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Indecency Offences (Males)
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for each of years 1987 to 1997 what was the number of notifications for the offence of indecency between males. [72344]
Mr. Boateng: The numbers of recorded offences of indecency between males from 1987 to 1997 in England and Wales are as listed.
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1987 | 1,127 |
| 1988 | 1,306 |
| 1989 | 2,022 |
| 1990 | 1,159 |
| 1991 | 965 |
| 1992 | 892 |
| 1993 | 671 |
| 1994 | 683 |
| 1995 | 727 |
| 1996 | 553 |
| 1997 | 520 |
KPMG
Mr. Ruffley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the services that KPMG have performed for his Department (a) since 1 May 1997 and (b) in the corresponding period prior to 1 May 1997, indicating the remuneration made in each case. [72010]
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 120
Mr. Straw:
Services performed by KPMG for my Department and the estimated remuneration made in each case are as follows:
| Service | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
| Management Consultancy Services | 181,784 |
| Training/Personnel services | 123,445 |
| Project Management/Participation | 2,382,012 |
| Audit Services | 144,279 |
| Benchmarking Services | 102,385 |
| Financial Advice | 122,385 |
| Total | 3,056,290 |
| Service | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
| Management Consultancy Services | 7,984 |
| Training/Personnel services | 8,216 |
| Project Management/Participation | 40,537 |
| Audit Services | 3,000 |
| Benchmarking Services | -- |
| Financial Services | -- |
| Total | 59,737 |
The information does not include data for the Prison Service for the period 1 November 1995 to 31 March 1996, as records were not kept before April 1996.
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 121
Crime (Victims and Witnesses)
Ms Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve services for victims of crime and witnesses. [72146]
Mr. Boateng: I will be announcing very shortly how we intend to improve services for victims and witnesses at magistrates' courts and the enhanced level of funding we shall be making available to Victim Support.
Ministerial Meetings (US Ministers)
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times Ministers in his Department have met their counterparts in the US Administration since 1 June 1998, indicating the dates and locations of each meeting, the Ministers involved, and the name of the US counterpart. [71964]
Mr. Straw: I am in regular contact with Janet Reno, the United States Attorney General, and have had a number of meetings with her. In the period covered by the question, I also chaired a meeting of G8 counterparts, on 16 December 1998, which was conducted by video conference, at the request of Janet Reno.
Since June 1998, there have been no other meetings between Ministers in my Department and their United States counterparts.
CS Aerosol Incapacitants
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the guidelines for the police on the use of personal issue, hand-held CS aerosol incapacitants. [71963]
Mr. Boateng: Copies of the guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) were placed in the Library on 17 April 1996, in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Huddersfield (Mr. Sheerman). I understand that the guidelines are currently being reviewed by ACPO. No guidelines are issued by the Home Office.
Railways (Trespassing)
Mr. Cawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisation has overall responsibility for prosecuting trespass on railways; and how many prosecutions for trespassing on railways have taken place in each year since 1996. [71531]
Ms Glenda Jackson: I have been asked to reply.
| Prosecuted | Cautioned/warned | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 321 | 4,390 | 4,711 |
| 1997 | 589 | 4,751 | 5,310 |
| 1998 | 485 | 4,574 | 5,059 |
| Total | 1,395 | 13,685 | 15,080 |
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 122
Mr. Cawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions since 1996 an individual identified by the police as causing a rail accident whilst trespassing on the railway has not subsequently been prosecuted. [71532]
Ms Glenda Jackson: I have been asked to reply.
The British Transport Police have no record of any occasion where an identified person who has caused a rail accident while trespassing on the railways has not been prosecuted.
Mr. Cawsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list (a) the hunts which have been investigated by the police for possible offences since 1996 and (b) the investigations which related to (i) trespassing on railways and (ii) causing road accidents. [71530]
Mr. Boateng:
This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate how many women reported domestic violence for the years (a) 1996-97 and (b) 1997-98, indicating the methodology used in his estimate. [71782]
Mr. Boateng:
Recorded crime statistics relate to offence type, not to the relationship between offender and victim. There is, therefore, no definitive figure for the number of crimes which are domestic in nature.
Statistical returns submitted to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) by police forces in England and Wales have included a figure on domestic violence incidents, but, until now, the definition of "domestic violence" has been interpreted very differently between forces. From April 1999, HMIC will be adopting a narrower, but common, definition.
The 1996 British Crime Survey included a new computerised self-completion questionnaire designed to give the most reliable findings to date on the extent of domestic violence in England and Wales.
The report on the findings of this questionnaire (Home Office Research Study 191) was published on 21 January 1999, and a copy has been placed in the Library. 4.2 per cent. of women said they had been physically assaulted by a current or former partner in the last year. The police were told of 9 per cent. of incidents against women who reported one or two attacks, and 22 per cent. of incidents against women who reported three or more attacks. Medical staff were the next most likely to hear of incidents.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted drug dealers now serving prison sentences in England and Wales who have been convicted in the last five years, and were ordered by the trial judge to hand over financial assets thought to have been acquired as a result of dealing in drugs, have not done so to date; and if he will make a statement. [69806]
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 123
Mr. Boateng:
The information requested is not collected centrally to the detail required.
The available information, taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database, shows that between 1993 to 1997, 22,959 offenders were sentenced to immediate custody at the Crown Court for drug trafficking offences. Out of these, a confiscation order was imposed on 5,322 (23 per cent.).
Jackie Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of discussions with Mediation UK for core funding for 1999-2000. [71542]
Mr. Boateng:
Mediation UK does valuable work, which contributes to the policy objectives of a number of Government Departments. It has not previously been funded by the Home Office but I am meeting its Director, this week, to discuss possible ways of keeping the organisation in being while longer-term funding issues are considered.
Mr. Ruffley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list (a) the London barristers' chambers and (b) the London solicitors' firms that have performed services for his Department (i) since 1 May 1997 and (ii) in the equivalent period preceding that date, indicating the remuneration paid in each particular case. [70033]
Mr. Straw
[holding answer 8 February 1999]: The information sought could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
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