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Criminal Justice System
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the proportion of victims very or fairly satisfied with their treatment by the criminal justice system changed between 2000 and 2002. [130484]
Paul Goggins: The proportion of victims satisfied with their treatment by the criminal justice system has remained at around 58 per cent. since 2000, although this year's figure has shown a small rise, to 59 per cent.
We recognise that there is more to do to improve support and services for victims, and to ensure that their interests are fully taken into account at every stage of the criminal justice process. We detailed our plans in the national strategy for victims and witnesses, published in July. Among the proposals highlighted in the strategy was new legislation, to be brought forward as soon as Parliamentary time allows, which will include the first statutory Code of Practice for victims. The Code will list the minimum services which criminal justice agencies should deliver, and give victims the right of complaint to the Parliamentary Ombudsman if they are not received.
Criminal Records Bureau
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many criminal records checks have been carried out on staff employed by a (a) domiciliary care agency and (b) nursing agency, which have resulted in a criminal records certificate not being issued since the introduction of Criminal Records Bureau checks; [130530]
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- (2) how many criminal records checks have been carried out on staff employed by a (a) domiciliary care agency and (b) nurses agency who seek work in care homes since the introduction of Criminal Records Bureau checks; [130531]
(3) what the average time taken is to process a criminal record check on a (a) domiciliary care agency employee and (b) nursing agency employee in cases (i) when a criminal records certificate is issued with no further investigation or problems arising, (ii) when further investigations are necessary before a criminal records certificate can be issued and (iii) when further investigations were necessary and it was consequently determined that a criminal records certificate would not be issued. [130661]
Paul Goggins [holding answer 17 September 2003]: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) issues a Disclosure against all applications received, regardless of the information contained in it, except where the application has been withdrawn at the request of the registered body or applicant. I am unable to provide data on the average time taken to process CRB checks, broken down by category of worker or when further investigation has been required as there are no information technology procedures at present to extract these data from the CRB database.
However, I can confirm that the average turnaround times for Standard and Enhanced Disclosures across all business sectors is 24 days. Service turnaround times for Standard and Enhanced continue to exceed the CRB target of 90 per cent. of Standard Disclosures within two weeks and 90 per cent. of Enhanced Disclosures within four weeks. The CRB expects to process the checks for new care home workers within this service standard. In
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July 2003, the average turnaround was 93.1 per cent. for Standard Disclosures and 93.5 per cent. for Enhanced Disclosures. Over the last four weeks output has exceeded intake: 142,932 applications have been received and 145,117 have been issued. Since 11 March 2002 the Criminal Records Bureau has issued over 2,364,312 Disclosures.
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the total costs imposed on the voluntary sector in 2003–04 by (a) Criminal Records Bureau changes in respect of volunteers, (b) registration fees imposed under the Care Standards Act 2000 and (c) medical checks required by legislation. [130700]
Paul Goggins: The information is as follows:
(a) My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced in February 2001 that criminal record checks for volunteers would be conducted free of charge by the Criminal Records Bureau. There has been no change to that policy and checks remain free for volunteers.
(b) The Department of Health consulted the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC), which is the independent regulator of care services. The NCSC does not identify the voluntary sector payments separate from payments made by the statutory and private providers of care services. It is therefore not possible to provide separate figures for the voluntary sector.
(c) The Department of Health has informed us that as far as they are aware, there are no medical checks, as such, required by legislation. There are requirements in the various care regulations that providers, managers and staff must be physically and mentally fit for the purpose of the work they are to do. However, the regulations do not specify how these people are to prove they are fit. It is for the NCSC to decide whether the evidence of fitness is satisfactory.
Detained Persons
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the time needed to conclude the investigative process and charge a detained person. [130430]
Ms Blears: The Report of the joint Cabinet Office/Home Office Review of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs/pacereview2002.pdf) published in November 2002 recommended that the existing maximum detention period of 24 hours without charge for an arrestable offence was insufficient and should be extended to 36 hours. The police provided the Review with supporting evidence on difficulties associated with the 24-hour detention period. The extended period would enable investigations being completed more effectively and avoid the investigative process to be rushed to the detriment of either the suspect or the criminal justice system or both. The provision is included at Clause 5 to the Criminal Justice Bill currently before Parliament.
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DNA Database
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the size of the DNA database in each of the last five years. [130494]
Ms Blears: The DNA Database consists of records of both subject sample (offenders) profiles and profiles obtained from crime scene stains. In addition records are removed from the database. It is not possible toprovide information about the size of the database in each of the last five years as information about the number of deleted records has not been collected annually.
As at 31 August 2003 the database held 2,148,611 records.
Domestic Burglary
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional steps he is taking to ensure that the target to reduce domestic burglary by 25 per cent. by 2005 is met. [130488]
Ms Blears: We have already made significant progress towards meeting our target of reducing domestic burglary by 25 per cent. between 1999 and 2005. Figures published in the most recent British Crime Survey (BCS) show that there has been a 23 per cent. reduction in burglary since 1999.
We recognise the importance of driving down burglary still further, and a wide range of work is in progress to this end. Some initiatives are continuing from previous years. For example:
- All police authorities have agreed targets for reducing domestic burglary by 2005. The Police Standards Unit is working with police forces to help them meet these targets and is offering specific support to those forces at greatest risk of not meeting their burglary targets.
Minimum sentences of three years have been introduced for those convicted of burglary on a third separate occasion.
Targets for reducing burglary are included in over 80 per cent. of the strategies developed by the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships.
"Stretched" burglary targets have been included in over one third of Local Public Service Agreements (LPSAs) between local authorities and central Government.
Work is continuing with universities, student unions, the police and other relevant agencies to reduce crime against students.
We are working with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) on an Approved Code of Practice for landlords, which will promote better standards of security in Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HIMOS) and improve landlord management practices.
- Developing a targeted publicity campaign in conjunction with brand partners to reinforce burglary prevention messages targeted at specific at-risk groups such as holidaymakers and home-movers.
Developing a strategy for reducing the market for stolen goods.
Through the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Burglary Working Group, producing a "Good Practice and Tactical Options Guide".
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Domestic Violence
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice and assistance he gives to local authorities to help them deal with cases of domestic violence. [127280]
Ms Blears: The Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) Violence against Women Initiative (VAWI) is an evidence-based programme to find out which approaches and practices are effective in supporting victims of domestic violence. In July 2000, some 34 multi-agency victims focused projects were commissioned and independently evaluated. The main findings are due to be published in early 2004. In addition, a series of concise reports, which will be aimed at promoting good practice to a range of practitioners, will start to become available from the end of 2003. These guides will help local authorities and others improve the way in which they deal with domestic violence cases.
In addition, a significant portion of the £14 million funding package announced in February this year will go towards assisting Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, in which local authorities are a key partner, to improve their performance in tackling domestic violence over the next three years. Another portion of that funding is being used to fund a three-year project by the Local Government Association aimed at supporting local authorities in tackling domestic violence.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve the collection of data on domestic violence. [127282]
Ms Blears: There is a Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) Violence Against Women project looking at data collection and we will be producing guidance on data collection arising out of the evaluation of that project.
The Policing Performance Assessment Framework, which is currently being developed, will examine the police's current data collection in its work to develop meaningful indicators to measure police performance.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will institute a national policy to ensure consistency in the way that police forces deal with the perpetrators of domestic violence; and if he will make a statement. [130204]
Ms Blears: Home Office circular 19/2000 gives guidance on police handling cases of domestic violence.
The National Centre for Policing Excellence (NCPE) is currently developing updated guidelines for police handling of domestic violence cases.
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