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11 Apr 2003 : Column 447W—continued
Domestic Violence
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to bring forward proposals to strengthen the law against domestic violence. [108231]
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Hilary Benn: A consultation paper, setting out proposals to prevent domestic violence, provide increased support to victims and bring more perpetrators to justice, will be published this year. The paper will build on the initial consultation on domestic violence in the "Justice for All" White Paper published last year. It will aim to generate a response from the public, voluntary sector and others, to ensure the widest possible agreement on what needs to be done to prevent and tackle domestic violence.
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants' files officials at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate were unable to locate in 2002. [107827]
Beverley Hughes: The information is not available in the format requested. File tracking systems indicate that at present 0.3 per cent. of a total file holding of approximately four million is unaccounted for, either wholly or in part. A range of measures including additional training and targeted exercises to locate files and update records is being pursued to reduce this number.
Justice Gap Initiative
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the targets set for each part of the criminal justice system under the Narrowing the Justice Gap initiative; and if he will make a statement. [107308]
Hilary Benn: The Public Service Agreement target to bring 1.2 million recorded offences to justice by 2005–06 applies to the criminal justice system in England and Wales as a whole. As a first step to delivering that target, each Local Criminal Justice Board has been set a 'Narrowing the Justice Gap' target for 2003–04 to increase the number of offences brought to justice in its area by five per cent. compared with the area's performance in 2001–02.
Metropolitan Police
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to provide additional funding for the Metropolitan Police in order to meet the exceptional requirements for security in the capital arising from the war in Iraq and associated terrorist threats. [106105]
Mr. Blunkett [holding answer 31 March 2003]: Additional funding of £47 million will be made available to the Metropolitan Police in 2003–04 as part of their settlement to provide an enhanced counter-terrorism policing capability in the capital. This funding will allow the Metropolitan Police to continue to support the additional 689 officer posts and 112 supporting civilian posts which were funded in 2002–03. These officers will be deployed across a range of activities associated with security and counter-terrorism. A further £15 million is being allocated in 2003–04 to fund 500 Community Support Officers. The extra funding referred to is in addition to normal and pre-existing funding streams for
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security and counter-terrorism work. This is in addition to the increase of 5.2 per cent. in police grant for the Metropolitan Police for 2003–04.
National Insurance
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost will be to public funds in 2003–04 of the rise in national insurance contributions on the salary bill of his Department. [107911]
Hilary Benn: It is estimated that the changes to employers' national insurance contributions announced in last year's Budget will increase pay costs on average by 0.7 per cent. this year.
Prisons
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) unconvicted and (b) convicted unsentenced prisoners are held in prisons in England and Wales; and how many have been held for (i) more than three months and (ii) more than six months. [107304]
Hilary Benn: On 28 February 2003 there were 7,719 untried prisoners and 5,253 convicted unsentenced prisoners held in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales.
On 30 June 2001 there were 6,800 untried prisoners; 1,200 had been received on remand more than three months up to and including six months previously; 650 had been received on remand more than six months previously.
On 30 June 2001 there were 4,300 convicted unsentenced prisoners; 750 had been received on remand more than three months up to and including six months previously; 500 had been received on remand more than six months previously. The time spent on remand by convicted unsentenced prisoners includes any time spent on remand as an untried prisoner.
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mothers in prisons in England and Wales have responsibility for babies (a) under nine months old and (b) under 18 months old and are not in mother and baby units; and if he will make a statement. [107805]
Hilary Benn: Mothers in prison in England and Wales, with children under 18 months old who are not .accommodated on mother and baby units normally transfer their parental responsibility to a nominated member of the family or, where necessary, to an alternative carer or social services. Information is not available on the number of mothers in prison in this position.
Probation Service
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) probation officers and (b) management staff work in probation services in Avon and Somerset. [107033]
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Hilary Benn: The information requested is as follows:
| 2001–02 | Number of staff(5),(6) |
|---|---|
| Probation officers | 154.8 |
| Management staff(7) | 40.9 |
| Other staff | 261.3 |
(5) Numbers shown as whole time equivalents.
