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Wine

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total holding of wine of the Department is; and what the total value is. [136489]

Fiona Mactaggart: Ministers and the Permanent Secretary maintain drinks cupboards for official hospitality only. There is no other holding of wine in the Department.

Witness Intimidation

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to ensure that witnesses to crime are able to give evidence without fear of intimidation. [134053]

Paul Goggins: The Government recognise that the intimidation of witnesses is an important issue that needs to be addressed. Witness intimidation in criminal proceedings is an offence under section 51 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and intimidation in civil proceedings is an offence under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. The Home Office has advised the police to take immediate action against offenders in cases of intimidation or harassment of witnesses.

The Government published "Tackling Witness Intimidation—An Outline Strategy" on 15 May 2003. It was issued to all Local Criminal Justice Boards and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and is available on Criminal Justice System online. A copy has been placed in the Library.

The police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the judiciary have all received specialist training to help them be more responsive to the needs of intimidated witnesses. The guidance on anti-social behaviour orders stresses the importance of offering support to witnesses and victims when applications for such orders are made.

There needs to be adequate protection for witnesses in the courtroom to ensure that they can give their best evidence. Most courts now have separate waiting rooms for witnesses, reducing the possibility of their coming into contact with the defendant, or those closely acquainted with him or her, and thus reducing the risk of intimidation. Increased funding for Victim Support has enabled its Witness Service to be extended to all Crown court centres and magistrates courts in England and Wales. This means that there should always be someone at court to support witnesses who may feel intimidated or worried.

The Government have also introduced a range of special measures to assist intimidated witnesses to give their evidence in court, including the use of TV links, screens around the witness box and clearing the public

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gallery so that evidence can be given in private. The Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 provides the legislative framework for these measures and a phased implementation programme began on 24 July 2002.

In exceptional cases, where there are real and substantial grounds for fear and the Crown would not be able to proceed without the witness's evidence, the judge may allow the identity of a credible witness to be concealed entirely from the defendant. In taking this decision, the court must balance the need for protection of the witness against the risk of unfairness to the defendant and must satisfy itself that the interests of the accused would not be unduly prejudiced.

These court-based measures are complemented by community-based measures, ensuring that support is available to witnesses where they live. Co-ordinated action by a number of agencies, for example in carrying out an initial risk assessment of a witnesses' vulnerability to intimidation, is key.

The Government, in conjunction with the Housing Corporation and the Mayor of London, are today launching a scheme which will give intimidated witnesses the option of fast track relocation within the social housing sector. The Government recognise that, while the aim should be that perpetrators of crime and anti-social behaviour should be those who are moved, there will be instances where the risk to the witness is so great that this option needs to be available.

Young Offenders

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the most recent two-year reoffending rate was for offenders leaving young offender institutions. [135865]

Paul Goggins: Reconviction is used as a proxy measure for reoffending. The latest two-year 'un-adjusted' reconviction rates for young offenders discharged from custody was 73 per cent., for those released in 1998. The rates in the preceding years were 71 per cent., 70 per cent., 71 per cent., 72 per cent., 72 per cent., 71 per cent., 74 per cent., 75 per cent., 76 per cent., 75 per cent. and 75 per cent. between 1987 and 1997 respectively. These rates are published in "Prison Statistics—England and Wales 2001".

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Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offenders from North Wales below the age of 15 years who were sentenced to custody were not immediately placed in a local authority secure community home in the last three years for which figures are available. [136017]

Paul Goggins: The Youth Justice Board is responsible for the commissioning and purchasing of secure accommodation for under 18s and for the placement of individual offenders.

In the three years to 31 October 2003, all sentenced young offenders of under 15 years of age were immediately placed either in a local authority secure children's home or in a secure training centre.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department where young offenders below the age of 15 from North Wales are placed if sentenced to custody and no local authority community home place is available. [136019]

Paul Goggins: The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales is responsible for the commissioning and purchasing of secure accommodation for under 18s and for the placement of individual offenders in the juvenile secure estate. Where no place is available in a local authority secure children's home, a sentenced young offender from England or Wales below the age of 15 is placed in any of the three Secure Training Centres—Rainsbrook, Medway or Hassockfield.

