| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Police Complaints
27. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times since May 1997 a complaint against a police force has been externally investigated. [74603]
Mr. Boateng: 15 complaints cases were recorded as having been referred to another force for investigation in England and Wales in 1997-98, the latest year for which figures are available. Each case may consist of one or more complaint. This figure does not include investigations involving allegations of criminal or disciplinary offences in which no complaint has been received from a member of the public.
The Government support the recommendation of the Home Affairs Select Committee in its report on police disciplinary and complaints procedures that investigation by an outside force should become a more regular occurrence than it is at present. The new guidance which we will be issuing shortly on police discipline and complaints procedures will encourage chief officers to make greater use of investigating officers from outside forces.
Crime Audits
29. Ms Beverley Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the crime audits completed to date by local partnerships. [74605]
Mr. Boateng:
The audits are a necessary and important step in the formulation of the local crime and disorder reduction strategies--which have to be completed by 1 April 1999. I am encouraged by the commitment I see on the part of the local partnerships to completing the tasks set for them in a timely and effective way.
15 Mar 1999 : Column: 494
30. Ms Coffey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the availability of criminal records of children looked after by one local authority and placed in another local authority area to the local police in that area. [74606]
Mr. Boateng:
Details of the criminal records of individuals who come to police notice can be accessed by the police directly from the national criminal records database on the Police National Computer or from local police records.
31. Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of current provision of benefits in kind to asylum seekers. [74607]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The cost of the current provision of benefits in kind to asylum seekers will not be known until after the current financial year. However, we believe that the unit costs which have been set for 1998-99, whilst challenging, are realistic. The unit costs are:
37. Mr. Randall:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people claimed asylum in the United Kingdom during 1998. [74613]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Forty six thousand and fifteen claimed asylum in 1998.
32. Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met members of the Animal Procedures Committee to discuss progress in reducing the numbers of experiments on animals. [74608]
Mr. George Howarth:
I met with members of the Committee on 9 December 1998. We discussed a number of issues including the need to ensure that animals are used only where fully justified: where the benefits outweigh the costs and where there are no alternatives. I would, however, refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 11 May 1998, Official Report, column 51--the effectiveness of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 cannot be judged by the overall number of procedures.
33. Mr. Ennis:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the current legislation controlling airguns. [74609]
Mr. Boateng:
We have no immediate plans to change the law relating to air weapons, but the firearms legislation will be kept under close scrutiny to see if there is anything further which needs to be done to protect the public safety.
15 Mar 1999 : Column: 495
34. Mr. Ruffley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the recruitment of special constables; and if he will make a statement. [74610]
Kate Hoey:
No representations have been received in respect of the recruitment of special constables.
The government fully support the efforts of police forces to recruit more special constables who bring a level of commitment and local knowledge which is invaluable in policing their own communities.
35. Mr. Hawkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the road transport industry over his plans to levy financial penalties on lorry drivers found guilty of transporting illegal immigrants. [74611]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
I have held a number of meetings with representatives of the Freight Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association, on the proposed penalty prior to the Bill's publication. I will continue to work closely with the industry on the detailed operation of this new penalty.
38. Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) injured or (b) killed since 1990 as a result of an accident involving a police vehicle answering a 999 call. [74614]
Mr. Boateng:
Figures dealing solely with responses to emergency calls are not available centrally as statistics collate them together with accidents arising from pursuits. Information has been provided by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, to whom forces submit statistical returns. Collection arrangements have changed over the period so figures for 1990 to 1993 cover only serious injuries.
£165 per week for single adults;
£230 per week for families (or £240 per week for
families already resident within Inner London);
£400 for unaccompanied children aged 15 and under; and
£200 for unaccompanied 16 and 17 year olds.
| Injuries | Fatalities | |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 317 | 24 |
| 1991 | 271 | 32 |
| 1992 | 300 | 30 |
| 1993 | 300 | 34 |
| 1994-95 | (12)1,830 | (12)21 |
| 1995-96 | (13)2,169 | (13)21 |
| 1996-97 | (13)1,930 | (13)15 |
| 1997-98 | 2,123 | 15 |
(12) Figures from 3 forces are missing from the total
(13) Figures from 2 forces are missing from the total
Police Officers (Ethnic Communities)
39. Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to encourage the promotion of police officers from the ethnic communities to senior rank. [74615]
15 Mar 1999 : Column: 496
Kate Hoey:
Individual targets will be set for each force for the recruitment, retention and progression of ethnic minority officers. We believe that targets coupled with a range of initiatives aimed at removing barriers to progression will inevitably lead over time to more ethnic minority officers in senior ranks.
Mr. John Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the reduction in the number of experiments following the ban on the testing on animals of cosmetic experiments and ingredients. [74592]
Mr. George Howarth:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes, South-West (Dr. Starkey), on 15 February 1999, Official Report, column 598: an average of about 2,000 animals a year were used in cosmetics testing from 1995 to 1997.
Mr. Bennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he gives to people installing closed circuit television about issues of privacy, retention of recordings and the need to follow a published code of practice. [74596]
Mr. Boateng:
A code of practice for Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) systems is essential to ensure that CCTV is operated with integrity and respect for personal privacy. Public space CCTV systems funded under the Home Office Challenge Competition should comply with the best practice code developed by the Local Government Information Unit.
The Data Protection Act 1998 will provide a framework for the statutory regulation of CCTV systems.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |