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Police Funding
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account (a) the present and (b) the planned future funding formulas for the police take of levels of unemployment; and if he will make a statement. [23114]
Mr. Maclean: Police funding is distributed by means of a population-based formula. In common with the formulae for other locally delivered services, the police funding formula also takes account of a number of socio-demographic variables including unemployment. In both 1995-96 and 1996-97, less than 1 per cent. of police funding will be redistributed on the basis of unemployment indicators.
Special Constables
Sir Michael Shersby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the number of special constables in each division; and how many hours have been worked by them each month during the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available. [23160]
Mr. Maclean: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that it is not possible to break down the figures for hours worked into monthly periods. For April 1994 to March 1995, the latest period for which the total figure is available, special constables in the Metropolitan police worked a total of 407,102 hours. The number of special constables on each division is given in the table.
| Division | Number of Specials |
|---|---|
| 1 Area | |
| Belgravia | 5 |
| Notting Hill | 7 |
| Brompton | 21 |
| West End Central | 31 |
| Charing Cross | 30 |
| Paddington | 11 |
| Marylebone | 11 |
| Fulham | 10 |
| Hammersmith | 27 |
| Area Headquarters | 3 |
| Total | 156 |
| Male | 109 |
| Female | 47 |
| 2 Area | |
| Golders Green | 24 |
| West Hendon | 29 |
| Barnet and Hertsmere | 42 |
| Wembley | 23 |
| Kilburn | 15 |
| Harrow | 59 |
| Ealing | 29 |
| Southall | 15 |
| Tottenham | 17 |
| Hornsey | 17 |
| Islington | 16 |
| Holloway | 16 |
| Kentish Town | 14 |
| Holborn | 13 |
| Hampstead | 11 |
| Area Headquarters | 2 |
| Total | 342 |
| Male | 229 |
| Female | 113 |
| 3 Area | |
| Enfield | 36 |
| Edmonton | 45 |
| Chingford | 31 |
| Leyton | 22 |
| Ilford | 40 |
| Barkingside | 60 |
| Stoke Newington | 11 |
| Shoreditch and Hackney | 47 |
| Limehouse | 16 |
| Forest Gate | 24 |
| Plaistow | 27 |
| Havering | 56 |
| Dagenham | 50 |
| Bethnal Green | 32 |
| Area Headquarters | 3 |
| Total | 500 |
| Male | 311 |
| Female | 189 |
| 4 Area | |
| Peckham | 11 |
| Walworth | 8 |
| Southwark | 8 |
| Lewisham | 22 |
| Catford | 15 |
| Bromley and Orpington | 66 |
| Greenwich | 29 |
| Plumstead | 22 |
| Bexleyheath | 54 |
| Epsom and Sutton | 57 |
| Croydon | 47 |
| South Norwood | 33 |
| Area Headquarters | 4 |
| Total | 376 |
| Male | 253 |
| Female | 123 |
| 5 Area | |
| Brixton | 7 |
| Streatham | 42 |
| Wimbledon | 40 |
| Kingston | 58 |
| Twickenham | 54 |
| Hounslow | 28 |
| Chiswick | 16 |
| Spelthorne | 20 |
| Heathrow | 19 |
| Hillingdon | 49 |
| Vauxhall | 19 |
| Battersea | 24 |
| Wandsworth | 36 |
| Wapping | 22 |
| Area Headquarters | 2 |
| Total | 436 |
| Male | 270 |
| Female | 166 |
| Plus one chief commandant and one deputy chief commandant based at New Scotland Yard. |
2 Apr 1996 : Column: 112
Police Stations and Houses
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police stations and (b) police houses, per police force there were in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [23113]
Mr. Maclean: Information on the number of police stations is not collected centrally. Information on police houses is available only for the last four years and is set out in the table. Further information on the number of police houses is published annually in "Police Statistics" by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, copies of which may be found in the Library.