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons are detained in young offenders' institutions claiming to be aged between 15 to 17-years-old whose age has not been independently verified; and if he will make a statement. [136251]

Paul Goggins: The courts are responsible for establishing the ages of young people who appear before them. Custodial establishments do not repeat the checks courts make. We are not aware of any sentences inappropriate to a person's age having been passed; if such a case was found it would be referred to the court.

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many under 18s were in gaol in each year since 1997; and how many were in youth detention centres and other correctional establishments. [132939]

Paul Goggins: The information on the number of under 18s who were in Prison Service establishments, Local Authority Secure Children's Homes and Secure Training Centres is given in the table.

Under 18s in custody—England and Wales

	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Prison Service establishments	2,480	2,465	2,420	2,435	2,435	2,605	2,290
Local Authority Secure Children's Homes LASCHs	110	125	125	220	295	300	310
Secure Training Centres (STCs)	n/a	n/a	n/a	115	115	120	190

Source

Data for Prison Service establishments is as at end June, apart from the figure for 2003 which is as at end April. Data for LASCH is from DfES and is as at end March. Data for Secure Training Centres is from the Youth Justice Board and is as at end April. Figures for 1997,1998 and 1999 are not held centrally. All numbers are rounded to the nearest 5.

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CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Domestic Violence

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment the Government has made of whether to develop a systematic mandatory training scheme on domestic violence for (a) judges and magistrates, (b) expert witnesses, (c) CAFCASS and (d) police officers; and if he will make a statement. [136395]

Mr. Leslie: The information is as follows:

Judges and Magistrates

My Department continues to work closely with the Judicial Studies Board (JSB) to develop training for judges and magistrates that takes account of the growing body of knowledge about domestic violence.

All judges on first appointment to part-time judicial office and all judges newly authorised to hear family cases are required to attend a relevant JSB residential induction seminar. Both full-time and part-time judges attend residential continuation seminars every three years in each jurisdiction they exercise. All induction and continuation seminars include discussion of domestic violence issues. Family law induction and continuation seminars include such issues in virtually every session within the seminar programmes.

Many judges in addition attend locally organised seminars. In 2002 the topic for the one-day Circuit Criminal Seminars, which are attended by all full and part-time judges sitting in the Crown court, was Domestic Violence.

The training of Magistrates is the statutory responsibility of individual Magistrates courts committees. Recently, the JSB in conjunction with the Magistrates Association produced a training package for magistrates, specifically on domestic violence. The objectives for the pack are that by the end of the course delegates will: be able to define domestic violence; recognise when domestic violence features in a case; and describe how that recognition of domestic violence will impact on the conduct and disposal of a case and the treatment of any vulnerable individuals involved.

The programme of training for trainers began at the end of October. Magistrates courts committees will be encouraged to train their magistrates and legal advisers as soon as possible.

Expert Witnesses

The Home Office supports, and part funds, the work of the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners (CRFP). The CRFP has rigorous procedures to ensure those persons admitted to the register have appropriate training, experience and expertise to act as experts. Currently there is no training, or requirement for training, in domestic violence involved in CRFP registration as it is not of direct relevance to the majority of registered practitioners.

CAFCASS

CAFCASS's training programme for Family Court Advisors includes a module on domestic violence. This will be put into operation for the first time in November and December 2003. CAFCASS is also currently developing a policy on domestic violence, which will

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include guidance and procedures for staff. This will be available in 2004 and CAFCASS will review staff training needs with regard to the finalised policy.

Police

The Centrex 'Policing Responses to Domestic Violence' modular training programme was launched in 2002 and has been substantially developed and updated. The training programme was distributed to police force training managers and nominated domestic violence officers in August 2003. The Policing Responses to Domestic Violence E-learning material CD-Rom was launched in March 2003.

We will continue to identify and respond, as a matter of priority, to the needs of those suffering from domestic violence.

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