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10 Nov 2003 : Column 109W—continued
Persistent Offenders
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's initiatives for tackling persistent offenders. [136244]
Paul Goggins: The Persistent Offender Scheme came into effect in April 2003. It is an obligatory component of Local Criminal Justice Boards' action plans to increase the number of offences brought to justice, aimed at targeting a small group of prolific offenders who are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime. Areas have devised their own premium service protocols which include elements of proactive policing, improved investigations and case management, priority court listings, and strategies for rehabilitation. As well as targeting core persistent offenders, who are over 18 and have been convicted of six or more recordable offences in the last year, as part of their wider crime reduction strategies areas are also using the scheme flexibly to target persistent offenders defined on the basis of local intelligence.
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The scheme is supported by an information system which is shared between criminal justice agencies, enabling persistent offenders to be tracked as their cases progress through the criminal justice system, and attrition points in the system to be identified and targeted for intervention.
In addition, the Government have given the courts new secure remand and tagging powers for 12 to 16-year-olds who repeatedly offend on bail, funded the Youth Justice Board's intensive supervision and surveillance programmes for the most prolific young offenders and renewed its commitment to maintain the time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders at or below 71 days.
Police
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police (a) constables, (b) sergeants and (c) inspectors transferred from the Kent Police Force to the Metropolitan Police Force in 2003–04. [135795]
Ms Blears: I am told by the Acting Chief Constable Kent (Mr. Robert Ayling QPM) that, between April and November 2003, 26 constables and two sergeants transferred voluntarily from Kent Constabulary to the Metropolitan Police Service.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by the police in each of the last three years on (a) stationery and (b) IT equipment. [135869]
Ms Blears: The information is as follows:
(a) Information on police authority stationery purchases is not held centrally.
(b) Expenditure by police authorities on IT equipment is set out in the following table.
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 87,655 |
| 2002–03 | 241,358 |
| 2003–04 | 203,826 |
(28) ICT expenditure includes expenditure on the Airwave communications system.Sources:
2001–02 figures—CIPFA Police Statistics 2001–02 Actuals
2002–03 figures—CIPFA Police Statistics 2002–03 Estimates
2003–04 figures—CIPFA Police Statistics 2003–04 Estimates
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will increase the budget for Surrey Police for financial year 2004–05. [137119]
Ms Blears: I shall announce details of the provisional police funding settlement for 2004–05 later this month. It is for Surrey Police Authority to determine its budget for next year.
Police
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in each basic command unit of Avon and Somerset constabulary in each of the last five years. [134553]
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Ms Blears: Avon and Somerset Constabulary had 2,989 officers on 31 March 1997, which has increased by 315 to 3,304 in August this year, a record number.
Information on police officer numbers for each Basic Command Unit (BCU) is only available for March 2002 and 2003 and is set out in the table.
| Basic Command Unit | March 2002 | March 2003 |
|---|---|---|
| Bath and North-east Somerset | 228 | 224 |
| Central Bristol | 367 | 378 |
| North Bristol | 263 | 255 |
| North Somerset | 203 | 213 |
| Somerset East | 255 | 257 |
| Somerset West | 295 | 295 |
| South Bristol | 251 | 251 |
| South Gloucester | 265 | 263 |
| Total BCU Strength | 2,127 | 2,136 |
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what in-service death benefits are payable to members of the Police. [136195]
Ms Blears: Death in-service benefits include a lump sum ranging from a death grant for all in-service deaths to a death gratuity for any death as a result of an injury in the execution of duty, where death occurs within one year of the injury. The lump sum death grant is twice the annual value of the officer's pensionable pay. The death grant will be the lesser of either five times the annual value of the officer's pensionable pay or four times his total remuneration during the last 12 months as an officer and his or her total pension contributions for that period.
These lump sums are payable in addition to a widow or widower's pension and any other dependant's benefits where applicable. The surviving spouse's pension will range from half the officer's pension, had he or she been medically retired and not died in service, to a special award of 45 per cent. of the officer's average pensionable pay where death is as a result of an injury in the execution of duty. The special award will be augmented to 50 per cent. where death occurred in particular circumstances such as in the course of trying to save another's life.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve the performance of the police forces that have come bottom of the league tables. [136414]
Ms Blears: The police performance monitors, which were published on 21 October 2003 are not league tables, but show performance across key areas of policing for each force in England and Wales, and show a comparison with similar forces.
Our regular monitoring of police performance enables us to identify those forces whose performance needs to be improved. Her Majesty's Inspector Constabulary (HMIC) and the Police Standards Unit are currently working with a number of forces, whose performance is significantly below the average for their most similar forces, to help them address performance issues. This can involve assistance with performance management systems, improved use of forensics
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processes across a force, or more targeted assistance. This could take the form of the establishment of a policing priority area, or specific projects targeting an individual crime, such as burglary.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on (a) audio and (b) visual recording of police interviews. [136262]
Ms Blears: The information requested is as follows:
(a) Section 60 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 provides for the mandatory (audio) tape recording of interviews of persons suspected of the commission of criminal offences. Code E of the Codes of Practice issued under the above mentioned Act dictates the procedures through which the police should carry out this task. It became mandatory to tape record interviews in police stations in England and Wales using the procedures outlined in Code E on 1 January 1992.
