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7 Sept 2004 : Column 960W—continued
Police (Northampton)
Mr. Tony Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage change there has been in the number of police officers in Northampton in each year since 1997. [186417]
Ms Blears: 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. BCU strength for 31 March 2004 will be published shortly.
The Northampton Area Basic Command Unit (BCU) includes Collingtree, Great Houghton, Hardingstone, Northampton and Wootton. Between March 2002 and March 2003 police strength for the Northampton BCU decreased by 0.3 per cent. (from 346 to 345). The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the chief constable (Peter Maddison) and within the Northampton BCU deployment of officers is a matter for the divisional commander.
Police Officers (Restricted Duties)
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours were worked per week, on average, by police officers working on restricted or recuperative duties in (a) England and (b) Essex in the last year for which figures are available. [186475]
Ms Blears: The Home Office does not publish data on restricted or recuperative duties for police officers in England and Wales.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are (a) working on restricted recuperative duties, (b) unable to work night duty and (c) absent through sickness in (i) England and (ii) Essex. [186444]
Ms Blears: For the period 2002–03 a total of 1,364,067 officer days were lost to sickness absence—an average of 10.4 days per officer per year. For the same period, Essex constabulary lost 31,785 officer days to sickness absence—an average of 10.3 days per officer per year. This represents a fall in sickness absence from 1996–97 where the national rate was 12.8 days per officer per year—a reduction of over 18 per cent.
These figures were published in the annual Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary report for 2002–03.
The Home Office does not publish data on the number of police officers working on restricted or recuperative duties or who are unable to work on night duty.
Policies (Environmental Impacts)
Mr. Horam:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new policy proposals
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or significant changes in policy were produced in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04; how many of these were screened for their environmental impacts; and how many were the subject of separate environmental appraisals. [185099]
Fiona Mactaggart: Central records are not kept of the number of policies for which environmental screenings are undertaken. However, advice on the need to screen policies for environmental impacts is contained on the Department's policy makers checklist and the ministerial website on the Department's intranet site states that policy submissions should contain a section on environmental considerations.
No formal environmental appraisals have been conducted on policy issues, although policy proposals which are likely to have a direct or indirect impact on business, charities and the voluntary sector are required to have a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). RIAs require examination of the potential impacts of relevant policy developments on all stakeholders including environmental impacts.
Assessments of environmental impacts are undertaken on building developments as required by planning authorities.
Prison
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget is for each prison library in 2004–05; and how many local authority-employed librarians work in prison establishments on a (a) full-time and (b) part-time basis. [187237]
Mr. Browne: The following table shows allocations to each prison establishment to purchase library services. The figures include maintenance of the book stock, exchange of stock within a year and off-site administration of the service.
Information on the number of local authority-employed librarians working in prison establishments is not held centrally. A survey conducted in February 2004 found that Public Library Authority (PLA) library managers delivered 2,608 on-site hours per week while PLA library assistants delivered 2,230 per week. This equates to 134 full-time equivalent library staff across the prison estate.
The Prison Service is currently working in partnership with the Public Library Authorities to develop a new and wider ranging specification for prison libraries that addresses the learning and skills agenda as well as providing information, advice and guidance. A new framework for resourcing the new service is also being developed.
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Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the 10-year custodial population projections referred to in paragraphs D18 and D19 of the Home Office Online Report 38/04. [187235]
Paul Goggins:
Long-term prison population projections are produced for a seven year period. The latest published projections cover the period up to 2009.
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These were first presented in the April 2003 prison population monthly brief, published in September 2003, which can be found on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/prisons1 .html
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what review of the policy towards (a) prison workplace and (b) prisoner smoking is planned; and if he will make a statement. [185643]
Paul Goggins [holding answer 22 July 2004]: No departmental review of smoking in prison workplaces (where this is permitted) and prisoner smoking is planned. Governors are still operating under Instruction to Governors 16 of 1996, which instructs them where to ban smoking in prisons and gives them discretionary powers to extend this ban to other parts of the prison. Smoking policies are included in the Health and Safety Standard and are audited by the Prison Service Standards Audit Unit.
In 2003 the Department of Health and the Prison service published 'AQUITTED: Best practice guidance for developing smoking cessation services in prisons'. Extra funding of £500,000 has been made available for each of the three years up to 2006. The launch of 'AQUITTED' was supported by a programme of training seminars for staff of prisons and their local Primary Care Trusts. The effectiveness of the initiative is being evaluated and a report is expected in 2005.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated cost was of the new healthcare centre at HMP Holloway in the Department's budget on 1 January; what the latest estimate is of expenditure on the new centre; and how many (a) inpatient beds and (b) day centre places (i) were planned on 1 January and (ii) are planned for the new centre. [186109]
Paul Goggins: On 1 January 2003, the estimated capital cost of the new healthcare centre at Holloway prison was £5.85 million with 23 in-patient beds and 30 day centre places planned. The latest estimates for costs, in patient beds, and day centre places remain the same.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prisoners, (b) women in prison, (c) juveniles and (d) young offenders are held (i) over 50 miles and (ii) over 100 miles from their committal court town. [187060]
Paul Goggins:
An individual prisoner's court details are recorded to show first court appearance, committal, remand, conviction or sentencing. Information specifically on committal court details could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. As at 7 July 2004, the latest date for which information is available, details were available for 70,213 prisoners, or 93 per cent. of the total prison population of 74,771, on that day. This information is shown in the following table.
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| Distance | Total population | Female population | Juvenile population | Young offender population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 50 miles | ||||
| Total number of prisoners | 45,632 | 2,151 | 1,639 | 5,184 |
| Percentage | 65 | 52 | 63 | 65 |
| 50–100 miles | ||||
| Total number of prisoners | 14,990 | 1,039 | 814 | 1,828 |
| Percentage | 21 | 25 | 31 | 23 |
| 100+ miles | ||||
| Total number of prisoners | 9,591 | 930 | 167 | 944 |
| Percentage | 14 | 23 | 6 | 12 |
| Total | 70,213 | 4,120 | 2,620 | 7,956 |
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