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Police Officers
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement outlining comparisons in the number of police officers on duty in W1 between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. with figures for other UK cities, including if available Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Cardiff; and what are the figures for on duty police officers available per licensed premises for each city as compared with W1. [9137]
Mr. Denham: [holding answer 19 October 2001]: The information sought is not collected centrally.
Graffiti
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many graffiti artists have been prosecuted in the last 12 months. [9379]
Mr. Denham: The statistics collected centrally do not include the circumstances of the offence so that offences committed by graffiti artists cannot be distinguished from other offences of criminal or malicious damage.
Corruption
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the response to his Department's consultation on reform of the criminal law of corruption in England and Wales (Cm 4759). [9482]
Mr. Keith Bradley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Mr. Hawkins) on 25 June 2001, Official Report, column 47W.
Extradition
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the responses to his Department's consultation document, "The Law on Extradition: A Review". [9483]
Mr. Keith Bradley: The "Law on Extradition: A Review" was published as a consultation document on 12 March 2001. Copies of the review were sent out to a large number of consultees which included the Houses of Parliament and interested parliamentary groups; the judiciary/magistracy and legal associations; the prosecuting authorities; civil liberties' groups, extradition practitioners, all our extradition partners and interested
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parties in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The consultation document was made available on the Home Office website.
There were 22 written responses to the proposals contained in the document, seven of which requested that their responses should not be published. I am arranging for the 15 responses to be placed in the Library, they will also be made available on the Home Office website. I have also provided a detailed summary of the comments made by respondents in relation to the individual recommendations of the review, which I have also placed in the Library.
Mr. Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those in jail in Britain subject to an extradition request from a foreign Government (a) by name, (b) by country of origin, (c) by date of first request for extradition and (d) by date of any subsequent request for extradition. [7828]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There are currently 59 fugitives held in extradition custody. The power of provisional arrest means that in some cases the fugitive will have been remanded into custody before receipt of the formal extradition request. In some cases, the fugitive may be serving a domestic sentence, pending completion of which, no surrender can be ordered or take place. The table therefore provides the date of arrest in respect of each requesting jurisdiction. We are not aware of any case involving a supplementary or subsequent request. It is not policy or practice to list the names of those who are the subject of extradition proceedings.
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Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which countries have sought the extradition of (a) Abu Qatada, (b) Yasser-al-Siri and (c) Abu Hamsa; and if he will make a statement. [8659]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: It is long-standing Home Office policy never to confirm or deny whether extradition requests in respect of particular individuals have been made or received.
Proceeds of Crime Bill
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the responses to his Department's consultation on the draft Proceeds of Crime Bill (Cm 5066). [9484]
Mr. Denham: A copy of the responses has been placed in the Library.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to allow housing associations and other public bodies to apply for antisocial behaviour orders; and if he will make a statement. [9479]
Mr. Denham: I recently announced my intention to look at the possibility of allowing public bodies, such as housing associations, which are or should be part of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, to apply for antisocial behaviour orders. I will consult with interested parties on the feasibility of this option before any moves to legislate in this area.
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many antisocial behaviour orders have been imposed to date; and if he will make a statement; [9487]
- (2) how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in respect of (a) juveniles and (b) adults; and if he will make a statement; [9475]
(3) how many antisocial behaviour orders have been imposed in the south-east region since the beginning of the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [9474]
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Mr. Denham: There is known to have been some under-recording of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) in a few police force areas. With the co-operation of Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) we are therefore undertaking a one-off reconciliation exercise to establish any differences between the numbers of ASBOs known to the police and the data from court returns. I will write to the hon. Member when the information becomes available.
Home Detention Curfew Scheme
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to require sentences to state, when passing sentence, (a) the existence of and (b) the potential effect on the date of earliest release of the home detention curfew scheme; and if he will make a statement. [9489]
Beverley Hughes: In January 1998 the then Lord Chief Justice issued a practice direction to the courts requiring them to explain the practical effect of the custodial sentences they imposed. This aimed to ensure transparency in sentencing for the benefit of the defendant, any victim and the public.
The practice direction does not prescribe a form of words in which the court's explanation should be given. It does, however, provide models to be adapted as necessary. These models do not cover the possibility of home detention curfew (HDC) since they pre-date its introduction, but the direction does make it clear that they are based on the statutory provisions in place on 1 January 1998 and will require modification if those provisions are materially amended. Since HDC can clearly be considered a "material amendment" it is appropriate for inclusion in the court's explanation. However, a sentencing court is not in a position to know whether the offender before it will be eligible for consideration for HDC or, if eligible, whether it will be granted. I am satisfied that this practice direction is adequate to promote transparency in sentencing and that legislation is not necessary.
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