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24 Feb 2003 : Column 115W—continued
Firearms
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to control the number of guns arriving in the UK from Eastern Europe and the Balkans. [96903]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Government is aware of the risk of illegal weapons being imported from Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Law enforcement agencies are continuing to monitor the situation carefully and are already involved in efforts to reduce the flow of firearms to this country. Those firearms which are smuggled and intended for criminal use in the United Kingdom are often connected with smuggling of other commodities, including drugs and this is another angle that is currently being addressed.
A conference on organised crime in the Balkans was held in London last November at which the matter of firearms trafficking was discussed. The Government is currently considering follow-up actions relating to tighter border controls, increasing police capacity, encouraging intelligence-led policing and improving international co-operation, which will help restrict smuggling.
Lancashire Constabulary
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the ethnic composition of the Lancashire Constabulary is. [97512]
Mr. Denham: The following tables are for police officers and all police staff and have been produced from figures supplied by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).
| As at 31 March 2002 | Number |
|---|---|
| White | 3,245 |
| Mixed | 0 |
| Black/Black British | 13 |
| Asian/Asian British | 32 |
| Chinese or Other ethnic group | 14 |
| Unspecified | 0 |
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| As at 31 March 2002 | Number |
|---|---|
| White | 4,732 |
| Mixed | 0 |
| Black/Black British | 18 |
| Asian/Asian British | 45 |
| Chinese or Other ethnic group | 35 |
| Unspecified | 0 |
Misuse of Drugs Advisory Council
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 5 December 2002, Official Report, column 973W, on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, what sub-committee meetings took place on (a) 1 November 2001 and (b) 15 January 2002; where each meeting took place; which members of the Council attended each meeting; which members of the Council attended the (i) meeting on 8 November 2001 and (ii) full meeting on 15 January 2002, and where they took place; which members of the Council were commissioned to produce the draft report on the classification of cannabis; and whether the Council took a vote on approving the draft report on the classification of cannabis. [96575]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Joint meetings of the technical sub-committee and the research sub-committee of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs took place on 1 November 2001 and 15 January 2002. The meetings were held respectively at the main Home Office building, Queen Anne's Gate and St. Ermin's Hotel, Caxton street, London.
The members of the Council who attended the meetings are as listed.
The meetings of the Council which took place on 8 November 2001 and 15 January 2002 were held respectively in the main Home Office building, Queen Anne's Gate and St. Ermin's Hotel, Caxton street, London. The members of the Council who
attended the meetings are as listed.
The report on the classification of cannabis was drafted by the chair of the Council, Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, with contributions from the chairs of the technical and research sub-committees, Professor David Nutt and Mrs. Kay Roberts. The report was approved by the full Council at its meeting on 15 January 2002. In accordance with normal Council procedures, no vote was taken.
Members who attended the joint sub-committee meeting on 1 November 2001:
- Dr. Anthony Duxbury
Mr. Paul Hayes
Mr. Roger Howard
Professor Ronald Jones
Professor Otto Meth-Cohn
Professor David Nutt
Dr. Diana Patterson
Mrs. Kay Roberts
Dr. Sue Ruben
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Members who attended the Council meeting on 8 November 2001:
- Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, Chairman of the Council
Mrs. Joy Barlow
Mr. Norman Bettison
Reverend Martin Blakeborough
Mr. Alexander Cameron
Dr. Michael Donmall
Ms Vivienne Evans
Dr. Laurence Gruer
Ms Kim Hager
Mr. Peter Hampson
Mr. Paul Hayes
Ms Lorraine Hewitt
Mr. Peter Housden
Mr. Roger Howard
Professor Ronald Jones
Professor Otto Meth-Cohn
Mr. Michael Narayn Singh
Professor David Nutt
Dr. Diana Patterson
Mrs. Kay Roberts
Dr. Roy Robertson
Dr. Sue Ruben
Mr. lan Sherwood
Professor John Strang
- Dr. Michael Donmall
Mr. Paul Hayes
Ms Lorraine Hewitt
Mr. Alan Hunter
Professor Ronald Jones
Professor Otto Meth-Cohn
Professor David Nutt
Dr. Diana Patterson
Mrs. Kay Roberts
Dr. Sue Ruben
Professor Dr John Strang
- Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, Chairman of the Council
Mrs. Joy Barlow
Mr. Norman Bettison
Reverend Martin Blakeborough
Mr. Raj Boyjoonauth
Mr. Alexander Cameron
Dr. Michael Donmall
Ms Vivienne Evans
Dr. Laurence Gruer
Ms Kim Hager
Mr. Peter Hampson
Mr. Paul Hayes
Dep. Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman
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Mr. Russell Hayton
Ms Lorraine Hewitt
Mr. Roger Howard
Mr. Alan Hunter
Professor Ronald Jones
Professor Otto Meth-Cohn
Mr. Michael Narayn Singh
Professor David Nutt
Dr. Diana Patterson
Mrs. Kay Roberts
Mrs. Patricia Roberts
Dr. Roy Robertson
Dr. Sue Ruben
Mr. Ian Sherwood
Professor John Strang
Police Cars
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on police cars displaying the Union Flag. [96661]
Mr. Denham: This is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers of police, although we are not aware of any force that has included the Union Flag as part of standard vehicle livery. There are no restrictions under the general law on the display of the Union Flag on land in England and Wales other than those imposed by the provisions of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and the Trade Marks Act 1994, which relate to the reproduction of flags in trade marks.
