| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
OECD Safety Tests
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to delete the LD50 test from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's list of regulatory safety tests. [62488]
Mr. George Howarth: Along with other member states of the European Union, we have pressed the European Commission to pursue this issue with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). We understand that the OECD will consider this once guidelines on the use of the alternatives to the LD50 test have been finalised.
Police National Computer
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each of the last three years (a) the number of accesses to each index of the police national computer and (b) the maximum and minimum number of entries in each index; and what is the current number of entries. [62319]
Mr. Boateng: I am advised that the number of transactions carried out in the last three years and the current number of entries on each application of the Police National Computer are shown in the following table. The maximum and minimum number of entries on each application is not recorded.
(4) Data held on calendar year basis
(5) Data held on financial year basis
8 Dec 1998 : Column: 111
| Application | Number of entries |
|---|---|
| Vehicles | 46,899,574 |
| Stolen Property | 57,461 |
| Names | 5,912,064 |
| Fingerprints | 4,713,609 |
| Comparative Case Analysis | 9,249 |
| Transaction Log | (6)63,959,077 |
| Total | 121,551,034 |
(6) Calendar year to date
Forgery
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were (a) arrested for and (b) charged with offences contrary to section 1 of the
8 Dec 1998 : Column: 112
Criminal Attempts Act 1981 or section 3 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 at (i) Heathrow Airport and (ii) Gatwick Airport in each financial year since 1993-94. [62390]
Mr. Boateng:
This information is not normally collected centrally. However, the Metropolitan police have been able to provide information on persons accused--that is, a count of persons arrested and subsequently proceeded against--and persons charged. The information relates to persons accused in the Heathrow division of attempting to commit a notifiable offence and those accused under section 3 and 4 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981. The information is shown in the table.
The information for Gatwick airport is not available as this would incur disproportionate cost since manual searches through individual records would be required.
8 Dec 1998 : Column: 111
| Persons at Heathrow Airport | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accused of attempting to commit a notifiable offence | (7)-- | (7)-- | 201 | 232 | 206 |
| Charged with the above | (7)-- | (7)-- | 177 | 224 | 194 |
| Accused of offences under Sections 3 and 4 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 | 14 | 46 | 50 | 43 | 66 |
| Charged with the above | 6 | 32 | 41 | 37 | 65 |
(7) Not available
8 Dec 1998 : Column: 111
Road Traffic Offences
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made over the last five years (a) within his Department, (b) in conjunction with other Government departments and (c) in conjunction with European bodies towards developing systems involving the use of new technology for safety-related road traffic law enforcement and the administration of penalties. [62543]
Mr. Boateng:
Since 1 January 1994, we have type approved for police use 10 speed measuring devices which operate using the various technologies of radar, lasers or sensors across the road. The most recent available figures show that 34 per cent. of the speed offences dealt with by the police were detected by automatic cameras. For drink drive law enforcement we have also type approved 1 alcohol screening device for roadside use and 3 evidential breath alcohol testing instruments. Research is underway into possible devices to enable the police to screen for drugs driving offences at the roadside.
8 Dec 1998 : Column: 112
In 1996, the Police Research Group published a cost benefit study of police enforcement cameras, the findings of which encouraged the wider use of camera technology to reduce road casualties. Home Office scientists have published a number of technical specifications and standards for various technologies to assist manufacturers to meet the needs of law enforcement. A new technical specification for police vehicle livery has been designed to provide greater safety by improving the visibility of police vehicles.
Scientists at the Police Scientific Development Branch and Forensic Science Service continue to test systems developed by manufacturers with a view to their being type approved for police use. The Department is also supporting a project on the possible use of simulation technology for police driver training.
Mr. Kidney:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of road traffic offenders were sentenced to (a) a re-test and (b) an extended re-test for the offences of (i) causing death by dangerous driving and (ii) dangerous driving in each of the last three years. [62551]
8 Dec 1998 : Column: 113
Mr. Boateng:
The readily available information relates to the percentage of findings of guilt for offences of causing death by dangerous driving (including causing death by careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs and causing death by aggravated vehicle taking) and dangerous driving, which resulted in a requirement to undertake a driving test in England and Wales in the years 1995 to 1997, and is as follows:
(8) Provisional
No information is available centrally to distinguish between re-tests and extended re-tests.
8 Dec 1998 : Column: 114
Illegal Tipping
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been prosecuted and convicted of illegal tipping in each year since 1995. [62534]
Mr. Boateng:
The information available from the Home Office court appearance database is given in the table. The offences shown are related to, but do not necessarily involve, illegal tipping.
8 Dec 1998 : Column: 113
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offence description | Prosecutions | Convictions | Prosecutions | Convictions | Prosecutions | Convictions |
| Depositing, causing the deposition or permitting the deposition treating, keeping or disposing of controlled waste in or on land without a licence(9) | 111 | 80 | 121 | 95 | 98 | 87 |
| Depositing, causing the deposition or permitting the deposition of controlled special waste in or on land without a licence(10) | 30 | 23 | 32 | 24 | 19 | 19 |
| Handling, controlling or transferring controlled waste without taking reasonable measures. Failing to comply with the Secretary of State's requirements(11) | 69 | 49 | 105 | 81 | 89 | 72 |
| Contravening regulations of a waste management licence(12) | 65 | 50 | 94 | 62 | 84 | 59 |
| Failure to comply with Regulation 18 of the Special Waste Regulations 1996 | (15)-- | (15)-- | (15)-- | (15)-- | (9)-- | (9)-- |
| Abandoning items on any land without lawful authority(13) | 98 | 79 | 77 | 57 | 78 | 65 |
| Transporting controlled waste in the course of a business or otherwise with a view to profit without registering as a carrier(14) | 21 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 6 |
(9) Environmental Protection Act 1990, sec 33(8)
(10) Environmental Protection Act 1990, sec 33(9)
(11) Environmental Protection Act 1990, sec 34
(12) Environmental Protection Act 1990, sec 33(6)
(13) Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978, sec 2
(14) Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989, sec 1
(15) Not applicable
Source:
Home Office Court Proceedings Database
8 Dec 1998 : Column: 113
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |