House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 9 Dec 2002 (pt 31)

9 Dec 2002 : Column 119W—continued

Parenting Orders

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parenting orders have been imposed, broken down by each constabulary, in each year since their introduction. [83172]

Hilary Benn: 2,488 Parenting Orders were made between September 1998, when piloting started, and March 2002. The Orders were available nationally from June 2000. We have the breakdown by constabulary area for the year April 2001 to March 2002, which is shown in table.

Constabulary Parenting Orders

Avon and Somerset 17

Bedfordshire 15

Cambridgeshire 22

Cheshire 1

Cleveland 45

Cumbria 4

Derbyshire 8

Devon and Cornwall 5

Dorset 9

Durham 16

Dyfed/Powys 11

Essex 39

Gloucestershire 1

Greater Manchester 200

Gwent 10

Hampshire 103

Hertfordshire 24

Humberside 8

Kent 34

Lancashire 20

Leicestershire 50

Lincolnshire 2

Merseyside 12

Metropolitan 165

Norfolk 29

North Wales 25

North Yorkshire 3

Northamptonshire 0

Northumbria 85

Nottinghamshire 9

South Wales 21

South Yorkshire 17

Staffordshire 12

Suffolk 36

Surrey 1

Sussex 27

Thames Valley 22

Warwickshire 0

West Mercia 21

West Midlands 45

West Yorkshire 39

Wiltshire 3

Total 1,216

Constabulary	Parenting Orders
Avon and Somerset	17
Bedfordshire	15
Cambridgeshire	22
Cheshire	1
Cleveland	45
Cumbria	4
Derbyshire	8
Devon and Cornwall	5
Dorset	9
Durham	16
Dyfed/Powys	11
Essex	39
Gloucestershire	1
Greater Manchester	200
Gwent	10
Hampshire	103
Hertfordshire	24
Humberside	8
Kent	34
Lancashire	20
Leicestershire	50
Lincolnshire	2
Merseyside	12
Metropolitan	165
Norfolk	29
North Wales	25
North Yorkshire	3
Northamptonshire	0
Northumbria	85
Nottinghamshire	9
South Wales	21
South Yorkshire	17
Staffordshire	12
Suffolk	36
Surrey	1
Sussex	27
Thames Valley	22
Warwickshire	0
West Mercia	21
West Midlands	45
West Yorkshire	39
Wiltshire	3
Total	1,216

9 Dec 2002 : Column 120W

Persistent Offenders

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persistent offenders he estimates there are in England and Wales aged (a) under 18 years, (b) 18 to 20 years and (c) 21 years and over. [84296]

Hilary Benn: [holding answer 9 December 2002]: Recent data from the Police National Computer shows that: in England and Wales, there is a group of about 6,600 persistent offenders aged 18–20, and 26,800 aged 21and over; and that about 4,800offenders aged under 18 years had been convicted of six or more recordable offences in the previous 12 months.

Police and CPS

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he plans to take to improve the integration of police and CPS functions. [84397]

Hilary Benn [holding answer 2 December 2002]: There has already been considerable progress towards the co-location of the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in criminal justice units. Our aim is that all criminal justice areas should have co-located units by April 2004. Such co-location means improvements to the way in which cases are prepared for court, and have led to good working relationships; in which advice can be sought quickly on more difficult cases, and have also resulted in considerable savings in casefile preparation. Such a set-up will also support the new arrangements in which the CPS take over from the police responsibility for charging. The evidence of piloting these arrangements is that there are improved working relationships between the police and the CPS and more focused investigations. Ready access to legal advice and improved understanding means that cases, which previously would not have resulted in a charge, will now be taken to court. The outcome is fewer discontinued cases and earlier guilty pleas. The Criminal Justice Bill contains provision to put these arrangements on a statutory basis.

Prisoners

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures the Government are taking to rehabilitate prisoners who are drug addicts. [84546]

Hilary Benn: Her Majesty's Prison Service has in place a framework to address the needs of prisoners with low, moderate and severe drug misuse problems. This includes detoxification services which are available in all local and remand prisons, a drug service known as CARATs (counselling, assessment, referral, advice and throughcare) and voluntary drug testing which are both

9 Dec 2002 : Column 121W

available across the prison estate. There is also a range of intensive treatment programmes available in 60 prisons.

