---

Bootlegging

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions have resulted from fuel bootlegging in each of the last five years. [45410]

Mr. Boateng: I have been asked to reply.

Customs central records do not differentiate between the type of fraud or smuggling involved in their successful prosecutions in the road fuel sector across the whole of the UK.

However, Customs do hold records centrally of the successful prosecutions for road fuel smuggling specifically in Northern Ireland and I provided these in answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) on 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 266W.

Sex Offenders

Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to extend treatment of sex offenders in prison; [45375]

(2) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of treatment provided to convicted sex offenders. [45374]

Beverley Hughes: The Prison Service provides five versions of the sex offender treatment programme, that have been independently accredited as likely to be effective in reducing reconviction: a core programme; an extended programme (for high risk sex offenders); an adapted programme (for sex offenders with learning difficulties); a booster (for those that have completed other versions of the programme and are nearing release); and rolling (for low risk sex offenders).

10 Apr 2002 : Column 342W

The Service's present and coming targets for completions by prisoners of versions of the programme are 1,020 for the current year, 950 for 2002–03 and 1,240 for 2003–04.

Versions of the programme are currently delivered in 25 prisons; this is planned to rise to 27 prisons in 2002–03 and 28 in 2003–04.

The Prison Service studies rates of reconviction to assess the effectiveness of the programme. Matched cohorts of programme graduates and untreated offenders are compared.

Offenders included in the cohorts need to have completed their sentences and have been at liberty in the community for at least two years. It has therefore been possible to complete only one substantial study so far. In that, the treatment group was of 647 offenders treated between 1992 and 1996, and the comparison group 1,910 offenders. The study indicated reductions in treated group reconviction rates of between one and 10 per cent., depending on level of risk.

Many more studies will be needed over a much longer period before firm conclusions can safely be drawn about the efficacy of the programme. Independent assessments of aspects of the programme and of the reconviction studies will also be carried out.

Police Spending

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 481W, on police spending, what the average per capita spending in 2001–02 is in (a) the Thames Valley Police Force area and (b) Aylesbury Vale police area. [30131]

Mr. Denham: The gross cost of policing on an average per capita basis in the Thames Valley area in 2001–02 is estimated at £126.20. A figure at the Aylesbury Vale area level is not available.

Source for calculating the average per capita basis: The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Police Statistics (Estimates) 2001–02.

Drink Driving

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of breath tests resulted in arrest for drink driving in December (a) 2001 and (b) 2000. [30170]

Mr. Denham: 8.2 per cent. of screening breath tests carried out in December 2000 in England and Wales were positive or refused, compared with 7.4 per cent. in December 1999.

Statistics for 2001 will be published in the autumn.

Police Recruitment

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which applicants to join the police service are classified as recruits. [45873]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 25 March 2002]: Applicants to the police service are classified as recruits when they take up appointment with a police force.

10 Apr 2002 : Column 343W

For the purposes of the Home Office statistical bulletins on Police Service Strength, "recruits" covers officers joining the police service, including those transferring from forces outside England and Wales, but not those transferring from other forces within England and Wales.

World Cup

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his cooperation with the Governments of Japan and South Korea on their deportation processes during the World Cup finals. [43164]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 25 March 2002]: We are involved in the most extensive co-operation with the Japanese and Korean police and civil authorities in preparation for the World Cup. The police in both countries have assured us that, where individuals have been detained, they will consider prosecution prior to deportation.

Football Hooliganism

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department is having with football clubs on crowd misbehaviour. [43171]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 25 March 2002]: We work closely with the police, football authorities and football clubs in order to ensure that crowd misbehaviour is addressed and offenders are identified and prosecuted. An extensive array of legislation is in place for tackling football related disorder and the Government expect the police and courts to make full use of the powers that have been placed at their disposal.

Community Wardens

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community wardens will be employed in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in the next financial year. [45928]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 25 March 2002]: Twenty-six central Government-funded Street Wardens will be employed in Lancashire in the next financial year. Ten will be in Morecambe, nine in Hyndburn, five in Preston and two in Burnley. Sixteen central Government- funded neighbourhood wardens will be employed in Lancashire in the next financial year. Six will be in Burnley, six in Skelmersdale and four in Wyre. No bid was received for central Government-funded neighbourhood or street wardens in Chorley.

Probation Service

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the business strategy and business model developed for the effective use of IT by the National Probation Service. [46016]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 25 March 2002]: "A New Choreography: an Integrated Strategy for the National Probation Service for England and Wales", published in August 2001, sets out the vision for the National Probation Service over the next three years. The information technology strategy is to design and develop

10 Apr 2002 : Column 344W

a system which fully supports the business needs of the Service enabling it to meet the aims and objectives as set out in "A New Choreography".

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources are available to implement the National Probation Service's IT strategy; and if he will make a statement. [46017]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 25 March 2002]: For financial year 2002–03 a provisional budget of £34.65 million has been allocated to information technology within the Home Office National Probation Directorate. This figure is part funded by the recovery of £16 million from probation areas (question 254 refers).

For financial years 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06 the total information technology requirement of £34 million, £35 million, and £36 million respectively will be found from the overall National Probation Service budget.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how recharging arrangements are being negotiated for the National Probation Service's IT desktop services. [46019]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 25 March 2002]: The current contract with Integris centralises the cost of the information technology (IT) provision for the National Probation Service (NPS). Prior to 1 January 2002 the IT provision through the National Probation Service Information System Strategy (NPSISS) contract was met through a mixture of central service costs and area payments to the supplier for IT maintenance. The recharging arrangements for 2002–03 exist to realign the NPS budget to meet the costs where they now fall due.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the National Probation Service Directorate to direct human resources policies needed to attract, retain and develop staff to deliver IT capabilities. [46018]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 25 March 2002]: The National Probation Directorate has recently administered an external recruitment scheme which selected nine new members of staff in key positions for the Information and Technology Group.

The recruitment and retention of IT staff in local probation areas is the responsibility of each individual local area.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if an outsourcing contract has been signed for the Probation Service's IT; and how the scope and costs of the technology upgrade has been determined. [46020]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 25 March 2002]: On 26 October 2001, following an open competition, the Home Office signed a 2 and a half year interim contract, on behalf of the National Probation Directorate, for the support and maintenance of the Information Technology infrastructure and the case record management system (CRAMS) with Integris.

An upgrade of the infrastructure forms a vital part of this contract. This technology upgrade will include the replacement of old hardware and the revision of all software to currently maintained versions. The equipment for the technology upgrade was procured via a separate

10 Apr 2002 : Column 345W

competitive tender using G-CAT suppliers after an assessment had been made of market rates to ensure best value for money.

---