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15 May 2003 : Column 429W—continued
Distraction Burglaries
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reported incidences of distraction burglary there were in each of the last five
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years; and what estimate he has made of the number of incidences of distraction burglary that go unreported each year. [102736]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: [pursuant to his answer, 21 March 2003, c. 969W,]: Owing to an administrative error the answer given was incorrect information. The correct answer is as follows:
There is no separate recordable offence of distraction burglary and figures for distraction burglaries have not been routinely collected centrally. However, figures we have received from police forces in special exercises indicate the following numbers of domestic burglaries in England and Wales were recorded as distraction burglaries:
| 1998–99 | 15,526 |
| 2000–01 | 15,882 |
| 2001–02 | 19,397 |
The figure of 19,397 for 2001–02, which was quoted in a previous reply to the hon. Member on 21 October 2002, Official Report, column 98W, was based on estimates in the case of those forces for which we had not received figures. The revised figure reflects data, which has since been received.
The British Crime Survey (BCS2002), which includes crimes not reported to or recorded by the police, estimated that six per cent of burglaries involve gaining access by false pretences. The BCS also estimates that there were 991,000 burglaries in England and Wales in 2001–02, which suggests that there were some 60,000 distraction burglaries.
From 2003–04 we will be collecting numbers of recorded distraction burglaries centrally from police forces.
European Union Vignettes
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce which company has been awarded the tender for provision of a system to issue European Union vignettes. [113575]
Beverley Hughes: Discussions are still on-going on this tender and my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary hopes to announce which company has been awarded the tender by mid June.
G8
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the outcome was of the Meeting of G8 Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs in Paris on 5 May; and what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed. [113421]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and my noble Friend Lord Goldsmith attended the meeting, which focused on global terrorism, illegal immigration and organised crime.
G8 Ministers agreed to set up a high-level working group to examine the technical options for Biometrics, such as facial or iris recognition and fingerprints, and to produce recommendations for international standards before the end of the year. Ministers also strongly
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supported the G8 strategy on 'Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation on the Internet', agreed in October 2002 including the development of a new International Child Pornography Image Database.
G8 Ministers also discussed the following issues:
- ways of evaluating and preventing the threat of terrorism
proposals for taking forward work on special investigative techniques
future work of the Roma and Lyon expert groups on terrorism and organised crime
endorsement of G8 Principles on the protection of Critical Information Infrastructures, the tracing, freezing and confiscation of assets and the sharing of DNA data.
The Government are committed to combating global terrorism, illegal immigration and organised crime and fully support the G8 initiatives.
Immigration Rules
Mr. Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, following the recent changes made to paragraph 284 of the Immigration Rules, he will take steps to make it clear that the holder of a fiancé(e) visa of six months' duration can apply for their spouse visa in the UK. [113293]
Beverley Hughes: It was never intended that the "no switching" provision—prohibiting those given leave to enter for six months or less from switching into marriage—would include those given leave to enter as fiancés. This will be made absolutely clear in the next rules change.
Mr. Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when, following the recent changes made to paragraph 287 of the Immigration Rules, the current holder of a 12 month duration spouse visa issued in March or earlier can apply for their Indefinite Leave to Remain visa; and whether such a person may apply for indefinite leave to remain near the end of their current 12 month visa. [113294]
Beverley Hughes: The recent increase in the probationary period on marriage to two years will not affect applications to remain on the basis of marriage made before 1 April. The probationary period in these cases will remain one year and applications for settlement can be made no more than one month in advance of the end of the probationary period.
Israeli Embassy Bombing
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions the British scientists investigating the 1994 Israeli embassy and Balfour house bombings reached on (a) the type and amount of explosive and mechanism used in the bombings, (b) where the explosives were made up, (c) where the car bombs were assembled, (d) who wrote the letters claiming responsibility and (e) who drove the cars; and what reports were received from Israeli scientists following removal of samples from the sites. [111005]
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Mr. Blunkett: I have arranged for my officials to place copies of such transcripts of the original trial as are available in the Library. From which my hon. Friend will be able to draw relevant conclusions.
Justice and Home Affairs Council
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the outcome was of the Justice and Home Affairs Council held in Veria on 28 and 29 March 2003; and what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed. [112134]
Mr. Blunkett: At the meeting in Veria on 28–29 March 2003, Ministers discussed current developments in the area of asylum, in particular hearing from Ruud Lubbers, head of the United Nations' High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). I set out the Government's ideas on establishing zones of protection and transit processing centres for refugees outside the EU's borders. Ministers also examined the effectiveness of financial resources available at Community level to take forward the work mandated by the Seville European Council on management of the external EU border and co-operation with third countries on returning illegal immigrants. The Commission also confirmed the arrangements put in place at EU level to cope with the potential influx of refugees from Iraq.
John Bruton, Chairman of the JHA Working Group in the Future of Europe Convention, gave details of the proposed JHA Treaty Articles. During the subsequent discussion my noble Friend (Lord Filkin) stressed the importance of ensuring that the new Treaty clearly defined those tasks which were necessary at European Union level and those which were for Member States. At European level, the focus should be on cross-border issues where there would be proper facilitation of mutual recognition. Lord Filkin also noted that the idea of a European Public Prosecutor presented real problems of accountability.
Justice Ministers also discussed the Commission's recent Green Paper on procedural safeguards in criminal proceedings. Lord Filkin said that action at EU level should be based on the principles of mutual recognition and subsidiarity and should avoid over-regulation.
Mosques
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking to monitor attacks on mosques in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [112240]
Beverley Hughes: The police are alert to the risk of attacks on mosques and other places of worship, and have arrangements for reporting such incidents centrally. A Muslim Safety Forum, which includes a wide range of Muslim community representation, meets monthly with the police to discuss community safety issues.
The Government are fully committed to tackling Islamophobia wherever it occurs. The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 introduced nine new religiously-aggravated offences, including assault and criminal damage, where the maximum penalties
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available to the courts are substantially increased if it can be shown that there was evidence of religious hostility to the offences.
The investigation of possible breaches of these laws is an operational matter for the police and then the Crown Prosecution Service to pursue. We would therefore urge anyone who believes these laws to have been breached to report the matter to the police.
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what change there has been in the incidence of attacks on mosques in the last three months; and if he will make a statement. [112241]
Beverley Hughes: According to police figures, between 14 February and 26 March there were eight recorded instances of attacks on mosques, resulting in each case in minor criminal damage. Since 26 March there have been only two further recorded instances of criminal damage to mosques.
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