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15 Mar 2004 : Column 129W—continued

Electronic Tagging

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the case for using electronic tagging for sex offenders; and if he will make a statement. [157347]

Paul Goggins: Electronic tagging is already used with some sex offenders to monitor compliance with a curfew requirement, as part of an intensive supervision package. It does not, however, monitor their location as they move from one place to another. We are now

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actively considering the use of satellite tracking technology, which does monitor location, with a range of offender categories. Subject to the outcome of equipment testing, we hope to start a number of pilot schemes shortly.

Court Escort Contractors

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many miles were driven by prison and court escort contractors in 2003. [160555]

Paul Goggins: Vehicles operated by the court escort contractors and Prison Service vehicles covered a combined total of approximately 22,700,000 miles in 2003. This figure covers the movement of prisoners from police stations and prisons to courts; from courts to prisons; and the transfer of prisoners between prisons.

EU Enlargement (Worker Registration)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the procedure will be for a citizen coming from one of the accession countries to work in the UK on 1 May; and when and how he or she would register with the workers' registration scheme. [157349]

Beverley Hughes: Nationals of the new accession countries will need to apply to register with the Home Office as soon as they find and start a job. Applications will be made by post and they will be accepted from 1 May 2004 onwards. Those applying will need to provide information about what job they are doing, for whom, at what wage and where in the country it is.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when and how citizens of EU accession countries currently resident in the UK should register on the workers' registration scheme. [157350]

Beverley Hughes: The workers registration scheme will be effective from 1 May 2004. Nationals of A-8 countries who are already working legally in the UK will not be required to register with the scheme.

Extraditions (Russia)

Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1715W, on Extraditions (Russia), if he will name the four Russian citizens or ex-citizens who were the subject of an extradition request by the Russian Federation authorities; and whether a decision has been made on the case outstanding as at 12 February. [160247]

Caroline Flint: It is not the policy or practice to list the names of those who are or who have been the subject of extradition proceedings. A decision will be taken as soon as possible in the one Russian extradition request which is currently outstanding.

Female Prisoners

Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of self-harm were recorded for female prisoners for the last three years for which complete data is available. [158061]

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Paul Goggins: The figures requested are provided in the following table.

	Number of incidents of self-harm recorded for women prisoners
2001	2,034
2002	2,493
2003	(29)7,408

⁽²⁹⁾ In December 2002 new procedures for reporting self-injury were introduced in prisons in England and Wales, and much of the increase in reported self-harm in 2003 may result from this rather than reflect an actual increase in incidence of self-harm.

The prison population, and particularly the women's estate, contains a substantial number of individuals who have experienced negative life events, all of which are identified as significant risk factors for suicide and self-harm. These include psychiatric disorders, alcohol and drug dependency, family background and relationship problems, as well as histories of self-harm and previous abuse.

The Prison Service recognises that self-harm is a particular problem among women prisoners, and is currently developing a range of interventions including: individual crisis counselling for women prisoners who self-harm; the continued development and evaluation of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, which is currently being trialled at Durham, Bullwood Hall and Holloway prisons; investment and planning to ensure progress on the detoxification strategy in the Women's Estate; the development of a new, three-stage screening process to more effectively detect mental health problems; and the introduction of a new training pack for all staff working with women in custody, which includes a module on the health and well being of women prisoners.

One million pounds from the Department of Health has been allocated to the Women's Estate to be spent on the recruitment of psychiatric nurses, and 11 out of the 17 prisons for women now have mental health in-reach facilities. A network of establishments (both male and female) has been set up to develop interventions, facilitate evaluation and share good practice on the subject of self-harm, and guidance to staff on managing people who self-harm has been circulated to all establishments.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to consult stakeholders on proposed changes in the remit of National Holocaust Memorial Day. [160641]

Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 11 March 2004]: There are no plans to change the remit of Holocaust Memorial Day. Had the Home Office plans to change the remit of the Day, stakeholders would be consulted via the existing advisory group structures.

