---

24 Jun 2004 : Column 1518W—continued

Neighbourhood Watch

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who would be responsible, in the event of the closure of the National Neighbourhood Watch Association, for running a national support network for the Neighbourhood Watch movement; and if he will make a statement. [178572]

Ms Blears: The Home Office has made contingency arrangements for the Crime Reduction Centre to provide website and telephone advice in the event of the National Neighbourhood Watch Association's closure.

In the longer term, all the stakeholders that make up the Neighbourhood Watch partnership: the Police, community safety departments in local authorities and the many members of Neighbourhood Watch schemes should have a say in how any future support network should be run.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are planned for the data used by local neighbourhood watch associations held by the National Neighbourhood Watch Association (NNWA) in the event that the NNWA is dissolved. [179349]

Ms Blears: The Home Office has not had any discussions with the National Neighbourhood Watch Association (NNWA) about any data it holds.

No arrangements are planned, but the Home Office is willing to discuss this matter with NNWA or neighbourhood watch associations.

North London Mosque

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2004, Official Report, column 351W, on North London Mosque, what arrangements were in place to ensure that accurate translation of the preaching delivered was obtained. [178692]

Caroline Flint: The Commissioner for the Metropolis reports that the preaching outside the North London Mosque is generally conducted in English. However, arrangements are in place to translate material collected by police evidence gathering teams.
 
24 Jun 2004 : Column 1519W
 

Operation Hartley (South-West)

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Operation Hartley on the bearing down on illegal raves and festivals in the south west; and what action has so far taken place, including the number of arrests. [177956]

Caroline Flint: Avon and Somerset police inform me that Operation Hartley is an initiative operating across Avon and Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Devon and Cornwall police forces areas. It is designed to proactively target organisers of illegal raves and music festivals and to provide a rapid and co-ordinated response to illegal raves. The aim of the operation is, where possible, to prevent illegal raves taking place thereby minimising disruption and nuisance caused to local communities.

It involves a combined intelligence gathering initiative and an agreed protocol to allow the pooling of police resources, where appropriate, to ensure rapid and effective enforcement action. The number of arrests already made is not yet available.

Overseas Doctors

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will grant overseas doctors in training working in the NHS permit-free postgraduate training status for a minimum period of one year, or for the duration of their post, whichever is longer. [179810]

Mr. Browne: Overseas doctors applying to carry out postgraduate training in the United Kingdom are already granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for the duration of their post or the duration recommended by the Postgraduate Dean, up to a maximum of 12 months or three years depending on whether they are eligible for provisional or full registration with the General Medical Council. It would then be open to them to apply for further leave, up to the maximum permitted in the Immigration Rules.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the question of the hon. Member for Woking, reference 177009. [179499]

Mr. Browne [holding answer 18 June 2004]: I replied to the hon. Member on 22 June 2004, Official Report, column, 1380W.

Police

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were assaulted while on duty in Lincolnshire in each year since 1997. [179433]

Ms Blears: The available information relates to recorded offences of assault on a constable and is given in the table. Statistics are not available prior to 1998–99.
Recorded offences of assault on a constable in Lincolnshire

	Number
1998–99	268
1999–2000	223
2000–01	178
2001–02	218
2002–03	281

 
24 Jun 2004 : Column 1520W
 

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for the proposals (a) to remove the requirement for an inspector to be in charge of searches under code B of the Police and Criminal Evidence codes and (b) to remove the requirement for the arresting officer presence to justify arrest or detention under code C of the codes. [177778]

Ms Blears: The information is as follows:

(a) In the August 2004 edition of the Codes it is proposed to remove the legislative requirement for an officer of Inspector rank to be in charge of searches under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, Schedule 1 or the Terrorism Act 2000, Schedule 5. This change will provide consistency with other parts of the Codes whereby the officer in charge of the search is the senior officer present (See Code B, 2F). Searches in the categories specified will not always require supervision by an officer of Inspector rank and judgements about the necessary level of supervision need to be made in each individual case.

(b) It is proposed that the following paragraph be inserted into Code C, paragraph 3.4: "If the arresting officer is not physically present when the detainee is brought to a police station, the arresting officer's account must be made available to the custody officer remotely or by a third party on the arresting officer's behalf".

This new provision will enable officers to remain on front-line duties without being taken "off the street" to travel to and from the police station. It will also enable greater use of designated detention officers under sections 38 and 39 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Code does not currently require the arresting officer to be present at the point at which the suspect is brought before the custody officer.

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the number of day visitors used in the calculation of the Police Grant (England and Wales) 2004–05 for Avon and Somerset constabulary was; [179314]

(2) how many day visitors to Bristol Airport are counted in the number used for the purposes of calculating the Police Grant (England and Wales) 2004–05 for Avon and Somerset constabulary. [179315]

Ms Blears: The annual number of day visitors used in calculation of Police Grant 2004–05 for Avon and Somerset was 38,515,000. This number includes visitors to Bristol airport, but figures are not routinely held at levels of geographical detail below that of the police authority.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how police numbers in Crosby have changed in each year since 1997. [177947]

Ms Blears: I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 10 March 2004, Official Report, column 1588W . This remains the latest data available. I do not expect information on Basic Command Unit strength for 31 March 2004 to be available for publication until the autumn.
 
24 Jun 2004 : Column 1521W
 

Prisons

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what audit of privately designed, constructed, managed and financed prisons run under private finance initiatives has been carried out in the last two years. [179149]

Paul Goggins: The National Audit Office carried out a review of privately designed, constructed, managed and financed prisons and published their findings in "The Operational Performance of PFI Prisons" (Ref.: HC 700 2002–2003, ISBN 0102921725).

The Prison Service Standards Audit Unit audit every privately operated prison against agreed prison and security standards on a two year rolling programme.

Private prisons are overseen by Home Office Controllers who undertake regular internal audit programmes.

Each of the private prison operators have there own quality assurance team that completes audits and reviews of the prison regime and its security procedures.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of (a) Garth and (b) Wymott Prisons in Chorley; and whether these prisons will remain in-house. [179517]

Paul Goggins: There are no current plans to change the role or status of either of these establishments.

---