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20 Oct 2004 : Column 725W—continued
Drug Treatment Places
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the extra 60,000 drug treatment places to be created in England by 2008 will be (a) residential, (b) community-based and (c) in Leeds. [186731]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
We have no way of estimating how many of the additional drug treatment places will be either residential or community-based and situated in Leeds.
Forensic Science Service
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Government discussions with trade unions concerning the future of the Forensic Science Service. [188473]
Caroline Flint: Ministers last met formally with the Forensic Science Service (FSS) trade union representatives on 20 October 2003. Since then, dialogue has continued at official level and has included a workshop with FSS trade union representatives to discuss the results of the Outline Business Case. More recently, I took the opportunity to meet with trade union and staff representatives during the course of a series of visits to FSS sites.
Indymedia
Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which UK law enforcement agencies were involved in the seizure of computer disks containing material published by Indymedia from the London offices of Rackspace. [192111]
Caroline Flint [holding answer 18 October 2004]: I can confirm that no UK law enforcement agencies were involved in the matter referred to in the question posed by the hon. Member.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what powers, and acting under what information, officials of his Department seized web services belonging to Indymedia; and if he will make a statement. [192814]
Caroline Flint: I can confirm that no UK law enforcement agencies were involved in the matter referred to in the question posed by my hon. Friend. In the circumstances I do not therefore believe that it is necessary for me to make a statement.
Information and Communication Specialists
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many information and communication technology specialists are in full-time employment in the Department. [189587]
Fiona Mactaggart:
Within Information Management Technology Unit, which manages the provision of Information and Communication Technology services to the Home Office, on 1 September we had 73.5 full time equivalents Information and Communication Technology Specialists in full-time employment.
20 Oct 2004 : Column 726W
National Offender Management Service
Mr. Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to consult stakeholders, with specific reference to trade unions, about further developments in the National Offender Management Service. [189089]
Paul Goggins [holding answer 16 September 2004]: I meet regularly with the Justice Unions Parliamentary Group and have made it clear that the Government is committed to ongoing consultation and wants the implementation of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) to be an inclusive process. I have had a number of additional meetings with trade unions, during which NOMS has been discussed. I have also attended the annual conference of the Prison Officers Association and the National Association of Probation Officers.
While the trade unions will continue to negotiate and seek resolution to any dispute with their employing body, the Chief Executive of NOMS has indicated that he is happy to discuss with the recognised trade unions any NOMS related issues which fall outside existing arrangements.
Additionally, a Joint Consultative Council (JCC) has been proposed to the trade unions to enable them to meet Employers' side representatives together with senior NOMS officials to discuss matters of common interest which relate to NOMS. The JCC is not a vehicle for negotiation or collective bargaining and will not replace or supersede existing agreements or arrangements.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the responses to the consultation document "Reducing Crime—Changing Lives" favoured a regional model for the National Offender Management Service. [188537]
Paul Goggins: Over 400 responses were received to the two written consultation exercises undertaken so far in respect of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). Over 100 of these responses commented on the regional structure which was the subject of the second consultation exercise. The majority of responses from both exercises indicated support for the new service and the concept of end-to-end offender management. However, after consideration of the responses, which specifically refereed to the regional model, I announced to the House on 20 July 2004, Official Report, column 17WS, that I have decided that the option of moving immediately to create new regional boards is unlikely at this stage to deliver better management of offenders which is my main objective.
More detail of the helpful responses received to this and other issues can be read in our summary of responses to the two exercises, which will be published shortly and which will be placed in the Library of both Houses. At the same time it will be available to staff and other key stakeholders through the prisons, probation and Home Office websites.
20 Oct 2004 : Column 727W
Police
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers retired from service in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) length of service and (b) police force area. [190936]
Ms Blears: The available figures for police officers annually leaving the service are given in Home Office Statistical Bulletins.
Figures for 2003–04 are given in Table 6 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin (No. 13/04). These figures are broken down by force area and rank, but published figures are not available broken down by length of service or by different types of leavers.
Home Office Statistical Bulletins are available in the Library or on the internet site: http://www.homeoffice. gov.uk/rds/hosbpubs1.html.
Prison Service
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Prison Service personnel have taken to employment tribunal cases based on equal pay claims in each of the last five years; and what the cost to the Service of each claim has been. [188222]
Paul Goggins: The number of claims for each year are:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 998 |
| 2000 | 310 |
| 2001 | 5 |
| 2002 | 359 |
| 2003 | 12 |
| 2004 | 87 |
On the information available, there have been findings against the Prison Service in eight equal pay claims. These findings are currently subject to appeal by the Prison Service and it is therefore not possible to provide a realistic estimate of the cost to the Service of each claim.
Prison Suicides
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many self-inflicted deaths there have been in each prison in England and Wales in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [190110]
(2) how many suicides there have been in each month of 2004; and what the figures were each month in the last two years. [190111]
Paul Goggins: The number of apparently self-inflicted deaths in each prison in each of the last five financial years is shown in the following table:
Note:
The numbers of deaths at an establishment are subject to significant random swings, and it is recommended that a period of at least ten is looked at in order to establish underlying trends.
20 Oct 2004 : Column 729W
As the hon. Member is aware from my previous answer (10 February 2004; Official Report, columns 1436–37W), reducing the rate of self-inflicted deaths in prison establishments is a key priority. The hon. Member is also aware that I made an announcement on 31 March 2004 regarding the Prison Service's developing suicide prevention strategy 27 May 2004; Official Report, column 518W. This will link existing programmes and planned investment in five broad areas of work:
Regime, activities and care-planning for all prisoners
Improved knowledge and outlooks of all staff at all levels
Meeting the special needs of the most vulnerable prisoners
Training and support for staff
Design solutions to minimise impulsive acts.
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