2 Apr 1996 : Column: 111
| Police authorities | Total stock 31 March 1992 | Total stock 31 March 1993 | Total stock 31 March 1994 | Total stock 31 March 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon and Somerset | 361 | 350 | 346 | 281 |
| Bedfordshire | 115 | 112 | 107 | 101 |
| Cambridgeshire | 191 | 250 | 154 | 150 |
| Cheshire | 145 | 144 | 142 | 141 |
| City of London | 74 | 73 | 65 | 63 |
| Cleveland | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| Cumbria | 223 | 222 | 239 | 201 |
| Derbyshire | 169 | 144 | 119 | 92 |
| Devon and Cornwall | 224 | 206 | 139 | 106 |
| Dorset | 181 | 165 | 159 | 158 |
| Durham | 78 | 67 | 53 | 47 |
| Dyfed-Powys | 200 | 197 | 187 | 178 |
| Essex | 361 | 350 | 353 | 347 |
| Gloucestershire | 174 | 171 | 165 | 150 |
| Greater Manchester | 372 | 357 | 340 | 308 |
| Gwent | 68 | 68 | 52 | 44 |
| Hampshire | 400 | 385 | 314 | 267 |
| Hertfordshire | 463 | 446 | 433 | 423 |
| Humberside | 135 | 135 | 125 | 118 |
| Kent | 484 | 482 | 479 | 478 |
| Lancashire | 276 | 269 | 256 | 182 |
| Leicestershire | 84 | 83 | 72 | 64 |
| Lincolnshire | 133 | 118 | 109 | 85 |
| Merseyside | 105 | 101 | 86 | 77 |
| Norfolk | 86 | 84 | 81 | 81 |
| Northamptonshire | 142 | 137 | 135 | 121 |
| Northumbria | 290 | 289 | 288 | 287 |
| North Wales | 348 | 340 | 276 | 223 |
| North Yorkshire | 352 | 348 | 286 | 249 |
| Nottinghamshire | 84 | 76 | 74 | 70 |
| South Wales | 266 | 255 | 197 | 153 |
| South Yorkshire | 91 | 87 | 78 | 69 |
| Staffordshire | 206 | 179 | 120 | 73 |
| Suffolk | 139 | 129 | 122 | 96 |
| Surrey | 453 | 452 | 455 | 453 |
| Sussex | 520 | 517 | 510 | 507 |
| Thames Valley | 612 | 612 | 611 | 611 |
| Warwickshire | 143 | 122 | 135 | 133 |
| West Mercia | 240 | 206 | 182 | 151 |
| West Midlands | 421 | 416 | 403 | 399 |
| West Yorkshire | 141 | 135 | 126 | 109 |
| Wiltshire | 163 | 162 | 123 | 108 |
| Metropolitan police | 2,628 | 2,403 | 2,181 | 1,930 |
| Total | 12,348 | 11,852 | 10,884 | 9,890 |
2 Apr 1996 : Column: 113
2 Apr 1996 : Column: 113
Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
Mr. Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will write to police forces reminding them of the list he has already circulated, compiled by the British Veterinary Association and the Kennel Club, which provides the names of individuals with expert knowledge who may be well equipped to identify dogs which may be suspected as being covered by section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991; and what assessment he has made as to whether reference to such individuals could (a) save public money and (b) reduce distress. [24205]
Mr. Sackville: Guidance on the list of individuals prepared to give advice as to whether a particular dog appears likely to fall within section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was set out in the Home Office circular issued in February 1994 to all police forces in England and Wales. It remains extant and we have no evidence to suggest that police forces generally are unaware of the guidance contained in the circular.
Decisions from whom to seek advice in this regard is an operational decision for the chief officer of police. Clearly, the early identification of whether a dog is covered by section 1 of the 1991 Act should be of benefit to all concerned in a case.
Prisoners (Transfers)
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will now review the
2 Apr 1996 : Column: 114
effectiveness of the transfer of the convicted prisoners treaty between the United Kingdom and Spain; [24387]
- (2) how many British citizens convicted abroad, in countries with whom the United Kingdom has treaties on the transfer of convicted prisoners, have been returned to the United Kingdom to complete their sentences in the last five years, listed by country; [24391]
(3) with which countries Her Majesty's Government have agreed arrangements for the transfer of convicted prisoners to complete their sentences in their country of residence and, by country, the date upon which such arrangements came into effect; [24393]
(4) how many foreign nationals, convicted in courts in England and Wales, have been returned to their country of residence to complete their sentences under the terms of treaties on the transfer of convicted prisoners, in the last five years, broken down by country. [24392]
Miss Widdecombe: Her Majesty's Government are a party to two international agreements allowing for the repatriation of prisoners to serve their sentences in their own countries. The main international agreement is the Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons, which was instituted in 1983. At present, there are some 31 other countries that conduct repatriation under this scheme.
