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18 Nov 2003 : Column 821W—continued
Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to facilitate the trial in normal criminal courts of those detained under section 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. [139222]
Mr. Blunkett: The Secretary of State will only certify and detain an individual under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act, (ATCS) part 4 powers, once he is satisfied that criminal charges cannot be brought. This does not preclude the bringing of criminal charges at a later stage, should further evidence come to light. It is not always possible to bring criminal prosecutions. Some types of evidence cannot safely be disclosed in criminal proceedings without putting others at risk and other types of evidence (e.g. intercept evidence) are not permissible in UK criminal courts. This point was extensively debated before Parliament passed the ATCS Act 2001.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders in Gloucestershire have (a) received and (b) breached anti-social behaviour orders since their inception; and if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of ASBOs. [138917]
Ms Blears: The number of notifications received by the Home Office of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued in Gloucestershire from 1 April 1999 (commencement) up to 30 June 2003 (latest available) is seven.
The available information relating to breaches of ASBOs, covers the period 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2001 and shows that of the four ASBOs made, one was breached in Gloucestershire during this time.
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Arson
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's strategy is on arson and catching arsonists. [125691]
Ms Blears: We are fully committed to tackling arson through the achievement of our Public Service Agreement target to reduce crime and the fear of crime and through our continued engagement in the work of the Arson Control Forum. We have also recognised the important contribution of the fire service to multi-agency working. From 1 April 2003, all fire authorities are statutory partners in local crime and disorder reduction partnerships, which will help ensure that the fire services play a full role in community safety and raise local ability to tackle arson and the associated areas of crime.
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase resources to police forces in order to tackle arson. [137993]
Ms Blears: Provision for policing supported by the Government has increased by 25 per cent. since 2000–01. Allocation of resources locally between various activities is a matter for each police authority and its chief officer of police. Decisions will take account of local pressures and concerns.
Asylum Application
Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision will be taken on the asylum application lodged on 8 June 1998 by Mr. Mohamed Aweis Yusuf, Home Office reference M685182; when the hon. Member for Ilford, South will receive responses to the letters sent to the Minister of State on (a) 16 October 2002 and (b) 1 May 2001; and if he will make a statement. [137514]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 11 November 2003]: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 17 November.
Asylum Seekers
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he plans to take to amend his Department's policies in relation to (a) the detention of children in removal centres and (b) the education of those children in local schools. [131765]
Beverley Hughes: We have no plans to amend our policy in relation to the detention of families with children in removal centres. Children will continue to be detained as members of family groups as it would clearly not be in the interests of children to separate them from their parents. The vast majority of families with children are detained for a short time, most for only a few days immediately prior to removal. Removal centres that may hold families with children for anything more than a few days are required to have arrangements in place to provide educational classes to the children concerned. At present, this relates only to Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre and Oakington Reception Centre. The education provision at Dungavel is well established. The position at Oakington is different in that the need for educational provision has arisen only comparatively recently and is in the process of being put in place. We
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have no plans to change the overall arrangements for the provision of educational classes or to place the children concerned in local schools.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that asylum seekers are integrated into the community. [138322]
Beverley Hughes: The full integration into British society of asylum seekers awaiting decisions on their claims is neither achievable nor desirable. Asylum seekers are for example, generally not permitted to take up employment. We are working to speed up the decision-making process so that their status is resolved more quickly. Nonetheless the Government is fully committed to ensuring that asylum seekers who make their claims in accordance with the law are enabled to live in decent conditions and gain access to essential services, including education for their children, and that they may live in this country without fear of harassment. We also seek to encourage asylum seekers to contribute through volunteering to the communities in which they live.
In order to promote these ends, the regional management of the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) maintains regular contact with all the relevant statutory and voluntary services in the areas to which asylum seekers are dispersed. NASS holds regular meetings to ensure that issues relating to the local integration of asylum seekers are raised and, where possible, resolved locally. Regional management will be representing NASS and asylum issues in all matters relating to community cohesion. We are also gradually developing our police liaison and intelligence capabilities to help provide safe and secure communities where asylum seekers are dispersed.
Childhood Obesity
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with other departments about implementing a strategy to tackle childhood obesity. [138789]
Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office participates in the Activity Co-ordination Team led jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Health which takes forward work on increasing participation in sport and physical activity, primarily in recognition of the significant health benefits.
This is of direct relevance to the prevention and management of childhood obesity.
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has commissioned on the effect on children's criminal behaviour of (a) poor nutrition and (b) childhood obesity. [138788]
Ms Blears: The Home Office is not currently conducting any specific research into the effects that poor nutrition and obesity have on children's criminal behaviour.
There is extensive research on the risk factors which can have an influence on children and young people becoming criminally active. These factors include
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deprivation and poverty which can of course lead to poor nutrition, and poor diet and lack of opportunity for physical exercise which can contribute to obesity.
The Government's programme to tackle youth crime includes a specific focus on addressing risk factors through the work with families, in neighbourhoods to tackle deprivation, and with education services to improve standards and behaviour and reduce truancy and exclusions.
Class A Drugs
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what percentage of those brought into a police station tested positively for Class A drugs in 2002; and what the level of voluntary take-up of treatment was; [128627]
- (2) what percentage of those brought into a police station tested positive for Class A drugs in the last six months for which figures are available; and what the level of voluntary take-up for treatment was for those people. [127671]
Caroline Flint: It is not possible to provide a national figure for the percentage of individuals testing positive for Class A drugs, nor do we have recent data available for positive tests at arrest. However, the percentage of individuals testing positive at charge for cocaine and/or opiates at each of nine pilot sites is shown in the table.
The data have been taken from Home Office Findings 180 "Evaluation of drug testing in the criminal justice system in nine pilot areas". This is available on the RDS website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/r180.pdf and in the House Library.
| Pilot site | Start date of pilot | Testing positive for Cocaine and/or opiates (Percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford and Cannock | July 2001 | 45 |
| Hackney | September 2001 | 66 |
| Nottingham | September 2001 | 58 |
| Bedford | August 2002 | 54 |
| Blackpool | June 2002 | 44 |
| Doncaster | June 2002 | 63 |
| Torquay | July 2002 | 36 |
| Wirral | July 2002 | 58 |
| Wrexham and Mold | August 2002 | 56 |
Source:
Home Office Findings 180 "Evaluation of drug testing in the criminal justice system in nine pilot areas".
The Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 gave the police power to drug test arrestees once they are charged with a "trigger offence" (these include property crime, robbery and specified Class A drug offences).
Data on the level of voluntary uptake for treatment by detainees testing positive for Class A drugs has yet to become available from this study. As the evaluation continues information will be collected as detainees/offenders move from one part of the criminal justice system to another, and into treatment.
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