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11 Nov 2004 : Column 895W—continued
Gambling
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the likely impact of the provisions of the Gambling Bill on criminal activity. [196630]
Mr. Caborn: I have been asked to reply.
The Bill should ensure either a reduction or no increase in criminal activity associated with gambling, since it will extend the scope of effective regulation to forms of gambling which currently lack it and establish
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important new investigative and enforcement powers, including the power for the Gambling Commission to exchange information with other regulators.
Hunting
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to enforce the proposed ban on hunting with dogs in the event of deliberate law-breaking. [191001]
Caroline Flint: Enforcing the proposed ban on hunting, as with other offences, is a matter for the police. The Association of Chief Police Officers have made it clear that they consider the Bill to be enforceable. Deferring commencement will help the police prepare for the ban.
Indymedia
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he authorised the seizure of web servers belonging to Indymedia. [191015]
Caroline Flint: I can confirm that no UK law enforcement agencies were involved, so no authorisations were needed.
Metropolitan Police
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers serving in the Metropolitan police force have resigned from the force in each of the last three years to transfer to another police force in the United Kingdom. [193475]
Ms Blears: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has advised me that the number of Metropolitan officers who have transferred to other UK forces in the previous three years is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 442 |
| 2002–03 | 430 |
| 2003–04 | 381 |
Note:
The information has been recorded as full-time equivalent. The number of individual officers is not available. The recording period is from April to March, as per the financial year.
The total police officer strength as at 31 March in each of the given years for the Metropolitan police is contained in the following table:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 24,878 |
| 2002 | 26,223 |
| 2003 | 27,984 |
| 2004 | 29,735 |
Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department keeps the funding of the Metropolitan Police Service's capital city functions under review; and if he will make a statement. [194129]
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Ms Blears: The Metropolitan Police Service uniquely receives special additional provision within its police formula grant in recognition of its capital city and national functions. The additional provision was £207 million in 2004–05. The amount is reviewed annually and we are currently considering the level for next year. This will be announced shortly as part of the provisional funding settlement for 2005–06.
Motor Cycling
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what examples of best practice are available to (a) local authorities and (b) police authorities on (i) making provision for off-road motorcycles and (ii) tackling irresponsible off-road motorcycling. [195780]
Caroline Flint: We have given the police a power to seize any vehicle being used without authority off-road, or inconsiderately on-road, where such usage causes alarm, distress or annoyance. The vehicles are then released only on payment of prescribed fees for removal and storage. This puts an immediate stop to the nuisance. We are aware that a number of police forces have been working with their local authorities and other members of local crime and disorder reduction partnerships to make best use of this power and to take other steps to reduce the problem, including via the provision of facilities for lawful off-road motor-cycling. We are currently discussing with the Association of Chief Police Officers the effective use of the power, the identification of good practice and any need for further central guidance.
National Intelligence Model
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the implementation of the National Intelligence Model [197174]
Caroline Flint: Implementation of the National Intelligence Model (NIM) which was planned for in the 2001, "Policing a New Century" White Paper, has ensured that the NIM has become the cornerstone of policing in England and Wales. All 43 forces have now reached the minimum standards for NIM compliance.
Police forces' approaches to implementation of NIM have varied both in format and intensity and the challenge now is for forces to continue to work on developing and enhancing the model in order to ensure that it is fully embedded in operational policing.
Overseas Corruption
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which foreign jurisdictions his law enforcement agencies are co-operating on investigations into overseas corruption cases. [194718]
Caroline Flint: We cannot comment on individual reports received in order not to prejudice criminal investigations.
Police
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in
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(a) Avon and Somerset and (b) East Somerset district in each quarter from 1992–93 to 30 September; and if he will make a statement. [191312]
Ms Blears: The latest available information on police officer numbers is published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 13/04, "Police Service Strength in England and Wales 31 March 2004", a copy of which should be available from the House of Commons Library or internet site http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hosbpubs1.html.
In England and Wales, the numbers of police officers employed in Avon and Somerset and East Somerset district are given in the following table. For Avon and Somerset police force area, only six monthly figures are available for years March 1995 to March 2004 and annual figures for March 1992 to March 1994.
For East Somerset district, data are only available for March.
(23) Comparable with previously published data (i.e. excludes staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave).
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the North Yorkshire Police Authority budget was met from council tax receipts in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 2004–05. [193904]
Ms Blears: The information is set out in the table.
(24) 2004–05 estimates provided by North Yorkshire police.
