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Metropolitan Police

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has received from the Metropolitan Police Commission of the end of year 1999-2000 strength of the Metropolitan Police as against the budgeted target. [110975]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Metropolitan Police Commissioner informs me that the estimate of police strength at the end of the current financial year will be 26,048 officers against a budgeted target of 26,425 officers.

Both figures include officers seconded to the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the National Crime Squad.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total number of civilian staff in the Metropolitan Police Service in each month since March 1999. [111045]

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 831W

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

Month	Numbers of civilian staff
March	11,390
April	11,249
May	11,190
June	11,242
July	11,259
August	11,219
September	11,119
October	10,861
November	10,844
December	10,796
January	10,791

Notes:

1. Figures represent the totals as at the end of each month

2. 313 civilian staff were transferred to outsourced contractors between March 1999 and January 2000

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total number of constables with less than two years police service in the Metropolitan Police Service in each month since March 1999. [110973]

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

Month	Number of constables with less than two years service
March	2,574
April	2,604
May	2,449
June	2,382
July	2,285
August	2,257
September	2,246
October	2,320
November	2,301
December	2,213
January	2,221

Note:

Figures provided represent the position at the end of each month

Interception Warrants

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been (a) made to and (b) upheld by the Tribunal set up under the Interception of Communications Act 1985 since its establishment. [111136]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The number of complaints investigated by the Tribunal are given in the table:

Year	Number of complaints
1986-87(60)	41
1987	32
1988	30
1989	49
1990	59
1991	58
1992	45
1993	41
1994	36
1995	62
1996	33
1997	79
1998	75
1999	(61)--

(60) April 1986 to April 1987

(61) Not yet available

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 832W

On no occasion has the Tribunal concluded that there had been a contravention of sections 2-5 of the Interception of Communications Act 1985.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many interception warrants he authorised in 1999. [111142]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Figures for the number of warrants authorised in 1999 are not yet available. They will be published in the annual report of the Commissioner appointed under the Interception of Communications Act 1985 (currently Lord Nolan). A copy will be placed in the Library.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many interception warrants were in force in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on 31 December 1999. [111132]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Figures for the number of warrants in force on 31 December 1999 are not yet available. They will be published in the annual report of the Commissioner appointed under the Interception of Communications Act 1985 (currently Lord Nolan). A copy will be placed in the Library.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many modifications of interception warrants he authorised in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999. [111135]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Figures are available only for the modification of warrants issued for the purpose of the prevention and detection of serious crime. Until 1 August 1998, this power was used only for warrants issued on the grounds of national security or of safeguarding the economic well-being of the United Kingdom. From 1 August 1998 until 31 December 1998, there were 172 modifications of serious crime warrants. Figures for 1999 are not yet available.

Traffic Wardens

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total number of traffic wardens in the Metropolitan Police Service jurisdiction in each month since March 1999. [110974]

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

Traffic wardens in the Metropolitan police jurisdiction

Month	Number
March	964
April	948
May	927
June	918
July	905
August	892
September	895
October	872
November	859
December	857
January	845

Note:

Figures represent the position as at the end of each month.

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 833W

Legislation

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the Bill to extend the use of mandatory drug testing, reform the probation services in England and Wales, create a new children and family court advisory service and prevent unsuitable people from working with children; what are the reasons for the timescale adopted for publishing the Bill; and if he will make a statement. [110749]

Mr. Charles Clarke: We will introduce legislation to reform the probation service in England and Wales, to create a new children and family court advisory service, to provide for mandatory drug testing, to extend the use of electronic monitoring, and to create an integrated system to help prevent unsuitable people from working with children, as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Fines

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 February 2000, Official Report, column 318W, for what reasons the number of people fined for offences has fallen over the last 10 years; whether it is his policy to increase the number of offenders fined; what the latest figures are for reoffending rates following a fine compared to other types of sentence; and if he will make a statement. [110953]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Government want to encourage the use of fines, which can be an effective penalty. A project funded under the Crime Reduction Programme is under way to identify and extend successful fine enforcement techniques. This should encourage courts to make greater use of fines.

The use of fines as a disposal has been decreasing since the mid 1970s. This is due to a combination of factors including the greater variety and use of community sentences, and the increased use of immediate custody. Other specific factors, such as the sharp fall in 1996-97 in proceedings under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts (mainly Television licence evasion), and changes arising from the reclassification of the offence of driving while disqualified also had an effect.

Information on reoffending rates is not available centrally. The latest information on reconviction rates following fines and other types of non-custodial disposal is shown in the table. These relate to a sample of offenders who were sentenced during the first quarter of 1996 and reconvicted within two years of sentence. 56 per cent. of those released from custody during 1995 were reconvicted within two years of release.

21 Feb 2000 : Column: 834W

Two year reconviction rates by type of non-custodial disposal, first quarter of 1996Percentage

Disposal	Reconviction rate
Conditional Discharge	45
Fine	36
Probation	60
Community Service	51

Jury Trials

Mr. Marshall-Andrews: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for 1995 to 1999 the number and percentage of those who elected trial by jury in either way offences and who subsequently pleaded guilty who were committed jointly charged with others who contested the case in the Crown Court. [110819]

Mr. Charles Clarke: As I stated in my reply to a question from my hon. and learned Friend on 9 December 1999, Official Report, column 618W, the information requested is not collected centrally.

Mr. Marshall-Andrews: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people ordinarily resident in Scotland elected trial by jury in either way offences in the United Kingdom in each year from 1995 to 1999. [110818]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is only in England and Wales that defendants have the option of electing trial by jury.

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