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9 Feb 2004 : Column 1250W—continued
Bribery
John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals are being held without trial or charge in HM Prison Belmarsh; for how long each has been held; how many hours a day they are allowed out of their cell for (a) meals, (b) religious worship, (c) recreation and (d) association; and if he will make a statement. [151472]
Paul Goggins: 31 foreign nationals are being held at Belmarsh prison in the circumstances my hon. Friend describes. These persons are detained in respect of extradition or immigration matters. Those detained under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 are free to leave the country at any time. The date of arrival into custody for each is as follows:
- 9 November 1995
- 15 July 1999
- 6 November 2000
- 21 November 2000
- 17 April 2001
- 17 May 2001
- 4 July 2001
- 25 July 2001
- 19 December 2001 (three persons)
- 8 February 2002
- 23 April 2002
- 27 September 2002
- 24 October 2002
- 14 January 2003
- 24 May 2003
- 12 August 2002
- 13 November 2002
- 23 November 2002
- 27 December 2002
- 30 January 2003
- 1 September 2003
- 5 September 2003
- 1 October 2003
- 17 October 2003
- 7 November 2003
- 4 December 2003 (two persons)
- 28 December 2003
- 29 December 2003
The general regime at Belmarsh allows prisoners to be out of their cells for an average of 7¼ hours per day. This will include meals, religious worship, recreation and association. Some prisoners will be allowed out of cell for greater periods of time due to the nature of their work.
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Burglary (Sentences)
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average sentence for (a) house burglary and (b) burglary of a premises other than a house was in each of the last six years. [152121]
Paul Goggins: The available information, relating to the average custodial sentence length for persons sentenced for domestic and other burglary (including aggravated burglary) in England and Wales, 1997 to 2002, is contained in the table.
Statistics for 2003 will be published in the autumn.
| Average custodial sentence length (months) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In a dwelling | In a building other thana dwelling | |||
| Burglary | Aggravated burglary | Burglary | Aggravated burglary | |
| 1997 | 18.1 | 45.5 | 8.4 | 30.7 |
| 1998 | 17.9 | (23)46.0 | 8.6 | 38.8 |
| 1999 | 18.3 | 45.5 | 7.9 | 39.2 |
| 2000 | 18.7 | 48.6 | 8.3 | 49.0 |
| 2001 | 19.7 | (24)50.2 | 8.4 | 40.9 |
| 2002 | 20.9 | (24)50.1 | 8.8 | 45.0 |
(22) These data are on the principal offence basis.
(23) Excludes one person sentenced to life.
(24) Excludes three persons sentenced to life.
Coroners
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to regulate the basis on which coroners decide on the re-opening of a case. [151716]
Paul Goggins [holding answer 29 January 2004]: We do not intend to regulate this, as it is primarily a judicial matter which should therefore be left to the discretion of the coroner.
Correspondence
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 18 August 2003 from the hon. Member for Northavon, reference M4678/3, on behalf of Mrs. Davies, regarding victims of crime. [151709]
Paul Goggins [holding answer 24 January 2004]: Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC replied to the hon. Member on 2 February 2004.
Crime/Police Statistics (Southend)
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders there were in Southend in each of the last 10 years; and how many resulted in convictions. [152200]
Ms Blears [holding answer 3 February 2004]: Published information on homicide relates to England and Wales only. The latest available is given in Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 01/04, 'Crime in England and Wales 2002/2003: Supplementary
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Volume 1: Homicide and Gun Crime', a copy of which should be available from the Library or internet site http://www.homeoffice gov.uk/rds/hosbpubsl.html.
Criminal Behaviour
Mrs. Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to tackle the problem of persistent offenders. [150352]
Paul Goggins: The Persistent Offender Scheme came into effect in April 2003. It is an obligatory component of Local Criminal Justice Boards' action plans to increase the number of offences brought to justice, aimed at targeting a small group of prolific offenders who are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime. Areas have devised their own premium service protocols which include elements of proactive policing, improved investigations and case management, priority court listings, and strategies for rehabilitation. As well as targeting core persistent offenders, who are 18 or over and have been convicted of 6 or more recordable offences in the last year, as part of their wider crime reduction strategies areas are also using the scheme flexibly to target persistent offenders defined on the basis of local intelligence. As well as targeting core persistent offenders, who are 18 or over and have been convicted of 6 or more recordable offences in the last year, as part of their wider crime reduction strategies areas are also using the scheme flexibly to target persistent offenders defined on the basis of local intelligence.
The Scheme is supported by an information system that is shared between criminal justice agencies, enabling persistent offenders to be tracked as their cases progress through the criminal justice system, and attrition points in the system to be identified and targeted for intervention.
On 13 November 2003, criminal justice areas were notified of the outcome of a review of the Persistent Offender Scheme. Among the key actions being implemented as part of the response to the review are: changes to the performance measurement framework, including giving credit for performance relating to local persistent offenders; and updated guidance to the National Probation Service on the Scheme, which was issued on 22 December 2003.
