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Passports
29. Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on European Commission proposals relating to the design of passports in EU member states. [137478]
Mrs. Roche: The European Commission has not yet put forward any proposals on passport format, although it announced its intention to do so in September. We have made clear to the Commission that we would not agree to the removal of the Royal Coat of Arms from the cover of the passport. Nor would we agree to any other amendments which were not justified on security grounds.
The Commission has said that there is, and will be, no proposal to replace the Royal Crest with stars on the front of passports, or to change the message on the inside cover.
We will inform Parliament more fully of our reactions to the proposals when they emerge.
Prisoner Numbers
31. Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were imprisoned on the most recent date for which figures are available; and how many prison places were available on that date. [137480]
Mr. Boateng: The latest data available are for Thursday 9 November 2000, when the population was 64,004.
The uncrowded capacity of the prison estate is 63,456 and the crowded capacity is 71,131.
Metropolitan Police Personnel
32. Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many uniformed Metropolitan police personnel were based within the Greater London area on 1 November (a) 2000, (b) 1999, (c) 1998 (d) 1997 and (e) 1996. [137481]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the number of officers available for duty in the Metropolitan police on 1 November for the years in question is as shown in the table.
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| Year (as at 1 November) | Number of police officers (full time equivalents) |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 27,013 |
| 1997 | 26,519 |
| 1998 | 26,084 |
| 1999 | 25,808 |
| 2000 | (22)24,715 |
(22) On 1 April the Metropolitan Police District was reduced in size
following boundary changes with the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire
and Surrey.
Hendon Police College
33. Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers began basic training at Hendon in 1996; and how many he estimates will do so in 2000. [137482]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that the number of officers who began basic training at Hendon in 1996 was 1,065. Since January 2000, 703 recruits have commenced training at Hendon, a further 134 are due to commence on 12 November 2000, and the December intake is estimated to be 150. Should these estimated numbers be achieved the total for the full year would be 987.
Internet-related Crime
34. Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to provide resources to police forces in England and Wales to enable them to combat internet-related crime. [137483]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I refer the hon Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Mr. Shaw) on 13 November 2000, Official Report, column 530W.
Drug Misuse
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of drug treatment and testing orders on reoffending rates. [137456]
Mr. Boateng: Evaluation of the three pilots found that the number of crimes committed by offenders subject to Drug Treatment and Testing Orders fell from an average of 137 offences in the month before arrest to around 34 per month after only six weeks on the order. These reductions were largely maintained over time. Those who have completed the order were reported to have stopped offending.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish a royal commission on drug misuse; and if he will make a statement. [137461]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Government have a comprehensive and challenging 10-year National Drug Strategy to tackle all aspects of the drugs problem in this country. The Government have no intention of establishing a Royal Commission, which would serve only to distract from the Strategy.
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Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the availability of drugs in prisons; and what steps he is taking to reduce that availability. [134821]
Mr. Boateng: There are no direct measures of the availability of drugs in prisons. Random mandatory drug testing figures provide an indirect measure--the latest figures indicate that on average 12.5 per cent. of prisoners test positive for drugs (down from 24.4 per cent. in 1996-1997).
There is a comprehensive series of measures in place to reduce the availability of drugs; including: Closed Circuit Television surveillance of visits areas (118 establishments);
Drug detention dogs (nationally 121 passive and 195 active dogs); visit bans initiative (from 1 April 1999-30 June 2000, 2,991 visitors were banned on suspicion of trafficking and 401 placed on closed visits); low level fixed furniture is now in use in many prison visit areas to inhibit smuggling; and Police and Prison Services have agreed protocols to enhance mutual co-operation and effectiveness.
Remedial Orders
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the procedure for approving remedial orders under the Human Rights Act 1998. [137459]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The procedure is set out in full in Schedule 2 of the Human Rights Act 1998. The procedure allows an opportunity for representations to be made on the proposed changes to the law.
Parenting Orders
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parenting orders have been granted under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998; and how many are currently being processed. [137476]
Mr. Boateng: The parenting order under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 was implemented nationally on 1 June 2000 following successful pilots. Reinforcing parental responsibility is a key objective of the Government's youth justice reforms and the order provides a new means of supporting parents in exercising proper responsibility for their children's behaviour.
Information from the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales indicates that between 30 September 1998 and 31 March 2000, 284 parenting orders were made in the pilot areas. Information on the number of parenting orders currently being considered is not available centrally.
Postal Ballots
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the (a) security and (b) integrity of postal ballots. [134878]
Mr. Straw [holding answer 26 October 2000]: I have no reason to believe that the existing safeguards in respect of the security and integrity of postal ballots have been compromised, but I am always ready to consider representations as to how the system may be improved.
20 Nov 2000 : Column: 87W
New Deal for Young People
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are employed by his Department under the New Deal for Young People. [137964]
Mr. Straw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 14 November 2000, Official Report, column 551W.
Immigration (Carriers' Liability)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the financial penalties imposed on carriers for carriage of third country nationals lacking necessary documents broken down by EU member state. [138086]
Mrs. Roche: Not all European Union member states currently impose financial penalties on carriers for the carriage of third country nationals who arrive without the required documents. Where member states do impose such provisions, the systems for imposing penalties and deciding the amount to be charged differ. The definitive position could only be obtained by direct reference to the authorities of each individual State--therefore I regret that the information requested could only be ascertained at disproportionate cost.
So far as the United Kingdom is concerned, the prescribed sum payable under the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987 is £2,000.
Criminal Records Bureau
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to assist voluntary youth organisations by meeting the cost of Criminal Record Bureau charges from public funds. [138301]
Mr. Charles Clarke: It has always been the intention that, when the Criminal Records Bureau comes on stream, it will be expected to recover its costs through charges that it makes in relation to the certificates that it issues, on application, to individuals. Voluntary organisations, and employers, will be able to reimburse applicants if they so wish. Waiving charges in respect of those applying from the voluntary sector, or from part of the sector, would inevitably increase the cost to the public purse or for other applicants. We have made clear our determination to keep fees as low as possible. An impact assessment will address the implications for the voluntary sector and others.
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the regulatory impact assessment on the Criminal Records Bureau was commissioned; and when it will be published. [138047]
Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 13 November 2000]: A compliance cost assessment (a forerunner of current regulatory impact assessments) was carried out in 1996 in advance of the introduction of the Police Bill. A further regulatory impact assessment is to be conducted to provide an up-to-date evaluation of the implications for those applying for certificates of the fees to be charged by the Criminal Records Bureau. The exercise will be carried out before regulations are made which prescribe such matters as the level of fees, in advance of the Bureau becoming operational in around July 2001. Officials will
20 Nov 2000 : Column: 88W
contact a cross-section of affected organisations before the end of November in order to seek information about those organisations and about the implications for them of the charging of fees. This information will be collated in the regulatory impact assessment document which it is hoped it will be possible to make public for wider consultation before the end of February. I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as the detailed timetable, which is the subject of continuing discussions, has become clearer.
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