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Water Industry

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out the latest water leakage figures, broken down by water company. [188267]

 
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Mr. Morley [holding answer 14 September 2004]: The Director General of Water Services publishes leakage figures annually in the 'Security of Supply, Leakage and the Efficient Use of Water' reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. In 2003–04 total water company leakage, in Megalitres per day, was reported as follows:

	Megalitres per day
Anglian	215
Bournemouth and West Hants	22
Bristol	53
Cambridge	14
Dee Valley	10
Dwr Cymru	230
Folkestone and Dover	8
Mid Kent	30
Northumbrian North	160
Northumbrian South	70
Portsmouth	30
Severn Trent	510
South East	69
South Staffordshire	71
South West	84
Southern	92
Sutton and East Surrey	24
Tendring Hundred	5
Thames	945
Three Valleys	150
United Utilities	480
Wessex	75
Yorkshire	295

Written Briefings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by her special advisers for all Labour hon. Members since May 1997; and what the total cost is to date. [184863]

Margaret Beckett: The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers sets out special advisers' duties and responsibilities. This includes helping to brief party MPs and officials on issues of Government policy. No central record of such briefings is maintained by the Department. Any written briefings will be distributed by the party.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Cultural Objects

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider his rejection of the recommendation in paragraph 36 of the First Report of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Session 2003–04, HC59, on cultural objects: developments since 2000, to introduce a performance objective for the theft of cultural objects; and if he will make a statement. [188900]

Caroline Flint: The reasons we set out in our joint response with the Department for Culture Media and Sport for not accepting this recommendation remain valid:
 
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Whether thefts involve cultural items is not currently recorded by all police forces and would be difficult to do in a consistent way due to the problem of defining "cultural objects".

We are looking to minimise the number of targets on forces to allow them more flexibility to focus on their own local problems and priorities.

The Home Office considers that driving down the theft of cultural items is just one means to the ends of reducing organised crime and drug trafficking, rather than a target in itself.

Setting such a target would, therefore, add to the bureaucratic demands on forces for little, if any, benefit.

We have no plans, therefore, to review our decision.

Al-Muhajiroun

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to monitor the activities of the Islamic group Al-Muhajiroun. [186837]

Mr. Blunkett: The appropriate authorities closely monitor every word and statement that AI-Muhajiroun's representatives make. We are fully aware of their activities. We have made our position very clear -Al Muhajiroun represents neither the Muslim community or their views. We absolutely reject their offensive statements, as have the vast majority of Muslims in the UK.

Cannabis

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effects of reclassifying cannabis from a class B to a class C drug. [186556]

Caroline Flint: The reclassification of cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug allows the police to focus a greater amount of resources on tackling Class A drugs, such as heroin and crack cocaine. Early indications are encouraging in terms of achieving this, but detailed figures are not yet available.

Computer Misuse

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the action being taken by the Government to address the use of peer-to-peer computer file sharing to obtain illegal film and images of violence and sexual abuse. [188163]

Paul Goggins: It is illegal to publish some extreme images under the Obscene Publications Act 1959, whether by peer-to-peer or other means. The Government is currently considering whether the law relating to pornographic material featuring violence and sexual abuse should be strengthened.

Disability Discrimination Act

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all prisons comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in respect of (a) prisoners, (b) staff and (c) visitors; and if he will make a statement. [187974]

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service is working constructively to ensure that as a service provider, it responds positively to the needs of disabled prisoners,
 
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staff and visitors. A strategy document was issued to all Prison Service staff in June 2003. This explained the implications for prisons of the changes in the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) due to come into effect on 1 October 2004.

The prison estate consists of a wide variety of buildings of differing ages and security levels and therefore access for prisoners to all prisons and prison facilities poses some difficulties. However the Prison Service's policy for all prisoners is to address their needs, including disability related needs, through the sentence planning process. This will allow prisons to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that prisoners are not discriminated against.

The Prison Service has significant experience of operating within the employment provisions of the DDA as non-operational staff have had protection since its first introduction. On 1 October, all operational staff will be covered by the DDA. Policies have been revised to ensure that the treatment for individual staff with disabilities is compliant with the employment aspects of the DDA.

A national disability compliance audit of all Prison Service establishments from a visitors' perspective has not been undertaken. Given the potential scope of the exercise this would not be practicable. It remains the responsibility of each establishment to address the individual requirements of those with particular needs, bearing in mind resource implications and reasonableness. Establishments and Visitors' Centres remain vigilant to the fact that the interpretation of disability within the Disability Discrimination Act is wide.

GPS Tracking Scheme

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the new GPS tracking of offenders scheme will (a) replace and (b) complement the treatment, supervision and surveillance scheme that is in place for offenders. [188300]

Paul Goggins: The GPS pilot tracking schemes will not replace the treatment, supervision and surveillance schemes that are currently in place for offenders, but will complement them. Tracking technology is a way of enhancing the management of offenders on such schemes. It will give public protection agencies an added layer of information about the offender's movements and will aid intervention if they breach the requirements of their court order or release licence.

Hate Crime

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government has to amend the law to protect (a) transsexuals, (b) people with learning difficulties and (c) people with disabilities from hate crime; and if he will make a statement. [186869]

Fiona Mactaggart: All categories of people are already protected by the criminal law. In particular they are protected from violence and threats of violence by offences such as assault, actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm. They are also protected from harassment by legislation, including the Protection from Harassment Act. In sentencing for these crimes, courts
 
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take particular account of the vulnerability of the victim and the motivation for the crime. The Government has no plans to amend the law to apply differently or specifically to these groups of people.

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