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Standards in Public Life
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to complete the review of the law relating to the bribery of hon. Members referred to in the Government's response to the first report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, Cm 2931. [10559]
Mr. Maclean: The Government are committed to the consolidation of the corruption statutes, and have welcomed the opportunity to clarify the position of hon. Members as part of that exercise. I cannot say at this stage when a conclusion might be reached.
Immigration and Asylum Interviews
Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has reconsidered requests for tape recording immigration and asylum interviews at ports of entry and at the Home Office. [10478]
Mr. Kirkhope: We have no plans to allow asylum and immigration interviews at ports of entry or the Home Office to be tape recorded.
Juvenile Offenders
Ms Janet Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of juvenile offenders subject to a supervision order reoffend within two years of the making of the order. [10863]
23 Jan 1996 : Column: 118
Mr. Maclean:
The latest available information relates to a sample of those sentenced for standard list offences during three separate weeks of 1991.
Eighty per cent. of those aged under 17 when sentenced to a supervision order were reconvicted within two years of the making of the order. This reconviction rate includes only reconvictions for standard list offences and relates only to offenders sentenced for such offences--standard list offences consist of all indictable offences and some of the more serious summary offences. The reconviction rate is based on a sample 275 offenders.
Reconviction rates will be influenced by criminal histories and types of offences committed.
Ms Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of juvenile offenders who receive custodial sentences reoffend within two years of release. [10864]
Mr. Maclean:
The latest available information relates to prisoners discharged from Prison Service establishments during 1992.
Eighty-nine per cent. of those aged under 17 when sentenced to custody were reconvicted within two years of release from prison. This reconviction rate includes only reconvictions for standard list offences--these consist of all indictable offences and some of the more serious summary offences.
Reconviction rates will be influenced by criminal histories and type of offences committed.
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Mr. Morley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dogs are currently being held under the dangerous dogs legislation. [11263]
Mr. Sackville:
There are presently 81 dogs held in police custody in England and Wales under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. No dogs are currently being held by the police under other dog legislation.
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dogs have been destroyed under the dangerous dogs legislation to date. [11249]
Mr. Sackville:
Information on the number of dogs destroyed under the dangerous dogs legislation is not collected in the form requested.
However, during 1992, 1993 and 1994, a total of 781 people were convicted either of offences under section 1 of the 1991 Act or of aggravated offences under section 3. In each of these cases, the court would have had no option but to order the destruction of the dog concerned. The figure quoted is thus likely to be close to the actual number of dogs put down under the Act over that period.
Corresponding figures for 1995 are likely to be available in the autumn.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what international research and co-operation his Department has been involved concerning the introduction of new technologies to combat crime; and if he will make a statement. [9889]
Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 22 January 1996]: The Home Office police scientific development branch has memoranda of understanding with the Dutch Ministry of Justice, the Bundeskriminalamt in Germany and the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the United States of America with a view to collaborating in the research, development, evaluation and operational use of law enforcement technologies. Further MOUs are under discussion with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Drug Enforcement Administration and the New South Wales police. PSDB is also a member of the working group on international technology support and participates in numerous international specialist crime-related conferences. My Department is also working with the European Committee for Standardisation to develop a European standard for vehicle tracking devices.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library all information held by his Department concerning the effectiveness of installed closed circuit television on preventing crime; and if he will make a statement. [9890]
Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 22 January 1996]: My Department has published a number of research papers looking at various aspects of closed circuit television effectiveness as part of its series of crime prevention unit papers and the successor series of crime detection and prevention papers. The most recent of these--published
23 Jan 1996 : Column: 120
on 29 December 1995--is paper No. 68--"CCTV in Town Centres: Three Case Studies". Copies of all these papers are held in the Library.
Mr. Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total central Government expenditure to date on crime prevention closed circuit television schemes; and if he will make a statement. [9891]
Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 22 January 1996]: Approximately £800,000 has been allocated to 56 crime prevention projects featuring closed circuit television since 1989 under the safer cities programme. In addition, £5 million was awarded to 106 CCTV schemes in last year's CCTV challenge competition. The current CCTV challenge competition will provide a further £15 million for CCTV in 1996-97. Information about CCTV projects funded by other Government programmes is not collected centrally.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what international co-operation and research the United Kingdom Government have been involved concerning the operation of a national DNA database; and if he will make a statement. [9892]
Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 22 January 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Forensic Science Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Dr. Janet Anderson to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 23 January 1996:
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Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 22 January 1996]: The total cost of launching the national DNA database and the cost of its first year of operation, 1995-96, are forecast to be £3.2 million.
Mr. Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost of launching and operating the national DNA database; and if he will make a statement. [9893]
You recently tabled a Parliamentary Question about international co-operation and research concerning the operation of the National DNA Database. As you know, the arrangement now is that the Chief Executive of an Executive Agency, with the agreement of the Minister, replies to Members of Parliament on operational matters. I am therefore replying on behalf of the Forensic Science Service.
The National DNA Database was launched in April 1995. The DNA technique used for the Database, Short Tandem Repeats (STRs)., was pioneered and developed by the Forensic Science Service (FSS). Following extensive peer review, a test system using STRs was successfully introduced into casework. The technique was chosen for the Database after a pilot study commissioned by the Home Office. The FSS work on STRs is now being taken forward internationally and I have set out some details below.
FSS has engendered and maintained close contacts throughout the world. It was at the forefront of the foundation of the European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP) whose members now include representatives from virtually all European countries. The work of EDNAP is focused on STRs. The FSS takes a leading role in the direction fo forensic testing in Europe through this group orchestrating collaborative trials and studies. This in turn helps to enrich the FSS research programme.
FSS Scientists are regular guest lecturers in North America, Australia and Asia. These talks help to assure that their work is subjected to the widest possible peer review. It is a measure of the quality of the most recent advances, which have tended toward simultaneous analysis of highly discriminating tests, that the philosophy and indeed the particular test systems have been adopted by countries throughout the world.
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