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Cyclists
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cyclists have been prosecuted for failure to observe traffic signals in the last 12 months for which data are available. [44369]
Mr. Denham: The available information, from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database, relating to England and Wales for 2000 is shown in the table. It relates to offences by pedal cyclists for failing to obey school crossing patrols and neglecting traffic directions and signs, including traffic lights.
Information on court proceedings for 2001 will be available in the autumn.
| Offence description | Statute | Proceeded against |
|---|---|---|
| Pedal cyclist failing to obey school crossing patrol | Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Sec 28(3) | 6 |
| Pedal cyclist: Neglect of traffic directions and signs (including traffic light signals) | Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 35 and 36 | 52 |
(10) These data are on the principal offence basis
(11) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.
Metropolitan Police
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what London allowance is paid to police officers employed in the Metropolitan police force. [44630]
Mr. Denham: In addition to any housing allowance entitlement, an officer who joined the Metropolitan police force prior to 1 September 1994 is entitled to a London allowance of £1,011 plus London weighting of £1,773.
An officer who joined the Metropolitan police force after 1 September 1994 and who is not in receipt of housing allowance, receives an enhanced London allowance of £4,338 plus London weighting of £1,773.
Golden Jubilee
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many extra Metropolitan police officers will be on duty each day during the period 1 to 4 June; and if he will make a statement; [44569]
- (2) what safety precautions are being taken by the Metropolitan police force during the Queen's Golden Jubilee weekend; what the anticipated cost is; and if he will make a statement. [44568]
Mr. Denham: For security reasons it would be inappropriate to disclose in advance of the event the planned number of officers who will be on duty or the projected cost of safety and security operations.
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that the number of police officers on duty for each day between 1 and 4 June will depend on circumstances and be commensurate with the need to provide appropriate security, crowd management and public reassurance, with sufficient capacity to deal with unexpected incidents.
The operation will be run in partnership with other London police forces (City of London police, British Transport police and Royal Parks constabulary).
People Trafficking
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of trafficking in people were identified in each year since 1997; and what enforcement action was taken (a) against the victims of trafficking and (b) against the organisers and beneficiaries of trafficking. [44709]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Forming an accurate estimate of the levels of trafficking in people is problematic due to the hidden nature of the act. There is currently no accurate, reliable data in existence with the United Kingdom or the European Union. A Home Office research study "Stopping Traffic" published in 2000, indicated that the number of women and children trafficked into the United Kingdom for the purposes of sexual exploitation was likely to be in the range of 140 to 1,400 per annum.
As there is at present no specific offence of trafficking, the police and other law enforcement agencies are not able to say how many organisers and beneficiaries of trafficking have been investigated, arrested or prosecuted. However, we are introducing a new stopgap offence of trafficking for prostitution in the forthcoming Nationality Immigration and Asylum Bill, which will carry a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment. We will follow the stopgap offence with further legislation to cover those being trafficked for both labour and sexual exploitation. These offences will go wider than is possible in the immigration legislation and will cover people who are trafficked within the United Kingdom, as well as those who are brought here from abroad. The Government's aim is to tackle the organised criminal groups who are behind the trafficking, not the victims of this heinous trade.
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy towards trafficking in people is; and what assistance he offers to those tricked into (a) prostitution and (b) domestic slavery. [44707]
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Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Home Department has set out its strategy on trafficking in the recently published White Paper "Secure Borders, Safe Haven", comprising our plans on legislation, enforcement, international co-operation and prevention and support for victims. Trafficking of people involves arranging their movement for the purposes of exploitation. The exploitation may take the form of bonded labour or servitude, or commercial sexual exploitation. It is often accompanied by violence, or threats of violence, against the victim, or their family. Trafficking is often associated with illegal immigration but does not necessarily involve crossing a frontier. Our strategy takes account of those who are trafficked into and throughout the United Kingdom, as well as those trafficked within the country.
We recognise the need to offer the victims of trafficking particular support to help them escape their circumstances, and facilitate them to assist law enforcement to tackle organised criminal gangs behind the trafficking. We will make special arrangements for their protection and support. Where victims are not entitled to remain in the United Kingdom, we will consider whether it is appropriate to allow them to stay here. If they wish to return home, we will work with the voluntary sector to help them do so, provide initial counselling and ensure they have suitable accommodation to return to and to help them reintegrate in to their own community. The White Paper also sets out our intention to develop a best practice "toolkit" on victims of trafficking, which will act as a guide for immigration officers, police and others potentially dealing with victims of this heinous crime.
"Mein Kampf"
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to prohibit the sale of Arabic editions of Mein Kampf; and if he will make a statement. [44795]
Angela Eagle: No. The text of "Mein Kampf" in English translation has been freely available in the United Kingdom for many years. It has served as a means of understanding the background to a particular period in European history and the terrible crimes that were committed by the Nazis. However, if anyone believes that there is anything in this particular translation that falls foul of the law, they should of course report the matter to the police.
Independent Police Complaints Commission
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the Independent Police Complaints Commission will be funded; how many staff it will employ; and if he will make a statement. [44963]
Mr. Denham: As an executive non-departmental public body, the Independent Police Complaints Commission will be funded through grant in aid from the Home Office.
Current estimates are that the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) will employ around 160 people.
Cannabis
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what cases in the last 30 years
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of police officers being disciplined owing to a previous partner having smoked cannabis his Department has records of. [45078]
Mr. Denham: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
European Crime Convention
Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 9 November 2001, Official Report, column 492W, on the European Crime Convention, if he will make a statement on the outcome of consideration as to the practical implications for banks. [44793]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The practical implications for banks of the 2001 Protocol to the 2000 European Union Mutual Legal Assistance Convention (which the hon. and learned Member for Dudley, North (Ross Cranston) has referred to as the European Crime Convention) are very similar to the existing provisions on customer information in the Terrorism Act 2000 and the provisions on customer information orders and account monitoring orders contained in the draft Proceeds of Crime Bill. The Government's current view is that the mechanism to be used to obtain information in response to requests for these orders made under the Protocol will resemble that used to obtain similar types of information under the Terrorism Act and the relevant provisions of the draft Proceeds of Crime Bill. Accordingly, the costs per order are expected to be comparable to those identified by the Regulatory Impact Assessment conducted for that Bill. A separate Regulatory Impact Assessment for this Protocol will be carried out.
The key difference between the measures in the Terrorism Act and the Proceeds of Crime Bill and the Protocol is scope. The Protocol covers a wider range of serious crimes. Banks will therefore be expected to provide information in relation to slightly different types of criminal investigation.
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