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Crime Prevention (Technology)
23. Mr. Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with representatives of the business community about the use of technology to prevent crime. [121554]
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Mr. Charles Clarke: We have established a number of initiatives to discuss with the business community the use of technology to prevent crime. We are working with industry to encourage the comprehensive electronic tagging or "chipping" of goods. The ability to track and trace goods effectively will have far-reaching implications for commerce and crime reduction. We are funding the
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Foresight Crime Prevention Panel, which includes business and industry representatives and is specifically seeking to identify opportunities for using advances in technology to reduce crime. Action teams, with representatives and is specifically seeking to identify opportunities for using advances in technology to reduce crime. Action teams, with representatives from business community, have also been established to look at retail, vehicle and property crime, including the use of technology.
Germar Rudolf
21. Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning the case of Germar Rudolf. [121552]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government are aware of the reports in some quarters that Mr. Rudolf may be in the United Kingdom. The police have also been informed of the allegations against Mr. Rudolf.
Closed Circuit Television (Chelmsford)
22. Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of CCTV in Chelmsford on the level of crime; and if he will make a statement. [121553]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Essex Police crime statistics show a 7 per cent. reduction in recorded crime in Chelmsford Town Centre since the Closed Circuit Television system became operational in January 1996. The true reduction is greater, as the figures are affected by a statistical change in 1998 in the method of recording violent crime. There have been 1,012 arrests directly attributable to CCTV, mainly for theft and public order offences.
E-commerce
24. Mr. St. Aubyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Department of Trade and Industry concerning e-commerce. [121555]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I have had a number of discussions with the Minister for Small Business and E-Commerce concerning e-commerce, particularly on the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill and the Electronic Communications Bill. Officials in the Home Office and the Department of Trade and Industry are working together closely to pursue the Government's policy of making the United Kingdom the best and the safest place in the world to conduct e-commerce.
Home Detention Curfew Scheme
27. Mr. Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many further offences have been committed by prisoners released under the Home Detention Curfew scheme while on the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [121558]
Mr. Boateng: Information based on notifications direct to the Prison Service and data from the Police National Computer show that fewer than 2 per cent. of prisoners placed on the Home Detention Curfew scheme since January 1999 have committed further offences while subject to the scheme. As at 15 May 2000, the Prison
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Service knew of 395 cases where curfewees had been convicted or cautioned for offences committed while subject to the scheme, or were awaiting prosecution for such offences. The total number of offences known to the Prison Service was 701.
Mr. Hope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners placed on the Home Detention Curfew scheme have committed further offences while subject to the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [123374]
Mr. Boateng: The latest information shows that fewer than 2 per cent. of the 20,632 prisoners placed on Home Detention Curfew by 15 May 2000 had committed further offences while subject to the scheme.
Interrogation of data on the Police National Computer (PNC) (covering 14,646 of the 14,837 prisoners placed on Home Detention Curfew up to 31 December 1999) indicates that, as at 13 April 2000, 351 of this group had been convicted of, or cautioned for, an offence committed while subject to the Home Detention Curfew scheme, or had a prosecution pending in respect of such an offence. In addition, there are 44 cases where the Prison Service has been notified of new charges involving prisoners placed on Home Detention Curfew in 2000 and prisoners placed on Home Detention Curfew in 1999 who could not be traced on the Police National Computer. (The figure of 44 excludes cases where the Prison Service is aware that charges were brought but not proceeded with, or resulted in acquittal). This means that at 15 May 2000 the total number of cases where the Prison Service knew of convictions, cautions or pending prosecutions in respect of curfewees was 395, or 1.9 per cent. of the total.
Table 1 gives a breakdown of the offences which led to convictions or cautions or where prosecutions are pending. Table 2 shows the number of cases in which these offences are similar in type to the original offence leading to a custodial sentence, and provides a breakdown.
Figures used in responding to previous Parliamentary Questions in relation to reoffending by those placed on the Home Detention Curfew (both in 1999 and 2000) were based on information about charges reported to the Prison Service by the police. The Prison Service had been previously notified of 171 cases where charges had been brought against offenders placed on Home Detention Curfew in 1999, and 37 cases involving offenders placed on Home Detention Curfew in 2000.
The interrogation of data from the Police National Computer was undertaken as part of the continuing evaluation of the Home Detention Curfew scheme by the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate. The evaluation exercise has not to date covered those placed on Home Detention Curfew in the current year, but regular updates are planned.
The figures obtained from the Police National Computer cannot be compared directly with those previously used in responding to Parliamentary Questions. The new figures are based on convictions, cautions and pending prosecutions, rather than charges reported to the Prison Service by the police. However, the figures show that there has been some under-reporting of charges by the police.
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This means that the procedures for notifying the Prison Service of curfewees charged with further offences have not fully been followed. These procedures are set down in Home Office Circular 1/99, issued to Chief Constables and police Home Detention Curfew Liaison Officers in January 1999. The circular requires the police to notify the Prison Service either at the time the charge is laid or at the first opportunity thereafter. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has today written to the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers, asking that the Association give this matter their attention and identify what steps can be taken to improve compliance with the circular. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary will also be monitoring actions taken by the police to improve compliance with the notification procedures.
As a reinforcing measure, other agencies will also be asked to alert the Prison Service to any case that comes to their attention, where a curfewee has been charged with an offence committed while subject to curfew. As already indicated, the Police National Computer will also be interrogated on a regular basis in order to monitor the effectiveness of the notification procedures, and to ensure that information on the numbers of convictions, cautions and pending prosecutions is kept up to date.
Although more curfewees have been charged with further offences than originally notified, overall compliance with the scheme remains high. Taking account of the new information, the successful completion rate is around 94 per cent. (93.6 per cent.).
The scheme is designed to ensure a better transition for short-term offenders between custody and the community. Prisoners are only placed on Home Detention Curfew after a careful risk assessment. The safety of the public is paramount at all times and, with this in mind, Prisoner Governors will be reminded of the importance, when considering a prisoner's suitability for Home Detention Curfew, of assessing the likelihood of reoffending while subject to curfew.
(14) One of the three rape cases was listed on PNC as pending prosecution, and is therefore included in the table. However, the Prison Service has since been informed that the offender was acquitted. The two other rape cases were previously known to the Prison Service and have been referred to in replies to earlier Parliamentary Questions.
Notes:
1. The table includes all 351 cases drawn from the PNC analysis and the 44 cases where the data is based on police notifications (excluding those cases where, following initial notification of a charge, the Prison Service was informed that the charges had been withdrawn or resulted in acquittal).
2. Where a curfewee was convicted of, or cautioned for more than one offence, or prosecution is pending in respect of more than one offence, the table shows the most serious offence.
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Notes:
1. The table compares the most serious index offence with all the offences involved in the fresh convictions, cautions and pending prosecutions.
2. Similar offences are defined for the purpose as offences within groups of offences shown above. All "stand alone" offences are not counted as similar in character to any other offence or group of offences.
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