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18 Nov 2003 : Column 824W—continued
Communications Masts
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 21 October,
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Official Report, column 543W, on communication masts, what plans he has to commission further research recommended in the National Radiological Protection Board report into mechanisms that might transform TETRA energy bursts occurring 17.6 times a second into a current which interferes with biological functions. [139217]
Ms Blears: There is no known mechanism by which the biological functions of the human body could react to radio signals, and the National Radiological Protection Board's independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation recommended further research on this topic. A study on possible non-linear mechanisms is under consideration as part of the adjunct Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research TETRA programme funded by the Home Office.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 21 October, Official Report, column. 543W, on communications masts, what the conclusions were of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory study regarding (a) calcium efflux, (b) brain slice electrophysiology and (c) epileptiform activity. [139234]
Ms Blears: The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) work on calcium efflux is complete and shows that TETRA has no effect on calcium exchanges in cells. The work on brain slice electrophysiology and epileptiform activity is still underway. The electrophysiology results are not yet fully analysed. Initial results show no effects of TETRA on epileptiform behaviour.
Community Punishment Orders
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours per week the average offender sentenced to a community punishment order spends engaged in purposeful activity, broken down by probation area. [109594]
Paul Goggins: The information requested is not currently collected.
Community Support Officers
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been detained by a community support officer; and in how many cases a police officer took charge of the detainee within half an hour of detention. [139221]
Ms Blears: At present, six police forces are piloting the power of detention, which was given to community support officers by the Police Reform Act 2002. The forces are the Metropolitan Police Service, West Yorkshire Police, Gwent Police, Lancashire Constabulary, Northamptonshire Police, and Devon and Cornwall Constabulary.
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As part of ongoing evaluation, when they use their detention powers community support officers in the relevant forces complete questionnaires which are then forwarded to the Home Office for monitoring purposes. The information currently available indicates that:
- To date the Home Office has received 161 questionnaires. This does not necessarily represent 161 separate detentions, as it is possible that two community support officers may have been involved in the same incident.
Subsequent evaluation indicates that police officers have arrived within 30 minutes in 98.8 per cent. of cases and that there have been only two incidents where the time limit has not been met.
These questionnaires are still being completed in each force and evaluation of the results is an on-going process. This work is being undertaken jointly by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and with the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate.
Computer Games Companies
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the contracts his Department has awarded to computer games companies, broken down by (a) company to which the contract was awarded, (b) the date and cost of the contract and (c) the purpose of the contract; what has been delivered to date from each contract; what remains to be delivered; what each game seeks to achieve; and what assessment he has made of their effectiveness in meeting these aims. [139223]
Fiona Mactaggart: No contracts have been awarded to computer games companies.
- Note:
- The answer includes the Home Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies.
Consultants
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many projects his Department has contracted out to external consultancies in each year since 1997; and at what cost. [138501]
Fiona Mactaggart: Information by project is not held centrally for the Home Department and is not available in the format requested. To provide a complete answer in the time available will incur disproportionate costs.
A similar question was asked earlier this year about spend on consultancy. I therefore refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 January, Official Report, column 913W.
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton to discuss the letter to him dated 9 September, with regard to Mrs. S. Ahmed. [138456]
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Mr. Blunkett: I responded to my right hon. Friend in a letter on 13 November 2003. A meeting would serve no useful purpose as there is nothing more I can add to that letter.
Publicity Campaigns
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost to his Department was of (a) the Good to be Secure website, (b) the Don't let them bag your booty publicity campaign, (c) the Danny Timpson's Kebabathon computer game and (d) the Bargain Boost computer games; and whether Mr. David Dickinson received a fee for his involvement in the initiative. [138478]
Ms Blears: The Home Office is committed to reducing crime and we implement several campaigns to reduce the risk for the public.
Burglary is a high volume crime. It is a crime that causes fear and concern. Campaigns which help reduce risk and fear is therefore a priority for us. There are several groups who are particularly at risk—the elderly, students, home movers, and holidaymakers.
The campaigns we run are designed to reassure people and reduce their risk by offering them simple, practical advice on burglary prevention.
The students' campaign is one of those key campaigns.
The costs involved in the specific activities (including development costs) the hon. Gentleman mentioned were:
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| £ | |
|---|---|
| The 'good to be secure' web site | 19,470 |
| The 'Don't let them bag your booty' publicity campaign including the 'Bargain bost' computer games | 80,000 |
| The 'Danny Timpson's Kebabathon' computer game | 12,000 |
| David Dickinson did receive a fee for his involvement in this initiative | 10,000 |
| Total | 121,470 |
Departmental Expenditure (Official Residences)
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Department spent on (a) maintenance, (b) renovation, (c) council tax and (d) running costs of residential properties used by Ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [134693]
Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office leases one property, acquired for security reasons, as the London residence of the Home Secretary of the day. A major programme of cyclical refurbishment—the first for some years—was completed in late spring 2002. This was needed to maintain the repair and value of the property and to deal with the impact of substantial flood and storm damage.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) on 1 July 2002, Official Report, column 176W.
| Maintenance | Renovation | Council tax | Running costs/utilities | Capital charge/depreciation/cost of capital | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 2,581 | 0 | 304 | 3,189 | 77,995 |
| 1998–99 | 14,849 | 0 | 325 | 3,875 | 84,863 |
| 1999–2000 | 2,055 | 0 | 350 | 3,993 | 104,615 |
| 2000–01 | 6,457 | 0 | 375 | 2,268 | 120,702 |
| 2001–02 | 1,386 | (21)72,340 | 410 | 2,110 | 112,345 |
| 2002–03 | (22)37,338 | 27,440 | 445 | 5,306 | 122,199 |
(21) Works carried out in 2001–02 were paid in 2002–03 when invoice was submitted
(22) Includes roof works of £12,342
Not included above is rent at £7,100 per annum and costs of security measures. Capital Charge and depreciation are related to the book value of the lease which was revalued in 2001.
Only in exceptional circumstances does my Department provide accommodation for officials other than seconded police officers. At present these are limited to three seconded junior staff carrying out duties which requires them to be located in Central London. The Prison Service also provides its staff including Governor grades with a limited number of married quarters
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