| State | Commencement |
|---|---|
| Austria | 1 January 1987 |
| Bahamas | 1 March 1992 |
| Belgium | 1 December 1990 |
| Bulgaria | 1 October 1994 |
| Canada | 1 September 1985 |
| Croatia | 1 May 1995 |
| Cyprus | 1 August 1986 |
| Czech Republic | 1 March 1993 |
| Denmark | 1 May 1987 |
| Finland | 1 May 1987 |
| France | 1 July 1985 |
| Germany | 1 February 1992 |
| Greece | 1 April 1988 |
| Hungary | 1 November 1993 |
| Iceland | 1 December 1993 |
| Ireland | 1 November 1995 |
| Italy | 1 October 1989 |
| Luxembourg | 1 February 1988 |
| Malta | 1 July 1991 |
| Netherlands | 1 January 1988 |
| Norway | 1 April 1993 |
| Poland | 1 March 1995 |
| Portugal | 1 October 1993 |
| Slovak Republic | 1 January 1993 |
| Slovenia | 1 January 1994 |
| Spain | 1 July 1985 |
| Sweden | 1 July 1985 |
| Switzerland | 1 May 1988 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1 July 1994 |
| Turkey | 1 January 1988 |
| Ukraine | 1 January 1996 |
| USA | 1 July 1985 |
| State | Commencement |
|---|---|
| Canada | September 1993 |
| Malawi | August 1992 |
| Nigeria | August 1992 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | July 1993 |
| Zimbabwe | December 1991 |
| State | Commencement |
|---|---|
| Egypt | 9 November 1995 |
| Thailand | June 2 1991 |
| 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Belgium | 1 | 5 | 5 | -- | -- |
| Canada | -- | 2 | -- | -- | 6 |
| Cyprus | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| France | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Gibraltar | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- |
| Holland | 4 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Italy | -- | 3 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Luxembourg | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Spain | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 2 |
| Sweden | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| United States | 10 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Total | 17 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 12 |
| 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Cyprus | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Czech Republic | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Denmark | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 2 | -- |
| Finland | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | 1 | -- |
| France | -- | 1 | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| Germany | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 1 |
| Holland | -- | 2 | -- | 1 | -- | 1 |
| Spain | -- | 1 | 3 | -- | -- | -- |
| Sweden | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 3 | 1 |
| Switzerland | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Thailand | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4 |
| United States | -- | -- | 2 | 5 | 6 | -- |
| Total | 0 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 17 | 10 |
(3) Although the majority of those repatriated here are British citizens, the United Kingdom will accept non-citizens who have close family ties in this country and meet immigration requirements. Figures held centrally refer only to the total number of repatriations and do not distinguish between British citizens and non-citizens.
Dr. Hendron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners currently serving prison sentences in Great Britain have requested a transfer to prisons in Northern Ireland or the Irish Republic; [23543]
- (2) what is his policy on the transfer of Irish prisoners from gaols in Great Britain to prisons in Northern Ireland. [23544]
Miss Widdecombe: The policy governing the transfer of prisoners between United Kingdom jurisdictions, including those between England and Wales and Northern Ireland, was set out in a statement on 23 November 1992, Official Report, column 476.
Any request by a prisoner in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to be transferred to one of the other jurisdictions either permanently, to serve the rest of his or her sentence, or temporarily to foster family ties, will normally be approved, provided that (1) the prisoner would have at least six months left to serve in the receiving jurisdiction before his or her date of release at the time of making the request; (2) the prisoner was
2 Apr 1996 : Column: 117
ordinarily resident in the receiving jurisdiction prior to the current sentence; or his or her close family currently reside there and there are reasonable grounds for believing that it is the prisoner's firm intention to take up residence there on release or to receive visits; and (3) both Departments concerned are reasonably satisfied that the prisoner will not, if transferred, disrupt or attempt to disrupt any prison establishment, or otherwise pose an unacceptable risk to security. A request that does not meet these conditions may nevertheless be granted where there are strong compassionate or other compelling grounds for transfer.
A permanent transfer may, however, be refused if it is considered that the prisoner's crimes were so serious as to make it inappropriate that he or she should benefit from a substantial reduction in time left to serve, if that would be a consequence of transfer.
Requests will be considered on an individual basis. To facilitate the orderly movement of small numbers of prisoners between jurisdictions, the timing of each transfer will be subject to operational and security considerations in the sentencing and receiving jurisdictions.
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