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Millennium Celebrations (Policing)
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to police forces of additional commitments for policing for the Millennium celebrations; and if he will make a statement. [114649]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The detailed information is not collected centrally, but estimates were provided in the reply that I gave the hon. Member on 21 December 1999, Official Report, column 485W.
Secure Training Centres
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of concerted indiscipline have been recorded at each secure training centre in each quarterly period since they have been open and in total to date; and if he will make a statement. [114640]
Mr. Boateng: There have been a total of 45 recorded incidents of concerted indiscipline at the three secure training centres (STC) since the first centre opened. Medway opened on 17 April 1998, Rainsbrook opened on 1 July 1999 and Hassockfield opened on 17 September 1999.
The definition of concerted indiscipline is not uniform across the three contracts. In the Medway and Rainsbrook contracts, "concerted indiscipline" is defined as
Any single act committed by a group of more than two Trainees, which is in breach of the STC Rules.
In the Hassockfield contract, "concerted indiscipline" is defined as
Any single incident when two or more Trainees act together with the intention of disrupting the order and discipline of the Secure Training Centre and/or refusing to desist any action or to comply with any lawful order.
A quarterly breakdown of the total of recorded incidents of concerted indiscipline, by individual centre, is as follows:
| Medway | Rainsbrook | Hassockfield | |
|---|---|---|---|
| April-June 1998 | 2 | (11)-- | (11)-- |
| July-September 1998 | 10 | (11)-- | (11)-- |
| October-December 1998 | 5 | (11)-- | (11)-- |
| January-March 1999 | 1 | (11)-- | (11)-- |
| April-June 1999 | 5 | (11)-- | (11)-- |
| July-September 1999 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| October-December 1999 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| January-10 March 2000 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
(11) Not open
Persistent young offenders often exhibit challenging behaviour. Preliminary analysis shows that half of the early recipients of the Secure Training Order had been excluded from school and at least 75 per cent. had been in local authority homes care. Many trainees have a history of disruptive behaviour in local authority homes. Previous community-based attempts to tackle their offending have proven to be unsuccessful.
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Dealing with large groups of volatile young offenders has been problematical. The centres have experienced early operating difficulties, each to varying degrees. The contractors continue to learn from their experience and my officials, with the assistance of inspectors from Social Services Inspectorate and Ofsted, continue to monitor the management of each of the centres.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the (a) capital cost of establishing each secure training centre and (b) average cost per place per year; how many places are there in total at secure training centres; what plans he has to open further secure training centres; and if he will make a statement. [114643]
Mr. Boateng:
The capital costs of secure training centres are met by the contractors, with part of the contract payment (the fixed element) covering the cost of financing the capital expenditure. We estimate that the capital costs are in the order of £10 million per centre. The average cost per place per year, including the fixed element and based on full occupancy, is: Medway £149,445; Rainsbrook £118,161 and; Hassockfield £131,827 (all at January 2000 prices). There are 120 places in total at the three centres. There are currently plans to provide two further secure training centres. From 1 April, the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales will take on the function of commissioning and purchasing secure accommodation for remanded and sentenced children and young people.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees involved in education have resigned at each secure training centre since they opened; and if he will make a statement. [114642]
Mr. Boateng:
There are three secure training centres, each contracted to hold up to 40 trainees. Medway opened on 17 April 1998, Rainsbrook opened on 1 July 1999 and Hassockfield opened on 17 September 1999.
As at 10 March 2000, the number of teaching staff who have resigned at each of these centres since they opened is six at Medway; one at Rainsbrook; and five at Hassockfield. A further two teachers at Hassockfield are working their period of notice.
The contracts require each centre to provide each trainee with 25 hours per week of education and/or vocational training, and for nine full time equivalent teachers to be employed at each centre. Occasional shortfalls in the number of full time teachers have been remedied by the use of sessional teachers and all three centres have continued to deliver the requirement for twenty five hours of education per week per trainee throughout the period of contract.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to date of damage caused by those held at each secure training centre; and if he will make a statement. [114641]
Mr. Boateng:
The cost of damage caused by those held at secure training centres is met in full by the contractor and not passed on to the Home Office. Contractors are not required to provide details of such costs to the Home Office and the information requested is not, therefore, available.
14 Mar 2000 : Column: 166W
Dr. Ladyman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 2000, Official Report, columns 661-62W, (1) how many hours work his officials put into investigating the allegations made by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection against Harlan UK; what was the total cost of the investigation, including the cost of the time spent on it by his officials; and what plans he has to recoup that cost from the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection; [114200]
(3) how many lines of text of his officials' report into the allegations made by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection against Harlan UK were blanked out or removed at the request of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection before a copy was placed in the Library; what subjects these sections refer to; what reasons were given by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection for requesting that these sections of the report be blanked out or removed; if these sections include suggestions by his officers that the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection investigator was herself responsible for the breaches that formed the basis of the allegations made against Harlan UK; and if he will publish the full, unedited version of his official's report of their investigation. [114202]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
As originally summarised by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), there were 22 clusters of allegations which were investigated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate. A further set of eight allegations was submitted in July 1999. One breach of a condition of certification, mentioned separately in two allegations, was confirmed. No action has been judged necessary in relation to the remaining allegations.
Blanked out areas of the text in the report placed in the Library on 8 March reflect confidentiality agreements entered into by the Home Office and points of commercial sensitivity and personal safety. About 90 lines of text were blanked out because of a confidentiality agreement with the BUAV, accepted in July 1999 in order to obtain information to enable a full Home Office investigation. This agreement covered incidental material from videotapes, an audio-tape and diaries kept by the undercover investigator. An interview conducted with her in the course of the Inspectorate's investigation was also subject to the same reservations. Discussions are continuing with the BUAV about the release of confidentiality of these sections of the report, so that a fuller version can be published.
In excess of 1,000 hours were expended on the investigation into the allegations and the preparation of the report at a cost of more than £36,000. Inspectors were also diverted from other work protecting animals to
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investigate these allegations. There is no mechanism by which I can recoup the costs from the BUAV: they will form a minor part of the expenditure in operating the 1986 Act which must be recouped each year through levying fees on designated establishments and personal licence holders.
(2) how many allegations of breaches of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, its codes of practices and licence conditions were made by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection in their report about Harlan UK; and how many of these were substantiated by the results of the investigation made by his officials; [114201]
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