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The Deputy Prime Minister: Members of the public would have the same rights to make complaints of alleged maladministration to the relevant ombudsman concerning a project funded through the private finance initiative on behalf of my Departments as they would if the project were publicly financed.
Civil Service Pensions
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the average and median civil service pension in payment, indicating the highest and lowest figures; and if he will provide the same information in respect of dependants' pensions. [37138]
Mr. Horam: The average annual rate of civil service pension in payment to retired officers is £4,325; the median is £3,015. The amounts of individual pensions range from £62,460 to £2.87. The average annual rate of pension in payment to dependants of former pension scheme members is £1,820; the median is £1,202. The amounts of individual dependants' pensions range from £26,334 to £2.21.
Outsourcing Contracts
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many outsourcing contracts were granted by his Department or agencies in each year since 1990, indicating the nature and value of each contract; and if any additional work was added and of what value to (a) Hoskyns/Cap Gemini Segeti, (b) AT and T Istel, (c) EDS, (d) Sema Group, (e) Datasolve, (f) ITN Net,
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(g) Andersen Consulting (h) Centre File, (i) BIS, (j) Telecom Capita, (k) ICL, (l) Digital Equipment, (m) CFM, (n) Siemens, (o) Nixdorf, (p) CMG and (q) Logica. [36966]Mr. Horam: The nature of current outsourcing contracts let by my Department and agencies since 1990 with the firms listed is set out in the table. Individual contract values, representing the total anticipated cost of the contracts, have been aggregated to preserve commercial confidentiality. The estimated total value of the contracts is £5,239,149. Further information is available only at disproportionate cost.
Firm
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Hoskyns/Cap Gemini Segeti |Management of project risk
|Software services
(b) AT and T Istel |Software, connection and
| training, and line rental
|Viewdata information service
(d) Sema |Maintenance and support for
| hardware
(i) BIS |Training call-off contract
HOME DEPARTMENT
Outsourcing Contracts
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outsourcing contracts were granted by his Department or agencies in each year since 1990, indicating the nature and value of each contract; and if any additional work was added and of what value to (a) Hoskyns/CAP Gemini Segeti, (b) AT and T Istel, (c) EDS, (d) SEMA Group, (e) Datasolve, (f) ITN Net, (g) Andersen Consulting, (h) Centre file, (i) BIS, (j) Telecom Capita, (k) ICL, (l) Digital Equipment, (m) CFM, (n) Siemens, (o) Nixdorf, (p) CMG and (q) Logica. [36998]
Mr. Howard: Since 1990 my Department has let one outsourcing contract to SEMA Group for the provision of IT support. The contract was let on 1 November 1994 and was worth approximately £50 million over five years, excluding VAT. There has been no additional work added to the contract.
Convicted Prisoners Inquiry
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on action he has taken since the receipt of new evidence on 8 June 1993 in the case of convicted prisoners Michael Hickey, Jim Robinson and Vincent Hickey. [37476]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The Merseyside police were asked to make inquiries into some of the matters raised in the petition of 8 June 1993. These inquiries were subsequently widened to take into account further representations submitted during 1994. A report from the police was submitted to us in May 1995 and we are considering it along with all other information about the case in order to decide whether there are grounds for any action.
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Immigration Detainees
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females whose identity is in doubt are currently being detained; and what is the longest current period of detention. [37479]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Information on the total number of persons detained under the Immigration Act 1971 whose identity is in doubt is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs. The longest current period of detention for such a person is nearly 16 months.
National Lottery
Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will show for each month since money started to flow from the national lottery how much has been (a) disbursed to charities and voluntary organisations, (b) spent on the establishment, administration and running costs of the National Lottery Charities Board and (c) spent, disbursed or deducted for any other purpose. [37485]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The information is not immediately available in the form requested; I will write to the hon. Member. To date, £493 million has been awarded to good causes by 10 of the 11 distributing bodies. Over 70 per cent. of those organisations which have been awarded funds are charities or voluntary organisations working in the fields of national heritage, sports and the arts. I understand that the National Lottery Charities Board will be announcing its first grant awards on 23 October.
By then, the board will have spent some £6.5 million--less than 3 per cent. of the money currently available to it--on one-off start-up costs and on administration. This compares favourably with other major grant-giving operations. The board expects to have some £300 million to distribute to the voluntary sector next year and subsequent years.
The National Lottery etc. Act 1993 provides for expenses incurred by the Secretary of State for National Heritage, the Home Secretary, the Office of the National Lottery and the distributing bodies to be recouped from the National lottery distribution fund. To date these have amounted to £18.9 million out of the £1 billion income from the lottery.
Firearms
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the incidence of the use of firearms in the pursuit of crime in each of the last 20 years. [36442]
Mr. Maclean: The information requested is published annually in table 3.1 of chapter 3 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", copies of which can be found in the Library.
Information for 1994 will be published during November.