(25) Includes Principal Home Office police grant, ODPM Revenue Support Grant, National Non Domestic Rates, special grant, revenue for Airwave, Crime Fighting Fund, Rural Policing Grant, Loan Charges grant, and other smaller specific grants.
(26) Includes all other force income and movements in reserves.
Source:
Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Police Statistics (Actuals 1997–98).
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Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been recruited in England and Wales in each year since 2001. [196815]
Ms Blears: Information on police officers joining the police service is published annually in a Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest figures appeared in Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 13/04, copies of which are available in the Library or on the internet site:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hosbpubs1.html
Police officers joining the service since 2001 in England and Wales are as follows:
| As at 31 March: | Number |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 7,415 |
| 2002 | 10,215 |
| 2003(27) | 13,126 |
| 2004(27) | 13,137 |
(27) Not comparable with previous recruitment figures as data includes transfers from other England and Wales forces.
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average number of arrests per day was for police officers in England and Wales in the six months (a) before and (b) after the commencement of the Charging Initiative of the Crown Prosecution Service. [196233]
Ms Blears: The Charging Initiative is being implemented in two phases: statutory and shadow. In May 2004 the first area moved to statutory charging. The first areas to fully implement shadow charging went live in June 2004. Statutory charging will have been implemented in the 13 priority areas by November 2004. By the end of 2004–05 all but six areas will have full shadow charging in place.
Figures for the number of persons arrested for notifiable offences are available centrally only up to 31 March 2003. Data for the financial year 2003–04 are due to be published in December 2004. No meaningful before and after comparisons will be available until the 2004–05 arrest data are published at the end of 2005.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local authority wards comprise each police authority basic command unit in England and Wales. [195176]
Ms Blears: The information requested will be placed in the House Library.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future funding of (a) community support officers and (b) regular officers. [195476]
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Ms Blears: We have made £50 million available under the first phase of the Neighbourhood Policing Fund (NPF) to help forces recruit additional Community Support Officers (CSOs) by March 2005. Under this round we will pay 100 per cent. of salary costs, up to a maximum of £24,5000 per annum, until the end of 2005–06. We shall continue to meet at least 75 per cent. of the salary costs allocated in this round in 2006–07.
The NPF will provide further support to deliver our target of 24,000 CSOs by 2008.
We will also provide 50 per cent. of the salary and related costs of CSOs recruited as part of earlier funding rounds until the end of 2007–08.
The provisional police funding settlement will be announced shortly and will be followed by a six week consultation period.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to ensure that funding is available for moves to new technology in the police force. [195478]
Caroline Flint: The Home Office has and will continue to provide significant funding to support the delivery of new technology in the police force.
The science and technology initiatives set out in the Home Office Science and Technology Strategy support the Government's key priorities for policing as set out in the National Policing Plan 2004–07. The Home Office will seek to fund these initiatives from the recent SR2004 settlement.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how cost implications of new technology for the police force are assessed and monitored by the Department. [195479]
Caroline Flint: The cost implications of new technology for the police force are subject to an assessment and monitoring process. As far as police information and communications technology is concerned the central customer function of the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) supports the police service in articulating its business requirements for ICT. Its function is to provide robust business cases and to encourage the deployment of solutions in forces that meet those needs and enable the realisation of policing benefits.
The priorities and business requirements set by the central customer will fully reflect those set by the Department in the National Policing Plan and the Home Office Police Science and Technology Strategy.
The police forces can also purchase technology based on local needs and priorities including non-ICT items of technology. These are assessed and costed locally by the police force and relevant police authority.
PITO are currently subject to an end to end review and a key aspect of the review is how the provision of ICT to the police should be managed both nationally
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and locally. The findings of the review will be closely aligned to proposals currently under consideration as part of the Police Reform agenda.
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have (a) been recruited to and (b) left the Avon and Somerset police force in each year since 1997. [188668]
Ms Blears: The available information is given in the table:
(28) Not comparable to previous joining figures as data includes transfers from other England and Wales forces and officers returning after a period of secondment.
(29) Not comparable to previous leaving figures as data does not include transfers to other England and Wales forces and officers leaving after a period of secondment.
(30) Comparable with previously published data (i.e. excludes staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there are in the London borough of Wandsworth; and how many are from ethnic minorities. [193478]
Ms Blears: I am told by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (Sir John Stevens) that at the end of September 2004 the Wandsworth Operational Command Unit had 572 police officers of whom 39 (6.8 per cent.) were from ethnic minorities.
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