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8 Apr 2003 : Column 211W—continued
Market Research
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what expenditure has been incurred by his (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental bodies in 2002 on (i) opinion polling, (ii) focus groups and (iii) other forms of market research; and if he will list the surveys commissioned and the purpose of each. [106276]
Hilary Benn: The Home Office research department undertakes a wide range of research activities that support the development of information-led policy, including scientific and social research, and includes research gathered from market research and focus groups.
The department conducts or commissions market and opinion research and focus groups only when it is justified by the specific needs of a particular policy or programme and when this is the most economical, efficient and effective way to achieve the purpose. Consulting and involving the public helps inform both policy formulation and the delivery of better quality public services.
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It has not been possible to provide information on total costs as complete information is not held centrally. A table of commissioned projects involving some market and opinion research conducted 2002 held centrally has been placed in the Library.
The Research, Development and Statistics (RDS) Conducts social research supporting all seven Home Office aims. A list of RDS publications is available on the Home Office website and copies are also placed in the Library.
Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many proposed negative decisions under section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 have been referred to his Department's legal officers for confirmation since 18 March 2003; and what is the estimated cost to his Department to date of this practice; [106613]
- (2) pursuant to his answer of 11 February 2003 to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey, Official Report, column 711W, when he plans to release statistics on the operation of section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; [106612]
(3) how many persons refused NASS support under section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 since 18 March 2003 have subsequently re-applied for such support, having failed to obtain alternative means of support from charitable or other sources; and how many such applications have been successful. [106615]
Beverley Hughes: Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, came into force on 8 January 2003. Subject to quality assurance of the data, it is planned to publish information on the operation of section 55 within the quarterly asylum statistics at the end of May 2003.
The Home Office's Legal Advisor's Branch has provided legal support for the operation of section 55. Any legal costs incurred have been subsumed within normal salary costs.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information on where to seek charitable or other support is given by NASS to those refused NASS support under section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. [106614]
Beverley Hughes: Information on alternative support arrangements that may be provided by charities and other organisations is widely available to asylum applicants refused by the National Asylum Support Service support under section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. Advice on specific options in the area and sources of further information is given on request.
Political Asylum Claimants
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department
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has had with Gosport borough council concerning the possible use of the Daedalus site as an accommodation centre for political asylum claimants. [107682]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 7 April 2003]: I met the Leader and Chief Executive of Gosport borough council on 20 March. There have been four further meetings between representatives of my Department and Gosport borough council since February.
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Police
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the population per police officer was in each year since 1997 in each police force area in England and Wales. [107299]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The table gives population per police officer in each police force area in England and Wales in each year from 1997 to 2002.
