| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
9 Apr 2003 : Column 278W—continued
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Lenient Sentences
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases were referred to the Court of Appeal in 2002 on the grounds that the sentence was unduly lenient; if she will list the offences, broken down by type of offence; how many referrals there were, expressed as a percentage of cases dealt with for each crime; and if she will make a statement. [105418]
The Solicitor-General [holding answer 1 April 2003]: In 2002 the Attorney-General and I referred a total of 112 cases (with a total of 149 offenders) to the Court of Appeal as unduly lenient sentences.
The following table lists offences referred to the Court of Appeal. These figures represent only one lead offence per case.
The Crown Prosecution Service do not keep records broken down by type of offence and it is not therefore possible to represent the number of referrals to the Court of Appeal as a percentage of the cases dealt with for each crime.
9 Apr 2003 : Column 279W
HOME DEPARTMENT
311 Number
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made towards the creation of a 311 number for the reporting of public order and vandalism-related incidents other than emergencies. [101615]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 7 March 2003]: Following a feasibility study into the provision of a dedicated national number for contacting the police on non-emergency matters, we have decided to take this work forward within the wider context of establishing national call-handling standards for the police service. This will focus not only on call routing, but more importantly on call resolution. The development of a Single Non-Emergency Number will form an important strand of this work.
A shared non-emergency number concept demonstrator to be tested in three connecting force areas is currently being planned.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what help is given to district councils to help with housing asylum seekers placed in their areas. [107315]
Beverley Hughes: The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has entered into contracts with the private and public sector to provide accommodation for destitute asylum seekers. Only local authorities contracted to NASS would be asked to provide accommodation for asylum seekers placed in their areas. Other district councils would not be required to provide accommodation for asylum seekers.
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the length of contract is with Clearsprings Ltd to house asylum seekers. [107317]
Beverley Hughes: The contract between the National Asylum Support Service and Clearsprings Ltd began on 3 April 2000 and runs for five years.
9 Apr 2003 : Column 280W
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance the Home Office gives to companies that are looking to place asylum seekers in rural areas. [107331]
Beverley Hughes: Destitute asylum seekers requiring accommodation are dispersed to designated dispersal areas. The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) identified areas suitable for designation as a dispersal area. Private and public sector companies under contract to NASS to provide accommodation for asylum seekers are told which areas have been designated for dispersal and that accommodation must be located within the defined areas.
Asylum Support Fraud
Mr. Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 18 March, Official Report, column 698W, on asylum support fraud, if he will make a statement on the level of (a) fraud and (b) overpayment in respect of payments to (i) private sector contractors and (ii) public sector contractors for accommodation provided by the National Asylum Support Service in each year since its establishment. [106905]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 3 April 2003]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak, on 3 April 2003, Official Report, column 869W. The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has no evidence of fraud on the part of its contracted accommodation providers. Any overpayments have been of a technical nature and the system is designed to correct any technical overpayments in subsequent months.
British Crime Survey
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether data from the British Crime Survey can be broken down by police force area; and if he will make a statement. [107301]
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: Since the British Crime Survey moved to an annual cycle in 2001–02 the target sample size has increased to approximately 40,000 interviews a year. The larger sample size has resulted in the ability, for the first time, to analyse questions that are asked of the whole sample by police force area (subject to the statistical robustness of individual measures) and in particular has enabled better monitoring of performance indicators.
The most recent published data for best value performance indicators 120 (risk of victimisation), 121 (fear of crime) and 122 (feelings of public safety) broken down by police for area (PFA) can be found in 'Crime in England and Wales 2001–02 Home Office statistical bulletin 07/02'. The most recent findings available by PFA for public confidence in the criminal justice system and ratings of the police have been published in 'Crime in England and Wales 2001–02: supplementary volume Home Office statistical bulletin 01/03'. A number of the indicators mentioned above were also published in the police performance monitoring 2001–02 publication. Copies of these publications can be found in the Library.
9 Apr 2003 : Column 281W
Chief Constables
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to chief constables on meeting hon. Members on constituency matters. [107733]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Secretary of State has issued no guidance to chief officers on meeting hon. Members. This is ultimately a matter for the chief officers themselves.
However, the Secretary of State would normally expect a chief constable to extend every courtesy on issues affecting the welfare of an hon. Member's constituency and in a manner appropriate to the issue at hand.
Command Paper 5778
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dysfunctional families his Department has identified in each of the last five years as set out in paragraph 209 of Command Paper 5778. [106780]
Hilary Benn: Information on the number of dysfunctional families is not held centrally.
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 24 February from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr.Lawrence Wendel Gordon. [107824]
Mr. Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 7 April 2003.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 25 February from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Ismail Hussein. [107825]
Mr. Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 7 April 2003.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter dated 24 February, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Abdul Rahman Silavipour. [107836]
Mr. Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 8 April 2003.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Patrick Stanley. [107837]
Mr. Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 9 April 2003,
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |