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30 Jan 2003 : Column 1033W—continued
Emergency Contingency Planning
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the degree of preparedness of the Government for a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident. [93525]
Mr. Blunkett [holding answer 28 January 2003]: The recent discovery of traces of ricin, followed by arrests in the United Kingdom and abroad, show there is a continuing interest in using chemical, biological or radiological agents as weapons of terror. While there is no credible, specific threat to targets in the United Kingdom, it is vital that the Government continue to protect the public from any possible threat from terrorism. That is why the Government are making substantial investment to ensure that the emergency services have the equipment and trained officers to enable them to respond to the release of CBRN material.
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This is on-going work. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Policing, Crime Reduction and Community Safety was appointed Minister for CBRN co-ordination in 2001 supported by a Cabinet sub-committee and a dedicated team of officials at the Home Office. We are continually learning and developing the best way to protect the UK from terrorism and to manage the consequences of terrorism, in whatever form it comes. However the Government do not give detailed information on CBRN capabilities, as this information could be useful to terrorists.
Entitlement Card Consultation
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been taken to ensure that responses to the consultation that are against the entitlement card are accurately recorded; and if he will make a statement. [93491]
Beverley Hughes: Since the Government announced in February 2002 that it would be publishing a consultation paper, all correspondence received by e-mail and post has been filed according to the views expressed by the correspondent. Responses received from individuals and organisations have been recorded on a database.
I am aware that in a small number of cases (estimated to be less than 1 per cent. of the total volume of correspondence), the views of the correspondent were incorrectly recorded. These errors were pointed out by the correspondents when they received a reply. They received an apology and the database has been amended accordingly.
Eurobank
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs have been incurred by the (a) Home Office budget and (b) security services budget arising from the collapse of the Eurobank case; and if he will make a statement. [94409]
Mr. Blunkett: None. It is the longstanding policy of successive Governments neither to confirm nor to deny reports or allegations concerning the activities of the intelligence and security agencies.
Gwent Police
Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from Gwent Police concerning its funding allocations for 2003–04. [93249]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 27 January 2003]: I have received one representation made jointly by the Chief Constable of Gwent and the Chairman of Gwent Police Authority. I visited Gwent on 14 January 2003. During the visit the Chief Constable outlined his concerns to me. These concerns are being considered.
Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the cost is of placing an offender on the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme; [93359]
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- (2) whether the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme is being evaluated; [93361]
(3) what funding is available to the Youth Justice Board for the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme; and what funding will be available in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06; [93358]
(4) what his estimate is of the number of young offenders who are eligible for the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme. [93360]
Hilary Benn [holding answer 28 January 2003]: The Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP) was launched in 2001 to provide the courts with a tough community based programme designed to tackle persistent young offenders. It was extended last year and now provides for approximately 3,500 young offenders a year at an annual cost of £21.5million.
I am pleased to announce that provision has now been made to complete full national coverage by January 2004, providing in total for 4,200 young people annually. The total cost of the programme over the next three years will be £23 million, £27 million, and £27million respectively.
The average cost for each six month placement including bail tagging, is £8,500. The total number of young offenders who could be eligible is difficult to calculate because of the combination of criteria which must be satisfied.
The programme is being fully evaluated by Oxford University: the final report with reconvictions is due in March 2004.
Internet Child Pornography
Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to relieve the backlog of cases concerning internet child pornography. [93598]
Hilary Benn: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 10 December 2002, Official Report, column 237W.
I have subsequently met with DAC Carole Hewlett of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to discuss these on-going investigations, and will continue to monitor progress closely.
Iraq
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to intern Iraqi citizens in the UK, including asylum seekers, in the event of armed conflict with Saddam Hussein's regime; and if he will make a statement. [91692]
Mr. Blunkett: As no decision has been taken on whether to take military action in Iraq, this is a hypothetical situation. I have no plans at this stage but plans for dealing with the full range of potential consequences of armed conflict overseas are kept constantly under review.
Landlords (Prosecutions)
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many landlords were prosecuted by their tenants for breach of contract in (a) 2002, (b) 2001 and (c) 2000. [90998]
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Mr. Denham: The information requested is not collected centrally by the Home Department.
Lincolnshire Police Force
Mr. Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted criminals in the Lincolnshire police authority area were re-offenders in each year from 1997 to 2002. [94224]
Hilary Benn: The information requested is not available.
Missing Persons
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial assistance his Department has given to the National Missing Persons Helpline in each year since 1997. [93113]
Mr. Denham: The National Missing Persons Helpline (NMPH) is a charitable organisation and does not receive any direct funding from the Home Office.
However, a joint bid by the police and the NMPH to the Invest to Save Budget, which has been led by the Home Office, has been successful. Funding of £810,000 has been secured for a missing persons project. The aim of the project is the establishment of joint working arrangements between the UK Police Service and the NMPH, together with improved recording and information sharing.
Murders
Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders were committed between 1 April 1996 and 31 March 1999. [93565]
Mr. Denham: Information held centrally on the Homicide Index is in the form of homicides (murder, manslaughter and infanticide) recorded by the police in England and Wales. The number of homicides currently recorded by the police for the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1999 is 1,834.
The latest available homicide statistics were published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 01/03, "Crime in England and Wales 2001–02: Supplementary Volume".
Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of committing murders in each of the last 10 years. [94064]
Hilary Benn: The information requested is contained in the table.
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 182 |
| 1993 | 211 |
| 1994 | 192 |
| 1995 | 214 |
| 1996 | 257 |
| 1997 | 275 |
| 1998 | 256 |
| 1999 | 252 |
| 2000 | 261 |
| 2001 | 285 |
Figures for 2002 are not yet available.
30 Jan 2003 : Column 1037W
Official Travel
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total expenditure of (a) his Department and (b) its agencies was on official travelling in 2001–02. [84784]
Hilary Benn [holding answer 3 December 2003]: Total Home Office expenditure on official travelling in 2001–02 was £12,959,000. This includes a small element of subsistence allowance, which cannot be separately identified without disproportionate cost.
The expenditure on travel by the Home Office agencies, in 2001–02 was as follows:
| Agency | Cost (£) |
|---|---|
| Forensic Science Service | 1,924,000 |
| Her Majesty's Prison Service | 8,769,000 |
| United Kingdom Passport Service | 2,583,000 |
The Forensic Science Service and the United Kingdom Passport Service figures also include subsistence costs that could not be separately identified without disproportionate cost.
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