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5 Jan 2004 : Column 9W—continued
Child Protection Referrals
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many child protection referrals have been made to local area child protection committees by each young offender institution since January. [144364]
Paul Goggins: Data on the number of child protection referrals made to local area child protection committees from each juvenile establishment since January 2003 are shown in the following table:
| Establishment | Number of child protection referrals |
|---|---|
| Ashfield | 20 |
| Brinsford | 47 |
| Brockhill | 0 |
| Bullwood Hall | 11 |
| Castington | 16 |
| Eastwood Park | 5 |
| Feltham | 51 |
| Hindley | (5)— |
| Holloway | 9 |
| Huntercombe | 6 |
| Lancaster Farms | 4 |
| New Hall | 5 |
| Onley | 19 |
| Parc | 24 |
| Stoke Heath | (5)— |
| Thorn Cross | 0 |
| Warren Hill | 11 |
| Werrington | 43 |
| Wetherby | 15 |
(5) Figures not currently available
Corporate Killing
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the likely impact of a corporate killing Bill on British business. [142841]
Paul Goggins: The results of the Regulatory Impact Assessment are still being assessed but the preliminary indications are that the costs of a change in the law will not be large. As we have made clear, no new burdens will be placed on companies in terms of the standards with which they will be legally required to comply. We will continue to refine the RIA in the context of our proposals for legislation.
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 30 October from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. J. Ferns. [142954]
Mr. Blunkett: I responded to my right hon. Friend on 16 December 2003.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham of 15 September, reference PO 13772/3. [144160]
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Beverley Hughes [holding answer 16 December 2003]: I replied to the hon. Member on 17 December 2003.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. R. Amjad. [144647]
Mr. Blunkett: I responded to my right hon. Friend on 12 December 2003.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Riaz Amer. [144648]
Mr. Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 12 December 2003.
Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships
Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to place the findings of the 2002 exercise on crime and disorder reduction partnerships and their implications for nuisance and noise associated with fireworks in the Library; whether he has conducted a similar exercise for 2003; and if he will make a statement. [143912]
Ms Blears: I have placed copies of the Home Office Fireworks Monitoring Report in the Libraries of the House today. We have no plans at present to repeat this exercise.
Custody Death Investigations
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to ensure that investigations into deaths in prison or police custody are (a) independent, (b) thorough, (c) in compliance with relevant mental health standards and (d) respond to the concerns of the families of the deceased. [142885]
Paul Goggins: An external team investigates all deaths in prison custody. Out of area investigations are recommended as good practice. A review of investigations into deaths in custody has resulted in some investigations being led by an investigator independent of the Prison Service or with the support of a multi-agency advisory panel. In two recent cases the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has been commissioned to conduct an investigation and plans are in hand to transfer the function to him.
Prison Service staff leading investigations into deaths in custody attend two training courses, the first covering investigations generally and the second dealing specifically with investigating deaths in custody. Two detailed and comprehensive Prison Service Orders (1300 "Investigations" and 1301 "Investigating death in custody") provide guidance and advice to ensure that investigations are thorough.
Through its partnership with the Department of Health, the Prison Service is working to establish links locally and nationally with the National Institute Mental Health England (NIMHE) in implementing Standard Seven "Preventing Suicide" of the National
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Service Framework for Mental Health published in 1999. Learning lessons and changing practice as a result of the thorough investigations that follow a death in custody is a key factor in this framework.
Investigators always offer to meet bereaved families and investigation reports are disclosed to families in consultation with the Coroner before the inquest. In order to provide greater insight and explanation for bereaved families, investigators are now required to include families in the investigation process.
Deaths in police custody are subject to investigation under the statutory complaints system set out in the Police Act 1996 and police forces voluntarily refer all such deaths to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) to oversee the investigations undertaken.
Under the provisions of the Police Reform Act 2002, a new police complaints system will be implemented on 1 April 2004. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) will replace the Police Complaints Authority. Under the new system, all deaths in police custody which involve potential misconduct from a member of a police force must be referred to the IPCC, whether or not a complaint has been made.
Depending on the circumstances of the case, the IPCC can investigate the incident using its own investigators, or it can choose to manage or supervise a police investigation. The IPCC and the police will have all the necessary powers and will be expected to conduct thorough investigations which comply with all relevant standards.
Complainants and other interested persons—including family members—will have the opportunity to participate in the conduct of an investigation and will have a right to be kept informed of its progress and outcome.
Highly Skilled Migrants
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many highly skilled migrants have been accepted in each year since the inception of the highly skilled migrant programme, broken down by country. [140703]
Beverley Hughes: The highly skilled migrant programme was launched on 28 January 2002. As at 30 November 2003 a total of 8,628 applications have been received. From 28 January to 31 December 2002—1,194 applications were approved. From 1 January to 30 November 2003—3,864 applications have been approved.
Current management information limitations do not, at present, provide a breakdown in the format requested. However, up to 30 August 2003 the number of applications received for the top 10 nationalities were as follows:
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Australia—307
Zimbabwe—176
Canada—153
China People's Republic of—126
Identity Fraud
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted as a result of the actions taken by the Immigration Crime Team against suspected identity hijackers on 8 October 2002; what the sentence was in each case; and how many passports were recovered in the operation. [143381]
Beverley Hughes: Operation Wisdom, targeting individuals who have obtained passports using the identities of dead children, was co-ordinated by the National Crime Squad and involved 18 UK police forces and the Immigration Service.
On 8 October 2002, 30 individuals were arrested, 12 were charged and 16 others were identified as suitable for removal under Immigration Act powers, five of whom received police cautions. Sentences for others on conviction ranged from seven days to 11 months.
Some 100 further arrests have since been made as the result of on-going work by the agencies involved.
No central record was kept of the number of passports recovered in the operation.
Judicial Review
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which decisions by his Department were challenged by judicial review in each session since 1997; and in how many cases the (a) Department's decision was upheld by the court, (b) court found for the applicant, (c) Department submitted to the judgment and (d) Department appealed successfully against the decision. [143410]
Beverley Hughes: This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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