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Fire Service College
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish his reasons to the report on the future of the Fire Service College. [14669]
Mr. Sackville [holding answer 12 February 1996]: The Fire Service College will continue as a next steps agency operating as a trading fund. A review of possible alternative options for the college's future status and financial structure was completed in June 1995. Since then, further work has been commissioned. An announcement will be made when this work has been completed and considered.
Secure Training Centres
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 February, Official Report, column 114, how much money he has allocated to build the first two secure training centres. [14825]
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 12 February 1996]: Secure training centres will be provided under the terms of the Government's private finance initiative. The capital costs of construction will be met by the private sector contractor. Contract payments made by the Home Office will allow private sector providers to meet the operating and maintenance costs and capital financing costs as well as provide a return on their investment. For each centre, contract payments will begin when all available places are ready for use. The precise level of payments will depend on the results of the competitive tendering exercise.
Addict Index
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current annual cost to his Department of the addict index; what other drug databases his Department operates; what plans he has to ensure the continuing viability of the addict index; and if he will make a statement. [14243]
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Mr. Sackville
[holding answer 12 February 1996]: The estimated cost of the addicts index for 1995-96 is approximately £282,000. The Home Office collates information on police and customs drug seizures and court proceedings for drug-related offences from the drugs self-report component of the British crime survey--being developed as a new indicator of the prevalence of drug misuse--and on companies licensed to trade in drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines his Department issues concerning police relations with victims of crime from vulnerable groups; and if he will make a statement. [14245]
Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 12 February 1996]: Guidance has been issued to the police on the treatment of a wide range of victims of crime, including victims of sexual offences, child abuse and domestic violence.
The victim's charter, published in 1990, sets some 17 standards for the police to aim for in their treatment of victims of crime. We aim to publish a new victim's charter in April, which will define more clearly the minimum standards of service victims can expect from the police and the other criminal justice agencies.
Mr. Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the initiatives taken by police forces in England and Wales to provide protection for vulnerable victims of crime; and if he will make a statement. [14249]
Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 12 February 1996]: The police give a high priority to the protection and safeguarding of victims, witnesses, and other vulnerable persons. The police research group published a report on witness intimidation in 1994, and the crime committee of the Association of Chief Police Officers has encouraged its members to have regard to the report's recommendations. National performance indicators for the police service require forces to develop strategies for reducing repeat victimisation.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the definition of a cleared-up crime for official statistical purposes; and what changes have been made to the definition over the last five years. [14247]
Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 12 February 1996]: An offence can be recorded as cleared up if any of the conditions listed are met. There have been no changes in the last five years.
An offence is cleared up when:
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Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 12 February 1996]: Information on the percentage of offenders committed which result in a conviction is published on page 25 of "Digest 3--Information on the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales". Information for other years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information on the percentage of recorded offences cleared up is published in table 2.8 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1994". Copies of both these publications are available in the Library.
Mr. Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the (a) the number of convictions and (b) the number of cleared-up crimes, for each category of offence, for each of the last five years;and if he will make a statement. [14276]
Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 12 February 1996]: Information on the number of notifiable offences cleared up by offence groups and on the number of offenders found guilty for all types of offence by main offence group is published in tables 2.8 and 5.8 respectively of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1994", a copy of which is available in the Library.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the regulations relating to the scales for, and payment of, performance-related pay for immigration officers posted at United Kingdom ports; and if he will make a statement. [14493]
Mr. Howard
[holding answer 12 February 1996]: Immigration Officers receive performance pay in accordance with the national 1992 pay agreements and subsequent pay settlements negotiated between the Treasury and the National Union of Civil and Public
13 Feb 1996 : Column: 520
Servants. The placing of these papers in the Library is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Certain discretionary arrangements were negotiated within my Department and published in a departmental notice, a copy of which I have arranged to place in the Library.
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of the prison population in England and Wales is currently held in (a) secure prisons and (b) open prisons and related establishments; [14001]
Miss Widdecombe
[holding answers 12 February 1996]: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
1. a person has been charged or summonsed for the offence, irrespective of any subsequent acquittal;
2. the offence has been taken into consideration by the court or if the unequivocal consent of the offender is obtained by way of statement of admission and desire to have further offences taken into consideration;
3. the offender has been proceeded against in another police force area for the offence;
4. the offender dies before proceedings could be initiated or completed;
5. the offender has been cautioned by the police;
Mr. Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of recorded crime (a) resulted in a conviction and (b) was cleared-up in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [14248]
6. the offender is ill and is unlikely to recover or is too senile or too mentally disturbed for proceedings to be taken;
7. the complainant or an essential witness is dead and the proceedings cannot be pursued;
8. the guilt of the offender is clear but the victim refuses, or is permanently unable, or if a juvenile is not permitted, to give evidence;
9. the offender admits the offence but it is decided that no useful purpose would be served by proceeding with the charge;
10. it is ascertained that an offence has been committed by a child under the age of criminal responsibility;
11. an offence is admitted by a juvenile of the age of criminal responsibility and police take no action other than reporting the particulars to a local authority for action under the Children and Young Persons Act 1969;
12. There is sufficient evidence to charge the offender but
(a) The police prosecuting department, the Crown Prosecution Service or a senior police officer decides that no useful purpose would be served by proceeding with the charge; or
(b) for summary offences of unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle or criminal damage value over £20 the time limit of six months for commencing prosecution has been exceeded.
(2) how many prisoners are currently held in open prisons and related establishments. [14003]
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