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16 Jul 2004 : Column 1358W—continued

Territorial Army

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Territorial Army have not yet received their annual bounty due on 1 April. [184164]

Mr. Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 June 2004, Official Report, column 215W, to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch).

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcohol Promotions

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of sales promotions and volume special offers of alcoholic drinks in licensed premises on levels of alcohol consumption by customers; and if he will hold discussions with the alcohol industry to curb excessive promotions. [183656]

Caroline Flint: We are currently holding discussions with the alcohol industry about clamping down on irresponsible promotions. This will be an important component of the social responsibility schemes that we are drawing up together with the industry in line with the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England recommendations.
 
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Asylum/Immigration

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is issued to police forces in relation to the holding of immigration detainees in police cells; and if he will place copies in the Library. [181509]

Ms Blears: Under the Immigration Act 1971, a police station is a designated place of detention. The provisions of the Code of Practice for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers (Code C) issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 do not apply to people whose detention is authorised by an immigration officer under the 1971 Act.
 
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However, Code C requires that persons detained at police stations on behalf of the Immigration Service are subject to periodic review as a matter of good practice. The purpose of such reviews is to check the particular power under which a detainee is held continues to apply, any associated conditions are complied with and to make sure appropriate action is taken to deal with any changes.

Avon and Somerset Police

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what grants his Department has provided to Avon and Somerset Police Force in each financial year since 2001. [182496]

Ms Blears: The information is set out in the table.
£ million

2001–022002–032003–042004–05
General police grants(9)(10)148.7152.3157.1162.2
Crime Fighting Fund2.74.45.35.7
Rural Policing Fund1.01.01.01.0
Airwave6.500.50.3
DNA Expansion Programme1.81.91.91.9
Capital grant(11)1.71.92.12.4
National Intelligence Model0.300.10.1
Air Support Grant0.7000
Recovered Assets Fund01.000
Premises Improvement Fund00.50.40
Intensive Supervision and Monitoring Scheme00.020.030.04
Street Crime Initiative02.31.21.2
Community Support Officers00.20.6(13)0.7
Strategy for a Healthy Police00.10.10.1
Police Standards Unit support00.070.30.05
Criminal Justice Interventions Programme—Drug Testing(12)00.070.20.4
CJIP—Arrest Referral(12)00.20.40.4
Fixed Penalty Notices for Disorder—IT support000.10
Video Facilities Fund000.020
J Track Funding (IT tracking persistent offenders)000.030
Basic Command Unit Fund001.81.8
Special Priority Payments000.9(12)0.9
Crime Reduction Funding (directly to the force)1.60.100
Total(13)165.0166.0174.0179.2


(9) General police grants include principal Home Office police grant and ODPM Revenue Support Grant and National Non Domestic Rates.
(10) General Police grant figures for 2001–02 were not directly comparable with 2002–03 due to the change in funding arrangements for NCS and NCIS (transferred from local to central funding). The actual figure for 2001–02 was £152.6 million. A notionally adjusted figure for 2001–02, £148.7 million, is included for comparability with later years.
(11) Capital grant figures only. Police authorities also received revenue support grant associated with Supplementary Credit Approvals—now Supplementary Credit Expenditure (Revenue).
(12) Estimates for 2004–05.
(13) Rounded to one decimal point.


Avon and Somerset Constabulary has also been allocated ring-fenced grant in 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 for counter-terrorism purposes.

As a statutory member of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) within the Avon and Somerset area, the police authority can draw upon strategic funding for crime reduction paid to CDRPs, such as the Building Safer Communities Fund. This funding amounted to £1.4 million in 2001–02, £3.1 million in 2002–03, £2.1 million in 2003–04 and £2.4 million in 2004–05.

Bichard Inquiry Report

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to respond to the criticisms of the Home Office contained within the Bichard Inquiry Report; and if he will make a statement. [181695]

Mr. Blunkett [holding answer 1 July 2004]: I made a full statement to Parliament on 22 June setting out my first response to the Bichard Report. I take the report's findings very seriously and accept its conclusion that many organisations and individuals share the responsibility for failures in information handling including, in part, the Home Office. All Government Departments with responsibilities under the report are developing urgently a programme for addressing its findings and implementing its recommendations. The Home Office will co-ordinate this programme of work.
 
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In particular, I have announced the planned introduction of the first National Police Intelligence Computer system, entitled 'IMPACT', which will ensure that all police forces use the same system to manage and share intelligence information. I have also undertaken, in partnership with tripartite stakeholders, to develop a statutory code of practice on police information handling, to be introduced by the end of this year, which will require all forces to deal with intelligence information in the same way.

CCTV

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what public funds were available for CCTV in each of the last five years for the Essex constabulary area. [183600]

Ms Blears: Funding for CCTV in the Essex police force area, in the last five years, was made available from the following funding streams:
£

Funding streamsAmount
2000–01
Crime Reduction Programme757,470
2001–02
Crime Reduction Programme1,107,131
2002–03
Crime Reduction Programme485,608
Safer Communities Initiative26,900
Communities Against Drugs57,000
2003–04
Building Safer Communities Fund78,106
2004–05
Building Safer Communities Fund84,500

Licensing Hours (Policing Costs)

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of changes in the cost of policing arising from proposals to extend licensing hours. [184016]

Mr. Caborn: I have been asked to reply.

The Regulatory Impact Assessment, published with the Licensing Bill when it was delivered to the House of Commons in March 2003 estimated that the impact on the police of the provisions, when fully implemented, would be largely cost neutral. This estimate had particular regard to the effect of flexible opening hours.

Street Crime (London)

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much is being spent on the prevention of street crime in London in 2004–05. [184280]

Ms Blears: In addition to its funding through the police grant, the Metropolitan Police Service has been allocated £11,008,000 for operations against street crime in 2004–05.
 
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