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Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. [107386]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Government keep the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 under review to combat changes in drug misuse patterns, and currently have plans to bring 36 ecstasy-type substances (phenethylamine derivatives) under the control of Schedule 2 to the Act. When this change is made, guidance will be issued, for example to the police, courts and British Medical Association.
We are also currently considering whether further guidance is needed in respect of Section 8 of the Act, under which it is an offence for the occupier or manager of any premises knowingly to suffer or permit the premises to be used for the producing or supplying of a controlled drug.
Sexual Abuse
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases were reported to the police alleging sexual abuse in the last year for which figures are available in (a) South Yorkshire and (b) the United Kingdom; how many cases progressed to a court hearing in (a) and (b); and how many in each category resulted in a conviction. [107519]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The number of alleged sexual abuse cases reported to the police is not available. The total number of sexual offences recorded by the police, and the number of prosecutions and convictions for sexual offences for South Yorkshire, and England and Wales, are as follows.
(5) Includes provisional figures
(6) Includes persons proceeded against in earlier years or for other offences
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It should be noted that as the recorded crime figures relate to offences, and the number of prosecutions and convictions relate to offenders, the two types of data cannot be directly compared.
Mr. Clapham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for sexual abuse of children under the age of 10 years there were in the last year for which figures are available, in (a) South Yorkshire and (b) the United Kingdom. [107520]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The information is not available centrally.
The Home Office Court Proceedings Database does not hold information about the characteristics of individual cases (in this instance the age of a victim) apart from those that are evident from the description of the offence with which the defendant has been charged.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what number and percentage of police vehicles involved in accidents while responding to an emergency or otherwise in pursuit were (a) motorway patrol vehicles, (b) armed response vehicles and (c) other police vehicles for each year since 1995. [107399]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The information available centrally does not include the categories of vehicles requested. But a Home Office study of deaths and serious injuries resulting from police vehicle accidents which was published in 1997 contains this table giving the sorts of police vehicles involved in 1990-93:
| Number | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic | 215 | 27.5 |
| Area/response | 116 | 14.9 |
| Beat patrol | 321 | 41.2 |
| Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Divisional | 40 | 5.1 |
| CID Central | 11 | 1.4 |
| Surveillance | 13 | 1.7 |
| Protection | 4 | 0.5 |
| Territorial Support Group | 3 | 0.4 |
| Police Support Unit | 4 | 0.5 |
| Dog | 22 | 2.8 |
| Other | 31 | 4.0 |
| Total | 780 | 100.0 |
Note:
Figures in Table 17 exclude 64 cases where the information was no longer available at the time of the research
ORBIS Computer System
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the ORBIS computer system for the administration of firearms was installed by
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the Metropolitan Police; what was the cost of the installation; what was the cost of the system in the last financial year for which figures are available; what is the contract cost in the current financial year; and for what time period was the initial contract and with what options. [107402]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District tells me that the installation of the ORBIS computer system was completed and accepted by the Metropolitan Police on 15 October 1999. The cost of installation, inclusive of computer hardware and software costs and the salaries of the Metropolitan police staff involved, totalled £265,000. The only costs for the system have been incurred in the current financial year and, inclusive of the first year's maintenance, amount to £114,350. The contract is for two years initially, renewable thereafter by payment of the appropriate support costs.
Mr. Wyatt:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many primates were used in research in the United Kingdom in (a) 1997 and (b) 1998. [107595]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Information on the use of animals in scientific procedures is published each year in the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals (Great Britain). Tables 1, 18d and 18e refer to the numbers of primates used by type and also provide information on the primary purpose of the procedure. In 1997, the total number of primates used was 3,908. In 1998, the total was 3,655. There were no primates used in Northern Ireland in 1997 and 1998.
Mr. Hunter:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many compensation payments are outstanding under the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 compensation scheme; and if he will make a statement. [108066]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
As at 27 January, there were just 748 claims outstanding under the firearms compensation schemes. Of these, 643 claims were ones in which payment offers have been made to the claimants concerned but have yet to be accepted.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost of the monitoring of illegal drugs in prisons for each of the last three years. [106562]
Mr. Boateng:
The table shows expenditure on mandatory drug testing in prisons for each of the last three years, excluding staff costs which are not collected.
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| Year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 1,599,137 |
| 1998-99 | 1,550,254 |
| 1999-2000(7) | 1,252,357 |
(7) Year to date figure for April to December 1999
Departmental Research Contracts
Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 20 December 1999, Official Report, column 373W, on departmental research contracts, if he will place a copy of the standard research contract in use by his Department in the Library. [107097]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: A copy of the standard research contract used by the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate has been placed in the Library. The document is currently being reviewed and an updated version will be placed in the Library once available. There is no standard contract in the case of scientific research due to the unique nature of each contract let.
Police Recruits
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many bids have been received for funding for extra police recruits under year one of the Crime Fighting Fund; if he will list the amount of money and number of officers requested in each bid and in total; and if he will make a statement; [107956]
- (2) how many additional police recruits he estimates are to be funded in response to bids from police forces for funds from year one of the Crime Fighting Fund; and if he will make a statement. [107957]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Forty three forces have bid for a total of 2,908 officers under year one of the Crime Fighting Fund Recruitment Scheme. Details are set out in the table. Based on the costs set out in the Bidding Guidelines, which were issued for forces and a copy placed in the Library on 2 December 1999, funding for 2,908 officers would total more than £96 million. We are currently assessing the bids against the criteria set out in the Guidelines and my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, will be announcing the results shortly.
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