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners who have taken the Alpha Course in prisons have re-offended. [84749]

Hilary Benn: This information is not available and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what emergency accommodation he plans to use to ease prison overcrowding; [82132]

(3) if he will make a statement on the use of police cells to house those (a) sentenced and (b) remanded in custody by the courts; [82136]

(4) what plans he has for the expansion of places in Her Majesty's prisons; [82137]

(5) what the total (a) operational capacity, (b) prison population and (c) certified accommodation capacity in prisons is. [82138]

Hilary Benn [holding answer 2 December 2002]: As at 27 November 2002, the useable operational capacity of the Prison Service was 72,684; the total prison population was 72,500 (excluding 160 prisoners held in police cells) and the in use certified normal accommodation was 64,608.

Following the unexpected rise in the prison population, the Prison Service is using police cells for keeping both remand and sentenced prisoners in safe custody. The number of police cells used in this way (under Operation Safeguard) peaked at 448 on the night of 29 October 2002. Since then, new accommodation has been brought into operation, which has enabled the Prison Service to reduce its use of police cells.

By 27 November 2002, the number of prisoners being held in police cells had fallen to 160.

By providing additional capacity, along with sentencing reform and other measures to contain the rise in the prison population, the Government aim to limit prison overcrowding to manageable levels agreed with the Prison Service.

We have recently announced that #60 million will be made available to provide 740 places at existing prisons by March 2004. This is in addition to funding from the 2002 budget to provide an extra 2,320 places this year.

We have also approved Prison Service plans for two new prisons, which will provide 1,290 places by 2004–05. The first is scheduled to open in the summer of 2004 at Ashford (near Heathrow) and will be a female prison of 450 places. An 840-place prison for 360 female and 480 male prisoners is scheduled to open at Peterborough in Cambridgeshire in the summer of 2005.

9 Dec 2002 : Column 122W

Sexual Offences

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce a judicial direction that consent means free agreement. [84288]

Hilary Benn: Consultation with the Judicial Studies Board has confirmed our view that it would be inappropriate to incorporate a standard direction on consent in statute because the exact direction in any particular case will need to vary according to the individual circumstances.

Once the new sex offences legislation is in force, the Judicial Studies Board will be invited to consider whether there needs to be a specimen direction covering the various provisions relating to consent and, if so, what the appropriate terms of such a direction might be.

Vera Baird : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the list of reverse presumption situations in the White Paper Protecting the Public at paragraph 31 will be exhaustive. [84289]

Hilary Benn: The list of circumstances in which it will be presumed that consent is most unlikely to have been present will be exhaustive and will be clearly defined in the Sex Offences Bill. It will not be possible to amend it other than by means of further primary legislation.

However there are clearly numerous other situations in which consent will not be present and the alleged offence will be proveable in court. The list is confined to those circumstances where prima facie the position is so clear that it is justified to provide a rebuttable presumption that consent was not present.

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many sexual offences against children were reported in each of the last ten years, broken down by category of offence; and what proportion of these resulted in conviction; [85116]

(3) what assessment he has made of the average number of children abused by each paedophile convicted in the last five years. [85118]

Hilary Benn: The available information, relating to recorded crime and persons convicted in England and in Wales for the years 1991 to 2000 (2000/01 for recorded crime), relates to those offences where the age of the victim is identified by the offence, Statistics for 2001 will be available shortly. Information is not held centrally on the number of children abused by each paedophile convicted, nor on the proportion of the population with convictions for sexual offences against children. Information is not held centrally on the number of children abused by each paedophile convicted, nor on the proportion of the population with convictions for sexual offences against children.

9 Dec 2002 : Column 123W

Notifiable offences recorded by the police and persons convicted at all courts of sexual offences against young people where the age of victim is identified by the offence, 1991 to 2000–01 England and Wales– Number of offences and number of persons Recorded Crime

Offences 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998–99 ¹ 1999–2000 2000–01

Indictable Offences

Sexual offences

Buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Attempt to commit buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Buggery by a male of a male under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Buggery by a male aged 21 or over with a male aged 16 or 17 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Buggery by a male aged 18 to 20 with a male aged 16 to 17 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Buggery by a male with a female under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Buggery by a male aged 21 or over with a female aged 16 or 17 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Buggery by a male aged 18 to 20 with a female aged 16 or 17 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Indecent assault on male person under 16 years ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Gross indecency by a male aged 21 or over with a male aged under 18 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Gross indecency by a male aged 18 to 20 with a male aged under 18 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Rape of a female aged under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Rape of a male aged under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Attempted rape of a female aged under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Attempted rape of a male aged under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Indecent assault on a female under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 13 315 253 268 275 178 171 148 153 181 155

Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 16 1,949 1,563 1,433 1,446 1,260 1,261 1,112 1,135 1,270 1,237

Incest with a girl under 13 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Inciting girl under 16 to have incestuous sexual intercourse ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Householder permitting unlawful sexual intercourse with firl under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Person responsible for girl under 16 causing or encouraging her prostitution etc. ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Male aged 21 or over procuring or attempting to procure a male under 18 of gross indecency with another male ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Abduction of unmarried girl under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Abduction of unmarried girl under 18 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Gross indecency with boys aged 14 and under 1,147 1,158 1,280 1,512 1,287 1,215 1,269 1,293 1,365 1,336

Gross indecency with girls aged 14 and under 1,147 1,158 1,280 1, 512 1,287 1,215 1,269 1,203 1,365 1,336

Other indictable offences

Take or make indecent photographs, or pseudo-photographs, of children ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Summary Offences

Possession of an indecent photograph, or pseudo-photograph of a child ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ —

Total for England and Wales 3,411 2,974 2,991 3,233 2,725 2,647 2,529 2,581 2,816 2,728

Notifiable offences recorded by the police and persons convicted at all courts of sexual offences against young people where the age of victim is identified by the offence, 1991 to 2000–01 England and Wales—Number of offences and number of persons Persons convicted ²

Offences 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998–99 ¹ 1999–00 2000–01

Indictable Offences

Sexual offences

Buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal 168 163 136 135 85 5

Attempt to commit buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal 26 17 20 16 14 2

Buggery by a male of a male under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — 29 66 70 57 57 51

Buggery by a male aged 21 or over with a male aged 16 or 17 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — 2 3 6 7 1 5

Buggery by a male aged 18 to 20 with a male aged 16 to 17 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — 1 1 1

Buggery by a male with a female under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — 7 17 21 23 13 13

Buggery by a male aged 21 or over with a female aged 16 or 17 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — 2 2 1 1

Buggery by a male aged 18 to 20 with a female aged 16 or 17 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — 1

Indecent assault on male person under 16 years 351 363 293 324 339 355 365 342 337 299

Gross indecency by a male aged 21 or over with a male aged under 18 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — 11 11 17 18 10 11

Gross indecency by a male aged 18 to 20 with a male aged under 18 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — 2

Rape of a female aged under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — 113 210 198 221 247 206

Rape of a male aged under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — 2 13 24 15 37 24

Attempted rape of a female aged under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — 21 35 52 41 44 32

Attempted rape of a male aged under 16 ³ — ³ — ³ — ³ — 2 2 5 14 7 2

Indecent assault on a female under 16 1,469 1,331 1,205 1,355 1,446 1,597 1,627 1,505 1,491 1,353

Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 13 105 89 76 64 81 54 44 55 52 53

Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 16 223 218 170 205 203 207 199 225 189 214

Incest with a girl under 13 68 52 51 35 21 19 19 19 13 12

Inciting girl under 16 to have incestuous sexual intercourse 3 3 1 4 5 3 1 2

Householder permitting unlawful sexual intercourse with firl under 16 1 3 6 2 3 1 2

Person responsible for girl under 16 causing or encouraging her prostitution etc. 2 1 3 1 1 1

Male aged 21 or over procuring or attempting to procure a male under 18 of gross indecency with another male ³ ³ ³ ³ 2 3 6 7 3 4

Abduction of unmarried girl under 16 8 12 6 9 6 3 1 4 1 3

Abduction of unmarried girl under 18 1 1

Gross indecency with boys aged 14 and under 91 99 80 77 56 53 56 61 73 58

Gross indecency with girls aged 14 and under 128 129 123 112 99 111 153 144 135

Other indictable offences

Take or make indecent photographs, or pseudo-photographs, of children 39 44 37 27 44 69 103 82 139 218

Summary Offences

Possession of an indecent photograph, or pseudo-photograph of a child 43 30 35 36 37 79 81 105 99 77

Total for England and Wales 2,728 2,553 2,241 2,401 2,635 2,916 3,011 2,958 2,962 2,774

Offences	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998–99 ¹	1999–2000	2000–01
Indictable Offences
Sexual offences
Buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Attempt to commit buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Buggery by a male of a male under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Buggery by a male aged 21 or over with a male aged 16 or 17	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Buggery by a male aged 18 to 20 with a male aged 16 to 17	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Buggery by a male with a female under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Buggery by a male aged 21 or over with a female aged 16 or 17	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Buggery by a male aged 18 to 20 with a female aged 16 or 17	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Indecent assault on male person under 16 years	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Gross indecency by a male aged 21 or over with a male aged under 18	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Gross indecency by a male aged 18 to 20 with a male aged under 18	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Rape of a female aged under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Rape of a male aged under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Attempted rape of a female aged under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Attempted rape of a male aged under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Indecent assault on a female under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 13	315	253	268	275	178	171	148	153	181	155
Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 16	1,949	1,563	1,433	1,446	1,260	1,261	1,112	1,135	1,270	1,237
Incest with a girl under 13	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Inciting girl under 16 to have incestuous sexual intercourse	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Householder permitting unlawful sexual intercourse with firl under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Person responsible for girl under 16 causing or encouraging her prostitution etc.	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Male aged 21 or over procuring or attempting to procure a male under 18 of gross indecency with another male	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Abduction of unmarried girl under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Abduction of unmarried girl under 18	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —
Gross indecency with boys aged 14 and under	1,147	1,158	1,280	1,512	1,287	1,215	1,269	1,293	1,365	1,336
Gross indecency with girls aged 14 and under	1,147	1,158	1,280	1, 512	1,287	1,215	1,269	1,203	1,365	1,336

Other indictable offences
Take or make indecent photographs, or pseudo-photographs, of children	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —

Summary Offences
Possession of an indecent photograph, or pseudo-photograph of a child	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —

Total for England and Wales	3,411	2,974	2,991	3,233	2,725	2,647	2,529	2,581	2,816	2,728

Offences	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998–99 ¹	1999–00	2000–01
Indictable Offences
Sexual offences
Buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal	168	163	136	135	85	5
Attempt to commit buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal	26	17	20	16	14	2
Buggery by a male of a male under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	29	66	70	57	57	51
Buggery by a male aged 21 or over with a male aged 16 or 17	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	2	3	6	7	1	5
Buggery by a male aged 18 to 20 with a male aged 16 to 17	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	1	1	1
Buggery by a male with a female under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	7	17	21	23	13	13
Buggery by a male aged 21 or over with a female aged 16 or 17	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	2	2		1		1
Buggery by a male aged 18 to 20 with a female aged 16 or 17	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	1
Indecent assault on male person under 16 years	351	363	293	324	339	355	365	342	337	299
Gross indecency by a male aged 21 or over with a male aged under 18	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	11	11	17	18	10	11
Gross indecency by a male aged 18 to 20 with a male aged under 18	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —			2
Rape of a female aged under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	113	210	198	221	247	206
Rape of a male aged under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	2	13	24	15	37	24
Attempted rape of a female aged under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	21	35	52	41	44	32
Attempted rape of a male aged under 16	³ —	³ —	³ —	³ —	2	2	5	14	7	2
Indecent assault on a female under 16	1,469	1,331	1,205	1,355	1,446	1,597	1,627	1,505	1,491	1,353
Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 13	105	89	76	64	81	54	44	55	52	53
Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 16	223	218	170	205	203	207	199	225	189	214
Incest with a girl under 13	68	52	51	35	21	19	19	19	13	12
Inciting girl under 16 to have incestuous sexual intercourse	3	3	1	4	5		3		1	2
Householder permitting unlawful sexual intercourse with firl under 16	1	3	6	2	3		1	2
Person responsible for girl under 16 causing or encouraging her prostitution etc.	2		1		3	1	1		1
Male aged 21 or over procuring or attempting to procure a male under 18 of gross indecency with another male	³	³	³	³	2	3	6	7	3	4
Abduction of unmarried girl under 16	8	12	6	9	6	3	1	4	1	3
Abduction of unmarried girl under 18						1			1
Gross indecency with boys aged 14 and under	91	99	80	77	56	53	56	61	73	58
Gross indecency with girls aged 14 and under	128	129	123	112	99	111	153	144	135

Other indictable offences
Take or make indecent photographs, or pseudo-photographs, of children	39	44	37	27	44	69	103	82	139	218

Summary Offences
Possession of an indecent photograph, or pseudo-photograph of a child	43	30	35	36	37	79	81	105	99	77

Total for England and Wales	2,728	2,553	2,241	2,401	2,635	2,916	3,011	2,958	2,962	2,774

¹ New Home Office rules for counting and classifying crime were introduced in April 1998: information on notifiable offences is presented on a financial year basis from that date.

² Data are on the principal offences basis.

³ Counts are not collected centrally for these detailed offences.

9 Dec 2002 : Column 125W

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