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20 Nov 2003 : Column 1168W—continued

Criminal Records Bureau

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what procedures are applicable for undertaking a Criminal Records Bureau check for people coming from abroad to work in the health and care sector; [140273]

(2) what procedures are in place for monitoring the performance of Capita's contract for the Criminal Records Bureau. [140274]

Ms Blears: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Curfew Orders

Mr. Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 28 October, on curfew orders, Official Report, column 178W, when he will be able to provide the equivalent figures for 2002. [138530]

Paul Goggins: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

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David Blaine

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the costs to public funds were of the recent actions of Mr. Blaine. [139921]

Ms Blears [holding answer 20 November 2003]: I will write to the right hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Deaths in Custody

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths in custody of prisoners below the age of 20 years there were in each of the last 30 years. [140431]

Paul Goggins: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Drug Addicts

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what changes there have been in the aftercare of those released from prison receiving treatment for a drug dependency in the last 12 months; [140048]

(2) what discussions he has had with the Department of Health on the effectiveness of drug treatment facilities in prisons; and if he will make a statement; [140049]

(3) if he will make a statement on the impact of drug treatment and testing orders on the reoffending rates of heroin addicts. [140050]

Paul Goggins: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Drugs

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 10 November 2003, Official Report, column 100W, on drugs, what percentage of (a) male and (b) female prisoners have been imprisoned for reoffending for drugs offences. [140075]

Paul Goggins: The latest information available for reconviction rates for prisoners discharged from establishments in England and Wales is for 1999. Of the 7,148 males and 820 female prisoners discharged in 1999 and originally sentenced for a drugs offence, 348 (5 per cent) and 28 (3 per cent) respectively were re-convicted and re-incarcerated for a further drugs related offence within two years of discharge.

Dungavel

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to vary the terms of contract between Premier Group and his Department in respect of the administration of Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre. [131552]

Beverley Hughes: I will write to my hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Durban Programme of Action Seminar

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) at what level the Government

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will be represented at the seminar on implementing the Durban Programme of Action convened by the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, to be held in Brussels from 10 to 12 December 2003; [139909]

(2) what progress has been made in the last 12 months in drawing up a National Action Plan Against Racism, as agreed at the UN World Conference against Racism in Durban in September 2001. [139910]

Fiona Mactaggart: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Economic Migration

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will hold regular public consultations on the subject of economic migration. [139657]

Beverley Hughes: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Electronic Tagging

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders have been electronically tagged as part of their licence conditions under section 62 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000; what evaluation has been conducted into the operation of these powers; and if he will make a statement. [138481]

Paul Goggins: I will write to my hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Emergency Calls (Police Response Times)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) target and (b) maximum response times are for the police to attend emergencies following 999 calls. [139386]

Ms Blears: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Essex Police

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many additional police officers were employed by Essex police, for the Crime Fighting Fund on 1 September; [139667]

(2) how many regular police officers were employed by Essex Police on 1 September; [139668]

(3) how many support staff were employed by Essex Police on 1 September; [139669]

(4) what the vacancy figure for regular police officers in Essex Police on 1 September was. [139670]

Ms Blears: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Ethnic Monitoring

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many new staff were employed by the Prison Service in England and Wales

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during 2002 as (a) governors, (b) prison officers and (c) other staff; and how many in each category were (i) black and (ii) Asian; [138397]

(2) how many people are on the National Probation Service case load by type of order; and how many in each category are (a) black and (b) Asian; [138402]

(3) how many sentenced prisoners in England and Wales are (a) white and (b) black, broken down by whether they were sentenced for (i) sexual offences, (ii) violence against another person, (iii) robbery, (iv) burglary, (v) drug offences, (vi) fraud, (vii) criminal damage and (viii) theft; [138404]

(4) what proportion of (a) white and (b) black prisoners were recommended for parole at their first review during 2002; [138405]

(5) how many people were in prison (a) on remand awaiting trial, (b) on remand awaiting sentence and (c) sentenced, on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many in each category were (i) black and (ii) Asian. [138403]

Paul Goggins: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Firearms

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all the companies exhibiting equipment covered by the Firearms Acts at the Defence Systems Equipment International Exhibition in September obtained the necessary licences; and if he will make a statement. [135338]

Ms Blears: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Football Hooliganism

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to close UK-based websites promoting hooligan behaviour at football grounds. [135840]

Ms Blears: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Graffiti

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions his Department has had with utility companies on measures to tackle graffiti on street furniture owned by those companies. [140237]

Ms Blears: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Heroin Addicts

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many registered heroin addicts there were in the West Midlands in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by local authority. [140238]

Caroline Flint: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

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Homophobic Incitement

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to his noble Friend's answer of 18 December 2002, House of Lords, Official Report, column 124WA, what plans he has to take further action against potential incitement to violence against homosexual people through song lyrics in the context of live performances. [126211]

Fiona Mactaggart: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

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