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Foston Hall

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to ensure that prisoners at HMP and Young Offenders Institution Foston Hall have access to suitable health care. [110899]

Mr. Boateng: There is a full range of clinics and counselling services at Foston Hall prison. However, improvements are being made to health care services at the prison. The governor has had discussions with the chief executive of Derbyshire National Health Service to agree new arrangements under the new joint Prison Service/National Health Service partnership. All standards will be met under the new partnership. A health questionnaire prepared by the health authority has been completed by prisoners and will form the basis of a needs analysis.

Gambling

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to set up an inquiry into the future of gambling; and if he will make a statement. [111274]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, Southgate (Mr. Twigg) on 16 February 2000, Official Report, columns 537-38W, which set out the terms of reference for the review of gambling which should start shortly after Easter and which will be undertaken by a review body chaired by Sir Alan Budd.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in the reform of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [110590]

Mrs. Roche: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has continued to operate an efficient port control, facilitating the arrival in the United Kingdom of nearly 90 million passengers (returning residents, tourists,

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 823W

business travellers, students and others), while preventing the admission of those not entitled to enter and removing many not entitled to stay. Workload pressures and operational difficulties have slowed dispatch of asylum and other casework, but the ground has been laid for recovery. A new legislative framework has been established for the future conduct of immigration and asylum business in the interests of the economic growth and social stability of the United Kingdom.

Performance Inspection Probation Report

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the Performance Inspection Probation report for the West Midlands Region. [110589]

Mr. Boateng: I have considered the reports by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Probation on the five services in the West Midlands region resulting from inspections carried out early in 1999 under his Performance Inspection Programme of probation services in England and Wales.

The Chief Inspector considers that two services, Hereford and Worcester and Warwickshire, are generally performing satisfactorily; that Staffordshire, while not performing satisfactorily in all respects, has features which contain good practice; and that Shropshire and West Midlands services are underachieving.

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 824W

This last point is a matter of serious concern. Shropshire and West Midlands services receive a full follow up inspection later this year, as part of a planned programme of such inspections.

I will consider the position further on receipt of reports of these re-inspections.

Anti-social Behaviour Orders

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been implemented in each police authority area. [111020]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Records of the numbers of anti-social behaviour orders granted by the courts are not currently held centrally, but we understand that about 25-30 orders have been made.

Court Order Pilots

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the areas in which (a) reparation orders, (b) parenting orders, (c) child safety orders and (d) action plan orders are being piloted; and how many such orders which have been issued to date in each pilot area since the legislation came into force. [111021]

Mr. Boateng: The information requested is set out in the table. It indicates the number of orders made in the pilot areas from 30 September 1998 to 31 January 2000, the latest date for which this information is available.

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 823W

Pilot area/orderReparation orderParenting orderAction plan order
Westminster20227
Kensington and Chelsea21030
Hammersmith and Fulham23353
Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight63728401
Wolverhampton14719127
Sheffield236984
Lewisham(57)--13(57)--
Devon(57)--12(57)--
Bedfordshire(57)--31(57)--
Luton(57)--12(57)--
St. Helens(57)--23(57)--
Sunderland(57)--90(57)--
Blackburn26(57)--(57)--
Total1,110242722

(57) The provision is not being piloted in this area


21 Feb 2000 : Column: 823W

In addition, two child safety orders have been made, both in the Sunderland pilot area.

Hendon Police Training College

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers have applied to join training at the Metropolitan Police Training College at Hendon commencing in March 2000. [110976]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Metropolitan Police Commissioner informs me that as at 18 February, there are 80 applicants to join the March 2000 intake.

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 824W

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the maximum number of officers which can be taken for training by the Metropolitan Police Training College at Hendon on a monthly basis. [110969]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Metropolitan Police Commissioner informs me that the training college at Hendon provides a wide range of residential and non-residential training courses, including recruit training. The maximum number of officers who can be accommodated for residential courses is 945.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers were taken for training by the Metropolitan Police Training College at Hendon in each month since April 1999 to date. [110968]

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 825W

Mr. Charles Clarke: The information requested is given in the table, provided by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

MonthIntake
April145
May0
June86
July90
August110
September103
October87
November94
December0
January101
February57

Note:

Intakes are five weekly, so some months have no intake


21 Feb 2000 : Column: 826W

Police Officers

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimates he has received from each police force of total wastage in police numbers for the three years commencing in April 2000; [110977]

Mr. Charles Clarke: In their bids for a share of the recruitment scheme of the Crime Fighting Fund, forces provided information on their projected wastage over the next three years. The table shows the estimates they have given for (i) wastage in terms of losses to each force and the Police Service as a whole; and (ii) projected transfers (i.e. transfers from each force into another), for the next three years. The latter are not losses to the Service.