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Travel Allowances
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what rates of travel allowance may be claimed by civil servants in his Department when using their own vehicles for official business. [36363]
Mr. Howard: There are two classes of reimbursement of cost for staff who use their own vehicles for official business.
"Public Transport Rate" is currently 23.8p per mile for motor cars, 12.9p per mile for motor cycles with an engine capacity of up to 125cc and 23.8p for cycles over 125cc.
Standard rate of motor car allowance
|Up to 5,000 miles |Over 5,000 miles
|per annum (pence |per annum (pence
cc engine capacity |per mile) |per mile)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to 1500 |35.7 |19
1501-2000 |43 |23
Over 2000 |46 |31
Standard rate of motor cycle allowance
|Up to 4,000 miles |Over 4,000 miles
|per annum (pence |per annum (pence
cc engine capacity |per mile) |per mile)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to 125 |16.2 |6.2
Over 125 |26 |9
Pedal Cycle allowance may also be claimed, at 6.2 per mile.
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the total cost of travel expenses claimed by civil servants using their own vehicles for official business in each of the last five years in his Department; and what would have been the saving in the least year if the maximum rate that could be claimed was set at the lowest rate. [36364]
Mr. Howard: The Department's computerised travel claims payment systems do not separately record travel expenses claimed by staff for using their own vehicles. To provide the information requested would entail disproportionate cost.
Liquor Licensing
Mr. Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to remove unnecessary liquor licensing regulations. [36557]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The Licensing (Sunday Hours) Act 1995, which extends the times at which public houses, clubs and off-licensed premises may sell alcohol on Sundays, came into force on 6 August 1995.
The draft Licensing (Sunday Dancing) Order, which is currently subject to Parliamentary consideration under the order making procedures in part 1 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 includes relaxations of the provisions of the Licensing Act 1964 relating to extended hours orders and special hours certificates. These relaxations will permit the sale of alcohol after the normal licensing hours at dances taking place on a Sunday.
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We have also recently completed public consultation on other reforms to rationalise certain procedural aspects of the special hours certificate system, which allows the sale of alcohol beyond the normal permitted hours at places licensed for music and dancing. In addition we plan to repeal section 165 of the Licensing Act 1964, which makes it an offence for a licensee to serve more intoxicating liquor than a customer asks for.We are also considering the scope for deregulating other aspects of the liquor licensing system.
Somali Exceptional Leave Holders
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Somali exceptional leave holders who had not completed four years of status were allowed to be joined by their spouse and children in each year since 1990. [36693]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Information on the number of Somlis who have been joined by their spouse and children within four years of being granted exceptional leave to remain is not available.
Information on the number of Somalis granted exceptional leave to remain in each year since 1986 is given in table 3.2 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1994", issue 15/95, a copy of which is available in the Library.
Violent Crime (Compensation)
Mr. Khabra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about changes in compensation to victims of violent crime. [36588]
Mr. Maclean: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Bill currently before Parliament provides the framework for an enhanced tariff scheme under which the compensation payable annually to victims should rise from £175 million to £260 million over the next five years. The scheme will continue to be the most generous in the world.
Police Statistics
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are currently serving in each British constabulary. [36733]
Mr. Maclean: The information is set out in the table.
|Police officer
|strength
Police force |As at 31 March 1995
------------------------------------------------------------------
England and Wales
Avon and Somerset |3,000
Bedfordshire |1,126
Cambridgeshire |1,261
Cheshire |1,932
City of London |885
Cleveland |1,438
Cumbria |1,167
Derbyshire |1,797
Devon and Cornwall |2,877
Dorset |1,288
Durham |1,353
Dyfed-Powys |976
Essex |2,921
Gloucestershire |1,163
Greater Manchester |7,037
Gwent |997
Hampshire |3,256
Hertfordshire |1,703
Humberside |2,029
Kent |3,117
Lancashire |3,212
Leicestershire |1,839
Lincolnshire |1,199
Merseyside |4,659
Metropolitan Police |27,480
Norfolk |1,395
Northamptonshire |1,156
Northumbria |3,606
North Wales |1,366
North Yorkshire |1,300
Nottinghamshire |2,319
South Wales |3,014
South Yorkshire |3,040
Staffordshire |2,231
Suffolk |1,191
Surrey |1,676
Sussex |2,931
Thames Valley |3,854
Warwickshire |1,013
West Mercia |2,046
West Midlands |7,019
West Yorkshire |5,050
Wiltshire |1,261
Scotland
Central Scotland |656
Dumfries and Galloway |391
Fife |789
Grampian |1,194
Lothian and Borders |2,539
Northern |649
Strathclyde |7,014
Tayside |1,091
Northern Ireland
Royal Ulster Constabulary |8,448
Reserve (full-time) |3,176
Reserve (part-time) |1,507
Crime Statistics
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes against property and crimes against people were (a) reported to each constabulary and (b) successfully prosecuted by each constabulary in the last three years. [36734]
Mr. Maclean: The available information is given in the tables. Table A gives the number of notifiable offences recorded by the police and table B gives the number of offenders found guilty at all courts. These tables are not directly comparable as it is not possible to match the number of offences committed against offenders convicted: court proceedings can occur in a different year from the crime; one crime could involve more than one defendant being found guilty; and some offenders convicted of one crime may have also committed other crimes for which they have not been caught or successfully prosecuted. A wider measure would also include cautions and informal action taken by the police, both of which do not result in a court appearance.