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Holocaust Memorial Day local activities guidelines packs were sent out in 2004; and how many local authorities commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day. [160642]

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Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 11 March 2004]: 7,500 local activities guidelines packs, of the version produced specifically for Holocaust Memorial Day 2004, have been distributed in hard copy. The pack was available online at the official Holocaust Memorial Day website and has been downloaded 8,740 times.

2,083 copies of guidance prepared in conjunction with Churches Together in Britain and Ireland were distributed in hard copy or downloaded.

We are aware of 146 events organised or part-organised by 99 different local authorities for Holocaust Memorial Day 2004, with a further 194 organised by other groups or individuals outside central or local Government. This total of 340 compares to 244 for Holocaust Memorial Day 2003.

However, both this year and last the number of local events is likely to have exceeded this number as feedback and monitoring are not comprehensive. These figures also exclude the range of events around Northern Ireland making up the national commemoration, and much activity in schools.

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the remit for Holocaust Memorial Day is. [160644]

Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 11 March 2004]: The key aims of Holocaust Memorial Day are to remember all victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution, to raise awareness and understanding of the Holocaust and to promote the continuing importance of its messages (that it should never be forgotten or repeated) by considering those affected by more recent atrocities that raise similar issues. It is also to educate about the dangers of anti-Semitism, racism and all forms of discrimination.

The 13-point Statement of Purpose, which expands on these aims, can be obtained in full from the Home Office or from the Holocaust Memorial Day website at www.holocaustmemorialday.gov.uk.

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to meet the National Association of British Arabs concerning Holocaust Memorial Day; and if he will make a statement. [160645]

Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 11 March 2004]: I met with representatives of the National Association of British Arabs and the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding on 8 March. The meeting was to discuss issues of domestic concern to British Arabs. Holocaust Memorial Day was not discussed.

The National Association of British Arabs have not requested a meeting with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to discuss Holocaust Memorial Day and no such meeting is arranged.

The Home Office would encourage all communities to participate in Holocaust Memorial Day, which raises issues that are relevant to all.

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Home Detention Curfew Scheme

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders placed on the home detention curfew scheme between January 1999 and 31 January 2004 (a) have been (i) cautioned and (ii) convicted and (b) are awaiting prosecution, broken down by (A) sex and (B) police authority. [159277]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 5 March 2004]: Between the commencement of the home detention curfew scheme in January 1999 and 31 January 2004, 87,250 offenders were placed on the scheme. During that period, the Home Office has been notified of a total of 1,126 offenders who have been either cautioned, convicted or who are awaiting prosecution for an offence committed whilst they were subject to the Home Detention Curfew scheme. Our records do not provide a breakdown of how many of these cases resulted in a caution or conviction or are still awaiting trial. To provide such information would incur a disproportionate cost.

Of those offenders, 115 were female and 1,011 were male. The table gives the number of offenders for each police authority.. The table gives the number of offenders for each police authority.

	Number
Avon and Somerset	19
Bedfordshire	7
Cambridgeshire	8
Cheshire	18
City of London	I
Cleveland	20
Cumbria	6
Derbyshire	34
Devon and Cornwall	15
Dorset	II
Durham	11
Dyfed Powys	4
Essex	27
Gloucestershire	3
Greater Manchester	61
Gwent	12
Hampshire	24
Hertfordshire	18
Humberside	12
Kent	12
Lancashire	49
Leicestershire	28
Lincolnshire	13
Merseyside	42
Metropolitan	119
Norfolk	21
North Wales	6
North Yorkshire	16
Northamptonshire	1.9
Northumbria	53
Nottinghamshire	25
South Wales	23
South Yorkshire	46
Staffordshire	31
Suffolk	1
Surrey	10
Sussex	12
Thames Valley	26
Warwickshire	8
West Mercia	19
West Midlands	163
West Yorkshire	66
Wiltshire	7

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