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15 Sept 2003 : Column 585W—continued

Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme

Mr. Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims of crimes received payments from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in each of the last five years; and how much was paid out. [127251]

Paul Goggins: The data in the table have been provided by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

	Number of awards	Total value (rounded to nearest £ million)
1998–99	46,240	195
1999–2000	43,495	206
2000–01	39,011	206
2001–02	41,351	233
2002–03	42,688	232

Criminal Records Bureau

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people having passed the Prison Service recruitment selection process are awaiting clearance by the Criminal Records Bureau; and if he will make a statement. [123309]

Paul Goggins: On 2 September 2003, the Criminal Records Bureau had 202 outstanding applications for disclosure of criminal records submitted by Her Majesty's Prison Service. However, it is not possible to identify from the Criminal Records Bureau database how many of these are as a result of recruitment

15 Sept 2003 : Column 586W

exercises and how many result from internal redeployment and promotion. This information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

The Criminal Records Bureau was set up to assist in the safer recruitment of people working with children and vulnerable adults. It has the capacity to issue 60,000 disclosures a week and is currently meeting its service levels, issuing 90 per cent of standard disclosures within two weeks and 90 per cent of enhanced disclosures within four weeks.

The Prison Service uses the Criminal Records Bureau to obtain an additional check for those working with children under 18 years of age as required by the Protection of Children Act 1999.

Faith Communities

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place to consult faith communities about the work of Government; and if he will make a statement. [128951]

Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 11 September 2003]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda (Mr. Bryant) on 30 June 2003, Official Report, column 12W.

The Review of the Government's Interface with the Faith Communities is making good progress and we are due to report at the end of the year.

Internet Grooming

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to promote awareness and safe internet usage, with particular reference to younger people. [126940]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 8 September 2003]: Over the last two years, the Home Secretary's Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet has run and evaluated two successful national awareness campaigns. The campaigns sought to raise awareness of Internet safety measures, via cinema, television and radio advertising, national newspapers, online advertising on teen websites and chatrooms, and sponsorship activity. The core messages that were conveyed were that: children/young people should not give out their address, email, mobile or other contact details, that they should never attend a face-to-face meeting unaccompanied by an adult, and that people may lie about their identity. The task force also issued a 'Keeping your child safe on the Internet' leaflet and 200,000 copies of the leaflet were distributed via doctors surgeries and as an insert in the Department for Education and Skills magazine Parents + Schools.

The Home Office also runs two websites, thinkuknow.co.uk and wiseuptothenet.co.uk. The former is aimed at children and young people and the latter is aimed at parents. The Department for Education and Skills, Superhighway website and guidance, includes advice on all aspects of Internet safety such as walled gardens, firewalls, user contacts and net smart rules. Their revised guidance also includes advice on e-mails for students, filtering systems, school websites and chatrooms.

15 Sept 2003 : Column 587W

Passports

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has put in place since 1999 to speed up the process of renewing a passport. [128093]

Beverley Hughes: Since 1999, the UK Passport Service (UKPS) has put in place a number of measures which have all contributed to speeding up the process of renewing a passport.

The UKPS has increased capacity by 30 per cent. through increased staffing, and the opening of a seventh passport office in Durham in March 2000. It opened its new London office in June 2000 which provides much improved service to its customers. TheUKPS has extended the working hours of its public counters which open longer on weekdays, and on Saturdays, and introduced a guaranteed one-day and one-week services, available by appointment, for those customers who need an urgent renewal service. The UKPS Service Standard has been set to process 99.5 per cent. of all correctly completed passport applications within 10 days and this is being consistently achieved throughout this year. To encourage renewal customers to apply early at less busy times, the UKPS has introduced a facility whereby customers can be credited on their new passport with the unexpired validity of their old passport, up to a maximum of nine months.

The UKPS has also improved the guidance to customers wishing to renew their passport. Page 1 of the information guide, which accompanies the passport application form, has a separate and clearly highlighted statement on what sections of the form to complete for renewals, and other relevant advice, to make completion of the form and its accurate submission easier. Finally, the UKPS has established a Call Centre, which handles passport inquiries 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and has enhanced its website (www.passport.gov.uk) to enable, among other things, e-mail inquiries, and online renewal application form completion. These measures all help customers to complete their applications accurately and to use the correct application channel to meet their needs.

Probation Service

Mr. Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation service staff were employed in the last five years; and how many staff there were in each grade for these years. [126810]

Paul Goggins: The information requested is as follows:

		Number of Probation Staff(34),(35)
London	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Chief Officer	54	55	53	54	42
Deputy Chief Officer	15	13	13	12	18
Assistant Chief Officer	207	203	201	213	223
Area Manager	40	45	49	49	53
Regional Training Staff	6	24	40	48	37
Senior Practitioner	73	69	85	130	143
Senior Probation Officers	1,020	989	1,023	1,065	1,106
Probation Officers	5,734	5,773	5,532	5,437	4,789
Trainee Probation Officers	—	229	523	564	1,096
Probation Service Officers	1,919	2,027	2,502	2,869	3,566
All Other Staff	4,900	4,585	4,650	4,798	4,716
Total	13,968	14,012	14,671	15,239	15,789

⁽³⁴⁾ Figures given as full-time equivalents.

⁽³⁵⁾ Figures as at 31 December 2001, the figures for 2002–03 are currently being processed and analysed and will be available in due course.

Note:

Figures obtained from data collected for RDS Probation Statistics 2001.

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Restorative Justice

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend the use of restorative justice, with particular reference to (a) mediation and (b) reparation; and if he will make a statement. [126818]

Paul Goggins: The Government's restorative justice strategy, issued on 22 July 2003, sets out proposals to extend the use of restorative justice, including mediation and reparation to victims and the community.

The Government aims to maximise the use of restorative justice in the Criminal Justice System, where we know it works well, to meet victims' needs and to reduce re-offending, and in society at large to resolve disputes and build strong, active communities. The strategy will also encourage more high quality, visible reparation by offenders to the community. The key link between restorative justice and reparation is that both are ways the offender can take responsibility for the harm they have caused and put it right. Both are ways that the Criminal Justice System can bring visible benefits to victims and other ordinary citizens, and be seen to be responsive to their needs. In practice, restorative justice can often lead to the offender making reparation to their victim, or to the wider community.

The launch of this strategy (which can be found on the Home Office website) marks the start of a 12-week consultation process. Officials have been working closely with criminal justice practitioners and the voluntary sector to develop the restorative justice strategy. Comments on the consultation paper are welcome.

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