The Terrorism Act 2000 makes separate provision for a Code of Practice for the tape recording of interviews of those arrested under Section 41 or detained under Schedule 7 of the Act.
(b) A pilot has been undertaken in five police forces (Metropolitan, Essex, Hampshire, Kent and West Mercia) to test all aspects of visually recording suspects' interviews. The pilot started in May 2002, except in Essex who started in October 2002, and they all finished on 31 October 2003. A team of Evaluators, from London School of Economics (LSE) and the University of Kent, are preparing a report on the project but this will not be with the Home Office till the end of December. However, from 1 November 2003 visual recording may be undertaken on a discretionary basis and it is a matter for each force (including those not involved in the pilot) to decide which types of cases should be recorded in this way. Police officers have been told that regard should still be paid to Code F (Visual Recording of Suspect Interviews) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, when such interviews are undertaken.
Guidance on conducting interviews with vulnerable or intimidated witnesses (VIWs) is set out in 'Achieving Best Evidence: Guidance for Vulnerable or Intimidated Witnesses, including Children'. This guidance is intended to assist those conducting video recorded interviews with VIWs as well as giving guidance to those who are tasked with preparing and supporting such witnesses throughout the criminal justice process. The document can be found at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/justice/legalprocess/witnesses/index .
Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in (a) England and (b) Nottinghamshire on (i) 1 April 1997, (ii) 1 April 2003 and (iii) 30 September 2003. [135622]
Ms Blears [holding answer 3 November 2003]: On 31 August (latest date for which figures are available) there was record police strength in England of 126,949, an increase of 8,490 since March 1997. Nottinghamshire Constabulary also had record police strength of 2,468, an increase of 145 since March 1997.
In England and Wales on 31 August there were 136,386 police officers, again a record.
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In England alone there was also 59,403 police (support) staff on 31 March 2003 (latest date available), an increase of 8,847 since 1997. In Nottinghamshire there was 1,180, an increase of 177 since March 1997. Additionally Nottinghamshire had 10 Community Support Officers (CSO) at the end of August with plans for 45 CSOs by March 2004.
The table sets out the figures for the years requested.
| England | Nottinghamshire | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police officer strength | Police staff strength | Police officer strength | Police staff strength | |
| 31 March 1997 | 118,459 | 50,556 | 2,323 | 1,003 |
| 31 March 2003 | 124,158 | 59,403 | 2,41 1 | 1,180 |
| 31 August 2003 | 126,949 | n/a | 2,468 | n/a |
Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police officers there were in (a) Avon and Somerset constabulary and (b) Bath and North East Somerset Basic Command Unit in (i) 1997, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2003; [136320]
- (2) how many burglaries there were in (a) Avon and Somerset constabulary and (b) Bath and North East Somerset Basic Command Unit in (i) 1997, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2003; [136321]
(3) how many vehicle crimes there were in Avon and Somerset in (a) 1997, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003; [136322]
(4) how many robberies there were in Avon and Somerset in (a) 1997, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003; [136323]
Beverley Hughes: The available information is given in the tables.
Number of police officers in Avon and Somerset Police Force Area (PFA) as at 31 March:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | (29)2,989 |
| 2002 | 3,096 |
| 2003 | 3,149 |
(29) Excludes staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (comparable with previously published figures).
Details on the number of police officers at Basic Command Unit (BCU) are not available centrally.
Number of burglary offences recorded by the police:
| 1997 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avon and Somerset PFA | |||
| Total burglary | 31,220 | 32,865 | 30,182 |
| Burglary in a dwelling | 16,466 | 15,995 | 14,561 |
| Other burglary | 14,754 | 16,870 | 15,621 |
| Bath and North East Somerset BCU | |||
| Burglary in a dwelling | n/a | 1,563 | 1,194 |
BCD data are available from the financial year 1999–2000, onwards. Details on the number of total burglary, and other burglary offences, at BCD are not available centrally.
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Number of vehicle crime 1 offences recorded by the police:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 41,715 |
| 2001–02 | 40,791 |
| 2002–03 | 36,249 |
(30) Vehicle crime is comprised of theft of a motor vehicle, and theft from a vehicle offences
Number of robbery offences recorded by the police:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 1,562 |
| 2001–02 | 4,889 |
| 2002–03 | 3,504 |
There was a change of counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which had the effect of increasing the number of crimes counted. Numbers of offences for years before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.
The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced across England and Wales in April 2002. Some police forces adopted the standard prior to this date. Avon and Somerset police force introduced the standard in October 2000. Broadly, the NCRS had the effect of increasing the number of crimes recorded by the police. Therefore, following the introduction of the standard, numbers of recorded crimes are not comparable with previous years.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles are owned and used by the police within the constituency of Romford. [136479]
Ms Blears: The Commissioner of the Metropolis informs me that the information requested is not available for solely the constituency of Romford. In the borough of Havering, which covers Romford, the police service has a total of 31 vehicles.
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