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Sickness Absence

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the honourable Member for Buckingham, of 28 April, Official Report, column 219W, on sickness absence, at what level information about long-term sickness absence in his Department is held. [112145]

Beverley Hughes: There has been no central definition of long-term sickness absence. Individual managers have responsibility for managing and monitoring all levels of sickness absence. Information about staff who are absent because of long-term illness is held by individual units but

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will also be passed on to pay, personnel and health and welfare services to ensure that appropriate action is taken.

Special Constables

Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces have seen a decline in the number of special constables employed in the last five years; and how many have seen a decline greater than 20 per cent. [117773]

Ms Blears: Figures on strength by police force area have moved to an annual cycle from March 2002 and will be available in the Library as previous publications. From March 1997 to March 2002 (latest figures available) all but one police force (Merseyside) in England and Wales have seen a decline in their numbers of special constables; and 38 have seen a decline greater than 20 per cent. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) figures (from records supplied by 37 forces) show that 569 specials left to join the regulars in the year ending 31 March 2002 and by 30 September 2002 (the latest date available) there were 131,548 police officers in England and Wales. There was also 58,909 civilian support staff in March 2002 (latest available). Both are record numbers.

The Government are committed to reversing the decline in specials and we are working with stakeholders to increase the size and effectiveness of the special constabulary. In particular, we will be publishing 'Good Practice Guidance' on the new website, following on from the Specials "champions projects", ensuring that specials' contribution is properly valued and used to best effect. The new specials website, www.specialconstables.gov.uk, was launched in February to provide specials and their managers with up-to-date information on the special constabulary and access to legislation and Home Office circulars.

We also held the first ever National Specials Weekend in February to raise the profile of specials and give recognition to the invaluable work they do. And we have freed up regulations to allow forces to trial payment schemes funded locally. We are also looking at how we can improve the engagement of employers with the special constabulary; and whether we can increase the opportunities for recognising the skills and experience specials acquire in forces within their wider workplace.

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables there were in each police force in England and Wales in each year since 1997. [119374]

Ms Blears: Figures on strength by police force area have moved to an annual cycle from March 2002 and will be available in the Library, as previous publications. The number of serving special constables in each police force area from March 1997 to March 2002 (latest figures available) are set out in the table.

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	March 1997	March 1998	March 1999	March 2000	March 2001	March 2002
Avon & Somerset	759	621	547	459	400	364
Bedfordshire	182	186	154	151	115	118
Cambridgeshire	303	320	310	274	218	207
Cheshire	475	459	407	350	290	191
Cleveland	160	164	126	128	93	85
Cumbria	189	198	204	176	156	102
Derbyshire	428	380	317	282	275	260
Devon & Cornwall	1,148	1,024	918	870	796	689
Dorset	289	315	305	298	267	253
Durham	184	144	159	157	146	134
Essex	634	638	544	483	445	381
Gloucestershire	297	276	233	206	183	154
Greater Manchester	685	598	523	457	367	338
Hampshire	621	698	760	615	454	444
Hertfordshire	297	306	238	216	198	206
Humberside	340	324	269	246	212	207
Kent	589	592	526	436	392	327
Lancashire	483	489	449	382	360	363
Leicestershire	415	406	316	247	162	143
Lincolnshire	271	260	216	195	166	155
City of London	86	76	64	56	43	36
Merseyside	401	419	458	476	541	468
Metropolitan police	1,714	1,282	1,138	758	774	680
Norfolk	402	337	336	285	259	244
Northamptonshire	316	288	230	199	188	177
Northumbria	533	400	342	332	300	256
North Yorkshire	362	358	276	217	182	185
Nottinghamshire	620	558	461	411	335	341
South Yorkshire	308	281	246	205	188	206
Staffordshire	685	595	468	482	402	384
Suffolk	379	397	420	391	349	308
Surrey	297	235	224	175	149	187
Sussex	472	442	393	352	306	306
Thames Valley	656	609	569	472	418	356
Warwickshire	381	345	261	260	221	209
West Mercia	582	512	515	476	399	339
West Midlands	945	889	731	680	617	598
West Yorkshire	690	589	559	484	415	349
Wiltshire	154	149	184	173	152	147
Dyfed Powys	283	254	237	202	191	157
Gwent	157	119	113	119	137	142
North Wales	341	358	400	247	207	125
South Wales	361	366	338	267	254	277
Total all forces	19,874	18,256	16,484	14,347	12,722	11,598

Source:

Figures provided by Research Development Statistics Directorate.

We are working with stakeholders to increase the size and effectiveness of the special constabulary. In particular, we will be publishing 'Good Practice Guidance' on the new website, ensuring specials' contribution is properly valued and used to best effect. We also held the first ever National Specials Weekend in February to raise the profile of specials and the invaluable work they do. And we have freed up regulations to allow forces to trial payment schemes funded locally. We are looking at whether we can increase the opportunities for recognising the skills and experience specials acquire in forces within their wider workplace as well.

Sustainable Development

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment is made (a) of the environmental impact and (b) against sustainable development criteria of bids made for (i) grants and (ii) contracts awarded by his Department; who makes such assessments; and whether these assessments are published. [118785]

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Fiona Mactaggart: The Department does not carry out environmental impact assessments or assess against sustainable development criteria when evaluating bids for grants or awarding contracts.

However, the Department does take environmental purchasing seriously. Environmental issues are considered when awarding contracts where it is considered relevant to the contract and where it has been included in the contract specification. Such assessments are undertaken by a tender evaluation board, which where appropriate would be augmented by an environmental specialist who has the appropriate skills to perform the environmental assessment. These assessments are not published.

Tasers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what studies he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the health implications arising from the use by police forces of tasers; and if he will make a statement. [119081]

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Ms Blears: The Defence Scientific Advisory Council (DSAC) Sub Committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons (DOMILL) has issued a statement on the medical implications of the use of taser. It concludes that the risk of death from high power tasers (such as the M26) is low, and certainly very much lower than that from conventional firearms. The full statement was included in the Third Report of the Research Programme into Alternative Policing Approaches towards the Management of Conflict issued by the Northern Ireland Office in December 2002.

The statement recommended further work in three areas to clarify cardiac hazards associated with the use of taser on individuals who could be considered to have a greater risk of adverse effects. Although DOMILL did not consider this research essential, it was commissioned last autumn. The work is being carried out by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) under contract to the Police Scientific Development Branch of the Home Office.

Terrorism

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is being taken to prevent UK citizens being encouraged and assisted to travel overseas to commit terrorist acts; and if he will make a statement [119001]

Mr. Blunkett: The police and Security Service attach a high priority to monitoring the activities of those in the United Kingdom who are suspected of involvement in terrorism overseas. It is an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 to incite another person to commit an act of terrorism wholly or partly outside the United Kingdom. It is also an offence under the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998 to conspire in this country to commit an act of terrorism overseas. Where there is any evidence of any offence being committed under this or any other counter-terrorist legislation, then action is taken.

We have made clear our abhorrence of terrorism and of those who plan or commit terrorist acts.

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