You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page
26 May 2004 : Column 1658W—continued

Police

Mr. Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage change there has been in the number of full-time police officers in Bootle since 1997. [175488]


 
26 May 2004 : Column 1659W
 

Ms Blears: Bootle is part of the Sefton Basic Command Unit (BCU). Information on strength at BCU level is collected annually and reflects the position at the end of March. Information on BCU strength is only available from 2002.

Between March 2002 and March 2003 police strength for the Sefton BCU increased by 0.5 per cent. (from 431 to 433). The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the Chief Constable (Norman Bettison QPM) and within the Sefton BCU deployment of officers is a matter for the Divisional Commander.

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in full-time police officers in Manchester, Central has been since 1997. [174276]

Ms Blears [holding answer 20 May 2004]: Information on strength at Basic Command Unit (BCU) level is collected annually and reflects the position at the end of March. Information on BCU strength is only available from 2002.

Manchester, Central constituency is part of the North Manchester (A) Division. Between March 2002 and March 2003 police strength for the Manchester Division increased by 2 per cent. (from 725 to 740). The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the Chief Constable (Michael Todd) and within the North Manchester Division deployment of officers is a matter for the Divisional Commander.

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date he expects police radios to work while on the London Underground. [175058]

Ms Blears: The British Transport Police, who are responsible for policing the London Underground, already have radios that work in that environment. Contractual discussions are underway on the extension of Airwave, the new police radio system, to the London Underground. The estimated completion date is 2007.

Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in full-time police officers in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood has been since 1997. [175881]

Ms Blears: Information on strength at Basic Command Unit (BCD) level is collected annually and reflects the position at the end of March. Information on BCD strength is only available from 2002.

Blackpool, North and Fleetwood constituency is part of the Western (A) Division. Between March 2002 and March 2003 police strength for the Western Division decreased 1.4 by per cent. (from 501 to 494). The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the Chief Constable (Paul Stephenson QPM) and within the Western Division deployment of officers is a matter for the Divisional Commander.

Ms Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of suspension of police officers was in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the average cost of suspensions. [175472]

Ms Blears: Suspension of a senior police officer is a matter for his or her police authority and suspension of other ranks is a matter for the Chief Constable.
 
26 May 2004 : Column 1660W
 
Information on lengths of suspension of police officers is not held centrally. I have made no estimate of the average cost of suspensions as to do so would require making a request for information from individual forces and therefore would involve a disproportionate cost.

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has made to Customs and Excise regarding the VAT status of Centrex. [168437]

Ms Blears: No representation has been made to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise on behalf of Centrex in respect of their VAT by the Home Office arrangements. This is an internal matter, which has been satisfactorily resolved in discussion between Centrex and Customs and Excise.

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much in grant was paid to National Police Training and the Central Police Training and Development Authority in each year from 1997–98 to 2004–05. [168443]

Ms Blears: Centrex has only been in receipt of grant-in-aid from the Home Office since 2002–03, when it became an executive non-departmental public body. Before that time, as National Police Training, it was a unit of the Home Office.

The grant-in-aid paid to Centrex (millions) is as follows:
£ million

CapitalResource
2002–0378.614.9
2003–0487.318.7
2004–0574.818.7

Small additional payments were made to fund additional work programmes.

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what throughput of police recruits he expects at Stage 2 training during 2004–05; and what throughputs were achieved in each of the last three years. [168444]

Ms Blears: Total bids for Stage 2 places at Centrex for the year 2004–05 stands at 7,184, of which 242 are from non-Home Office forces. This figure excludes the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) whose probationers are trained in force and those forces currently running trials of the modernised delivery of Stage 2.

During the year 2003–04 Centrex target to have delivered 8,701 Stage 2 places, of which 200 were taken by non-Home Office forces. Again this excludes the MPS and forces which ran Stage 2 trials.

During the year 2002–03 a total of 7,977 Stage 2 places were delivered by Centrex, of which 148 were taken up by non-Home Office forces. This figure excludes the MPS.

During the year 2001–02 a total of 7,578 Stage 2 places were delivered by Centrex, of which 149 were taken up by non-Home Office forces. Again this figure does not include the MPS.
 
26 May 2004 : Column 1661W
 

Pre-charge Photographs

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines he sets for the police on the publication of pre-charge photographs of alleged criminals taken at the time of arrest where the police has facilitated the presence of journalists at the scene of arrest. [175513]

Ms Blears: The Home Office does not issue guidance on these matters. Arrangements for handling the media at police operations are for the senior officer in command, under protocols agreed by the Chief Officer. The general position is set out in advice to all Chief Officers issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers in October 2003. One key consideration is that the publication of any image taken at the time of arrest may interfere with an individual's right to a fair trial under the Human Rights Act 1998.

Public Bodies

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the (a) members, (b) reports produced by and (c) dates of meetings in 2003 of (i) the National Crime Reduction Task Force, (ii) the Insurance Cover Working Group, (iii) the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, (iv) the Correctional Services Accreditation Panel, (v) the Animal Procedures Committee, (vi) the Criminal Records Bureau Consultative Panel, (vii) the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales and (viii) the Technical Advisory Board. [174269]

Ms Blears [holding answer 18 May 2004]:Advisory Non-Departmental Bodies (NDPBs) provide independent expert advice to ministers on particular topics. Also members of the Board are public appointees and the Board itself is supported by staff from their Sponsoring Department.

