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Ms Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to identify the number of ex-servicemen who have been convicted of a criminal offence. [142140]
Mr. Charles Clarke: There are no plans to identify the number of ex-servicemen who have been convicted of a criminal offence.
Mr. Pond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) powered patrol and supervisory craft, (b) personnel broken down by rank, (c) other staff, (d) operational marine stations and (e) specialist divers of the Thames Division of the Metropolitan police there were in each of the years 1980, 1989 and 2000. [141365]
13 Dec 2000 : Column: 178W
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has provided the information. The force's records for 1980 are incomplete and therefore the information provided is for 1989 and 2000.
There were 21 patrol boats and two supervision launches. The staffing in 1989 was as follows:
Number | |
---|---|
Police officers | |
Superintendent | 1 |
Chief Inspector | 1 |
Inspectors | 8 |
Sergeants | 22 |
Constables | 114 |
Civilian staff and other staff | |
Civilian support staff | 6 |
Garage staff (including boatyard) | 12 |
Special constables | 29 |
In 1989, Thames Division operated from the following locations: Barnes, Hampton, Moorings and Shepperton, Wapping and Waterloo Pier.Metropolitan police service records in 1989 did not differentiate between divers and other specially employed officers. However, force duty records suggest there were nine officers employed as divers.
There were 11 patrol boats and three supervision launches. The staffing in 2000 was as follows:
Number | |
---|---|
Police officers | |
Chief Inspector | 1 |
Inspectors | 5 |
Sergeants | 14 |
Constables | 67 |
Civilian staff and other staff | |
Civilian support staff | 6 |
Special constables | 11 |
In 2000, the Marine Support Unit operated from Wapping with satellite unstaffed bases at Waterloo Pier and Richmond.
There were nine divers (one sergeant and eight constables).
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on support for asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors, in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99, (d) 1999-2000 and (e) the period since 1 April. [142445]
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 12 December 2000]: The Home Department assumed responsibility for asylum support costs on 1 April 1999 as a result of the comprehensive spending review. These costs were previously the responsibility of the Department of Social Security and Department of Health. Their combined direct expenditure for supporting asylum seekers in 1996-97
13 Dec 2000 : Column: 179W
was £413 million, in 1997-98 was £375 million and in 1998-99 was £475 million. These figures include costs for supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children.
The comparable costs in 1999-2000 to the Home Office budget of supporting asylum seekers in the United Kingdom was £537 million. The Department of Health incurred an additional cost of £52 million for supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children, bringing the total costs in 1999-2000 for supporting asylum seekers to £590 million.
Expenditure by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate for asylum support from 1 April 2000 to 30 November 2000 was £463 million. This figure does not include costs for supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children as the grant exercise for 2000-01 will be conducted later in the year.
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Electoral Commissioners are to be appointed; and if he will make a statement. [141388]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We intend to table a motion for an Address to be presented to Her Majesty, as required by section 3(1) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, soon.
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a closed season for (a) hare coursing and (b) shooting; and if he will make a statement. [141748]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Hunting Bill, which received its First Reading on 7 December 2000, contains three options dealing with the issue of hunting with dogs in England and Wales. The option at schedule 3 of the Bill would provide for a ban on hare coursing.
There are no current plans for a close season for hare coursing should Parliament not introduce a ban, though the activity as regulated by the National Coursing Club should not take place for most of the period between March and August each year.
The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) inform me that a Biodiversity Action Plan for the Brown Hare was set up with the objective of maintaining and expanding existing populations. It does not, however, recommend introducing a close season for shooting hares (though there are restrictions on that under the Ground Game Act 1880), and there are currently no plans to bring in such a measure.
Close seasons for shooting a number of other species of wildlife already exist in the Game Act 1831 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. These are for conservation purposes, to allow numbers to recover and to ensure, in accordance with the European Community Wild Birds Directive, that hunting does not occur during rearing seasons.
13 Dec 2000 : Column: 180W
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicle-related crimes occurred in Sussex in each year since 1979. [142137]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The number of thefts of vehicles and thefts from vehicles are given in the table.
Year | Theft of vehicle | Theft from vehicle |
---|---|---|
1979 | 3,685 | 4,144 |
1980 | 3,864 | 4,302 |
1981 | 3,717 | 5,162 |
1982 | 4,157 | 7,278 |
1983 | 3,729 | 7,363 |
1984 | 4,686 | 7,716 |
1985 | 5,009 | 8,238 |
1986 | 5,290 | 8,870 |
1987 | 5,262 | 9,167 |
1988 | 5,497 | 10,065 |
1989 | 6,226 | 11,051 |
1990 | 7,210 | 15,465 |
1991 | 9,251 | 21,020 |
1992 | 9,006 | 22,981 |
1993 | 7,664 | 20,703 |
1994 | 6,701 | 18,286 |
1995 | 6,763 | 19,263 |
1996 | 7,424 | 20,217 |
1997 | 6,979 | 19,188 |
1998-99(6) | 7,076 | 18,258 |
1999-2000(6) | 7,721 | 17,419 |
(6) Year ending March
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences involving (a) firearms and (b) knives there were in Sussex in each year since 1979. [142110]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The number of offences involving knives is not collected centrally. The number of firearms offences in Sussex for the years requested is given as follows, and is the total for all firearms, including air weapons.
Year | Number |
---|---|
1979 | 74 |
1980 | 63 |
1981 | 91 |
1982 | 63 |
1983 | 42 |
1984 | 65 |
1985 | 74 |
1986 | 74 |
1987 | 92 |
1988 | 103 |
1989 | 165 |
1990 | 193 |
1991 | 184 |
1992 | 198 |
1993 | 208 |
1994 | 195 |
1995 | 189 |
1996 | 177 |
1997 | 218 |
1998-99(7) | 315 |
1999-2000(7) | 377 |
(7) Year ending March. There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which increased the overall number of offences recorded, of which firearms offences are a subset
13 Dec 2000 : Column: 181W
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to hold (a) a firearms and (b) a knife amnesty. [142111]
Mr. Charles Clarke: We are in favour in principle of periodic firearms amnesties, although the details and timing would need to be considered carefully in consultation with the police service and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). A formal amnesty would raise a number of legal and practical issues which would need to be resolved in advance.
As regards an amnesty for knives, we are aware of the existence of some schemes which have apparently been successful locally in reducing the incidence of knife crime. However, knives are not subject to licensing or similar controls, and there are no current plans to introduce a national knives amnesty in this country. It will be for individual police forces and other interested parties to decide whether to have a knives amnesty scheme or not in their location.
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