(6) Information shown taken at 31 December 2001—information for 2002–03 is currently being collected and is as yet unavailable.
(7) Management staff include all staff at senior probation officer grade and above.
Figures obtained from data collected for RDS Probation Statistics 2001.
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation officers there are in (a) Sedgemoor and (b) West Somerset; and how many hours per week they work in those two areas. [107258]
Hilary Benn: The information requested is as follows:
| (8),(9) Numbers of staff | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probation Officers | Probation Service Officers | |
| Sedgmoor | 7.1 | 7.6 |
| West Somerset | 1.0 | 0.0 |
(8) Numbers shown as whole time equivalents
(9) Information collected as at 3 April 2003
| Hours per week | |
|---|---|
| Probation Officers | (10)37.5 |
| Probation Service Officers | 37.0 |
(10) Probation Officers generally work 150 hours over a 4 week period and therefore, 37.5 hours per week is given as an average.
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training for probation officers is carried out in Somerset. [107259]
Hilary Benn: Trainee probation officers are required to undertake the Diploma in Probation Studies which has been developed and is delivered through consortia of probation areas working with higher education institutions and NVQ assessment centres since 1998. The Diploma is a professional qualification, which confers probation officer status on successful trainees, subject to employment by a local probation board. It is an integrated programme of education and training that combines work and university based learning through a Community Justice NVQ level 4 award and an undergraduate degree. Trainee probation officers are appointed to probation areas following a rigorous recruitment and selection process and are paid a trainee salary. Programmes leading to the Diploma in Probation Studies are normally completed within 24 months.
Main grade probation officers in Avon and Somerset Probation Area are specifically trained for their specific functions. Training is not generic, but practitioner based. Therefore probation officers are trained in group
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working programmes, report writing and case management. Officers are also placed to work in prisons and hostels.
Avon and Somerset develop their officers in all areas of public protection, including diversity training, race equality issues, risk assessment, working with sex offenders and child protection issues.
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total number was of staff management of the probation service in Somerset in (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02 and (c) 2002–03. [107260]
Hilary Benn: The information requested is as follows:
| (11),(12) Numbers of staff management | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) Avon 2002–01 | (b) Somerset 2002–01 | (13)(c) Avon & Somerset 2001–02 | |
| Senior Probation Officers | 10.0 | 7.9 | 33.8 |
| Area Manager | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Assistant Chief Officer | 4.0 | 0.8 | 6.0 |
| Deputy Chief Officer | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Chief Officer | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Total | 15.0 | 11.7 | 40.9 |
Note:Figures obtained from data collected for RDS Probation Statistics 2001.
(11) Numbers shown as whole time equivalents
(12) Information shown taken at 31 December
(13) Information for 2002/03 is currently not available
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total budget is for the probation service in Somerset. [107261]
Hilary Benn: Somerset does not have its own separate probation service. It is part of the Avon and Somerset Probation Area and has been allocated a budget of £15,975,000 by the Home Office for the financial year 2003–04.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further funds have been allocated since 30 November 2002 to probation areas in England and Wales for financial year 2003–04. [107387]
Hilary Benn [holding answer 8 April 2003]: Since 30 November 2002, a further £5.67 million has been provisionally allocated to probation areas in England and Wales for the financial year 2003–04. This is made up as follows:
- £3.81 million—Approved Carry Forwards from 2002–03.
£1.0 million—Funding of additional property and pension costs.
£0.43 million—Funding to commission drugs treatment.
£0.42 million—Retained Probation Accommodation Grants.
Hilary Benn [holding answer 8 April 2003]: Since 30 November 2002, a further £5.67 million has been provisionally allocated to probation areas in England
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and Wales for the financial year 2003–04 from the National Probation Directorate Budget. This is made up as follows:
- £3.81 million—Approved Carry Forwards from 2002–03.
£1.0 million—Funding of additional property and pension costs.
£0.43 million—Funding to commission drugs treatment.
£0.42 million—Retained Probation Accommodation Grants.
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