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10 Feb 2004 : Column 1416W—continued

HOME DEPARTMENT

Speed Fines

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated revenue from speed fines (a) is in the current financial year and (b) was in the previous financial year. [153091]

Caroline Flint [holding answer 5 February 2004]: Information on the revenue raised from speeding fines is not available.

Available information shows the total number and amount of fines ordered to be paid following conviction for speeding offences within England and Wales for the calendar years 2000 and 2001. As the majority of such offences are dealt with by the issue of a fixed penalty, the table also shows the total amount of fixed penalties ordered to be paid.

Not all fines and fixed penalties will have been paid.

Information for 2002 will be available in the Spring.

Fines and fixed penalties data for speeding offences, England and Wales, 2000–01

	Court proceedings		Fixed penalties
	Number of fines	Total amount of fine (£)	Average fine (£)	Number of tickets	Estimated revenue (£)(40)
2000	139,200	18,098,000	130	1,023,500	44,351,000
2001	133,500	17,622,000	132	1,233,000	73,980,000

⁽⁴⁰⁾ 'Estimate' based on £60 penalty charge.

Aggravated Burglary

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of trends in the grant of bail for those charged with aggravated burglary at domestic premises; and if he will make it his policy to seek a reduction in the grant of bail for such offences; [153329]

(2) what assessment he has made of trends in custodial sentencing for those convicted of aggravated burglary of domestic premises; and what his policy is on custodial sentencing for such offences. [153330]

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Paul Goggins [holding answer 6 February 2004]: The available information, relating to the custody rate and average custodial sentence length for persons sentenced for domestic aggravated burglary in England and Wales, 1995 to 2002, is contained in the table. The figures show that both the custody rate and the average sentence length have increased since 1995.

The Government believe that custody should be reserved for dangerous and serious offenders. It is for the courts to impose appropriate sentences in individual cases, taking all circumstances into account.

The Government have always stressed the seriousness of the offence of burglary. The courts have robust sentencing powers in respect of aggravated burglary: the maximum penalty for the offence is life imprisonment.

Persons sentenced for offences of aggravated burglary⁽⁴¹⁾ in a dwelling and those receiving immediate custody, England and Wales, 1995 to 2002

	Number of persons sentenced	Persons sentenced to immediate custody (inc. life)	Custody rate (percentage)	Average custodial sentence length (exc. life) (months)	Number of life sentences
1995	229	179	78.2	44.7	1
1996	278	220	79.1	44.3	—
1997	273	232	85.0	46.0	—
1998	224	196	87.5	46.0	1
1999	234	210	89.7	45.5	—
2000	194	179	92.3	48.6	—
2001	221	191	86.4	50.2	3
2002	288	254	88.2	50.1	3

⁽⁴¹⁾ Data are on the principal offence basis

Source:

Offending and Criminal Justice Group, RDS.

Ref: IOS 72–04 4 February 2004

Of those received into prison under sentence for aggravated burglary in the five years 1998–2002, 82 per cent.-85 per cent. had previously been remanded in custody. These figures do not suggest that courts are unduly ready to grant bail to defendants accused of this offence.

Receptions into prison under an immediate custodial sentence for aggravated burglary: Proportion known to have been previously remanded in custody

	Percentage
1998	84
1999	83
2000	85
2001	82
2002	82

Anti-social Behaviour

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department over what period he will pilot the penalty fines for 16 and 17-year-olds contained in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003; and if he will publish an evaluation of the pilot. [152751]

Ms Blears: Taking account of the experience gained of the pilot scheme for adults, we have decided that the issues for 16 and 17-year-olds are essentially the same as for adults. We therefore propose to go ahead nationally with the scheme for 16 and 17-year-olds alongside the

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national rollout of the adult scheme. That will happen in police areas over the coming months as the necessary IT software becomes available. We will be evaluating the operation of the scheme for 16 to 17-year-olds on an interim basis after six months and again after 12 months. The results will be made available to the House.

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of links between trick or treat activities during Halloween with criminal behaviour. [145345]

Ms Blears: No assessment has been made of evidence that links trick or treat activities during Halloween with criminal behaviour.

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which bodies will be consulted specifically on curfew orders and supervision orders under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003. [153104]

Ms Blears: The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 provides for extension of the maximum length of curfew orders for 10 to 15-year-olds from three months to six months and the maximum time under supervision from 90 to 180 days. This is primarily to allow the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP) to run for up to 12 months. We aim to pilot the extended ISSP from September 2004. We will be consulting beforehand on the guidance in particular with court Youth Offending Team, children's charity and ISSP interests together with the devolved administrations.

The Act also provides for intensive fostering within Supervision Orders, and we will consult on implementation with children's charity, family, Youth Offending Team and social services interests.

Bribery

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what targets have been set by his Department for investigation and prosecution of the offence of bribery of a foreign public official; [151378]

(2) what additional resources he has earmarked for enforcement of Part 12 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 since February 2002, and to which law enforcement agencies he has assigned them. [151379]

Paul Goggins: No specific targets have been set by the Home Office for the investigation and prosecution of the offence of bribery of a foreign public official, nor have any additional funds been allocated.

Burglary

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) charged, (b) prosecuted and (c) found guilty of burglary in each year since 1997; how many of these were (i) under 16, (ii) under 18 and (iii) under 21; and how many of those found guilty were given (A) custodial sentences and (B) non-custodial sentences, broken down by age group. [152598]

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Paul Goggins: The available information is contained in the table and relates to persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for burglary of all types in England and Wales, 1997 to 2002.

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Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.

Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and those found guilty and at all courts for offences of burglary⁽⁴²⁾, by age, England and Wales, 1997

	Number of persons
	Proceeded against	Found guilty atall courts	Sentenced	Sentenced to custody	Given non-custodial sentences
1997
All ages	49,530	31,703	31,656	14,338	17,318
of whom:
Aged 10 to 15	5,510	3,354	3,338	362	2,976
Aged 16 to 17	8,365	5,274	5,286	1,595	3,691
Aged 18 to 20	10,454	7,116	7,098	3,325	3,773
1998
All ages	48,114	30,769	31,087	14,547	16,540
of whom:
Aged 10 to 15	5,766	3,517	3,507	329	3,178
Aged 16 to 17	7,944	5,011	4,980	1,514	3,466
Aged 18 to 20	10,143	6,830	6,841	3,458	3,383
1999
All ages	46,141	29,261	29,329	14,345	14,984
of whom:
Aged 10 to 15	5,297	3,294	3,274	381	2,893
Aged 16 to 17	7,094	4,510	4,492	1,434	3,058
Aged 18 to 20	9,752	6,565	6,511	3,408	3,103
2000
All ages	42,406	26,222	26,694	13,677	13,017
of whom:
Aged 10 to 15	5,080	2,948	2,953	422	2,531
Aged 16 to 17	6,447	3,866	3,896	1,175	2,721
Aged 18 to 20	8,496	5,650	5,761	3,055	2,706
2001
All ages	41,593	24,802	24,655	12,476	12,179
of whom:
Aged 10 to 15	4,951	2,859	2,859	434	2,425
Aged 16 to 17	5,787	3,412	3,408	979	2,429
Aged 18 to 20	8,069	4,948	4,829	2,563	2,266
2002
All ages	43,648	26,691	26,376	13,350	13,026
of whom:
Aged 10 to 15	4,930	3,051	3,052	406	2,646
Aged 16 to 17	5,728	3,367	3,366	939	2,427
Aged 18 to 20	7,608	4,730	4,639	2,449	2,190

⁽⁴²⁾ These data are on the principal offence.

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