(i) Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has the following list of members for 2003.

Re-appointed Members:

Newly appointed members:


 
26 May 2004 : Column 1662W
 

In June 2003, the Advisory Council published "Hidden Harm—Responding to the needs of children of problem drug users".

The Advisory Council met twice in 2003, on 15 May 2003 and 6 November 2003.

(ii) The Animal Procedures Committee had the following list of members in 2003:

Newly appointed member:

Retired member:

In 2003, the Committee produced a report "A Review of Cost-Benefit Assessment in the Use of Animals in Research" and its 2002 Annual Report.

The full Committee met five times in 2003, on 12 February 2003, 9 April 2003, 25 June 2003,8 October 2003 and 19 December 2003. In addition there were many meetings of sub-committees and working groups.

(iii) Correctional Services Accreditation Panel (CSAP) had the following list of members in 2003:


 
26 May 2004 : Column 1663W
 

The CSAP produced an Annual Report for 2002–2003.

The full Panel met in 2003 from 24 March 2003 to 28 March 2003 and from 13 October 2003 to 17 October 2003. A sub-group called the Drugs Sub-Panel met from 13 May 2003 to 15 May 2003 and from 4 June 2003 to 6 June 2003. There were also one or two smaller meetings during the course of that year.

(iv) Technical Advisory Board (TAB) consists of six representatives of the communications industry and six representatives of the intercepting agencies. The names of the intercepting agencies are not made public but the names of the Chair and the communications industry representatives for 2003 are as follows:

In 2003 the TAB had no meetings and did not produce any reports.

(v) The Police Advisory Board for England and Wales has the following as members in 2003. Two representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers of England and   Wales (ACPO) to include the Metropolitan Commissioner, one representative of the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association (CPOSA), two representatives of the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales (PSAEW), five representatives of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) and members nominated by the Home Secretary. There is an Independent Chair, John Randall and a Deputy Chair, Mark Baker.

An Annual Report was produced on the work of the Police Advisory Board by the Independent Chair. This was issued on 16 June 2003.

The Police Advisory Board meets quarterly. In 2003 it met on 30 January 2003, 16April 2003, 28 October 2003 and 23 December 2003.

Task Forces and Ad hoc Advisory groups are essentially Home Office working groups. They have a short-term focus and when their work comes to an end they are disbanded. These groups give expert advice to the Department on a specific issue.

(vi) The National Crime Reduction Task Force has not met since 2000.

(vii) The Insurance Cover Working Group (ICWG) is a
 
26 May 2004 : Column 1664W
 
Home Office working group. In 2003, the following were members of the ICWG:

The following are listed as Observers:

In 2003 the ICWG produced the following reports, "Research into Insurance Cover for the Voluntary and Community Sector in England" in July 2003 and " Report for Ministers" in December 2003.

The ICWG met three times in 2003, that is on 23 January 2003, 10 June 2003 and 8 October 2003.

(viii) The Criminal Records Bureau Consultative Panel (CRBCP) is an Ad hoc Advisory group. The Panel is made up of Customer Groups, Regulatory Authorities,
 
26 May 2004 : Column 1665W
 
Government Departments, CRB Stakeholders and CRB Senior Managers. In 2003, the following were members of the CRBCP:

The CRBCP does not produce reports. It was designed as a method for the Criminal Records Bureau to communicate and consult with its customer base and for the customer base to raise issues with the Bureau.

The CRBCP meets quarterly. In 2003 the CRBCP met on 12 March 2003, 27 June 2003, 26 September 2003 and December meeting was held over until 14 January 2004.

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) budget and (b) administration costs in 2003 were of (i) the National Crime Reduction Task Force, (ii) the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, (iii) the Correctional Services Accreditation Panel, (iv) the Animal Procedures Committee, (v) the Criminal Records Bureau Consultative Panel and (vi) the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales. [174270]

Ms Blears [holding answer 18 May 2004]: Advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) do not have a separate resource budget. Their secretariat and administration costs are borne directly by the Department.
 
26 May 2004 : Column 1666W
 

(i) The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has no resource budget. The Home Office provides secretariat and administrative support. The ACMD had an expenditure/costs for the Financial Year 2003–04 of £137,793.27.

(ii) The Animal Procedures Committee (APC) consists of 20 members including a Chairman. All Board members are public appointees. The Chairman received £10,000 in remuneration and £28,000 for members' expenses. £280,000 went on research. The total budget of £318,000. APC had an estimated administration cost for the Financial Year 2003–04 of £5,185.

(iii) The Correctional Services Accreditation Panel (CSAP) had a budget for the Financial Year 2003–04 of £195,000 and an estimated administration cost of £60,112.

(iv) The budget allocation for the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales (PABEW) is combined with that of the Police Negotiating Board (PNB). The PABEW and the PNB combined budget figure for the Financial Year 2003–04 was £54,633 and their combined figure for administration costs was £50,582.14.

Task Forces and ad hoc advisory groups are essentially Home Office working groups. They do not have a separate budget or administration costs.

(v) The Criminal Records Bureau Consultative Panel had an estimated budget and administration cost of £5,000.

(vi) The National Crime Reduction Task Force is no longer operating and no meetings or activity occurred in the Financial Year 2003–04.

Next Section Index Home Page