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 825W

Police Officer projected wastage 2000-03

Projected wastage in terms of losses to each force and the service Projected transfers
Force2000-012000-022000-03Total2000-012000-022000-03Total
Avon and Somerset1151111113375101025
Bedfordshire45495715194518
Cambridgeshire63625718255515
Cheshire789010227066618
City of London40393911814131340
Cleveland53585316466618
Cumbria57575717166618
Derbyshire73747322043310
Devon and Cornwall132849631264414
Dorset8172612141113
Durham49565415955515
Dyfed-Powys40424012244412
Essex11411511734688824
Gloucestershire3650501362226
Greater Manchester27827925781415151545
Gwent5951541643339
Hampshire15015217047215151545
Hertfordshire931059529321232165
Humberside89948026366618
Kent15014114543620191958
Lancashire1021001163182226
Leicestershire75839425299927
Lincolnshire6363521783339
Merseyside14515516546515151545
Metropolitan1,2001,1001,0503,350200200150550
Norfolk5363621783339
North Wales5959591773339
North Yorkshire56585917365516
Northamptonshire4354581553339
Northumbria12412411836613101336
Nottinghamshire78787823466618
South Wales15215215245644412
South Yorkshire1021029930311111133
Staffordshire81818124388824
Suffolk54525516132510
Surrey14224210548925202570
Sussex18518518555515151545
Thames Valley16418119554025252575
Warwickshire46494714255515
West Mercia104949429266618
West Midlands312312312936434343129
West Yorkshire19020919759610111132
Wiltshire41484813744412
Total5,3665,4255,24916,0405835715311,685

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 827W

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) total wastage and (b) actual wastage in police numbers has taken place since March 1999 on a monthly basis in respect of each police force. [110972]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Wastage figures for the police are not collected on a monthly basis. The numbers of officers who left police forces between April and September 1999 are given in the table. These figures do not reflect recruitment to forces during this period.

Police strength in England and Wales: Wastage
(April 1999 to September 1999) (58)

Police forceNumber of officers
Avon and Somerset60
Bedfordshire31
Cambridgeshire28
Cheshire39
City of London31
Cleveland34
Cumbria35
Derbyshire21
Devon and Cornwall65
Dorset36
Durham25
Dyfed-Powys19
Essex99
Gloucestershire30
Greater Manchester155
Gwent40
Hampshire111
Hertfordshire50
Humberside48
Kent64
Lancashire54
Leicestershire36
Lincolnshire29
Merseyside85
Metropolitan Police715
Norfolk28
Northamptonshire16
Northumbria62
North Wales26
North Yorkshire33
Nottinghamshire45
South Wales95
South Yorkshire63
Staffordshire39
Suffolk29
Surrey35
Sussex88
Thames Valley90
Warwickshire21
West Mercia57
West Midlands157
West Yorkshire105
Wiltshire25
NCS137
NCIS14
Total all forces3,105

(58) Wastage includes retirements, dismissals, deaths and departures for other reasons


Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 9 February 2000, to the hon. Member for Elmet (Mr. Burgon), Official Report, column 172W, of the 12,478 police officers, how many are planned to be recruited by each force in each of the three years commencing in April. [110754]

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 828W

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Elmet (Mr. Burgon) of 9 February 2000, Official Report, column 172W, on police officer recruitment, if he will give a breakdown for each police force, in each year, of the officers they are planning to recruit over the next three years; for what reason the estimated figure of general police recruitment over the next three years is lower than the estimate he gave in October 1999 to the Home Affairs Committee; and if he will make a statement. [110743]

Mr. Charles Clarke: In their bids for a share of the recruitment scheme of the Crime Fighting Fund, forces provided information on their planned recruitment over the next three years. The table shows the projected appointments on probation and transfers in from other forces.

Actual recruitment levels will depend on the chief officer's decisions in the light of the available resources--including the outcome of the 2000 Spending Review now under way.

When my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary spoke to the Home Affairs Committee on 26 October last year, the best estimate at that time for the recruitment of new officers to the police service over the next three years was based on projecting forward past trends and suggested between a little over 13,000 and 16,500, but crucially, depending on the assumptions made about the impact of future budget pressures. Professor Buck independently verified these figures and thought that taking 15,000 as an indicative figure for planning purposes was not unreasonable. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary said that we would be seeking more specific information from forces about their recruitment plans.

In bidding for a share of the Fund, forces were asked for details of the numbers of officers (new to the service) that they were planning to recruit over the next three years. Their projections come to 12,478.

Forces' projections reflect the decisions and assumptions they and their police authorities have made about the way in which they will use the resources available to them, not just next year but in the two following years, where budgets have yet to be settled.

Projected police officer recruitment--2000-03

Force2000-012001-022002-03Total
Projected appointments on probation
Avon and Somerset658080225
Bedfordshire525252156
Cambridgeshire1015247200
Cheshire707673219
City of London505252154
Cleveland595147157
Cumbria56060125
Derbyshire366048144
Devon and Cornwall884870206
Dorset423631109
Durham465351150
Dyfed-Powys343634104
Essex200113115428
Gloucestershire907070230
Greater Manchester244279257780
Gwent07451125
Hampshire170152170492
Hertfordshire114128116358
Humberside0000
Kent14560139344
Lancashire808080240
Leicestershire718394248
Lincolnshire555545155
Merseyside404040120
Metropolitan6923466001,638
Norfolk20312980
North Wales575757171
North Yorkshire606360183
Northamptonshire273740104
Northumbria154137134425
Nottinghamshire877373233
South Wales192162162516
South Yorkshire808080240
Staffordshire113468113
Suffolk163655107
Surrey145212100457
Sussex160160160480
Thames Valley180175166521
Warwickshire484848144
West Mercia(59)665090206
West Midlands 330330330990
West Yorkshire105105105315
Wiltshire28273186
Total4,3153,9534,21012,478
Projected Transfers in
Avon and Somerset25252575
Bedfordshire2226
Cambridgeshire15151545
Cheshire10101030
City of London0000
Cleveland12131237
Cumbria0000
Derbyshire4161131
Devon and Cornwall20202060
Dorset32363098
Durham88824
Dyfed-Powys10101030
Essex10101030
Gloucestershire55515
Greater Manchester10101030
Gwent08614
Hampshire20151550
Hertfordshire14141442
Humberside0000
Kent15151545
Lancashire66618
Leicestershire99927
Lincolnshire15111036
Merseyside10101030
Metropolitan15151545
Norfolk12121236
North Wales55515
North Yorkshire15101540
Northamptonshire56718
Northumbria0000
Nottinghamshire11111133
South Wales12121236
South Yorkshire12121236
Staffordshire051015
Suffolk44412
Surrey375030117
Sussex15151545
Thames Valley55515
Warwickshire0000
West Mercia(59)10101030
West Midlands20202060
West Yorkshire10101030
Wiltshire88824
Total4484784541,380
Total projected appointments on probation plus Transfers in
Avon and Somerset90105105300
Bedfordshire545454162
Cambridgeshire1166762245
Cheshire808683249
City of London505252154
Cleveland716459194
Cumbria56060125
Derbyshire407659175
Devon and Cornwall1086890266
Dorset 747261207
Durham546159174
Dyfed-Powys444644134
Essex210123125458
Gloucestershire957575145
Greater Manchester254289267810
Gwent08257139
Hampshire190167185542
Hertfordshire128142130400
Humberside0000
Kent16075154389
Lancashire868686258
Leicestershire8092103275
Lincolnshire706655191
Merseyside505050150
Metropolitan7073616151,683
Norfolk324341116
North Wales626262186
North Yorkshire757375223
Northamptonshire324347122
Northumbria154137134425
Nottinghamshire988484266
South Wales204174174552
South Yorkshire929292276
Staffordshire113978128
Suffolk204059119
Surrey182262130574
Sussex175175175525
Thames Valley185180171536
Warwickshire484848144
West Mercia(59)7660100236
West Midlands3503503501,050
West Yorkshire115115115345
Wiltshire363539110
Total4,7634,4314,66413,858

(59) West Mercia uncertain about level of budget: 31 or 66 will be recruited in 2000-01.


21 Feb 2000 : Column: 830W


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