| Force | 31 March 1997 | 31 March 1998 | 31 March 1999 | 31 March 2000 | 31 March 2001 | 31 March 2002 | 30 September 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon and Somerset | 490 | 493 | 493 | 507 | 501 | 488 | 476 |
| Bedfordshire | 499 | 509 | 530 | 541 | 543 | 529 | 522 |
| Cambridgeshire | 533 | 545 | 559 | 582 | 559 | 536 | 508 |
| Cheshire | 478 | 480 | 474 | 489 | 491 | 478 | 474 |
| Cleveland | 383 | 376 | 393 | 396 | 395 | 381 | 364 |
| Cumbria | 429 | 422 | 437 | 455 | 470 | 446 | 439 |
| Derbyshire | 535 | 543 | 549 | 546 | 534 | 529 | 486 |
| Devon and Cornwall | 538 | 521 | 537 | 549 | 535 | 520 | 502 |
| Dorset | 529 | 521 | 538 | 529 | 511 | 506 | 495 |
| Durham | 416 | 401 | 388 | 390 | 380 | 376 | 358 |
| Essex(22) | 509 | 517 | 527 | 547 | 558 | 553 | 541 |
| Gloucestershire | 488 | 504 | 507 | 500 | 479 | 478 | 482 |
| Greater Manchester | 373 | 371 | 378 | 379 | 373 | 358 | 338 |
| Hampshire | 505 | 502 | 507 | 518 | 518 | 513 | 495 |
| Hertfordshire(22) | 488 | 496 | 506 | 497 | 543 | 576 | 544 |
| Humberside | 435 | 439 | 448 | 457 | 460 | 428 | 411 |
| Kent | 476 | 479 | 489 | 491 | 478 | 476 | 460 |
| Lancashire | 439 | 437 | 439 | 449 | 438 | 433 | 419 |
| Leicestershire | 474 | 468 | 466 | 466 | 460 | 447 | 443 |
| Lincolnshire | 511 | 517 | 544 | 559 | 523 | 529 | 534 |
| City of London(23) | |||||||
| Merseyside | 337 | 337 | 336 | 345 | 344 | 340 | 331 |
| Metropolitan Police(22) | 272 | 281 | 284 | 293 | 285 | 273 | 260 |
| Norfolk | 540 | 544 | 567 | 572 | 561 | 548 | 539 |
| Northamptonshire | 509 | 517 | 537 | 551 | 537 | 516 | 525 |
| Northumbria | 391 | 381 | 372 | 376 | 368 | 360 | 345 |
| North Yorkshire | 546 | 537 | 552 | 578 | 573 | 532 | 535 |
| Nottinghamshire | 444 | 444 | 464 | 468 | 454 | 443 | 424 |
| South Yorkshire | 413 | 410 | 412 | 412 | 407 | 407 | 394 |
| Staffordshire | 478 | 461 | 474 | 489 | 498 | 497 | 483 |
| Suffolk | 557 | 558 | 560 | 586 | 596 | 565 | 545 |
| Surrey(22) | 479 | 483 | 472 | 441 | 522 | 543 | 533 |
| Sussex | 474 | 491 | 522 | 531 | 531 | 526 | 510 |
| Thames valley | 554 | 547 | 557 | 561 | 571 | 566 | 546 |
| Warwickshire | 539 | 542 | 555 | 563 | 548 | 526 | 503 |
| West Mercia | 546 | 556 | 556 | 602 | 585 | 568 | 566 |
| West Midlands | 371 | 369 | 359 | 365 | 354 | 341 | 325 |
| West Yorkshire | 404 | 409 | 424 | 438 | 439 | 434 | 416 |
| Wiltshire | 512 | 513 | 521 | 542 | 545 | 530 | 526 |
| Dyfed Powys | 472 | 476 | 466 | 461 | 456 | 426 | 427 |
| Gwent | 364 | 451 | 447 | 441 | 437 | 418 | 416 |
| North Wales | 481 | 470 | 472 | 469 | 455 | 438 | 443 |
| South Wales | 447 | 413 | 415 | 424 | 394 | 387 | 380 |
| Total of 43 forces | 414 | 417 | 422 | 430 | 427 | 416 | 402 |
| Total including secondments | 408 | 410 | 414 | 422 | 419 | 409 | 396 |
(22) These forces have been affected by the boundary changes which took place in April 2000.
(23) The population per police officer for City of London is included in the Metropolitan Police.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations. [107786]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Police Pension (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2003, which came into force on 1 April, amended certain provisions in the Police Pensions Regulations 1987 in order to underpin the new procedures agreed by the Police Negotiating Board on 30 January for the fairer and more consistent management of ill-health retirement. We consulted the Police Negotiating Board on the draft amendment regulations before they were made, but apart from drafting points we have received no representations about them.
Prison Service
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations made by Patrick Carter in his Review of PFI and Market Testing in the Prison Service; and if he will make a statement. [107292]
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Hilary Benn: The Carter report, a copy of which was placed in the Library on 26 February 2002, was welcomed by Ministers at the time of its publication. Much work has been done to develop the issues raised in the recommendations, particularly those involving the development of a performance improvement programme and the development of large-scale multi-function prisons.
Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in each prison are sharing (a) two to a cell designed for one and (b) three to a cell designed for two. [105400]
Hilary Benn: The following table shows the number of prisoners in each prison held two to a cell designed for one at the end of February 2003. Data are provisional and subject to validation by prisons.
The Prison Service does not collect centrally the number of prisoners held three in a double cell. Overall, the percentage of prisoners doubling up was 20.2.
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Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2003, Official Report, column 1243W, on prisons (1) how many prisoners were held in police cells in each year between 1995 and 2002; and if he will make a statement; [106665]
- (2) what his estimate is of how many prisoners will be held in police cells each year between 2003 and 2006. [106664]
Hilary Benn: From January 1995 to May 1995 an average of 205 prisoners a month, who would normally be held in Prison Service accommodation, were held in police cells under Operation Container. No prisoners were held in police cells from mid-1995 to July 2002. From 12 July 2002 to 20 December 2002 an average of 199 prisoners a month were held in police cells under Operation Safeguard.
It is not possible to predict how many prisoners will be held in police cells at any point in the future. The use of police cells is dependent on the population pressures at the time, and the number used can vary on a daily basis. Their use is carefully monitored by the Prison Service and every effort is made to locate prisoners held in police cells to a prison as soon as possible.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of young prisoners with mental health needs since 1997 (a) had already had those needs identified and (b) were already receiving mental health services before coming into custody; and if he will make a statement. [107201]
Hilary Benn: The information sought is not available in the form requested. In 2000, the Office for National Statistics published a report, 'Psychiatric Morbidity amongst Young Offenders in England and Wales', which contained further analysis of data obtained during the survey of mental ill health in the prison population of England and Wales that it undertook in 1997. This report indicated that 13 per cent. of young men on remand, 11 per cent. of sentenced young men and 29 per cent. of all young women said they had received help or treatment for mental, nervous, or emotional problems in the year before they came into prison.
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Only people who had been in prison for less than two years were asked this question because it was felt that people who had been in prison for longer would not be able to recall the information accurately.
In comparison, 11 per cent. of young men on remand, 14 per cent. of sentenced young men and 23 per cent. of all young women reported receiving help for such problems in prison during the past year, or, if they had not been in custody that long, since coming into prison.
Young offenders who had been receiving help for mental or emotional problems in the year before coming into prison were more likely to report receiving such help while in prison. While 29 per cent. of young men on remand and 43 per cent. of women who said they had been receiving treatment before coming into prison reported receiving treatment in prison, this was true for only 8 per cent. and 16 per cent. respectively of those who had not had treatment.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information is collected about a prisoner as part of the reception screening process; and if he will make a statement. [107310]
Hilary Benn: On the reception of a prisoner into a prison, information is collected by reception and health care staff. It includes personal details and any outstanding court appearances. An assessment is made of the prisoner's immediate physical and health care needs, and to identify recent substance abuse, and the potential for self-harm or harm to others. Prisoners are also asked about any urgent domestic issues and are permitted to make a phone call.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of a drug prison rehabilitation programme is. [107309]
Hilary Benn: There are three different types of intensive prison drug rehabilitation programmes. The average length of treatment intervention is given in the following table:
| Programme type | Average length |
|---|---|
| 12-Step | 12 weeks |
| Cognitive Behavioural Treatment | 15 weeks |
| Therapeutic Community | 12–18 months |
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisoners entered HMP YOI Styal (a) in 2002 and (b) since January 2003 with drug misuse problems; and if he will make a statement. [106792]
Hilary Benn: On arrival at Styal prison, each prisoner sees a doctor and has an opportunity to discuss any drug misuse problem. Statistics are not routinely collected on the number of women prisoners reporting drug misuse problems. However, those members of staff working with drug misusers at Styal estimate that over the last two years approximately 75 per cent. of the total number of receptions have had drug problems.
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