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7 Jul 2004 : Column 752W—continued

Football Violence

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested in Lancashire following the England v France football match; and at what capacity cells were used on that evening. [179519]

Caroline Flint: I understand from Lancashire Constabulary that there were 57 arrests in the region for public order offences following the England/France match. By 11pm that night they had 128 cells free with a further 27 around the country which could be opened if the need arose.

Home Detention Curfew Scheme

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were (a) eligible for and (b) released under the home detention curfew scheme in each prison region during January and February. [163269]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 23 March 2004]: The table shows the number of sentenced prisoners in the prison population at 31 December 2003 and 31 January
 
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2004 with a sentence length of three months to less than four years, whose Home Detention Curfew (HDC) eligibility date will fall in the next month.

Some prisoners with a sentence length of three months to less than four years do not qualify for HDC because of the nature of their current or previous offences.
 
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In addition, the figures also exclude a small number of prisoners in the population who are on remand at the end of the previous month, but subsequently get sentenced to a custodial sentence suitable for HOC and whose HDC eligibility date falls in the month. This occurs when they have spent a significant period on remand.
Number of sentenced prisoners within relevant sentence length bands, and number released under HOC, by month andPrison Service management area

	January 2004		February 2004
	Number of prisoners with sentences of 3 months to less than 4 years(19)	Number released on HDC	Number or prisoners with sentences of 3 months to less than 4 years(19)	Number released on HDC
North East	175	36	154	24
North West	418	181	475	170
Yorkshire and Humberside	428	176	349	143
East Midlands (North)	202	69	200	76
Wales	111	41	116	42
West Midlands	429	167	400	140
East Midlands (South)	212	73	227	102
Eastern	309	111	301	95
South West	359	96	359	105
Thames Valley, Hampshire and IOW	174	70	204	67
London	292	47	267	69
Kent, Surrey and Sussex	350	133	334	142
Female	331	146	316	126
Juvenile	10	5	3	0
High Security	206	59	216	60
Contracted Out	341	77	387	80

⁽¹⁹⁾ Count of sentenced prisoners whose HDC eligibility date falls in the corresponding month.

A prisoner may be in one region at the end of the month when the number within the relevant sentence band is calculated and in another region when released. The high security estate includes a number of local prisons such as Manchester and Durham.

Informants

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what standard police operating procedures apply in relation to the use of informants. [176909]

Caroline Flint: The use of covert human intelligence sources, including informants, is regulated by Part II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). Guidance on the authorisation of the conduct or use of covert human intelligence sources is provided in the statutory Code of Practice, which is published on the Home Office web site. The Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales and Northern Ireland has produced a Manual of Standards for the conduct and use of covert human intelligence sources. Publication of that manual, which includes information about operational policing procedures and techniques, is restricted but has been made available to the Surveillance Commissioners who oversee Part II of RIPA.

LD50 Procedure

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the use of the LD50 procedure; and if he will make a statement. [181808]

Caroline Flint: The Home Office has not commissioned any research on the use of the LD50 procedure in animal testing. However, we do evaluate relevant analysis and technical progress reported in the scientific literature, and consider the outputs of organisations like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Indeed, following the adoption of OECD Guidelines 420, 423 and 424, and the deletion of the less refined OECD Guideline 401, no project licence authorities for lethal testing using the OECD 401 Guideline have been granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Summary details of acute lethal toxicity tests undertaken are published in annual statistics. The last such publication is entitled Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2002 (CM 5886) and is available in the Library.

Motoring Offences

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2004, Official Report, column 326W, on motoring offences, if he will list the non-notifiable offences included under offence code 825/90; and how many non-notifiable offences were counted towards the offences brought to justice target in 2003–04. [180136]

Paul Goggins: The table describes the non-notifiable offences included within Home Office offence code 825/90.

The offence code 825/90 (miscellaneous motoring offences), which was included in the 2003–04 offences brought to justice targets for each CJS area, includes the non-notifiable offences described in the table alongside the notifiable offence "tampering with motor vehicles " (Road Traffic Act 1988 S.25). From April 2004 onwards this notifiable offence has been given a separate code and the remaining non-notifiable offences within 825/90
 
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have been excluded from the 2004–05 offences brought to justice targets.

It is not possible to give a separate figure for the number of non-notifiable offences within the 825/90 code that were counted towards the offences brought to
 
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justice target, as in 2003–04 they could not be separated from the notifiable offence of tampering with motor vehicles. The latest available, provisional figures show that an estimated 50,500 825/90 offences counted towards the total number of 1.1 million offences brought to justice in England and Wales during 2003.
Non-notifiable offences included under Home Office offence code 825/90 during 2003–04

Legislation	Brief description of offence
Road Traffic (Foreign Vehicles) Act 1972 Sec 3(1)(a) and (b)	Driving a goods vehicle while a prohibition operative
Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 123(4)	Giving paid instruction when not a registered or licensed person
Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 13(1)	Promoting or taking part in an unauthorised rally
Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 135(2)	Falsely claiming to be a registered driving instructor
Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 165(3)	Failing to produce goods vehicle plating or test certificate
Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 17(2), 18(4)	Offences in connection with selling etc. protective headgear
Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 172(3), 172(4)	Person keeping vehicle failing to give driver's name and address on demand
Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 177	Falsely representing to be a vehicle testing examiner
Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 34 (1)	Driving on Common Land
Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 71 (1)	Driving a goods vehicle while a prohibitive operative
Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 75(5)	Selling etc. unroadworthy vehicle or trailer
Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 76(1) and (3)	Fitting or selling defective or unsuitable vehicle parts
Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 83	Selling etc. wrongly made tail lamps or reflectors
Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Sch 12 para 3(5)	Removal of/interference with fixed penalty notice
Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Sec 104	Interference with immobilisation device
Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Sec 112(4)	Failing to give information as to identity of driver
Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Sec 117	Wrongful use of disabled person's badge
Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Sec 35A(2)	Interference with apparatus for collecting charges
Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Sec 47(1)	Offences by non-drivers against parking place orders
Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Sec 47(3)	Tampering with parking meter with intent to defraud
Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regs 1986 Reg 89	Leaving trailer at rest without being braked
Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regs 1986, Reg 22	Trailer not equipped with suitable/sufficient spring
Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regs 1986, Reg 33	Breaches of regs specifically related to land tractors' mirrors
Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regs 1986, Reg 83	Various trailer offences
Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regs 1986, Reg 86	Towing vehicle with too long a tow rope
Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regs 1971 Reg 45b	Fail to produce vehicle for weighing

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the review of road traffic offences to be published; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in its publication. [180984]

Caroline Flint: The review of road traffic offences is nearing completion. However there are a number of difficult issues under consideration before a consultation paper can be published. The Government are working towards publication at the earliest opportunity.

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