| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Raves
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many raves took place in South England in the last two years, broken down by county. [69393]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held centrally and could be gained only at disproportionate cost.
Positive Futures Projects
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the existing positive futures projects; [68780]
17 Jul 2002 : Column 402W
- (2) if he will make a statement on the 33 new positive futures schemes referred to on page 170 of the 2002 Departmental report. [68779]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 11 July 2002]: The existing Positive Futures projects have recently been subjected to independent evaluation which found that they are achieving their aims of increasing sports participation and reducing youth crime and drugs misuse. It found:
- a reduction in recorded crime (of up to as much as 77 per cent.) in every area with a Positive Futures project;
Positive changes in behaviour and lifestyle for many of these youngsters who were deemed to be 'at risk', for example returning to the education system;
An increase in sports participation with many youngsters joining sports clubs, gaining coaching and leadership qualifications.
PSA Targets
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated cost to public funds is of achieving the PSA target to make significant progress towards one million more people being actively involved in their communities by March 2004. [68795]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 11 July 2002]: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor (Mr. Brown) announced in January 2001 that he was making available £300 million as part of a package which almost doubled the Government's commitment to encourage more people to get involved in their communities. This includes expenditure on a range of initiatives including:
- £60 million to be used to develop mentoring, and modernise infrastructure in voluntary and community organisations;
£70 million for the Children's Fund, which was announced as part of the Spending Review 2000;
£50 million for community groups in deprived areas; and
£120 million to fund volunteering in public services and a new National Experience Corp for the over 50's to pass on their skills and experience to help others.
Macedonian Nationals
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Macedonian nationals are prohibited from entering the UK. [69777]
Beverley Hughes: There is no international travel ban applying to Macedonian nationals at present. Nor have any Macedonian nationals been excluded from entering the United Kingdom within the last 10 years at the personal direction of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary using the powers available to him under the Immigration Rules. There will, however, be Macedonian nationals who are excluded on an individual basis under immigration powers, such as those who have been deported from the United Kingdom. It would entail disproportionate cost to identify all such individuals.
17 Jul 2002 : Column 403W
Fraud
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated level of losses to fraud and corruption was in (a) his Department's Vote 1 budget and (b) his Department's Vote 2 budget for (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01. [54722]
Beverley Hughes: The information requested is as follows:
| Description | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 |
|---|---|---|
| Vote 1(32) | 210.2 | 86.9 |
| Vote 2(33) | 159.5 | 77.3 |
| Total | 369.7 | 164.2 |
(32) Vote 1—interpreted as core Home Office, agencies and no departmental public bodies and
(33) Vote 2—interpreted as Prison Service
The Home Office has a comprehensive anti-fraud and corruption policy and a response plan that is applied vigorously. All cases of reported fraud and theft are investigated with follow-up action taken, which includes prosecution where appropriate. There has been a decrease in overall reported cases of fraud and theft during 2001–02.
Criminal Justice System Annual Report
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to publish the Criminal Justice System annual report for 2001–02. [71447]
Mr. Blunkett: My noble and learned Friends the Attorney-General, the Lord Chancellor and I will today be publishing jointly an annual report for the criminal justice system for England and Wales.
The document is a report back on the criminal justice system business plan 2001–02. It summarises the progress which has been made in modernising the criminal justice system, building on that reported in the previous two annual reports.
Copies of the report will be placed in the Library.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the review of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 will report. [71448]
Hilary Benn: The review of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 has completed its work. The report, "Breaking the Circle", is published today. A copy has been placed in the Library.
Cannabis (Road Deaths)
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many road deaths are estimated to be a result of the influence of cannabis in each of the last three years. [70136]
Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
National road accident statistics do not identify cases where drivers involved in fatal road accidents were under the influence of drugs. There are no estimates of the numbers involved in accidents where drivers had been under the influence of cannabis. Recent research shows
17 Jul 2002 : Column 404W
that 12 per cent. of those killed in road accidents had traces of cannabis in the body. However, the presence of the drug cannot be taken as evidence of accident causation. In addition, the inactive element of cannabis remains detectable for a long time after any impairing effect.
Drug Deaths
Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of deaths related to misuse of (a) alcohol, (b) tobacco, (c) cannabis, (d) ecstasy, (e) amphetamines, (f) LSD, (g) heroin, (h) cocaine and (i) crack cocaine in the past 12 months. [67615]
Ms Blears [holding answer 5 July 2002]: I have been asked to reply.
The available information estimates that between 5,000 and 40,000 deaths per annum are caused by alcohol in England and Wales, reflecting the wide range of methods of calculation used in many studies.
It is estimated that smoking causes 120,000 deaths in the United Kingdom each year. Source: "The UK Smoking Epidemic: Deaths in 1995" Health Education Authority.
Figures published by the Office for National Statistics indicate the number of times cannabis, ecstasy, amphetamines, LSD, heroin, and cocaine are mentioned on death certificates. These figures are shown in the table. Separate figures are not available on crack cocaine.
Figures for these substances are not on a comparable basis to those given for alcohol and smoking related deaths which are estimates.
| All deaths with substance mentioned | |
|---|---|
| Heroin/morphine(34) | 926 |
| Cocaine (including crack cocaine) | 80 |
| Amphetamines | 59 |
| Ecstasy | 36 |
| Cannabis | 11 |
| LSD | 0 |
(34) As heroin breaks down in the body into morphine, the latter may be detected at post mortem and recorded on the death certificate
Source:
"Death related to drug poisoning: England and Wales 1993–2000" Health Statistics Quarterly 13, spring 2002, Office for National Statistics; ONS database of drug-related poisonings
CABINET OFFICE
Statutory Instruments
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many statutory instruments have been (a) introduced, (b) removed and (c) amended by his Department since 1 January; and what the (i) cost and (ii) saving has been in each case. [64639]
Mr. Alexander: My Department has not introduced, removed or amended any Statutory instruments from 1 January to the present day.
17 Jul 2002 : Column 405W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |