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Sex Offender Orders
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sex offender orders have been (a) applied for and (b) granted under section 2 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. [76023]
Mr. Boateng: To date, we are aware of one Sex Offender Order having been granted. No information is held centrally to indicate the number of Sex Offender Orders which have been applied for.
Police (False Information)
Mr. Maginnis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were charged with wasting police time, other than by making malicious complaints against the police, in each constabulary area in England and Wales during each year from 1996 to 1998. [75904]
Mr. Boateng:
There is no offence of making a malicious complaint against the police, but a person may commit an offence under section 5(2) of the Criminal Law
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Act 1967 where he or she causes wasteful employment of the police by giving false information to them. Information is available centrally only on the number of people cautioned, prosecuted or convicted for an offence under section 5(2) of the Criminal Law Act 1967.
In 1996 in England and Wales, there were 134 cautions, 60 prosecutions and 44 convictions for an offence under section 5(2) of the Criminal Law Act 1967. In 1997, there were 95 cautions, 71 prosecutions, and 56 convictions for the same offence.
Mr. Maginnis:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of man/days identified as having been spent in the investigation of (a) malicious complaints and (b) false information within each constabulary area in England and Wales during each year from 1996 to 1998. [75903]
Mr. Boateng:
The information requested is not recorded centrally.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many councils did not have the 1999-2000 electoral register available in (a) printed and (b) tape or disc form on 16 February; and what requirements there are for councils to make registers available by that date. [76626]
Mr. George Howarth:
Information on the availability of the new electoral register for each local council area is not held centrally.
Under the Representation of the People Act 1983, electoral registration officers are required to publish the register not later than 15 February in any year. If any part of a register is not published by this date then, until the day after it is published, the corresponding part of the previous register continues in use. Once published, printed copies are required to be made available to electoral users on request, whilst data copies are to be supplied on payment of the appropriate fee.
Mr. Collins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations have been made to him concerning (i) the number of police stations and police officers and (ii) police resources in South Cumbria by (a) members of the police and (b) hon. Members. [76665]
Mr. Boateng:
I have not received any representations specifically about the number of police stations, officers or police resources in South Cumbria. I did, however, receive two representations from hon. Members, one representation from the Cumbria Police Authority and one representation from the Allerdale Borough Council about the police funding allocation for the Cumbria Police Authority in 1999-2000. Only the letter from the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale referred to the number of police stations and police officers.
I also had a meeting with representatives of the Cumbria Police Authority and the Chief Constable on 6 January about the funding settlement for 1999-2000 at which the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale was present.
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I understand that the Cumbria Police Authority have approved a budget increase of 2.7 per cent. for 1999-2000.
Mr. Collins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are (a) the costs, (b) the purposes and (c) the timescale of the contract awarded to BT for new technology phones in prisons; and if he will make a statement. [76664]
Mr. George Howarth:
The new prisoner telephone system, which is due to be installed in all prisons in England and Wales by May 2000, has the dual purpose of enabling prisoners to maintain their family ties whilst minimising the risk of misuse. The new system is being provided and maintained at no cost to the Prison Service throughout the duration of the ten-year contract.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report from the Metropolitan Police on the review of the evidence surrounding the murder of WPC Fletcher. [74874]
Mr. Boateng:
The police review of the evidence surrounding the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher has taken longer than originally anticipated. I understand from the Metropolitan police, however, that this review will be completed in the near future.
Mr. Winnick:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 10 February concerning a constituent. [76227]
Mr. Boateng
[holding answer 12 March 1999]: I have written today on the Home Secretary's behalf to my hon. Friend for Walsall, North.
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on (a) the counting arrangements and (b) the procedures to be adopted in the event of a recount in the elections for the European Parliament, in relation to counting at (i) parliamentary constituency level and (ii) regional centre level. [77127]
Mr. George Howarth:
Details of the proposed counting arrangements for European Parliamentary elections were set out in the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr. Robertson) on 8 March 1999, Official Report, column 33.
Parties and candidates will be entitled to be present at all of the local counts and to ask for a recount. They will also be entitled to be present at the place where the regional returning officer performs the seat allocation calculation and to ask him to repeat the calculation.
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will implement the measures contained in Part I of the Criminal Justice Act 1993. [76292]
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Mr. Boateng
[holding answer 12 March 1999]: Discussions are currently taking place with Departments most closely interested in the implementation of Part I of the Criminal Justice Act 1993. It is hoped that we will be in a position to bring Part I into force very soon.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 12 March, indicating the position taken by the UK Government on each item discussed. [76200]
Mr. Straw:
I will report to the House as soon as possible on the outcome of this Council.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in Oxfordshire in (a) March 1997, (b) March 1998 and (c) March 1999; and how many he estimates there will be in March 2000. [76785]
Mr. Boateng:
I understand from the Chief Constable that it is not possible to provide information on the number of police officers in Oxfordshire as the territorial divisions of the Thames Valley Police are not co-terminous with the county boundaries of the three counties that make up the force area.
Information on the number of officers for March 1999 will not be available before the middle of May. Ministers have no direct control over police numbers. Under legislation passed by the previous Government in 1994, it is for the individual chief constables to determine the number of police officers in their force, on the basis of the resources made available to them. It is not, therefore, possible to provide a projection of the force's strength for March 2000.
Numbers of officers in the Thames Valley Police in 1997 and 1998 are set out in the table:
| Year | Number of officers(14) |
|---|---|
| 31 March 1997 | 3,695 |
| 31 March 1998 | 3,776 |
(14) Full-time equivalents
Public Safety Radio Communications Project
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated (a) initial capital cost and (b) annual running cost of the Public Safety Radio Communications Project in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [75701]
Mr. Boateng:
The Public Safety Radio Communications Project (PSRCP) is to be delivered as a Private Finance Initiative scheme. British Telecom will be the service provider and, therefore, responsible for the capital infrastructure costs.
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I am advised by Police Information Technology Organisation that negotiations for the award of the contract for PSRCP are now entering their final stage. I am, therefore, not able to comment on annual running costs as they are part of the contract negotiations.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what form of competition took place prior to negotiations starting on the introduction of the Public Safety Radio Communications Project; and what other parties took an interest in providing the communications services required by the Police. [75703]
Mr. Boateng:
A full competition was held under European Community rules and three consortia were invited to submit a bid. The Project Definition Study was awarded to Quadrant--a consortium led by British Telecom after the two other consortia withdrew from the competition.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contingency plans have been prepared for an alternative to the Public Safety Radio Communications Project. [75702]
Mr. Boateng:
A fallback strategy has been produced and is being further developed to assist forces to procure replacement radio systems, either locally or regionally.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans there are for other emergency services to be included in negotiations on the introduction of the Public Safety Radio Communications Project. [75704]
Mr. Boateng:
The Police Information Technology Organisation are negotiating with British Telecom about the introduction of the Public Safety Radio Communications service for the police. They are keeping potential sharers of the service informed of developments.
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