HL Deb 29 January 1998 vol 585 cc67-8WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in pursuance of their duties under Prison Rule 95 (which requires them to inquire into any report made to them that a prisoner's health, mental or physical, is likely to be injuriously affected by any condition of his imprisonment), Boards of Visitors are empowered to inquire into the death of a prisoner. [HL289]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn)

Whenever a prisoner dies in custody the death should be reported immediately to the Board of Visitors, amongst others. Prison Rule 95 does not, however, empower the board to inquire into the death of a prisoner, although the board may ask to see the official prison report.

Lord Marlesford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will indicate in respect of each police force in the United Kingdom those police forces which hold computerised records of persons who have applied to them for, or have been granted by them, a firearm or shotgun certificate and those police forces which hold such records on paper only. [HL237]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

The information requested is set out in the table below. Some police forces hold records on computer only of those persons who have been granted a firearm or shotgun certificate, not those who have applied for one, and this is indicated below.

Police force area Computer record of applicants Computer record of certificate holders
Avon and Somerset Yes Yes
Bedfordshire Yes Yes
Cambridgeshire Yes Yes
Cheshire No Yes
Cleveland Yes Yes
Cumbria Yes Yes
Derbyshire No Yes
Devon and Cornwall Yes Yes
Dorset No Yes
Durham Yes Yes
Essex Yes Yes
Police force area Computer record of applicants Computer record of certificate holders
Gloucestershire Yes Yes
Greater Manchester Yes Yes
Hampshire Yes Yes
Hertfordshire Yes Yes
Kent Yes Yes
Lancashire No Yes
Leicestershire Yes Yes
Lincolnshire Yes Yes
London, City of Yes Yes
Merseyside Yes Yes
Metropolitan Police Yes Yes
Norfolk Yes Yes
Northamptonshire Yes Yes
Northumbria Yes Yes
North Yorkshire No Yes
Nottinghamshire No No
South Yorkshire Yes Yes
Staffordshire Yes Yes
Suffolk Yes Yes
Surrey Yes Yes
Surrey Yes Yes
Sussex Yes Yes
Thames Valley Yes Yes
Warwickshire Yes Yes
West Mercia Yes Yes
West Midlands Yes Yes
West Yorkshire Yes Yes
Wiltshire Yes Yes
Dyfed-Powys Yes Yes
Gwent Yes Yes
North Wales No Yes
South Wales Yes Yes
Central Scotland Yes Yes
Dumfries and Galloway Yes Yes
Fife Yes Yes
Grampian No No
Lothian and Borders Yes Yes
Northern Yes Yes
Strathclyde Yes Yes
Tayside Yes Yes
RUC Yes Yes