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HOME DEPARTMENT
Curfews (Electronic Monitoring)
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current average cost of a curfew order backed by electronic tagging in (a) Norfolk, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Reading. [43879]
Ms Quin: It is not possible on the grounds of commercial confidentiality to provide a breakdown of current average costs of a curfew order for different trial areas. Based on the experiences of the first two years of the trials of curfew orders with electronic monitoring, the cost per order for a national roll-out was estimated to be about £1,900. However, this cost does not account for any savings achieved through providing electronic monitoring for Home Detention Curfew simultaneously with curfew orders.
Cab Drivers (Offences)
Mr. Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many cab drivers convicted of assault and rape, were (a) taxicab drivers, (b) minicab drivers who had accepted fare-paying passengers illegally and (c) minicab drivers who had accepted fare-paying passengers legally in the Greater London area in the last year for which figures are available; [44688]
- (2) how many minicab drivers convicted of assault and rape (a) had and (b) did not have previous convictions for a similar offence in the Greater London area in the last year for which figures are available; [44686]
(3) how many prosecutions of minicab drivers for illegally seeking or accepting fare-paying passengers there were in the Greater London area in the last year for which figures are available. [44687]
Mr. Michael: Information held centrally on the Home Office Court Proceedings database does not identify the profession of offenders convicted or re-convicted of violent and sexual offences.
In 1996 (latest available), there were 132 prosecutions in the Metropolitan Police (including City of London) area for offences under section 167 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994--Touting for hire car service without a Public Service Vehicle operator's licence.
There were also 19 prosecutions recorded under the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869, but we cannot determine from the data held centrally whether any occurred under section 7 of the Act--illegally plying for hire (where a vehicle, which is not a licensed London taxi, is made available for immediate hire).
In theory, provincial taxi and Private Hire Vehicle drivers could commit either of the above offences. London taxi drivers may illegally ply for hire waiting at places which are not designated ranks, but this offence is under section 33 of the London Hackney Carriage Act 1843 and, again, we can only identify prosecutions under the whole of the Act, of which there were 71 within the Metropolitan Police (including City of London) area in 1996.
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Mr. Lansley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the amount spent by his Department in the two years prior to 1998-99 on research into alternatives to testing cosmetic products on animals. [44665]
Mr. George Howarth:
Each year, the Home Office makes a budget available to the Animal Procedures Committee to fund research into replacement, reduction and refinement alternatives to the use of animals in all types of scientific procedures, not just cosmetic testing. In 1996-97, this budget amounted to £242,000 and in 1997-98 to £182,000.
Applications are invited from those who are seeking sponsorship for projects relating to the development or implementation of alternatives. The Animal Procedures Committee, through its Research Sub-Committee, provides independent advice about which of these projects should be funded. During the last two years, no applications have been received for research relating to alternatives to the use of animals in cosmetic product testing.
Cosmetic testing accounts for about 0.1 per cent. of all scientific procedures using animals in the United Kingdom. Available funds are best targeted at research projects which will benefit more animals.
The cosmetic industry itself allocates considerable resources to the development of alternative tests, partly to meet the requirements of the 6th amendment to the European Communities Cosmetics Directive 93/35/EEC.
The companies licensed to use animals in testing finished cosmetic products agreed in November 1997 to end, with immediate effect, this work in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of compensation for hand guns in each police force area made under (i) option A, (ii) option B and (iii) option C are currently outstanding; and what amount has been paid out to date in each force area. [44867]
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 567
Mediation UK
Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what level of financial and other support his Department plans to provide to Mediation UK in the current financial year. [44948]
Mr. Michael: No application has been made by Mediation UK for financial support for this financial year. Mediation UK have met Home Office officials to discuss a possible application for financial support for 1999-2000 and I have also listened to local representatives of Mediation UK to consider their work.
Foreign Nationals (Drug Offences)
Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals were serving a prison sentence in England and Wales in each of the last five years; and what percentage were serving prison sentences for drug offences. [45158]
Ms Quin:
The available information is for the prison population as at 30 June each year and is given in the table. A more detailed breakdown of sentenced prisoners, by nationality, ethnicity and type of offence, is published
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annually in "Prison Statistics England and Wales" (Table 9.5 of the 1996 edition, CM 3732), copies of which are available in the Library.
| As at 30 June | Number of sentenced foreign nationals | Proportion serving sentences for drugs offences (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 2,298 | 30 |
| 1994 | 2,309 | 34 |
| 1995 | 2,616 | 34 |
| 1996 | 2,867 | 35 |
| 1997(4) | 3,250 | 36 |
(4) Provisional
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