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Table A: Notifiable offences recorded by the police 1992-94
Offences against Offences against
property<1> the person
Violence against Sexual offences Robbery
the person
Police force area |1992 |1993 |1994 |1992 |1993 |1994 |1992 |1993 |1994 |1992 |1993 |1994
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon and Somerset |167,699 |166,672 |157,409 |5,151 |5,772 |6,791 |586 |894 |1,091 |1,320 |1,863 |1,715
Bedfordshire |56,427 |55,648 |49,135 |1,900 |1,936 |1,965 |254 |417 |417 |605 |543 |580
Cambridgeshire |62,428 |61,861 |57,588 |2,777 |2,821 |3,030 |437 |393 |421 |291 |308 |242
Cheshire |74,560 |75,293 |69,283 |2,784 |2,975 |3,245 |459 |465 |543 |320 |345 |278
Cleveland |80,820 |75,174 |78,267 |2,651 |2,227 |2,359 |268 |216 |236 |289 |336 |466
Cumbria |42,818 |41,097 |39,622 |1,945 |1,935 |2,153 |168 |246 |250 |100 |91 |74
Derbyshire |83,098 |85,829 |80,248 |3,973 |4,097 |3,984 |418 |478 |493 |345 |357 |421
Devon and Cornwall |108,923 |114,344 |102,147 |3,926 |4,114 |4,603 |665 |985 |892 |310 |423 |403
Dorset |49,441 |49,037 |52,081 |1,505 |1,736 |1,877 |345 |319 |442 |164 |135 |146
Durham |63,803 |63,417 |60,949 |2,447 |2,406 |2,665 |412 |495 |510 |153 |164 |149
Essex |108,874 |108,291 |99,579 |4,334 |4,188 |4,505 |620 |709 |549 |530 |430 |423
Gloucestershire |58,005 |58,148 |57,136 |1,646 |1,759 |2,140 |269 |314 |466 |268 |303 |319
Greater Manchester |376,695 |345,332 |319,832 |10,128 |10,049 |9,281 |1,409 |1,357 |1,228 |4,310 |5,424 |5,361
Hampshire |145,051 |138,396 |132,393 |5,245 |5,328 |5,705 |1,121 |1,406 |1,056 |605 |564 |585
Hertfordshire |56,181 |53,989 |51,976 |1,882 |1,919 |1,996 |294 |275 |305 |349 |273 |264
Humberside |122,091 |134,258 |128,921 |4,950 |4,955 |5,054 |773 |798 |695 |419 |526 |547
Kent |151,025 |152,558 |144,724 |5,736 |6,185 |7,127 |1,100 |942 |1,099 |605 |631 |635
Lancashire |126,860 |129,453 |121,870 |3,196 |3,134 |3,230 |420 |469 |502 |530 |540 |546
Leicestershire |92,028 |94,089 |91,952 |3,490 |3,749 |4,855 |559 |471 |617 |864 |1,039 |1,158
Lincolnshire |46,087 |49,253 |44,222 |2,229 |2,282 |2,319 |316 |313 |393 |119 |158 |119
City of London |6,381 |5,226 |5,004 |230 |238 |125 |29 |23 |23 |62 |51 |29
Merseyside |137,970 |130,350 |124,682 |7,134 |7,359 |7,678 |705 |768 |808 |2,036 |2,204 |2,035
Metropolitan Police |869,057 |832,936 |770,119 |37,667 |39,586 |46,788 |5,876 |6,400 |6,972 |23,555 |24,486 |25,764
Norfolk |64,088 |61,216 |52,706 |1,833 |2,044 |2,187 |384 |366 |370 |212 |217 |186
Northamptonshire |56,091 |56,176 |53,980 |2,466 |2,633 |2,498 |295 |291 |367 |293 |301 |306
Northumbria |215,436 |204,666 |194,921 |6,348 |6,358 |6,185 |766 |713 |746 |1,064 |1,227 |1,213
North Yorkshire |52,105 |55,089 |59,142 |1,921 |1,993 |2,082 |226 |266 |263 |129 |123 |187
Nottinghamshire |153,348 |148,191 |141,771 |8,314 |7,690 |7,718 |1,083 |1,167 |1,141 |1,065 |1,202 |1,193
South Yorkshire |129,912 |149,775 |148,984 |4,896 |4,815 |5,027 |593 |638 |664 |716 |943 |1.062
Staffordshire |90,763 |91,384 |86,256 |5,452 |5,731 |6,089 |446 |520 |551 |391 |414 |416
Suffolk |41,502 |39,967 |36,083 |2,087 |2,116 |2,140 |375 |380 |392 |150 |117 |118
Surrey |50,497 |49,293 |42,827 |2,025 |2,175 |2,716 |395 |377 |463 |224 |213 |165
Sussex |113,568 |106,099 |101,104 |3,134 |3,269 |3,420 |845 |693 |747 |542 |546 |589
