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Firearms

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes involving the use of firearms occurred in (a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1999–2000 and (d) 2000–01; and if he will make a statement. [5781]

Mr. Denham: The numbers of recorded crimes involving firearms committed in England and Wales since 1996 are given in the table.

Number of recorded crimes involving the use of firearms

Year	Firearms other than air weapons	Air weapons	Total offences
1996	6,063	7,813	13,876
1997	4,904	7,506	12,410
1997–98(22)	4,903	7,902	12,805
1998–99(22)	5,209	8,665	13,874
1999–2000(22)	6,843	10,103	16,946

⁽²²⁾ Year ending March

There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, and hence figures before and after this date are not directly comparable. Details for the financial year 2000–01 are not yet available.

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Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences involving firearms were committed in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years. [7612]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 15 October 2001]: The number of recorded crimes involving firearms committed in England and Wales in the last five years are as follows:

Year	Firearms other than air weapons	Air weapons	Total offences
1995	5,866	7,568	13,434
1996	6,063	7,813	13,876
1997	4,904	7,506	12,410
1997–98(23)	4,903	7,902	12,805
1998–99(23)	5,209	8,665	13,874
1999–2000(23)	6,843	10,103	16,946

⁽²³⁾ Year ending March

There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, and hence figures before and after this date are not directly comparable. Figures for 2000–01 are not yet available.

Information relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Home Secretary (Appointment)

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what duties the police officers and the patrol car used for the photo opportunity to announce his appointment as Home Secretary were withdrawn from; and if he will make a statement; [5777]

(2) what advice he received from the duty officer at Belgravia police station about the availability of police resources for the photo opportunity to announce his appointment as Home Secretary; and if he will make a statement. [5778]

Mr. Denham: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that two police officers and one police vehicle deployed from Belgravia Police Station were present at the photo opportunity outside the Home Office on 9 June. They had already been assigned to security patrol in the same vicinity, and remained available for redeployment elsewhere if the need arose.

Police

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on reforms to police working conditions. [5780]

Mr. Denham: The police reform programme is about making the police service more effective in catching criminals and reducing crime and the fear of crime. To help ensure that the police service has the support it, managers and officers need to deliver these outputs we will be presenting the Police Negotiating Board with the

18 Oct 2001 : Column: 1324W

outcomes we wish to achieve in respect of relevant police conditions so that it can recommend how best to deliver them.

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers are serving in each specialist non-territorial constabulary; and in what respects their powers differ from the general powers of police forces. [7401]

Mr. Denham: I shall write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) principal applicants and (b) dependants would gain the right to take paid employment in the United Kingdom if the EEC draft directive laying down minimum standards on the reception of applicants for asylum in member states were implemented. [6059]

Angela Eagle: If the European Economic Community (EEC) draft directive were implemented there would be no change with regards to rights of employment for principal applicants. When considering dependants, this issue is to be the subject of detailed discussions in the council working groups.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers were dispersed on arrival in each month since January; and what percentage of these have since moved elsewhere and are no longer in receipt of housing aid. [7628]

Angela Eagle [holding answer 15 October 2001]: Statistics recorded by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) show that as at the end of July 2001, 28,810 ¹ asylum seekers, including dependants, were being supported in NASS accommodation.

As at the end of July 2001, over 7,000 cases, excluding dependants, had ceased to receive support from NASS. But this will include both cases which had not been dispersed and cases which have received a positive asylum decision.

The requested breakdown is currently unavailable.

¹ Figures rounded to the nearest 10.

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value of contracts is awarded to (a) the private sector, (b) local authorities and (c) the voluntary sector in relation to the Government's dispersal scheme for asylum seekers; and how many individuals have been accommodated by each sector. [7412]

Angela Eagle: I am unable to supply information on the value of individual contracts between National Asylum Support Service (NASS) and its suppliers. This information is commercial in confidence and cannot be released to third parties.

I am afraid that the NASS statistics do not show whether asylum seekers and their dependants are being accommodated by the private sector, local authorities or the voluntary sector. However I can say that approximately 60 per cent. of bedspaces are provided by private sector companies and the remainder by local authorities and the voluntary sector.

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Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value of the contracts awarded to the Landmark Company is in relation to the dispersal of asylum seekers. [7413]

Angela Eagle: I am afraid that I am unable to supply the information. The value of individual contracts between National Asylum Support Service (NASS) and its suppliers is commercial in confidence and cannot be released to third parties.

Extradition

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his strategy for improving the effectiveness, speed and enforceability of extradition procedures internationally. [7302]

Mr. Keith Bradley: An Extradition Bill will be introduced to streamline extradition law and procedure. The content of the Bill will be based on the Home Office review "The Law on Extradition", published in March 2001. The main elements of the Government's strategy are to establish fast-track extradition with our European Union (EU) partners building on the European Council Framework Decision in the European Arrest Warrant.

The Bill will also contain provisions to simplify and speed up the handling of extradition requests from the United Kingdom's extradition partners outside the EU.

Habitual Criminals

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many habitual criminals (a) are under 21, (b) are hard drug users, (c) are without school qualifications and (d) were in care as children; and if he will make a statement. [7296]

Mr. Denham: There is no agreed definition of a habitual criminal. However data are available on offenders with three or more previous convictions, or with five or more previous convictions.

From a sample of persons sentenced for standard list offences during 1999, of those with three or more previous convictions for standard list offences, 19 per cent. were aged under 21; and of those with five or more previous convictions for standard list offences, 15 per cent. were aged under 21.

From a survey of 1,884 male prisoners sentenced in early 2000 the analysis in the table has been obtained:

	Male prisoners with:
	Three or more previous convictions(24)	Five or more previous convictions(24)
Percentage who:
Admitted to using cocaine, crack or heroin during the previous twelve months	57	60
Had no school qualifications	66	67
Were in care as a child	35	37

⁽²⁴⁾ Based on number of convictions admitted by the offender

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