| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Millennium Cities
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce the result of the competition for city status to mark the Millennium. [143421]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I am pleased to announce that, on the advice of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, Her Majesty The Queen has commanded that city status should be granted to Brighton and Hove, Inverness and Wolverhampton to mark the Millennium.
Although the grant of the honour remains a rare mark of distinction, The Queen accepted the Prime Minister's recommendation to grant city status to more than one town to commemorate the Millennium. City status will be granted by Letters Patent, which will now be prepared for presentation to Brighton and Hove, Inverness and Wolverhampton in due course.
The unsuccessful applicants will, of course, be disappointed not to have been honoured on this occasion. The quality of the 39 applications received was very high, however, and demonstrated the pride in their communities felt by local people in towns across the United Kingdom. They will all have an opportunity for their applications to be considered again, for the grant of city status to mark Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee in 2002. The Queen has agreed to the Prime Minister's recommendation that Her Jubilee should be marked, exceptionally, by grants of city status to a suitably qualified town in each of Wales, Northern Ireland, England and Scotland.
My officials will now initiate a review of the procedures used in the Millennium competition. Further details of the Golden Jubilee competition will be announced during the first half of next year.
18 Dec 2000 : Column: 65W
Complaints (Police)
Mr. Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce the Government's proposals for a new system for dealing with complaints against the police. [143422]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I am publishing this afternoon a framework of a new system to handle complaints made against police officers. There are some areas which require further work and we are inviting views on these so that they can be finalised.
It was last May that I published the Government's consultation document which was based on reports of two separate studies. The first study was commissioned from the management consultants KPMG in order to take forward recommendations made by the Home Affairs Select Committee in its report on the police disciplinary and complaints procedures and by Sir William Macpherson's Report of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. The second study was by the human rights organisation Liberty.
The outcome of the consultation is that the Government propose to set up a new body to handle complaints; it will be called the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
I have previously indicated my sympathy for the principle of an independent system for investigating complaints against the police and I am pleased to announce that a key element of the new system will be the independent investigations of the more serious complaints. Two other key elements of the new system will be easier accessibility to the system for complainants and more openness in dealing with complainants.
I am very grateful to all those who took part in the consultation. In particular, the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), which has called repeatedly for reforms so that it could increase its effectiveness and independence. The PCA's response pointed the way towards independent investigations, easier accessibility and more openness.
I have arranged for copies of the framework document to be placed in the Library.
Firearms Certificates
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent reports he has received from HM Inspector of Constabulary into delays in processing standard renewal applications for firearms certificates; and if he will make a statement. [143109]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1999 all forces are required to carry out a five year rolling programme of Best Value reviews of all areas of business. In the current year five forces have indicated that they will be reviewing their firearms licensing departments in this way. The outcome will be examined by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in accordance with their inspection protocols which were circulated to all police forces in March 2000 and which make specific reference to firearms licensing. The results will be made available through the appropriate police authority in due course.
18 Dec 2000 : Column: 66W
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has recently announced an increase in the fees which the police can charge for issuing or renewing firearms or shot gun certificates. This will enable forces to allocate additional resources to this task where this is needed to reduce delays.
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many current firearms certificates have been issued by Cheshire Police. [143108]
Mr. Charles Clarke: There are currently 2,391 firearms certificates and 12,699 shot gun certificates on issue in Cheshire.
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firearms certificates fall due for renewal each week in the Cheshire Police area. [143105]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I understand that on average over the current calendar year a total of eight firearms certificates and 62 shot gun certificates fall due for renewal each week.
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for the renewal of standard firearms certificates have (a) been received and (b) been processed by Cheshire Police in each of the past six months. [143106]
Mr. Charles Clarke: This information is given in the tables.
| Firearms | Shot gun | |
|---|---|---|
| June | 69 | 276 |
| July | 57 | 260 |
| August | 36 | 275 |
| September | 36 | 315 |
| October | 40 | 330 |
| November | 40 | 317 |
| Firearms | Shot gun | |
|---|---|---|
| June | 50 | 277 |
| July | 51 | 219 |
| August | 17 | 228 |
| September | 2 | 203 |
| October | 5 | 123 |
| November | 9 | 42 |
Child Curfew Orders
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total expenditure to date on the development, administration and implementation of the child curfew order. [143097]
Mr. Charles Clarke: We estimate development and administration costs within Government as £15,000. We do not collect data from local authorities on their development and administration costs: they would vary between authorities but we believe scoping work on a possible local child curfew scheme would cost under £5,000. No schemes have been implemented.
18 Dec 2000 : Column: 67W
Cambridgeshire Police (Suspensions)
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers and (b) civilian staff concerned with (i) administrative and (ii) operational firearms matters are suspended in the Cambridgeshire Police area. [143107]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Currently one member of the support staff for the Firearms Licensing Department is suspended on full pay to allow an investigation to take place into internal staff issues.
Self-inflicted Death (Prisons)
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) self-inflicted deaths and (b) incidents of self-harm there were (i) in each Prison Service establishment and (ii) in total, in 2000; how many there were in total in each of the previous three years; and if he will make a statement. [141750]
Mr. Boateng: The information requested is given in the tables. I regret that I am unable to provide figures for the numbers of self-harm incidents for this year. The Prison Service is looking at putting in place a new system for recording such incidents, but this will not provide data for 2000-01.
The Prison Service is reconsidering with Ministers its suicide/self-harm strategy and an announcement will be made early in 2001.
(20) As at 12 December 2000
18 Dec 2000 : Column: 68W
18 Dec 2000 : Column: 70W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |