| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Passport Fraud
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of obtaining British passports by fraud have occurred in each of the last 10 years. [149361]
Mrs. Roche: The Passport Agency's statistics for British passports obtained by fraud in each of the last 10 years are shown in the table.
| Year | Number issued |
|---|---|
| 2000(40) | 68 |
| 1999 | 153 |
| 1998 | 146 |
| 1997 | 281 |
| 1996 | 190 |
| 1995 | 204 |
| 1994 | 182 |
| 1993 | 317 |
| 1992 | 220 |
| 1991 | 144 |
| Total | 1,905 |
(40) These figures are for the period 1 January to 30 September 2000
Police Statistics
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men, (b) women and (c) police officers in each of the standard age groups were employed by each police force and in total (i) in 1992, (ii) in 1997 and (iii) on the last date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [148012]
Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 30 January 2001]: The information requested is not centrally collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the breakdown was of (a) length of service and (b) age profile of police officers serving in the Metropolitan police on the last date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [148011]
Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 30 January 2001]: The latest information available from the Metropolitan Police Service is for 31 December 2000. I would therefore refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 15 January 2001, Official Report, column 109W.
Probation Service
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new responsibilities have been given to probation services since 1997, including new court orders; and if he will make a statement. [148570]
7 Feb 2001 : Column: 607W
Mr. Boateng: The following are new requirements or responsibilities since 1997:
- Criminal Justice Act 1991: Sections 12 and 13 introduced the power to impose a curfew order. Following successful pilots, these orders were rolled out nationally in December 1999. Pre-sentence, the probation service is required to establish the suitability of the proposed curfew address. The order is electronically monitored and enforced by contractors, who liaise with the service.
- Crime and Disorder Act 1998: Sections 58-60 deal with extended sentences requiring probation services to supervise certain sexual and violent offenders for longer than normal periods following release from prison.
- Crime and Disorder Act 1998: Sections 89-95 introduced the power to impose a drug treatment and testing order. These orders were rolled out nationally on 1 October 2000.
- Crime and Disorder Act 1998: Sections 100 and 101 introduced the Home Detention Curfew scheme from 28 January 1999 for prisoners serving sentences of between three months and four years. They are eligible for release up to two months before they would otherwise be released, to serve the remaining part of their sentence in the community subject to an electronically monitored curfew. The probation service contributes to the risk assessment prior to release.
Crime and Disorder Act 1998: Sections 104 and 105 require probation services to supervise offenders following periods of recall or return to custody where previously those offenders would not have been re-released on licence.
- Multi-Agency Risk Management Work: all areas now have some form of multi-agency arrangements for the assessment and management of risk posed by sex offenders. In many areas similar arrangements apply to other violent offenders. Probation has a key role in this work and is central to risk assessment and planning.
7 Feb 2001 : Column: 608W
Mr. Boateng: No central targets have been set. The considered assessment is that the numbers of Probation Service officers, and kindred grades, will need almost to double, from 2,400 to 4,660, by the year 2003-04. This is part of the overall probation staff increase from 12,835 to 17,250 (including an increase from 4,964 to 5,770 in main grade probation officers--about 16.5 per cent.) in the same period to deliver accredited programmes under the "What Works" initiative. (All figures are full-time equivalents).
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the real-terms change in (a) central funding and (b) total spending was (i) in each probation service and (ii) for the probation service in total between (A) 1992 and 1997 and (B) 1997 and the latest date for which figures are available; what the estimated real terms changes are in total funding in the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [148569]
Mr. Boateng: The detailed information relating to each probation service for 1992-93 to 1997-98 and 1997-98 to 2001-02 is set out in the table. In total, probation service funding is projected to increase from £542 million in 2000-01 to £713 million in 2003-04, an increase of 31.5 per cent., equivalent to a real-terms increase of 22 per cent. over the three years covered by the spending review 2000 period.
7 Feb 2001 : Column: 607W
(41) The figures for Gwent and South Wales are affected by a substantial boundary change
Notes:
1. Before 2001-02, funding for local probation services was 80 per cent. by Home Office grant and 20 per cent. by local authority contribution. From 2001-02 funding will be 100 per cent. Home Office grant.
2. Figures are provided for the probation boards that will be in existence in 2001-02. Where amalgamations have taken place, previous years figures have been amalgamated for the local probation areas concerned.
3. In order to provide a realistic comparison, the 2001-02 figures include provision for the Family Court Welfare Service which transfers to the Lord Chancellor's Department from April 2001.
7 Feb 2001 : Column: 609W
7 Feb 2001 : Column: 609W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |