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27 Jan 2003 : Column 712W—continued
Police Response Times
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the target time is for the police to respond to 999 calls in (a) Essex Constabulary, (b) Tendring division, (c) Colchester division and (d) England; and if he will list the most recent performance in each case. [91463]
Mr. Denham: The Government do not set target times for emergency response.
27 Jan 2003 : Column 713W
The emergency response targets set by Essex Police Authority within Essex Police are the same for all divisions:
- Rural—20 minutes,
Urban—10 minutes.
The latest Essex performance figures are as follows:
- Essex Police—Target 86 per cent. Performance (rolling 12 months to end December 2002) 83.5 per cent.
Tendring Division—Target 88 per cent. Performance (rolling 12 months to end December 2002) 88.3 per cent.
Colchester Division—Target 88 per cent. Performance (rolling 12 months to end December 2002) 83.9 per cent.
Police Standards Unit
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police forces have been subject to intervention by the Police Standards Unit since its creation; [92688]
- (2) how many separate interventions the Police Standards Unit has made since its creation. [92687]
Mr. Denham: There have been no formal interventions by the Police Standards Unit under the powers provided by sections 4 and 5 of the Police Reform Act 2002.
The Police Standards Unit is, however, working with police forces in England and Wales—and in conjunction with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary—to share good practice, to provide support where performance issues have been identified and to aid specific initiatives such as the work with 10 forces to tackle street crime.
Policing (London)
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the current level of policing in (a) the London Borough of Havering and (b) other London boroughs; [91333]
- (2) how many police officers there are in each London borough; [91332]
(3) what recent discussions he has had with police borough commanders on police numbers in the London boroughs; [91339]
(4) what plans he has to increase police numbers and resources in the London Borough of Havering. [91334]
Mr. Denham: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, has regular meetings with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (Sir John Stevens QPM) at which a range of policing issues are discussed.
27 Jan 2003 : Column 714W
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) on 2 December 2002, Official Report, column 589W. This sets out police strength for each Basic Command Unit for each force in England and Wales, including the London boroughs.
Under the provisional grant settlement for 2003–04 announced on 5 December 2002 the MPS will receive £2,021.7 million in Government grant.
Decisions about the allocation of resources, including police officers, to the London boroughs are matters for the Commissioner and the Metropolitan Police Authority.
Radiological Terrorism
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what liaison has taken place between the Civil Contingencies Unit and the Office of Civil Nuclear Security in respect of preparation of counter measures against radiological terrorism. [91961]
Mr. Wilson: I have been asked to reply.
None. The Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), the security regulator, provides advice on protective security of nuclear materials and nuclear facilities in the civil nuclear industry. OCNS does not provide advice on the consequences of terrorism.
Stray Dogs
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on the provision by local police forces of temporary kennels for stray dogs collected by local authority dog wardens. [92590]
Mr. Denham: The provision of temporary kennels for stray dogs by the police is a local matter determined individually by each police force. The Policing Bureaucracy Taskforce recommended that this function may transfer to local authorities. The proposals are being discussed in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.
Sussex Police
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have left Sussex constabulary in the last 12 months because of (a) retirement, (b) early retirement, (c) injury and (d) other employment. [92577]
Mr. Denham: The precise information requested is not collected centrally. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary has provided the figures set out in the table for the 12 months ending 31 March 2002.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Dismissed or required to resign | 2 |
| Voluntary resignations | 63 |
| Medical retirements | 16 |
| Ordinary retirements | 82 |
| Transfers | 34 |
| Died in service | 2 |
| Total wastage | 199 |
27 Jan 2003 : Column 715W
Terrorism Act
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 14 January 2003, Official Report, column 597W, on arrests made under the Terrorism Act 2000 since 1 December 2002, if he will list (a) the locations where the 50 arrests were
27 Jan 2003 : Column 716W
made, (b) the numbers arrested and charged or released at each location and (c) the date of each of these incidents. [92037]
Mr. Blunkett: Since 1 December 2002 and to date, a total of 75 arrests have been made under the Terrorism Act 2000. The table details dates, locations and outcomes.
| Date | Number of arrests | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 December 2002 | 1 | Manchester | Released without charge |
| 3 December 2002 | 2 | Manchester | Released without charge |
| 5 December 2002 | 10 | London | Released from TACT (6 re-arrested for criminal offences) |
| 11 December 2002 | 6 | London | 5 charged (s11 and s18 TACT) 1 released without charge |
| 11 December 2002 | 1 | Cheshire | Charged (s11 TACT) |
| 18 December 2002 | 4 | London | Charged (s57 of TACT) |
| 18 December 2002 | 3 | Edinburgh | Charged (s57 of TACT) |
| 19 December 2002 | 1 | London | Released without charge |
| 22 December 2002 | 1 | London | Released without charge |
| 24 December 2002 | 1 | Edinburgh | Charged (s57 and s58 TACT) |
| 29 December 2002 | 2 | Cumbria | Charged (s15 TACT) |
| 30 December 2002 | 3 | London | Released from TACT (re-arrested for criminal offences) |
| 5 January 2003 | 8 | London | 2 released without charge; 3 charged (s57 TACT and s2 Chemical Weapons Act); 1 charged (s57 and 58 TACT and s2 Chemical Weapons Act) 2 released from TACT (re-arrested for criminal and immigration offences) |
| 7 January 2003 | 1 | London | Charged under s57 TACT and s2 Chemical Weapons Act |
| 8 January 2003 | 1 | London | Released without charge |
| 12 January 2003 | 6 | Bournemouth | Released from TACT (re-arrested for criminal and immigration offences) |
| 13 January 2003 | 1 | London | Released without charge |
| 14 January 2003 | 3 | Manchester | 1 charged with murder 1 detained under ATCS Act 1 charged (s57 and s58 TACT) |
| 14 January 2003 | 2 | Tottenham | 1 detained under ATCS Act 1 released without charge |
| 14 January 2003 | 1 | Birmingham | Released without charge |
| 15 January 2003 | 1 | Birmingham | Released without charge |
| 15 January 2003 | 1 | Manchester | Released from TACT into Immigration Service custody |
| 17 January 2003 | 3 | Gatwick | Released from TACT into Immigration Service custody |
| 17 January 2003 | 2 | London | Released from TACT (bailed re criminal offences) |
| 18 January 2003 | 3 | Gloucestershire | Released without charge |
| 20 January 2003 | 7 | London | All remain in custody |
Traffic Police
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police in England have been allocated to traffic duties in each year since 1990; and what training in road accident investigation is given to police officers. [91852]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The table gives the readily available information on the number of traffic officers in each police force in England. This covers the three years since 1999, in which year the definition of traffic officer used by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary changed. The definition is now "staff who are predominantly employed on motor-cycles or in patrol vehicles for the policing of traffic and motorway related duties". This definition excludes those engaged in accident investigation, vehicle examination or radar duties.
The adoption of an intelligence-led approach to traffic policing, the integration of such policing with other core activities, the increased use of cameras and other technology, and the more effective use of police resources can lead to a reduction in dedicated traffic officers without a reduction in performance in meeting traffic-related targets or enforcement levels.
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has created a protocol to safeguard expertise and credibility by providing a common standard within the police service for the conduct of collision investigation and reconstruction. Under this, police forces should aim, at the primary level, to train collision investigation officers to the level of the appropriate City and Guilds qualification or an approved equivalent. The recommendation is that the qualification should be achieved within two years of the officer first undertaking this type of work. In addition, specialist officers are required to undergo continuing professional development, which provides a means of maintaining and enhancing their expertise and ensuring the maintenance of standards.
27 Jan 2003 : Column 717W
| 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avon and Somerset | 200.3 | 210.5 | 214.0 |
| Bedfordshire | 73.0 | 69.0 | 68.5 |
| Cambridgeshire | 93.0 | 86.0 | 78.0 |
| Cheshire | 195.6 | 187.0 | 194.0 |
| City of London | 22.0 | 24.0 | 25.0 |
| Cleveland | 67.9 | 62.9 | 67.0 |
| Cumbria | 118.8 | 111.0 | 108.0 |
| Derbyshire | 138.6 | 135.6 | 140.3 |
| Devon and Cornwall | 215.3 | 202.3 | 186.7 |
| Dorset | 83.0 | 86.0 | 81.0 |
| Durham | 116.0 | 112.8 | 112.6 |
| Essex | 245.1 | 249.1 | 253.7 |
| Gloucestershire | 67.6 | 68.6 | 63.6 |
| Greater Manchester | 432.8 | 422.8 | 420.8 |
| Hampshire | 251.0 | 240.0 | 239.8 |
| Hertfordshire | 155.0 | 168.0 | 149.0 |
| Humberside | 154.6 | 145.0 | 136.0 |
| Kent | 102.6 | 103.6 | 103.6 |
| Lancashire | 220.4 | 216,8 | 219.6 |
| Leicestershire | 87.0 | 95.0 | 85.7 |
| Lincolnshire | 93.0 | 88.0 | 97.8 |
| Merseyside | 185.0 | 130.0 | 126.0 |
| Metropolitan police | 823.8 | 685.7 | 602.0 |
| Norfolk | 108.6 | 112.6 | 114.0 |
| Northamptonshire | 51.8 | 51.8 | 61.4 |
| Northumbria | 158.0 | 158.0 | 178.0 |
| North Yorkshire | 96.0 | 129.0 | 140.0 |
| Nottinghamshire | 166.5 | 175.0 | 111.0 |
| South Yorkshire | 196.4 | 206.4 | 208.4 |
| Staffordshire | 188.0 | 35.0 | 34.0 |
| Suffolk | 70.0 | 62.6 | 67.6 |
| Surrey | 173.0 | 197.0 | 109.5 |
| Sussex | 191.3 | 190.0 | 174.2 |
| Thames Valley | 251.4 | 250.5 | 246.8 |
| Warwickshire | 102.0 | 95.8 | 95.0 |
| West Mercia | 278.0 | 322.0 | 325.0 |
| West Midlands | 394.0 | 380.0 | 385.0 |
| West Yorkshire | 322.8 | 326.2 | 336.2 |
| Wiltshire | 92.7 | 91.0 | 88.0 |
| Totals | 6,791.9 | 6,718.6 | 6,446.8 |
27 Jan 2003 : Column 718W
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