Prison Programmes
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on prison rehabilitation programmes. [98141]
Hilary Benn: One of the principal objectives of the Prison Service is to reduce crime by providing constructive regimes which address offending behaviour, improve educational and work skills and promote law abiding behaviour in custody and after release. The Prison Service increasingly draws upon "What Works" research to develop a more evidence based approach to tackling offending behaviour and the factors that contribute to re-offending. The What Works in Prison Strategy, launched last year, provides a clear direction for the further development of constructive regimes to reduce the risk of re-offending. The strategy encompasses accredited offending behaviour programmes, drug treatment programmes, increased education provision and a custody to work strategy to improve resettlement outcomes. The Prison and Probation Services have been set the challenging but achievable target of reducing the level of reconvictions by fiver per cent. by 2004 compared to the predicted rate.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budgets were for (a) offending behaviour programmes, (b) drug treatment and (c) basic skills education in prisons in each year between 1995 and 2002; and if he will make a statement on future spending plans. [98142]
Hilary Benn: (a) Offending Behaviour Programmes (OBPs).
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| 1995–96 | 1996–97 | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Spending Review | — | — | — | — | 7.3 | 8.4 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 8.9 |
| Crime Reduction Programme | — | — | — | — | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.5 | — | — |
| Spending Review 2000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.6 | 11.6 |
In addition, in each year there is an element of baseline funding for OBPs which cannot be accurately disaggregated from establishment budgets. Future spending plans are to maintain investment at 2003–04 levels.
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(b) Drug Interventions: Between 1995–96 and 2003–04, the Prison Service has been allocated £143 million for drug interventions. The respective annual allocations are shown in the table.
| 1995–96 | 1996–97 | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Expenditure Survey | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Comprehensive Spending Review | — | — | — | — | 13.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Spending Review 2000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10.0 | 17.0 | 14.0 |
The Government's 2002 Spending Review has made provision for significant, additional funding for drugs misuse. In particular, investment in aftercare and throughcare links will help ensure that the gains made while prisoners are in custody will not be lost on their release. Provision is included to boost drug treatment in prisons.
| Year | Core funding |
|---|---|
| 1995–96 | 37.0 |
| 1996–97 | 34.5 |
| 1997–98 | 36.2 |
| 1998–99 | 39.0 |
| 1999–2000 | 47.4 |
| 2000–01 | 50.9 |
| 2001–02 | 57.0 |
| 2002–03 | 66.0 |
| 2003–04 | 85.0 |
From 2001–02, budgets for prison education have been ring-fenced and allocated by the Prisoners' Learning and Skills Unit, which reports to the Department for Education and the Home Office. The core budget rose from £57 million in 2001–02 to £66 million in 2002–03, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education (Charles Clarke) recently announced that it will rise to £85 million 2003–04, £110 million in 2004–05 and £125 million in 2005–06. Core funding buys teaching hours, induction and assessment sessions, Library services and education materials. While basic skills are a significant part of prisons' education provision, and each prison has basic skills targets, we cannot say exactly how much of overall education funding goes on basic skills.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners have participated in the Cognitive Self-Change Programme since its inception; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the programme; [98136]
- (2) how many prisoners participated in the Enhanced Thinking Skills programme since its inception; and what plans there are to expand the programme. [98143]
Hilary Benn: One hundred and seventy-seven prisoners have participated in the Cognitive Self-Change programme since it was accredited in September 2000. Effectiveness is currently evaluated through reports on institutional behaviour, psychometric data, and risk assessments. Early provisional indications show reductions in hostility, aggression and impulsivity in prisoners undertaking the programme. Reconviction data will in due course also be used to evaluate effectiveness.
Since the inception of the Enhanced Thinking Skills (ETS) programme, 18,564 prisoners had participated up to 31 March 2002. This figures will increase by about 5,000 prisoners for 2002–03, and over 6,000 prisoners in subsequent years due to additional funding to increase delivery.
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff he employs to conduct research into projects, schemes, programmes or courses run for the Prison Service. [98195]
Hilary Benn: There are currently 18 members of staff employed to conduct research into projects, schemes, programmes or courses run for the Prison Service.
However, research may form part of the duties to be performed by members of staff other than these core 18 personnel.
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time required was to research, evaluate and accredit a project or scheme being run for the Prison Service in the last three years. [98201]
Hilary Benn: The average length of time required was two years to adapt or develop Prison Service programmes to accreditation standard in the last three years. Time scales will vary depending on the complexity of the programme, the availability of research data and resources, and competing priorities.
24 Feb 2003 : Column 121W
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