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29 Jun 2004 : Column 202W—continued
Crime/Policing (Lancashire)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend CCTV coverage in villages in the Chorley constituency. [180413]
Ms Blears: There are currently funds available for the installation of CCTV in locations, including villages, under the Building Safer Communities Fund. This Fund is allocated by the Home Office to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to enable them to tackle local crime priorities through a number of interventions, including CCTV.
It is open to the Chorley Community Safety Partnership to decide whether they wish to extend CCTV coverage in their area.
Criminal Justice Act
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of section 127 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 on industrial relations in the Prison Service. [179545]
Paul Goggins: Our assessment is that section 127 is unnecessary if there is a binding employee relations agreement.
Drink Spiking
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many incidents of drink spiking were reported in England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [177507]
(2) what research his Department is funding into drug assisted rape and sexual assault; and if he will make a statement; [177573]
(3) what campaigns his Department is funding to warn people of the danger of drug rape; and if he will make a statement. [177574]
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Caroline Flint: We take the use of drugs and other substances to assist in sexual offending and allegations of it very seriously. It is an offence to administer a stupefying substance with the intent of overpowering the victim to engage him or her in sexual activity. Penalties for this crime were recently substantially increased in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to a maximum of 10 years.
An average 450 allegations of this type are investigated by the Forensic Science Service annually. Of these only between 1 and 2 per cent. show any sign of an unexplained sedative drug. We do not hold central information about the number of cases reported.
The Home office is not currently funding research into drug assisted Rape.
An Action Plan was launched in July 2002 to implement the recommendations of the HMCPSI/HMIC joint investigation into the investigation and prosecution of cases involving allegations of rape. This includes 'drug rape' and work with the Association of Chief Police Officers has seen improved guidance to the police. This includes a joint police and Crown Prosecution Service training package and the Joint Operational Police Instructions (JOPI) which were published in June 2003. The "Core Investigative Doctrine" and the "Sexual Offences Investigation Manual of Guidance" are also currently being updated by Centrex.
The Government are funding a three year national drugs campaign, FRANK, which uses TV, radio and print to provide a wide range of information on drugs issues. Its target group is young people and their parents. Information about spiked drinks and the use of substances for sex offences has been included where relevant in support materials provided to stakeholders and local community organisers.
The Safer Clubbing Guidance is to be updated later this year and will specifically contain guidance on the prevention of, and provision of information on, drug assisted sexual assault. This guidance is distributed to licensed premises, the police, licensing authorities and the local authority via Drug Action Teams.
European Community Treaty
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the measures adopted under Title IV of the Treaty establishing the European Community which the UK has opted into. [180291]
Mr. Browne:
The policy of the United Kingdom towards participating in measures under Title IV of the treaty establishing the European Community is to review each proposed measure individually and to opt in when it is in the interests of the UK to do so. In a reply to a written question from the right hon. Member for Penrith and the Borders (David Maclean) on 12 March 1999, my right hon. Friend Jack Straw as Home Secretary confirmed his statement that day at the Justice and Home Affairs Council that, while we would maintain our frontier controls in line with the Amsterdam Treaty Protocol, we wished to co-operate in all other Justice and Home Affairs areas which did not conflict with this objective. In relation to Title IV, my
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right hon. Friend highlighted areas in which the UK would look to participate as asylum and civil judicial co-operation measures and measures to control illegal immigration where these did not conflict with maintenance of national immigration controls. In accordance with these stated principles, the UK has, to date, notified its intention to participate in a number of EU proposals, which include the following:
Council Regulation establishing EURODAC (electronic fingerprinting database);
Council Directive on mutual recognition of decisions concerning expulsion of third country nationals;
Council Decision on a funding programme for Borders, Visas, Asylum and Immigration Co-operation (ARGO);
Council Directive to harmonise financial penalties on carriers bringing third country nationals into the EU;
Negotiating mandate for a Parallel Dublin Agreement with Iceland and Norway;
Council Decision to sign/conclude a parallel Dublin agreement with Norway and Iceland;
Negotiating mandate for a readmission agreement with Sri Lanka; Negotiating mandate for a readmission agreement with Morocco;
Negotiating mandate for a readmission agreement with Pakistan;
Negotiating mandate for a readmission agreement with Russia;
Proposal for a Council Decision establishing a European Refugee Fund;
Proposal for a Council Directive laying down minimum standards for the reception of applicants for asylum in member states;
Proposal for a Council Regulation establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the member state responsible for examining an asylum application lodged in one of the member states by a third country national [Dublin II];
Recommendation for Council Decision authorising the Commission to negotiate with the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria a Readmission Agreement Between the European Community and Algeria;
Recommendation for Council Decision authorising the Commission to negotiate with the Republic of Albania a readmission agreement between the European Community and Albania;
Recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the Commission to negotiate with the People's Republic of China a readmission agreement between the European Community and China;
Recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the Commission to negotiate with the Republic of Turkey a readmission agreement between the European Community and Turkey;
Initiative for a Council Directive defining the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and residence;
Council Directive on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and measures promoting balance of efforts between member states in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences;
Council Regulation amending Regulation 1683/95 laying down a uniform format for visas;
Council Regulation laying down a uniform format for residence permits for third-country nationals;
Council Decision authorising the Commission to negotiate with Denmark the conclusion of an Agreement concerning the criteria and mechanisms for establishing the state responsible for examining a request for asylum lodged in Denmark or any other ED member state, and to negotiate with Iceland and Norway the conclusion of a Protocol pursuant to Article 12 of the Agreement between the European Community and the
- Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning the criteria and mechanisms for establishing the State responsible for examining a request for asylum lodged in a member state or in Iceland or Norway;
Council Directive laying down minimum standards for the reception of applicants for asylum in the member states;
Council Directive on minimum standards for the qualification and status of third country nationals or stateless persons as refugees or as persons who otherwise need international protection and the content of the protection granted;
Council Directive on the obligation of carriers to communicate passenger data;
Council Regulation on the Creation of an Immigration Liaison Officers Network.
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