The National Probation Service is piloting 15 Intensive Supervision and Monitoring Schemes (ISMs) for persistent offenders in local probation/police areas. All Schemes involve joint working between probation and police. In addition, some Schemes are testing mechanisms for involving the prison service in pre-release work with persistent offenders. ISMs target the most prolific offenders in a locality, based on police intelligence. They provide intensive surveillance and supervision of offenders, offering fast access to services and support for rehabilitation, alongside swift action and penalties for non-compliance. They involve other partner agencies such as providers of housing, education and training, alcohol and drug abuse treatment groups and employment services.
In addition, the Government has given the courts new secure remand and tagging powers for 12 to 16-year olds who repeatedly offend on bail, funded the Youth
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Justice Board's intensive supervision and surveillance programmes for the most prolific young offenders and renewed its commitment to maintain the time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders at or below 71 days.
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend compensation to victims who were abused or injured by someone living in their household before October 1979. [146284]
Paul Goggins: No. Revision of the 'Pre-1.10.79 same roof' rule has been considered whenever changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme have been mooted. However, successive Administrations have always refused to change it.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time taken to settle applications for criminal injuries compensation was in 2003. [149553]
Paul Goggins: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority advise that in the year ending 31 December 2003 the average time between the date an application was received and the date the applicant was notified of the decision on that application was, for the 74,175 cases so determined, 288 days.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for criminal injuries compensation were received in each of the past four years; and what the average award was for each of those years. [149554]
Paul Goggins: The following information has been provided by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
| Number of applications | Money awards | Nilawards | Average award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 78,742 | 39,700 | 36,217 | 2,904 |
| 2000–01 | 76,510 | 36,924 | 33,789 | 3,001 |
| 2001–02 | 78,202 | 39,813 | 35,005 | 3,150 |
| 2002–03 | 73,928 | 42,283 | 36,965 | 3,717 |
| Money awards | Nil awards | Average award | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 3,795 | 3,309 | 23,907 |
| 2000–01 | 2,087 | 985 | 44,745 |
| 2001–02 | 1,538 | 536 | 71,318 |
| 2002–03 | 405 | 319 | 169,034 |
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish all the responses to his consultation paper, "Compensation and Support for Victims of Crime". [150139]
Paul Goggins: Our intention is to publish a summary of the responses. All responses will be acknowledged and respondents told that the outcome of the consultation will be published.
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Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in each of the last 10 years, broken down by type of crime; and what proportion was paid to victims of crimes (a) when the criminal was arrested, (b) when the criminal was arrested and charged and (c) when the criminal was arrested, charged and successfully prosecuted, in each year. [150140]
Paul Goggins: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS) provides compensation at the taxpayers' expense to blameless victims of crimes of violence and those injured in trying to apprehend criminals or prevent crime. It does not compensate victims of other types of crime.
Claims are determined on the basis of applications and supporting information submitted by applicants, and upon the outcome of such other inquiries about the applicant's injuries and other aspects of eligibility as the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) considers it necessary to make.
Payment of compensation under the scheme is not conditional upon the offender having been charged or convicted or even identified. The burden of proof required under the scheme is 'the balance of probabilities' (the civil burden of proof) rather than 'beyond reasonable doubt' (the level of proof required in criminal courts).
CICA do not keep statistics about whether or when those who inflicted injury upon CICS claimants were arrested, charged or successfully prosecuted.
The amount of compensation paid to victims in each of the last 10 years under the scheme was as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 165 |
| 1994–95 | 175 |
| 1995–96 | 179 |
| 1996–97 | 209 |
| 1997–98 | 202 |
| 1998–99 | 194 |
| 1999–2000 | 205 |
| 2000–01 | 208 |
| 2001–02 | 233 |
| 2002–03 | 232 |
These figures represent the cash actually paid over in each year. However, in 2000–01 the basis of government accounting changed from a cash to an accruals basis, under which the recorded spend now is the amount of money committed in the year, irrespective of when payments were actually made.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has collated on (a) moneys paid out by and (b) funding sources of equivalents to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in other EU countries. [150780]
Paul Goggins: Information about the amount of compensation paid and the number of applications received during one year under the state compensation
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schemes in each EU Member State is given at paragraph 3.8 of the European Commission's Green Paper, 'Compensation to crime victims' (reference COM(2001)536) issued on 28 September 2001. The paper can be accessed via the Internet at http://europa.eu.int/comm/off/green/index.en.htm and then clicking on the document just mentioned. Further information about compensation schemes in other European countries can be found in 'Victims of Crime in 22 European Criminal Justice Systems' by M. E. I. Brienen and D. H. Hoegen published in 2000 (ISBN:90–5850–004–7); and in 'Repairing the Irreparable: State compensation to crime victims in the European Union' by Julia Mikaelsson and Anna Wergens published in 2001 (ISBN 91–974139–1-7).
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether foreigners who are victims of crime in the UK are eligible for the criminal compensation scheme. [150804]
Paul Goggins: Yes. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme operates in England, Scotland and Wales. Anyone sustaining injury there as a result of violent crime is eligible to apply. There is a separate scheme in Northern Ireland, modelled closely on the GB Scheme.
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