Thames Valley |189,930 |192,620 |177,106 |4,762 |4,702 |5,564 |845 |787 |870 |1,011 |911 |1,130
Warwickshire |43,086 |43,312 |40,411 |1,275 |1,461 |1,411 |237 |332 |288 |128 |131 |136
West Mercia |74,504 |78,399 |79,053 |3,429 |3,298 |3,438 |505 |420 |473 |246 |260 |284
West Midlands |309,202 |309,792 |295,031 |11,637 |10,980 |10,407 |1,583 |1,504 |1,354 |5,008 |5,978 |7,028
West Yorkshire |289,113 |285,571 |273,139 |9,605 |9,189 |9,414 |1,361 |1,465 |1,504 |2,761 |3,174 |2,968
Wiltshire |38,624 |37,977 |34,631 |2,570 |2,621 |2,495 |475 |385 |364 |135 |147 |137
Dyfed-Powys |25,624 |21,956 |18,605 |2,188 |2,031 |2,192 |389 |361 |250 |49 |31 |41
Gwent |37,775 |36,742 |34,687 |2,394 |2,385 |2,533 |334 |313 |270 |117 |116 |79
North Wales |45,757 |44,172 |39,846 |2,611 |2,857 |2,612 |336 |556 |352 |113 |117 |100
South Wales |160,887 |158,019 |149,261 |5,904 |6,004 |6,141 |552 |597 |550 |391 |483 |419
England and Wales |5,268,135 |5,191,067 |4,898,683 |201,777 |205,102 |219,744 |29,528 |31,284 |31,987 |52,894 |57,845 |60,016
<1> Includes offences of burglary, theft and handling stolen goods, fraud and forgery and criminal damage.
Table B: Number of offenders found guilty at all courts by police force area 1992-94
Offences against Offences against
property<1> the person
Violence against Sexual offences Robbery
the person
Police force area |1992 |1993 |<2>1994 |1992 |1993 |<2>1994 |1992 |1993 |<2>1994 |1992 |1993 |<2>1994
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon and Somerset |4,359 |3,923 |4,130 |753 |586 |613 |105 |80 |90 |99 |100 |102
Bedfordshire |1,655 |1,596 |1,600 |316 |286 |295 |30 |42 |48 |50 |40 |44
Cambridgeshire |2,273 |2,362 |2,143 |596 |621 |510 |75 |50 |60 |70 |56 |53
Cheshire |3,653 |3,615 |3,499 |917 |915 |878 |146 |80 |73 |55 |108 |104
Cleveland |3,111 |3,159 |3,099 |777 |569 |500 |47 |39 |34 |54 |60 |69
Cumbria |2,484 |2,534 |2,467 |660 |609 |592 |27 |40 |33 |25 |37 |31
Derbyshire |3,160 |3,075 |3,013 |1,161 |994 |751 |87 |88 |79 |66 |72 |55
Devon and Cornwall |4,591 |4,264 |4,222 |931 |842 |839 |103 |110 |134 |73 |53 |66
Dorset |2,190 |1,984 |2,024 |356 |405 |312 |76 |62 |69 |25 |44 |24
Durham |2,368 |2,259 |2,329 |555 |563 |554 |58 |59 |57 |39 |53 |27
Essex |4,626 |4,291 |3,816 |878 |833 |688 |70 |72 |85 |101 |73 |63
Gloucestershire |1,865 |1,630 |1,730 |411 |369 |347 |45 |36 |46 |23 |24 |23
Greater Manchester |13,574 |12,548 |12,951 |2,847 |2,565 |2,472 |298 |227 |244 |440 |506 |504
Hampshire |6,156 |5,341 |5,421 |1,174 |1,052 |1,048 |165 |225 |245 |84 |83 |71
Hertfordshire |2,454 |1,979 |1,884 |394 |334 |292 |45 |34 |51 |37 |59 |36
Humberside |3,967 |3,721 |3,621 |903 |758 |682 |102 |77 |71 |68 |72 |44
Kent |4,112 |3,828 |5,064 |643 |502 |691 |125 |78 |115 |91 |86 |74
Lancashire |7,398 |6,647 |6,737 |1,089 |847 |938 |127 |108 |137 |126 |105 |115
Leicestershire |3.023 |2,835 |2,456 |664 |620 |547 |64 |63 |59 |105 |96 |73
Lincolnshire |2,253 |2,230 |2,153 |627 |643 |530 |44 |53 |48 |15 |22 |24
City of London |413 |352 |306 |50 |43 |30 |7 |4 |7 |9 |6 |5
Merseyside |7,635 |7,552 |6,605 |1,209 |1,091 |973 |147 |139 |110 |163 |180 |132
Metropolitan Police |27,349 |26,328 |29,121 |4,569 |3,846 |4,650 |818 |644 |634 |1,239 |1,191 |1,249
Norfolk |3,126 |2,684 |2,601 |549 |415 |397 |54 |51 |82 |58 |41 |30
