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14 May 2004 : Column 608W—continued

Criminal Justice Interventions Programme

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders have been enrolled in the Criminal Justice Interventions Programme since its inception. [172496]

Caroline Flint: The Criminal Justice Interventions Programme (CJIP) is a three-year programme to develop and integrate measures for directing drug-misusing offenders out of crime and into treatment. The programme draws together and builds on the best existing solutions available and introduces new elements. Delivery at a local level is through integrated teams, using a case management approach to offer access to treatment and support from an offender's first point of contact with the criminal justice system through custody, court, sentence and beyond.

As the programme engages offenders in a wide range of circumstances and at different times in an individuals' contact with the Criminal Justice System, there is no concept of "enrolling" offenders in the programme. Data systems for analysing activity and outcomes across the programme are still in progress but by March 2004 some 2,800 offenders per month were being drug tested   of whom 52 per cent. were testing positive.
 
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Approximately 900 Drug Treatment and Testing Orders were being commenced each month and criminal justice drugs workers were making 5,500 contacts with offenders. These numbers will increase from April 2004 as 36 more Basic Command Units join the full programme.

Cycling Offences

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were made for riding a cycle (a) without lights during the hours of darkness and (b) on the pavement in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [172156]

Caroline Flint: 180 defendants were proceeded against in England and Wales in 2002 for lighting and reflector offences connected with bicycles (this includes cycling without lights during the hours of darkness) and 94 defendants were proceeded against for cycling on the footway (pavement).

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

Dangerous Driving

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a new penalty category of offences committed by drivers without a licence who maim or kill. [169072]

Caroline Flint: The Government is reviewing the existing framework of the criminal law concerning bad driving, particularly where death or injury results, in order to ensure that appropriate offences and penalties are put in place. The offence of driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence is not specifically included within the terms of reference of the review, which focus on the standard of driving, but the Government will of course consider all responses and issues raised during the consultation process. We hope to publish a consultation paper in the near future.

Euro 2004

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action the Department is taking to work with and assist the Portugese authorities in policing the Euro 2004 football tournament. [172493]

Caroline Flint: Multi-agency preparations for Euro 2004, co-ordinated by the Home Office, have been under way for two years. The preparations will be the most extensive ever for an overseas tournament and incorporate very close and effective liaison with the Portuguese Government, police and other authorities.

A joint communique on Anglo/Portuguese police co-operation, signed in February 2004 by the Minister of State for policing and her Portuguese counterpart, identified some key measures designed to minimise the risk of significant disorder involving England fans. These measures centred on maximum use of tough banning order legislation to prevent around 2,500 known English football troublemakers from travelling
 
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to the tournament and the deployment in Portugal of an English police delegation expert in policing English football crowds.

National Criminal Intelligence Service

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received regarding the number of police officers seconded to the National Criminal Intelligence Service. [173135]

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 28 April 2004, Official Report, column 1105W.

The balance between the need to retain skills and contacts with local forces, while developing new capabilities is a matter for the Director General of the National Criminal Intelligence Service.

Paedophiles

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 106W, on paedophilia, for what reason the Prison Service does not have a specific offence code to cover paedophiles. [169105]

Paul Goggins: There is no specific offence code to cover paedophiles because there is no specific offence of "paedophilia". The sexual abuse of children can occur in a variety of ways and our law, if it is to be effective, has to reflect this. The Sexual Offences Act 2003, which came into force on 1 May 2004, includes a variety of new offences which cover various forms of sexual abuse inflicted on children.

Probation and Prison Services

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget outturn for (a) the National Probation Service and (b) HM Prison Service was for (i) 2002–03 and 2003–04. [166594]

Paul Goggins: The National Probation Service budget outturn for 2002–03 was £693.3 million. The forecast outturn for 2003–04 is £851.0 million and includes £80 million for Electronic Monitoring, which was not part of the service in the previous year.

The Prison Service budget outturn for 2002–03 was £2,636 million. The forecast outturn for 2003–04 is £2,377 million. The 2003–04 figures exclude the costs of the privately managed prisons (£173.6 million) and include income from the Department of Health to meet Prison Healthcare of £130 million.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the (a) National Criminal Intelligence Service and (b) National Crime Squad Service Authorities will cease to exist when the Serious Organised Crime Agency becomes operational; and if he will make a statement. [172398]

Ms Blears: Proposals for the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) were set out in the White Paper "One Step Ahead: A 21st century strategy to defeat organised crime" (CM6167), published on 29 March. As the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) and the
 
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National Crime Squad (NCS) will become part of SOCA there will no longer be a role for the current Service Authority once the new agency comes into being.

We have invited comments on the White Paper proposals by 30 July and will consider these carefully when planning the new agency.

Standards of Proof

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had on reducing the standards of proof in trials of terrorist or other serious criminal offences. [171480]

Ms Blears: I have had no recent discussions on this issue. As I said on 25 February 2004, Official Report, column 328, it is not my intention to lower the standard of proof in criminal cases.

A discussion paper on the future of our anti-terrorism law is currently out for consultation and I look forward to hearing the right hon. Member's contribution to that consultation.

Vehicle Registration Plates

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he has given to chief constables to enforce the provisions of the Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001 relating to vehicle registration plates. [172158]

Caroline Flint: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has undertaken a number of actions to raise police awareness of these provisions. These include guidance on police powers of entry and inspection of registered premises, a telephone helpline (also available to vehicle registration plate suppliers and trading standards officers), meetings with police forces and accompanying police on targeted operations.

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been made in the last 12 months for which figures are available for breaches of provisions of the Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001 relating to vehicle registration plates; and how many of these involved (a) the incorrect positioning of letters and numbers and (b) an incorrect typeface. [172159]

Caroline Flint: Within the Home Office Court Proceedings Database individual offences under the Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001 cannot be separately identified. In 2002 no prosecutions were recorded under the Act.

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