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British Steel Exports

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to facilitate the export of British steel products to the USA. [38391]

Mr. Wilson: The US market is open to UK steel exporters. We are working closely with the European Commission to try to ensure that the US Government do not impose unilateral restrictions on steel imports. In addition, Ministers are taking every opportunity to lobby against any action by the US to restrict imports, which would be totally unjustified.

LNM Holdings

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if her Department was consulted by the Prime Minister's Office on the letter sent by the Prime Minister to the Romanian Government supporting the bid for Sidex steel by LNM Holdings. [39036]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 28 February 2002]: No.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 17 December 2001 regarding fireworks. [38457]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 28 February 2002]: My hon. Friend was sent a reply dated 26 February 2002.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Cheshire Police Authority

Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on (a) the level of deducted grant taken from the Cheshire police authority 2001–02 baseline and (b) the relationship the deducted grant has with that attributable to National Crime Squad and National Criminal Intelligence Service funding. [31871]

Mr. Denham: The 2001–02 grant baseline was notionally adjusted to allow like-for-like comparison with 2002–03, following the transfer of funding for the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) and the National Crime Squad (NCS) in 2002–03.

As a result, the notionally revised grant for Cheshire police authority for 2001–02 became £96.6 million. Actual grant was £99.2 million, a difference of £2.6 million.

The levies paid by Cheshire in 2001–02 for NCS and NCIS were £2.6 million.

Cheshire police authority will receive grant in 2002–03 of £99.0 million—an increase of 2.5 per cent. on the adjusted figure for 2001–02. No police authority will receive less than a 2.3 per cent. increase on the adjusted notional figure.

Police and Judiciary (Training)

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to ensure that (a) the police force, (b) the Crown

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Prosecution Service and (c) judges take part in continuing training programmes, so they can identify and respond to the needs and concerns of people with a learning disability. [35546]

Mr. Denham: The basic training received by all recruits to the police service includes an element designed to raise awareness of all disabilities, including learning disabilities, and to highlight the importance of communicating effectively and sensitively with people suffering from mental illness and mental disorder. In addition, forces provide further training to meet local needs.

For the future, we are developing national occupational standards and a core curriculum which will identify the knowledge and skills required for officers' roles and any training requirements.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) provides a number of training courses, which consider the needs of people with disabilities (including learning disabilities) both as victims of crime and as employees of the service.

The following training is available to staff and specifically considers the requirements of customers and staff with learning disabilities:


Judicial education is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB). The JSB comprises six committees one of which is the Equal Treatment Advisory Committee which issued the Equal Treatment Bench Book to all judges. A chapter in the Bench Book gives advice on identifying and responding to the needs and concerns of people with a learning disability. Continuing training is carried out by seminars organised by the criminal, civil and family committees of the JSB.

Police Houses

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police houses are empty; and if he will make a statement; [35806]

Mr. Denham: Information on the number of empty police houses is not held centrally.

The number of police houses sold in 2000–01 was 620. No information is available on the terms under which the houses were sold.

In its report entitled "Action Stations—Improving the Management of the Police Estate" (published March 1999), the Audit Commission recommended that police forces identify and dispose of buildings that were unsuitable or had maintenance liabilities which were beyond the forces' means. Further it recommended that the remaining residential estate was rationalised. In some cases, for example, it may be appropriate to sell off some vacant accommodation in order to refurbish and bring back into use other accommodation.

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In those areas where high housing costs are hindering recruitment and retention of police officers, allocations from the starter home initiative (SHI) will help about 1,100 police staff to buy first homes over the next three years. In Surrey about 40 police staff are expected to benefit from rounds one and two of the SHI.

We have also recently agreed with the Department of Health that the role of the National Health Housing Co-ordinator will be extended to cover the police service.

Police Secondments

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the cost borne by the Dorset police authority of secondments to (a) the NCIS, (b) the Police Staff College, (c) police training centres, (d) the International Police Task Force in Bosnia and (e) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. [36805]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 25 February 2002]: I have been advised by the chief constable of Dorset that while an officer is seconded to the bodies named in the question, their pay, allowances and overtime are met initially by Dorset police but all costs are subsequently recharged to the seconding body. There are therefore no direct costs to Dorset police authority arising from these secondments.

Lancet Inquiry

Mr. Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers he has to seek reimbursement of the costs of the Lancet inquiry. [36515]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 25 February 2002]: There are no powers to press for reimbursement of the costs of the Lancet inquiry.

I recognise that the Operation Lancet investigation placed a significant burden on Cleveland police authority. Because of the length and complexity of the investigation a special grant of £1.9 million was made to the authority in March 2001.

Brixton Police

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 56W, on Brixton police, how many staff were absent during the period; and what the total number of staff is at Brixton police station. [37514]

Mr. Denham: Statistics on absences are not available for Brixton police station separately from the whole of the borough of Lambeth. There are 240 police officers and 130 civilian support staff at Brixton police station; some of these staff have responsibilities relating to the whole of Lambeth.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 56W, on Brixton police, if he will list the periods during 2001 when Brixton police were unable to accept telephone reports of minor crime. [37515]

Mr. Denham: I understand that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

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Correspondence

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a substantive reply to the letter of 29 January from the hon. Member for Thurrock concerning his constituent, Andrew Palmer of East Tilbury; and if he will make a statement. [37435]

Mr. Denham: I replied to my hon. Friend's letter of 29 January 2002 on 25 February 2002.

Humberside Police

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average number of days sickness absence per year for (a) police officers and (b) support staff was in each of the past five years for Humberside police. [37746]

Mr. Denham: The information is shown in the table.

1996–971997–981998–991999–20002000–01
Police Officers1212899
Support Staff121081011

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