Northamptonshire |1,926 |1,986 |1,969 |524 |488 |337 |49 |53 |44 |59 |61 |41
Northumbria |7,086 |6,764 |6,338 |1,486 |1,398 |1,454 |180 |154 |158 |152 |152 |177
North Yorkshire |2,675 |2,653 |2,501 |641 |610 |547 |54 |47 |47 |50 |27 |43
Nottinghamshire |5,651 |4,714 |4,911 |1,713 |1,302 |1,083 |168 |122 |122 |141 |125 |132
South Yorkshire |5,628 |4,840 |4,774 |1,178 |993 |901 |121 |95 |107 |129 |113 |117
Staffordshire |3,739 |3,708 |3,648 |1,092 |1,011 |1,019 |81 |96 |113 |74 |57 |74
Suffolk |2,272 |2,057 |2,036 |589 |599 |579 |53 |65 |59 |36 |23 |27
Surrey |1,825 |1,627 |1,505 |405 |357 |354 |33 |41 |31 |38 |25 |28
Sussex |4,933 |4,417 |4,049 |556 |536 |503 |89 |107 |85 |72 |77 |66
Thames Valley |5,603 |5,341 |4,956 |1,130 |1,041 |970 |128 |80 |86 |121 |113 |89
Warwickshire |1,415 |1,375 |1,365 |346 |368 |398 |40 |43 |45 |33 |34 |23
West Mercia |3,566 |3,255 |3,159 |1,050 |1,066 |1,001 |96 |63 |72 |49 |54 |78
West Midlands |11,757 |10,387 |9,735 |3,190 |2,677 |2,681 |405 |311 |329 |512 |501 |495
West Yorkshire |10,672 |9,950 |9,246 |2,483 |2,265 |2,054 |242 |203 |224 |298 |326 |312
Wiltshire |1,854 |1,694 |1,521 |495 |361 |346 |54 |43 |41 |14 |23 |13
Dyfed Powys |1,533 |1,547 |1,430 |536 |419 |422 |47 |42 |44 |21 |14 |11
Gwent |2,251 |1,904 |2,059 |651 |560 |603 |40 |45 |43 |41 |30 |27
North Wales |2,727 |2,793 |2,777 |763 |874 |739 |56 |69 |71 |28 |39 |34
South Wales |7,056 |7,041 |6,979 |1,706 |1,643 |1,505 |155 |188 |150 |99 |133 |97
England and Wales |201,964 |188,790 |187,950 |43,563 |38,876 |37,625 |4,956 |4,328 |4,482 |5,082 |5,094 |4,902
<1> Includes indictable offences of burglary, theft and handling stolen goods, fraud and forgery and criminal damage.
<2> Provisional.
Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many females aged (a) 10 to 14, (b) 14 to 17, (c) 17 to 21 and (d) over 21 years were cautioned or found guilty by magistrates' or crown courts in 1993 and 1994 in total and for (i) violence against the person, (ii) sexual offences, (iii) robbery, (iv) burglary, (v) fraud and forgery, (vi) criminal damage, (vii) theft from the person, (viii) theft from a shop, (ix) theft of motor vehicle,
(x) theft from motor vehicle, (xi) theft of a pedal cycle, (xii) handling and (xiii) other theft;
(2) how many offenders were cautioned or found guilty by magistrates' or crown courts in 1993 and 1994 in total and for (a) violence against the person, (b) sexual offences, (c) robbery, (d) burglary, (e) fraud and forgery, (f) criminal damage, (g) theft from the person, (h) theft
Column 57
from a shop, (i) theft from the person, (j) theft from motor vehicle, (k) theft of a pedal cycle, (l) handling and (m) other theft; [36249](3) how many males aged (a) 10 to 14, (b) 14 to 17, (c) 17 to 21 and (d) over 21 years were cautioned or found guilty by magistrates' or crown courts in 1993 and 1994
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in total and for (i) violence against the person, (ii) sexual offences, (iii) robbery, (iv) burglary, (v) fraud and forgery, (vi) criminal damage, (vii) theft from the person, (viii) theft from a shop, (ix) theft of motor vehicle, (x) theft from motor vehicle, (xi) theft of a pedal cycle, (xii) handling and (xiii) other theft. [36248]Mr. Maclean: The information is given in the tables.
