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Criminal Records Bureau

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the Criminal Records Bureau checks addresses and criminal records in application forms. [161950]

Ms Blears: The Criminal Records Bureau scans application forms into its secure system and the address details are compared against a piece of software that identifies whether a legitimate address has been entered. Should an address not be recognised, the form is sent to members of staff who will check the details against a standard verification system known as "Post-Code Lookup". If the address details cannot be verified, the CRB sends a letter to the applicant to seek clarification.

Enhanced Disclosure Applicants are asked to provide details of their addresses, which cover the past five years. This information is used to determine which police force(s) need to be contacted to obtain details of any information held that is not on the police national computer. In such circumstances, the police will check local records to see whether information about the applicant, can be linked with any criminal activity, or any other information that might be pertinent to the position applied for.

Occasionally, an applicant may send with their application form details of any convictions they hold. These are returned to the applicant with a letter informing them that such details are not required for CRB purposes, however the applicant is required to declare such convictions to the registered body. The checks carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau will identify details of relevant convictions.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Criminal Records Bureau received the application of Helen Livett of

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Binstead, Isle of Wight, for a record check; when that record check will be notified to him; and what the reason is for the delay in responding. [162210]

Ms Blears: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) received an Enhanced Disclosure Application Form in respect of Helen Livett on 28 August 2002. The CRB will not issue a disclosure as a result of this application because it has been withdrawn. In January 2003, the bureau conducted an exercise to identify the number of old applications that had been suspended, awaiting further information and Helen Livett's was identified as one such application.

The CRB wrote to Helen Livett and her Registered Body to advise that further information was required in order to process her disclosure application. These letters stated that the application would be withdrawn if this information was not received within six weeks of the date of the letters. No reply was received; consequently Helen Livett's disclosure was withdrawn on 11 April 2003.

Should Helen Livett require a disclosure, she will need to re-apply, ensuring that she provides further payment and sufficient information to enable the CRB to process it.

Curfew Orders

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many curfew orders have been made in the Ribble Valley constituency in each of the last seven years. [163829]

Ms Blears: I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 11 March 2004, Official Report, column 1669W.

Firearms

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the Firearms Consultative Committee has met over the last 12 months. [163768]

Caroline Flint [holding answer 26 March 2003]: The Committee met five times. In addition there were three sub-group meetings.

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for the disbandment of the Firearms Consultative Committee. [163769]

Caroline Flint [holding answer 26 March 2003]: As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, indicated in his written statement on 30 January, the Government are anxious to maintain a forum for consultation but wishes to do so on a broader basis than allowed by section 22 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 under which the Firearms Consultative Committee was established. We are now considering a new two-tier consultative structure to look at detailed technical matters and the operation of firearms controls in the round.

Forensic Science Service

Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to revoke the Forensic Science Service Trading Fund Order 1998. [164185]

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Ms Blears: There are no immediate plans to revoke the Order as the action is necessary only towards the very end of the process of transforming the Forensic Science Service into a public private partnership.

Khat

Ms Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 23 February 2004, Official Report, column 239W, to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Rosindell) on Khat, what practical steps the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has taken to review the impact of Khat. [164091]

Caroline Flint: The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs keeps the situation in respect of all controlled drugs under review. At its meeting on 2 October 2003, the Advisory Council's sub-committee the Technical Committee considered the impact of Khat. The Committee concluded that further research needed to be carried out before any informed decisions could be made.

The Home Office is in the process of commissioning a piece of research into Khat use in the United Kingdom. We expect the research to be completed by the summer of 2005.

Lancashire Police

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the cost of policing in Lancashire was paid for by (a) central Government and (b) local council tax in each of the last four years. [157678]

Ms Blears: The information is set out in the table.

	Council tax	Government funding and specific grant(12)	Other(13)	Total gross revenue expenditure
2000–01	27.4	164.1	10.5	202.0
2001–02	29.9	176.7	8.1	214.7
2002–03	33.3	178.4	14.7	226.4
2003–04	39.7	189.7	9.6	239.0

⁽¹²⁾ Includes Principal Home Office Police grant, ODPM Revenue Support Grant and National Non Domestic Rates, Special grant, Revenue for Airwave, Crime Fighting Fund, Rural Policing Grant, Loan charge grant, Street Crime Initiative grant and other specific grants.

⁽¹³⁾ Includes all other force income apart from specific grants from Government, and movements in reserves.

Source:

Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Police statistics (Actuals 2000–01 to 2002–03 and Estimates 2003–04).

Mopeds (CSOs)

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mopeds have been purchased by the Metropolitan police for use by police community support officers in each borough; and at what cost. [163333]

Ms Blears: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that the Metropolitan police have placed orders for 180 mopeds, which are to be used by Community Support Officers.

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Of these, 58 mopeds have been delivered and are currently in operational use. They are deployed primarily in the following boroughs by Community Support Officers of the Transport Operation Command Unit.

Borough	Number of mopeds
Lewisham	4
Lambeth	3
Tower Hamlets	8
Kensington and Chelsea	4
Camden	18
Ealing	4
Hackney	4
Westminster	13

Vehicles have been procured at competitive prices and the cost of the order remains commercially confidential.

Offender Management

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will be responsible for the recall of prisoners who breach their parole licence under the National Offender Management Service arrangements. [161173]

Paul Goggins: The current arrangements for the recall of prisoners who breach their parole licence are unlikely to change but it will become a function within the National Offender Management Service.

Overseas Bribery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people specialise in combating overseas bribery in (a) the National Criminal Intelligence Service, (b) the National Crime Squad and (c) other law enforcement agencies. [163487]

Ms Blears: The National Criminal Intelligence Service holds a responsibility to maintain a national register of reports made of suspected cases of overseas bribery, and two officers, including a senior manager, are involved in the work as part of a wider set of responsibilities they have.

In the National Crime Squad there are no officers or staff dedicated solely to combating overseas bribery. However, the coercion and corruption of law enforcement officers and public officials is characteristic of the way in which serious and organised criminals operate. Consequently, when required, significant resources are invested by the National Crime Squad in combating this threat—both in the UK and overseas.

The Solicitor-General will answer the separate question regarding the Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office.

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