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28 Jan 2004 : Column 441W—continued

Dog Kidnapping

Mr. James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the incidence of the kidnapping of dogs has been in the last 12 months; [150093]

(2) what strategy is in place to counter the effects of professional dog-nappers. [150094]

Ms Blears: Statistics on the kidnapping of dogs are not held centrally.

There is no national strategy to counter the effects of professional dog-nappers. Where this is a pressing local crime issue it would be for the police, in consultation with the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership to take appropriate action.

Knives

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Association of Chief Police Officers regarding self-regulation schemes for retailers selling knives, with particular reference to the CV One Knife Code. [150952]

Ms Blears [holding answer 27 January 2004]: The Government support action which tackles the problem of illicit knife carrying. The Government and the Association of Chief Police Officers believe that it is best for individual police forces and local authorities to decide how to establish and set up schemes like the CV One Knife Code in Coventry, taking into account local factors.

Market Research

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) opinion polling and (b) market research projects his Department has undertaken in the last financial year; and what the costs were of each project. [149729]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office research department undertakes a wide range of research activities that support the development of information-led policy, including scientific and social research, and includes research gathered from market research and focus groups.

The Department conducts or commissions market and opinion research and focus groups only when it is justified by the specific needs of a particular policy or programme and when this is the most economical, efficient and effective way to achieve the purpose.

28 Jan 2004 : Column 442W

Consulting and involving the public helps inform both policy formulation and the delivery of better quality public services.

A table of commissioned projects involving opinion polling and market research is included at Appendix 1, and also placed in the Library. It has not been possible to provide detailed breakdown of costs of projects where this information is either not held centrally or is commercial in confidence.

Medicines (Disposal)

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on inspection procedures at sites licensed by the Drugs Inspectorate for disposal of medicines and pharmaceuticals. [150438]

Caroline Flint: Inspections may be conducted routinely, approximately once per year, or unannounced; such visits may take place on occasions when controlled drugs are being destroyed. In addition to checking the operating procedures the records containing details of consignments and their destruction will be examined.

Some operators are licensed to store controlled drugs pending destruction while others are only authorised to destroy upon arrival on site.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the minimum security procedures at sites licensed by the Drugs Inspectorate for disposal of medicines and pharmaceuticals. [150439]

Caroline Flint : Security requirements are assessed on an individual basis but in all cases controlled drug consignments are required to be recorded and kept safely locked away. In conjunction with the issue of the licence, advice is given on a range of matters bearing on security. This includes appropriate staffing, good handling practice, vehicle management and electronic security as well as liaison with local police.

National Offenders Management Service

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department where the National Offender Management Service will be based. [147435]

Paul Goggins: The headquarters will initially be based in London, probably in accommodation currently occupied by the Prison and Probation Services, but once the eventual size and structure has been decided, further consideration will be given to the most appropriate long-term location. Regional offender managers and their staff will of course be located in their regions.

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will act as the employer for (a) probation and (b) prison staff within the structure of the National Offenders Managment Services. [147721]

Paul Goggins: For most staff in prisons and probation the changes outlined in "Reducing Crime—Changing Lives" are unlikely to have an immediate impact. They will continue to be employed by the probation boards and prison service. In time the relationships will change but those changes have yet to be finalised and will be subject to the usual consultation arrangements with staff and unions.

28 Jan 2004 : Column 443W

Neighbourhood Warden Schemes (London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which London boroughs run neighbourhood warden schemes; how many wardens each of these boroughs employed at the latest date for which figures are available; which London boroughs directly fund and employ police community support officers; how many police community support officers each borough funded or employed at the latest date for which figures are available; which London boroughs run community safety accreditation schemes; and if he will make a statement. [151076]

Ms Blears [holding answer 26 January 2004]: The following table shows London boroughs that have warden schemes funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Neighbourhood Wardens Team and the number of wardens the council employs:

Borough	Number of wardens
Barking and Dagenham	4
Barnet	12
Brent	9
Camden	15
City of Westminster	25
Croydon	12
Ealing	8
Greenwich	10
Hackney	25
Hammersmith and Fulham	6
Haringey	14
Harrow	6
Havering	11
Hounslow	7
Islington	28
Kingston-upon-Thames	3
Lambeth	12
Lewisham	27
Merton	12
Newham	12
Redbridge	5
Southwark	27
Sutton	4
Tower Hamlets	29
Waltham Forest	10
Wandsworth	23

We are unable to supply figures for other types of warden schemes or warden numbers in London as these data are not collected.

Community Support Officers (CSOs), as defined by the Police Reform Act 2002, are all employees of the local Police Authority. In London and elsewhere local authorities have contributed to the funding of CSOs but they cannot employ them.

The Commissioner for the Metropolis informs me that the following boroughs operate additional CSOs funded through Special Services Agreements under section 25 of the Police Act 1996.

Borough	Number of CSOs
Camden	2
Greenwich	5
Hammersmith and Fulham	2
Hillingdon	7
Islington	4
Kensington and Chelsea	12
Tower Hamlets	8

At present the Metropolitan Police Service does not yet run a Community Safety Accreditation Scheme in any of the London boroughs.

28 Jan 2004 : Column 444W

Pesticides

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of theft of (a) pesticides containing aldicarb and (b) other pesticides have been reported in each of the last five years; and what quantities of pesticide have been (i) reported stolen, (ii) reported missing and (iii) recovered. [150519]

Ms Blears: The requested information is not available centrally.

Police

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Code of Practice on the police use of firearms and less lethal weapons. [150183]

Ms Blears: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement I made on 3 December 2003, Official Report, column 61WS.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to sustain the planned increase in police numbers. [150128]

Ms Blears: The number of police officers in England and Wales reached a record 136,386 on 31 August 2003. The major component in the rise in police numbers since March 2000 has been the use of the Crime Fighting Fund to fund additional recruits above that which forces were planning to train.

As announced in the provisional funding settlement for 2004–05 on 19 November 2003, the Home Office will provide continuation funding for the 9,000 posts created by the Crime Fighting Fund from 2000–03. In addition it is proposed to provide part funding of 60 per cent for the 650 additional Crime Fighting Fund recruits in 2003–04.

The Home Office is also promoting a number of initiatives to ensure the increasing effectiveness of the resources devoted to policing. Both workforce modernisation and reducing bureaucracy will release officers to do the job they were trained to do and help them undertake their duties in an increasingly effective way. We will this year be establishing a baseline measure for the amount of time officers spend on front line duties, which will enable forces and police authorities to plan for improvement. The National Intelligence Model developed by the police service will enable forces to deploy officers in a more strategic way.

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have retired early owing to ill-health in each year since 1997. [151416]

Ms Blears: The figures relating to the number of police ill-health retirements between 1997 and 2003 are given in the table.

28 Jan 2004 : Column 445W

	Medical retirements
1996–97	2,012
1997–98	1,811
1998–99	1,642
1999–2000	1,232
2000–01	1,209
2001–02	1,114
2002–03	821

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