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Conventions on Refugees
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to propose changes to the international conventions on refugees; and if he will make a statement. [87381]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Government have no present plans to propose changes to the main international instruments on refugees. We are strongly committed to the principle of protection for those genuinely fearing persecution. In the longer term, it will be necessary to ensure that the totality of international law and
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agreements continues to support this principle effectively, taking account of the many developments since the Geneva Convention of 1951, in particular the growing problem of false claims for protection being used to circumvent legitimate controls on immigration.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current level of repeat offending among drug-misusing offenders; and if he will make a statement. [87439]
Mr. George Howarth:
The most recently available relevant information relates to reconvictions in samples of prisoners discharged from prison in 1995 and of offenders commencing community penalties in 1995.
| Original disposal | ||
|---|---|---|
| Custody | Community penalties (6) | |
| Total sampled | 3,377 | 1,556 |
| Percentage reconvicted(7) | 36 | 50 |
| Percentage reconvicted for any drugs offence(5) | 17 | 29 |
(5) All indictable drug related offences. The offence categorisation is based on the most recent offence recorded on the Offenders Index prior to discharge from prison or commencement of a community penalty.
(6) Combination orders, community service and probation. Figures relate to offenders sentenced in the first quarter of the year.
(7) All standard list offences, this includes all indictable offences and some of the more serious summary offences.
The source of this information on reconvictions is the Home Office Offenders Index. This does not contain information on cautioning of offenders. It should be borne in mind that this information relates to reconviction rather than reoffending and is restricted to offenders who have been sentenced to custody or a community penalty. It also relates to offenders convicted for drugs related offences, rather than offenders who commit other forms of crime to pay for drugs.
Base line levels of repeat offending among drug misusing offenders are currently being established. The targets set recently by the United Kingdom Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator include reducing levels of such offending by 50 per cent. by 2008 and 25 per cent. by 2005.
Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to complete his consultations on the placing of cards in telephone boxes by prostitutes. [87595]
Mr. Boateng:
We have asked for comments on our consultation paper "New Measures to Control Prostitutes Cards in Phone Boxes" by 18 August 1999.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners held in each of the London prisons were employed within the prison on a daily basis as at 1 June. [87453]
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Mr. George Howarth:
The information my hon. Friend requested is contained in the table.
| Name of prison establishment | Number of prisoners employed as at 1 June 1999 |
|---|---|
| Belmarsh | (8)580 |
| Brixton | 214 |
| Holloway | 414 |
| Pentonville | (9)335 |
| Wandsworth | 854 |
| Wormwood Scrubs | 443 |
(8) No prisoners actually attended for work on 1 June as a result of lightning striking, although 580 were scheduled to attend and normally did so before and after this interruption.
(9) 472 prisoners were normally employed at Pentonville around this time. There was reduced work on 1 June following the bank holiday.
Cycling Convictions
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of riding a bicycle without lights in each of the last three years. [87452]
Mr. Boateng: Available information for the years 1995 to 1997 is given in the table. 1998 data will become available later this summer.
| Disposal | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Cautioned | Convicted |
| 1995 | 339 | 293 |
| 1996 | 379 | 333 |
| 1997 | 406 | 377 |
(10) Offences under Road Traffic Act 1988 s81 and Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989
Cleveland Police
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend his investigation into police integrity to include Cleveland Police Force; and if he will make a statement. [87572]
Mr. Boateng: We are not conducting an investigation into police integrity. However, I was pleased to launch Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's (HMIC) report on police integrity on 14 June. That report dealt with integrity in its widest sense, encompassing issues such as fairness, probity, behaviour and equal treatment. Its 11 recommendations, in areas such as training, recruitment, vetting, management and financial accounting, are relevant to all forces including Cleveland.
The practical guidance offered by the HMIC report gives us a framework in which chief officers can tackle integrity problems and ensure corrupt and unacceptable practices are rooted out.
Paedophiles
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what restrictions apply to the distribution of information between departmental Agencies on paedophiles about to be released back into communities. [87413]
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Mr. George Howarth:
Section 115 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 put beyond doubt the power of any person to disclose information, where necessary or expedient for any provision of the Act, to a chief officer of police, a police authority, local authorities, probation service or health authority. Such disclosure is, however, not a duty and must take account of the common law duty of confidence and statutory restrictions on disclosure, including date protection legislation.
Last year, the Home Office and the Data Protection Registrar issued a joint statement on information sharing under the Act.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role is played by (a) local area child protection committees, (b) local authority social services, (c) the Probation Service, (d) the Prison Service, (e) Customs and Excise, (f) the NSPCC and (g) the Police in (i) sharing of information on and (ii) measures taken against predatory paedophiles. [87497]
Mr. George Howarth:
Multi-agency co-operation is essential for the proper assessment and management of the risk that sex offenders pose in the community, the working of area child protection committees and risk assessment panels and the setting up of written protocols for protecting the public. The composition of these bodies can be agreed locally and may include a wide range of organisations.
Section 115 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 gives an explicit power to disclose information for the purposes of the Act, and we are currently working with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), the Association of Chief Officers of Probation (ACOP) and others to produce guidance on the disclosure of information about sex offenders who might pose a risk to children and others.
Released sex offenders are supervised by the probation service within a national framework. Such offenders may also be monitored by the police. The Crime and Disorder Act empowers courts to impose an extended period of supervision and provides for a sex offender order where the present conduct of a released sex offender gives rise to concern.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people, including prisoners, participated in publicly funded drug treatment programmes in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [87442]
Ms Jowell:
I have been asked to reply.
In the six month period ending 31 March 1998, 23,916 people were reported to the Regional Drug Misuse Databases in England as presenting for treatment at drug misuse agencies in the community. It is not possible to give precise figures for only those participating in publicly funded drug treatment programmes. However, it is estimated that around two thirds of those reported as
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presenting for treatment attended statutory services; most of the remainder attended voluntary services, although a small number attended private agencies.
Of those 23,916 people, 46 per cent. of drug users whose injecting status was known had injected in the previous four weeks. Of those who had injected in the previous four weeks, 15 per cent. of drug users whose sharing status was known had shared injecting equipment in the previous four weeks.
(2) how many people in drug treatment programmes reported (i) injecting drugs and (ii) sharing needles in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [87441]
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