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Life Sentence (Murder)
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 24 March 1999, Official Report, column 237, what is the minimum possible tariff to be served by a person serving a life sentence following a conviction for murder. [79084]
Mr. George Howarth: The tariff is set by the Secretary of State following consideration of advice from the judiciary on the punitive period necessary to satisfy the requirements of retribution and general deferrence. Tariff length varies according to the circumstances of the particular offence and there is no minimum period. However, tariffs of less than eight years for murder would be set only in exceptional circumstances.
Lancet Inquiry
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police officers have been charged with offences discovered during the Lancet inquiry; [79094]
- (2) what discussions he has had with the Police Complaints Authority regarding the progress of the Lancet inquiry into alleged police corruption in Cleveland; and if he will make a statement; [79098]
(3) what steps he is taking to monitor the progress of the Lancet inquiry into the alleged police corruption in Cleveland; and if he will make a statement; [79212]
Mr. Boateng: The Operation Lancet inquiry into allegations of police corruption in Cleveland is being supervised by the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), and it is for the PCA to monitor the progress of the inquiry. The length of the investigation is a matter for the investigating officer and the PCA. I have not discussed the inquiry with the PCA. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on criminal or disciplinary investigations, including Operation Lancet, not least because my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has a role in the disciplinary process as the appellate authority, and my right hon. Friend may in the future be called upon in that capacity to consider any disciplinary appeals from offenders arising from this inquiry.
No police officers have been charged with offences as a result of Operation Lancet inquiry to date, but the inquiry is continuing and I understand that a number of possible criminal and disciplinary matters are still under investigation. There has been close consultation with the
30 Mar 1999 : Column: 606
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) throughout the inquiry. A file on drugs-related issues was delivered to the CPS on 4 December 1998 and is now with Treasury Counsel.
Mr. Malins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what studies have been (a) made and (b) commissioned by his Department on the breakdown of crimes committed by the different ethnic minorities; and if he will make a statement. [79291]
Mr. Straw:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Mr. Forth) on 2 February 1999, Official Report, column 554.
Mr. Malins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average time he took to respond substantively to letters from hon. Members in each of the last 12 months. [79299]
Mr. Straw:
On the basis of available information, the average time taken to respond substantively to letters from hon. Members to which I personally replied is listed in working days.
| 1998-99 | Working days |
|---|---|
| March | 30 |
| April | 26 |
| May | 23 |
| June | 23 |
| July | 24 |
| August | 22 |
| September | 21 |
| October | 17 |
| November | 23 |
| December | 15 |
| January | 26 |
| February | 23 |
Police and Prison Services (Ethnic Origin)
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown of (i) the Police Service and (ii) the Prison Service in England and Wales by ethnic origin and grade. [79048]
Mr. Boateng: Detailed information about the number of police officers by rank and ethnic origin is collected annually by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. The information in the table is for 31 March 1998.
| Asian | Black | Other | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asst. Chief Constable | 1 | -- | -- | 1 |
| Superintendent | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Chief Inspector | 3 | 9 | 7 | 19 |
| Inspector | 19 | 9 | 10 | 38 |
| Sergeant | 87 | 83 | 59 | 229 |
| Constable | 687 | 936 | 437 | 2,060 |
| Total | 798 | 1,039 | 514 | 2,351 |
In addition, there were 132 ethnic minority police officers seconded to central services.
30 Mar 1999 : Column: 607
There were 719 Asian, 1,405 black and 609 other civilian support staff from the ethnic minorities employed in the Police Service at the end of March 1998, a total of 2,733. It is not possible to provide information by grade.
Numbers of Prison Service staff by grade and ethnic origin as at March 1999 are set out in tables that have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Audit Commission report, "Action Stations: Improving the Management of the Police Estate". [79379]
Mr. Boateng:
The Government welcome the report. Its recommendations will play a significant part in ensuring that the management of the police estate is given proper emphasis in releasing savings for redeployment into front-line policing and delivering best value.
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place the study into crime in London carried out by Dr. Marion Fitzgerald, in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [79194]
Mr. Straw
[holding answer 29 March 1999]: Dr. Fitzgerald has not undertaken a study into crime in London.
Dr. Fitzgerald did prepare a briefing paper for Ministers on ethnicity and criminality, which consolidated some data from small-scale local studies, previously published material and some material that has yet to be published.
It has been the practice of successive Governments that such internal briefing papers are not themselves published.
Dr. Fitzgerald's published research while with the Home Office has included:
I am happy to make available to the right hon. Member a full list of relevant published research in this field.
Mr. Cawsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to introduce tape recording of asylum interviews. [79769]
30 Mar 1999 : Column: 608
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
I have decided to pilot tape recording of asylum interviews. Some interviews, at ports and in Croydon should be tape recorded from May. A report on the pilot, including its impact on the Immigration Appellate Authority, is planned for the New Year.
Mr. Alan Keen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the outcome of the public consultation exercise on the Review of Football-related Legislation which was published on 27 November 1998. [79772]
Kate Hoey:
The document entitled "Review of Football-related Legislation" set out 29 proposals for discussion on measures to help to prevent and minimise football hooliganism at designated football matches in England and Wales and overseas.
The consultation period ended on 27 January and some 50 responses were received from organisations and individuals. The overwhelming response to the measures was supportive. Respondents to the document as a whole recognised the need for measures to be introduced to deal with the loopholes in the present legislation. They also indicated strong support for those proposals aimed at dealing with measures to help to prevent those convicted of football-related offences from attending designated football matches. I am placing a summary of the responses in the Library.
The response to the public consultation exercise has been made known to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) whose Bill, the Football (Offences and Disorder) Bill, is due for its Second Reading on 16 April.
Jane Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to publish the criminal justice system plans. [79821]
Mr. Straw:
The Attorney-General, the Lord Chancellor and I will be publishing jointly a strategic and business plan for the criminal justice system in England and Wales at 12 noon on 31 March 1999. The plans describe the aims, objectives and performance targets which the Government expect the criminal justice system as a whole to deliver. Copies of the plans will be placed in the Library.
Ethnic Minorities and the criminal justice system: Research Study No. 20.
The Royal Commission on Criminal Justice (1993).
Ethnic Minorities Victimisation and Racial Harassment: Findings from the 1988 and 1992 British Crime Surveys with Hale C.
Home Office, Research Development and Statistics Directorate (HORS 154) (1996).
Ethnic monitoring in police forces: A beginning with Sibbett R.
Home Office, Research, Development and Statistics Directorate (HORS 173) (1997).
Evaluation of the Racially Aggravated Offences in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
Home Office, Research, Development and Statistics Directorate (Spring 2001).
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