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HOME DEPARTMENT
Police Complaints Authority
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what recent representations he has received concerning the independence of the Police Complaints Authority from the police that they investigate; [118586]
- (2) what plans he has to increase the Police Complaints Authority's independence from the police that they investigate. [118587]
Mr. Charles Clarke: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary receives many representations about the investigation of complaints against the police and the need for greater independence in the process. Although the Police Complaints Authority, which oversees the complaints process, is fully independent of the police, the present arrangements rely on police officers to carry out investigations. We recognise that a complaints system with a stronger independent element in the process would do much to bolster public confidence.
In line with recommendations made by the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, we commissioned a feasibility study, which we intend to publish shortly. We will, at the same time, invite public comments on the options which have been identified for achieving such a system.
Proxy Voters
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the parliamentary constituencies at the 1997 General Election ranked from highest to lowest by (a) number of proxy voters and (b) proxy voters as a percentage of registered electors. [118381]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The lists of parliamentary constituencies ranked by number of persons who appointed proxies to vote on their behalf at the 1997 general election and those persons as a percentage of registered electors have been placed in the Library.
Charles Kray
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the body of Charles Kray will be released for burial intact. [118878]
Mr. Boateng: I understand that the coroner released the body for burial on 7 April after a post-mortem examination had been carried out on his instructions. No organs or other body parts were retained.
Criminal Records
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of incorrect information
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from criminal record files provided in response to employment inquiries have been reported to police forces in the last year for which figures are available. [118870]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Such information is not available centrally. We recognise that there are shortcomings in the accuracy of records, which need to be addressed, especially given that the Criminal Records Bureau will come into operation from July 2001 onwards. The Police Service is working to improve the accuracy of criminal records, and the Association of Chief Police Officers has produced proposals for enhancing police data handling. In addition, a report of a review by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary of data quality of criminal records information held on the Police National Computer is expected to be published in the summer.
Fraud (Prosecutions)
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of fraud were prosecuted in (a) 1997 and (b) 1999. [117761]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database shows that in England and Wales in 1997 there were 20,744 defendants prosecuted for fraud (including false accounting) offences. In 1998, the figure was 23,880. Provisional data for 1999 will be available in the summer.
Police Numbers
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 April 2000, Official Report, columns 595-96W, and his answer to the hon. Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham) of 27 March 2000, Official Report, columns 1-3W, on the number of recruits resulting from the additional £11 million, what level of funding is being provided by his Department for (a) 2,000 extra recruits in 2000-01 and (b) 3,000 extra recruits in 2001-02; how many extra recruits will be funded by the £46 million he has announced in total for 2000-01; and if he will make a statement. [118847]
Mr. Straw: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave on 6 April 2000, Official Report, columns 595-96W.
Young Offenders (Bullying)
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent changes there have been in young offenders' institutions to deal with bullying; if such changes have been effective; and if he will make a statement. [118875]
Mr. Boateng: The most recent change in young offender institutions has been the introduction of Prison Service Order 1702 which was issued in July 1999, a copy of which is in the Library. The Order requires that each establishment has a written anti-bullying strategy and an anti-bullying co-ordinator in place. In addition, each establishment must provide a copy of their strategy to Prison Service headquarters. On 11 April 2000, 55 written strategies had been reviewed by Prison Service headquarters; of these, 10 were from young offender institutions.
The positive action already being taken by establishments will convey to all prisoners that the Prison Service takes the problem of bullying seriously. The
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Prison Service is confident that the development of the local strategies, together with improved training for staff, will reduce bullying in young offender institutions.
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what allegations have been received by his Department of bullying at young offenders' institutions in the last two years; and if he will make a statement. [118876]
Mr. Boateng: The information requested cannot be obtained from the centrally available data without incurring disproportionate costs.
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suicides have occurred in the past two years in young offenders' institutions; and if he will list the institutions. [118877]
Mr. Boateng: The information requested is given in the table.
| Number of self-inflicted deaths | ||
|---|---|---|
| Young offender institutions | 1998 | 1999 |
| Aylesbury | 0 | 3 |
| Castington | 0 | 1 |
| Deerbolt | 0 | 0 |
| Dover | 0 | 0 |
| Feltham | 0 | 0 |
| Glen Parva | 2 | 1 |
| Guys Marsh | 0 | 0 |
| Hatfield | 0 | 0 |
| Huntercombe | 0 | 0 |
| Onley | 0 | 0 |
| Portland | 0 | 1 |
| Reading | 3 | 0 |
| Stoke Heath | 0 | 1 |
| Swinfen Hall | 0 | 0 |
| Thorn Cross | 0 | 0 |
| Wetherby | 0 | 1 |
Notes:
1. Establishments have been categorised according to their primary role. However, it should be noted that there are a number of other prisons that hold young offenders (eg male remand centres) which are not included.
2. Not all self-inflicted deaths conclude with a verdict of suicide.
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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Asylum Appeals
Mr. Cox: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many asylum appeal cases were awaiting a hearing on 1 April. [118492]
Jane Kennedy: At the end of March 2000 there were no arrears of work before the adjudicators. All the cases in the system (some 3,500 at the end of February) were at the appropriate stage of preparation for hearing or promulgation of the decision.
At the end of February, the Immigration Appeal Tribunal had 2,000 cases awaiting hearing. By the end of April all backlog cases which were awaiting a hearing date will have been heard and all new cases will be listed for hearing within five weeks.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Winter Fuel Payments
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of persons over state pension age who are not entitled to a winter fuel payment because they have not paid sufficient national insurance contributions to receive a state pension and who do not receive another qualifying benefit. [118917]
Mr. Rooker: Arrangements are now in place to make winter fuel payments to people aged 60 and over who satisfy the qualifying conditions, regardless of whether they are in receipt of state retirement pension or other social security benefits.
Jobseekers
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are registered as looking for work and claiming only national insurance credits in each region of the UK, broken down by sex; and of these how many are aged (a) over and (b) under 50 years. [118758]
Mr. Rooker: The information is in the table.
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| All cases | Female | Male | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 50 | 50 and over | Under 50 | 50 and over | Under 50 | 50 and over | |
| Great Britain | 67.1 | 40.9 | 24.9 | 11.7 | 42.1 | 29.2 |
| North | 4.2 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 2.3 |
| North West | 9.3 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 6.2 | 3.5 |
| Yorks and Humber | 7.0 | 4.3 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 4.2 | 3.3 |
| East Midlands | 3.9 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 1.8 |
| West Midlands | 5.8 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| Eastern | 4.8 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 2.1 |
| London | 9.4 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 6.2 | 2.7 |
| South East | 6.4 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 2.8 |
| South West | 5.2 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 1.9 |
| Wales | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
| Scotland | 7.2 | 5.2 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 4.4 | 3.7 |
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred and shown in thousands.
2. Numbers are based on a 5 per cent. sample.
3. Figures for Northern Ireland can be obtained from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
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