

Year	Percentage of farms surveyed in FAS with negative equity
1996-97	0.2
1995-96	0.4
1994-95	0.7
1993-94	0.4
1992-93	0.8
1991-92	0.7
1990-91	0.3
1989-90	0.5
1988-89	1.1
1987-88	1.2
1986-87	1.9

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