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Table A-Number of female known offenders, those cautioned or found guilty at all courts,
for selected indictable offences by age 1993-94<1>
England and Wales
|Aged 10 to |Aged 14 to |Aged 18 to |Aged 21
Offence description |under 14 |under 18 |under 21 |and over |All ages
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indictable offences
Violence against the person |1993 |641 |3,064 |1,139 |4,553 |9,397
|<1>1994<> |726 |3,311 |1,087 |4,536 |9,660
Sexual offences |1993 |4 |9 |11 |115 |139
|<1>1994<> |13 |12 |8 |72 |105
Robbery |1993 |44 |206 |58 |87 |395
|<1>1994<> |55 |231 |60 |95 |441
Burglary |1993 |283 |859 |367 |653 |2,162
|<1>1994 |322 |772 |280 |597 |1,971
Fraud and forgery |1993 |83 |553 |1,012 |5,093 |6,741
|<1>1994 |81 |545 |1,000 |5,232 |6,858
Criminal damage |1993 |90 |360 |143 |699 |1,292
|<1>1994 |124 |372 |158 |683 |1,337
Theft from the person |1993 |50 |111 |82 |292 |535
|<1>1994 |38 |136 |82 |316 |572
Theft from a shop |1993 |5,721 |12,394 |5,752 |22,956 |46,823
|<1>1994 |7,076 |13,453 |5,264 |21,282 |47,075
Theft from a motor vehicle<2> |1993 |9 |64 |22 |51 |146
|<1>1994 |9 |59 |10 |64 |142
Theft from a vehicle |1993 |30 |131 |58 |92 |311
|<1>1994 |40 |130 |71 |109 |350
Theft of a pedal cycle |1993 |26 |59 |13 |27 |125
|<1>1994 |20 |52 |12 |30 |114
Handling stolen goods |1993 |183 |875 |1,092 |4,186 |6,336
|<1>1994 |235 |870 |963 |4,537 |6,605
Other theft |1993 |520 |1,924 |1,429 |5,378 |9,251
|<1>1994 |534 |1,875 |1,198 |4,924 |8,531
<1> Provisional.
<2> Excludes summary offences of unauthorised taking of a conveyance.
Table B-Number of male known offenders, those cautioned or found guilty at all courts,
for selected indictable offences by age 1993-94<1>
England and Wales
|Aged 10 to |Aged 14 to |Aged 18 to |Aged 21
Offence description |under 14 |under 18 |under 21 |and over |All ages
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indictable offences
Violence against the person |1993 |2,058 |10,204 |8,254 |33,067 |53,583
|<1>1994 |2,227 |10,615 |7,502 |31,197 |51,541
Sexual offences |1993 |314 |1,170 |693 |5,302 |7,479
|<1>1994 |301 |1,156 |552 |5,366 |7,375
Robbery |1993 |392 |1,531 |1,118 |2,362 |5,403
|<1>1994 |393 |1,578 |975 |2,147 |5,093
Burglary |1993 |4,044 |13,889 |11,219 |21,779 |50,931
|<1>1994 |4,122 |13,350 |10,017 |20,031 |47,520
Fraud and forgery |1993 |136 |1,110 |2,482 |15,103 |18,831
|<1>1994 |144 |1,181 |2,339 |15,458 |19,122
Criminal damage |1993 |1,227 |2,636 |2,085 |6,229 |12,177
|<1>1994 |1,368 |2,920 |2,041 |6,668 |12,997
Theft from the person |1993 |151 |489 |491 |1,270 |2,401
|<1>1994 |194 |594 |462 |1,300 |2,550
Theft from a shop |1993 |7,450 |13,816 |8,790 |42,262 |72,318
|<1>1994 |7,962 |14,553 |8,108 |37,796 |68,419
Theft of a motor vehicle<2> |1993 |301 |1,367 |839 |1,635 |4,142
|<1>1994 |282 |1,277 |612 |1,362 |3,533
Theft from a vehicle |1993 |1,189 |4,333 |3,470 |3,238 |12,230
|<1>1994 |933 |3,792 |3,163 |3,176 |11,064
Theft of a pedal cycle |1993 |620 |1,511 |646 |755 |3,532
|<1>1994 |549 |1,411 |561 |681 |3,202
Handling stolen goods |1993 |888 |4,426 |5,421 |18,457 |29,192
|<1>1994 |915 |4,658 |5,171 |22,358 |33,102
Other theft |1993 |2,986 |11,450 |9,817 |27,205 |51,458
|<1>1994 |2,753 |11,346 |8,824 |24,197 |47,120
<1> Provisional.
<2> Excludes summary offences of unauthorised taking of a conveyance.
Table C-Number of known offenders, those cautioned or found guilty at all courts, for selected indictable offences 1993-94<2> England and Wales Offence description |1993 |<1>1994 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indictable offences Violence against the person |62,980 |61,201 Sexual offences |7,618 |7,480 Robbery |5,798 |5,534 Burglary |53,093 |49,491 Fraud and Forgery |25,572 |25,980 Criminal damage |13,469 |14,334 Theft from the person |2,936 |3,122 Theft from a shop |119,141 |115,494 Theft of motor vehicle<2> |4,288 |3,675 Theft from vehicle |12,541 |11,414 Theft of a pedal cycle |3,657 |3,316 Handling stolen goods |35,528 |39,707 Other theft |60,709 |55,651 <1> Provisional. <2> Excludes summary offences of unauthorised taking of a conveyance.
Crime Prevention
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to combat crime in the south west in the coming year. [36735]
Mr. Maclean: There are four policy objectives which underpin our efforts to combat crime. They are:
to do all we can to prevent crime;
to do all we can to help the police catch criminals;
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to ensure that when suspects are caught they are tried fairly and speedily; andto make sure that when courts convict criminals they have the powers they need to deal with them appropriately and effectively. These objectives apply as much to the south west as to any other part of the country. The latest Home Office crime figures, revealed by my right hon. and learned Friend on 27 September, show a record-breaking fall in recorded crime. They demonstrate the largest ever fall in recorded crime over a two year period; the longest uninterrupted fall in recorded crime since quarterly figures were first recorded and published; the first fall in recorded violent crime for almost 50 years; and falls in burglary of 5 per cent. vehicle crime of 9 per cent., and sexual offences of 9 per cent. In the south west of England recorded crime has fallen by nearly 6 per cent. In the Devon and Cornwall police area, it has fallen by over 8.5 per cent.
Prisons Ombudsman
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners' complaints have been referred to the Prisons Ombudsman in each prison service area; in how many cases he has found in the prisoner's favour; and how many and what proportion of his recommendations have been accepted by the prison service; [36893] (2) if he will list by category the prisoners' complaints referred to the Prisons Ombudsman, the number and proportion where the ombudsman has found in the
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prisoner's favour and the number and proportion of these recommendations which have been accepted by the prisonservice. [36894]
Miss Widdecombe: The Prisons Ombudsman had received 1,664 letters of complaint by 3 October 1995 of which 448 were eligible for investigation by his office; the eligibility of a further 117 was being considered. Two hundred and ninety three investigations had been completed. Of these, the prisoner's complaint was upheld on 128 occasions. A total of 154 recommendations had been made to the prison service, of which 121--78 per cent.--had been accepted. Twelve--8 per cent.--were not accepted. Four partially accepted and a further 17 were under consideration.
There are 15 prison service areas in England and Wales and as at 3 October 1995 the Prisons Ombudsman had received the following number of complaints about establishments in each area:
Area |Number of complaints --------------------------------------------------------------- Central |99 Chilterns |62 East Anglia |112 East Midlands |144 Kent |131 London North |187 London South |157 Mercia |42 North East |134 North West |80 South Coast |79 Trans Pennine |143 Wales and West |101 Wessex |90 Yorkshire |72
The remaining complaints concerned matters which were the responsibility of prison service headquarters.
The number of complaints received by category were:
Category |Number of complaints ------------------------------------------------------------------- Adjudications |159 Assaults |54 Security categorisation |123 Food |26 General conditions |172 Regime activities |55 Links |88 Medical |48 Pre-release and release |237 Property and cash |295 Race |15 Segregation |43 Transfers and allocation |251 Miscellaneous |98
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the number of (a) men and (b) women from the Ivory Coast who are being held in prisons in England and Wales while they are awaiting decisions on their application for political asylum, as of 17 July; [36113]
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(2) what was the number of (a) men and (b) women being held in prisons in England and Wales while their application for political asylum was being considered as of 17 July; [36115](3) what has been the longest time (a) a man and (b) a woman has been held in a prison in England and Wales while awaiting a decision on their application for political asylum as of 17 July. [36117]
Miss Widdecombe: Information as at 17 July 1995 is not available. However, as at 19 July 1995, 53 men and one woman were awaiting initial decisions on their applications for asylum whilst being detained in prison service establishments. Of these, the longest time a male and female have ben held in detention is 348 days and 114 days respectively.
No nationals of the Ivory Coast were detained in prison service establishments as at 19 July 1995.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department has taken to ensure that failed asylum seekers cannot be identified on their return home. [35826]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Asylum applications are treated as confidential. Where a failed asylum applicant is returned to his country of origin, the fact that he claimed asylum is not disclosed to the authorities of that country.
Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy regarding access of foreign embassy personnel to visit asylum seekers held in detention centres and prison establishments. [35825]
Mr. Baker: Foreign embassy and high commission personnel are allowed to visit an asylum applicant in detention only if he or she specifically requests or consents to a visit.
Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what circumstances his Department gives the names of the asylum seekers in detention, awaiting removal orders, to their embassies. [35827]
Mr. Baker: An embassy or high commission will not be notified of the detention of an asylum applicant without the consent of the person concerned. When it is necessary to provide an embassy or high commission with a person's details in order to obtain a travel document, the fact that asylum has been sought is not disclosed.
Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice is given to asylum applicants from Sri Lanka. [35960]
Mr. Baker: All asylum applicants are given details of organisations to which they may turn for legal advice in pursuing their asylum claims.
Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Sri Lanka in determining his policy on asylum; and to what extent this has changed in the last six months. [35962]
Mr. Baker: We keep the situation under continuing review in the light of information from a variety of sources, including the United Kingdom's high commission in Colombo and reports by independent organisations such as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
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Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sri Lankan asylum applicants have been sent back to Sri Lanka in the last six months. [35961]
Mr. Baker: During the period 1 January to 30 June 1995, 13 Sri Lankans refused asylum and exceptional leave to remain after full consideration have been returned to Sri Lanka.
Young Offenders
Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of places available for 12 to 14-year-olds awaiting trial or sentence in each of the last three years. [36260]
Mr. Maclean: This information is not collected centrally by my Department.
Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number and proportion of cautioned juvenile offenders who had been cautioned on (a) a previous occasion, (b) two previous occasions and (c) more than two previous occasions for (i) 1993 and (ii) 1994. [36254]
Mr. Maclean: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend. the Member for Batley and Spen (Mrs. Peacock) on 13 June, Official Report, column 480.
Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of persistent juvenile offenders identified by his Department in 1993 and 1994, respectively. [36253]
Mr. Maclean: There is no agreed definition of persistent offender. A special study of court appearances resulting in convictions in three weeks of 1993 gave the following estimates for 10 to 17-year-olds:
Estimated number of juveniles<1> convicted in 1993 who have
conviction<2> on two or more previous occasions
England and Wales
Number of previous |Estimated number of
court |juveniles
appearances |convicted in 1993
|(to nearest 50)
------------------------------------------------------------
2 |4,350
3 |2,850
4 |1,800
5-9 |3,650
10 or more |550
<1> A few juveniles have more than one appearance in 1993,
and will be counted more than once in these figures.
<2> Convictions for a standard list offence, which includes
all indictable and triable either way offences plus some of
the more serious summary offences.
Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average length of time elapsed from offence to charge or summons for juveniles in 1993 and 1994; and what was the number and percentage of cases dealt with at first appearance at juvenile court and subsequently at youth court for 1993 and 1994. [36251]
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Mr. John M. Taylor: I have been asked to reply. The average length of time elapsed from offence to charge or summons for juveniles in a sample week in June 1994 was 37 days, the corresponding figure for June 1993 was 36 days. This information comes from the magistrates' courts time intervals survey. In June 1994 it collected information on 1,478 juveniles; the cases of 292--or 19.8 per cent. of these were dealt with at first appearance. The corresponding number of juveniles about which information was collected in the June 1993 sample week was 1331, of which 312--or 23.4 per cent.--were dealt with at first appearance.
Financial Penalties
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 June, Official Report , columns 398 400 , when he expects the study commissioned by the Home Office on the enforcement of financial penalties to be completed; and if it will be made available to hon. Members. [36208]
Mr. Maclean: The research on financial penalties commissioned by the Home Office research and planning unit is due to be completed by the end of the year. The findings will be published in due course, and will be available in the Library.
Deportees
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what has been the average period of time that a person has been held in prison in England and Wales awaiting deportation after they had completed the prison sentence they had been serving; and if he will make a statement; [36110]
(2) what has been the number of foreign nationals who have been deported immediately from prisons in England and Wales after the completion of their prison sentence in each of the last three years. [36116]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The available information is given in the table. Information on the delay, if any, between completion of the prison sentence and removal from United Kingdom is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Persons removed<1> from the United Kingdom under the
deportation process
|Following a court|On non-conducive
|recommendation |grounds<2>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1992 |506 |142
1993 |410 |138
1994 |225 |104
<1> Including "voluntary" departures after enforcement action had been
initiated.
<2> That is, because their continued presence in the United Kingdom was
not conducive to the public good, usually following conviction for a
criminal offence when the court did not address the question of making
a recommendation for deportation.
Probation Service, Wales
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed in the probation service in Wales in (a) 1980 and (b) 1994. [36134]
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Mr. Nicholas Baker: The earliest available comparable information covers 1987 and 1994 and is as follows:
Staff employed by probation services in Wales, in post at 31 December, whole-time equivalent
31 December 1987: 633
31 December 1994: 842
Notes
Whole-time staff plus whole-time equivalent of part time staff. Figures rounded to the nearest whole number.
Figure excludes non-probation grade staff employed in hostels. The 1994 total includes 36 such staff.
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