House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 8 Dec 2004 (pt 36)

8 Dec 2004 : Column 639W—continued

Crimes Against Young People

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of crime against young people have been recorded in each year since 1997, broken down by category of crime. [200336]

Ms Blears: The information is not available in the form requested. With the exception of certain offences where the age is specifically identified, the age of the victim is not collected in the recorded crime series.

Those offences in the series where a young person can be identified are:

Child destruction

Cruelty or neglect of children

Abandoning a child under the age of two years

Child abduction

Unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 or 16

Gross indecency with a child

Trends for these offences are published in Table 2.04 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 'Crime in England and Wales 2003–04' HOSB 10/04. A copy of this publication is available in the Library and on the Home Office website.

Drivers (Mobile Phones)

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set up a free phone number that members of the public can ring to give the car registration numbers of those drivers who break the law on using mobile phones while driving. [199408]

Caroline Flint: I have no plans to do so. It is however always open to anyone to assist and support the police by reporting any apparent criminal incident to them for such action as may be appropriate.

8 Dec 2004 : Column 640W

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action the appropriate authorities should take when a member of the public makes a complaint against a driver who was using a mobile phone while driving. [199409]

Caroline Flint: The police will take such action as they deem appropriate in the light of the information provided.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what actions members of the public who see drivers using mobile phones while driving should take. [199414]

Caroline Flint: It is open to members of the public to report such incidents to the police together with any relevant details and supporting evidence they are able to supply.

European Constitution

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the effect of the coming into force of the European Constitution on the operation of his Department, with reference to (a) changes in legislative competence, (b) the extension of qualified majority voting, (c) the increased legislative role of the European Parliament, (d) the cost of implementation of regulations, (e) the requirements of adherence to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and (f) the quantity of legislation originating in the EU institutions. [200178]

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe on Monday 29 November 2004, column 10W.

Fingerprinting

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the impact of the Police Standards Unit's role in the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System programme. [199635]

Ms Blears: The Police Standards Unit (PSU) plays an important role in driving the effective use of National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS). The Home Office has invested approximately £150 million in the system and the PSU has a team working within the police service to ensure the best use is made of this investment. This includes making recommendations on the working practices of fingerprint officers using, to those on setting force policy for LiveScan, which scans and transmits fingerprints directly to the system. The PSU is working with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to implement these recommendations nationally.

The unit also has an important NAFIS performance-monitoring role that is essential to drive usage and challenge those that are not making enough use of it. Since 2003, when the reporting commenced, there has been an increase in identifications from recently arrested persons of nearly 80 per cent. The PSU reports progress on usage of the system to Ministers quarterly.

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In addition, the PSU acts as a consultant to promote the use of NAFIS in individual forces and ensure that the efficiency benefits of the system are maximised.

NAFIS became fully operational nationally in 2001. The system provides more than 4,000 fingerprint identifications a month and it makes a significant contribution to the number of detections.

8 Dec 2004 : Column 642W

Firearms

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications there have been for (a) shotgun certificates and (b) firearms certificates in each of the last 10 years. [199573]

Caroline Flint: The information requested is given in the following table.
Table 1

Number (rounded)
Applications for grant of new Shotgun Certificates
Applications for renewal of Shotgun Certificates

Applications⁽³⁹⁾ Granted Refused Applications Granted Refused Shotgun certificates on issue at 31 December⁽⁴⁰⁾

1993 31,550 31,100 450 195,990 195,800 190 681,100

1994 32,640 32,200 440 201,540 201,400 140 670,000

1995 25,160 24,800 360 196,030 195,900 130 653,800

1996 26,300 25,800 500 193,330 193,100 230 638,000

1997 21,180 20,800 380 174,670 174,500 170 623,100

1998 17,280 16,900 380 6,660 ⁽⁴¹⁾6,600 60 627,600

1999 16,040 15,600 440 2,510 ⁽⁴¹⁾2,500 10 625,700

2000 18,550 18,200 350 141,580 141,300 280 602,500

2001 23,070 22,700 370 162,710 162,400 310 577,200

2002 25,950 25,600 350 153,000 152,700 300 559,000

2002–03 26,450 26,100 350 125,460 125,200 260 561,800

⁽³⁹⁾ Includes estimates made centrally for a small number of forces.
⁽⁴⁰⁾ Figures for 2002–03 are at 31 March 2003.
⁽⁴¹⁾ The extension of the period for the certificates from three years to five years in 1995 meant that no renewals were due in 1998 and 1999. These are delayed applications from 1997.

Table 2

Number (rounded)
Applications for grant of new Firearm Certificates
Applications for renewal of Firearm Certificates

Applications⁽⁴²⁾ Granted Refused Applications Granted Refused Firearm certificates on issue at 31 December⁽⁴²⁾

1993 11,020 10,900 120 37,470 37,300 170 138,400

1994 11,820 11,700 120 38,030 37,900 130 140,200

1995 11,010 10,900 110 38,610 38,500 110 141,700

1996 10,360 10,200 160 38,220 38,100 120 141,900

1997 6,920 6,800 120 32,880 32,800 80 133,600

1998 6,010 5,900 110 1,610 ⁽⁴³⁾1,600 10 131,900

1999 5,090 5,000 90 253 ⁽⁴³⁾250 3 132,300

2000 5,980 5,900 80 26,290 26,200 90 125,400

2001 7,180 7,100 80 31,410 31,300 110 119,600

2002 8,680 8,600 80 28,890 28,800 90 117,700

2002–03 8,670 8,600 70 25,170 25,100 70 118,600

⁽⁴²⁾ Figures for 2002–03 are at March 2003.
⁽⁴³⁾ The extension of the period of the certificates from three years to five years in 1995 meant that no renewals were due in 1998 and 1999Those shown are delayed applications from 1997.

Number (rounded)
	Applications for grant of new Shotgun Certificates	Applications for renewal of Shotgun Certificates
	Applications⁽³⁹⁾	Granted	Refused	Applications	Granted	Refused	Shotgun certificates on issue at 31 December⁽⁴⁰⁾
1993	31,550	31,100	450	195,990	195,800	190	681,100
1994	32,640	32,200	440	201,540	201,400	140	670,000
1995	25,160	24,800	360	196,030	195,900	130	653,800
1996	26,300	25,800	500	193,330	193,100	230	638,000
1997	21,180	20,800	380	174,670	174,500	170	623,100
1998	17,280	16,900	380	6,660	⁽⁴¹⁾6,600	60	627,600
1999	16,040	15,600	440	2,510	⁽⁴¹⁾2,500	10	625,700
2000	18,550	18,200	350	141,580	141,300	280	602,500
2001	23,070	22,700	370	162,710	162,400	310	577,200
2002	25,950	25,600	350	153,000	152,700	300	559,000
2002–03	26,450	26,100	350	125,460	125,200	260	561,800

Number (rounded)
	Applications for grant of new Firearm Certificates	Applications for renewal of Firearm Certificates
	Applications⁽⁴²⁾	Granted	Refused	Applications	Granted	Refused	Firearm certificates on issue at 31 December⁽⁴²⁾
1993	11,020	10,900	120	37,470	37,300	170	138,400
1994	11,820	11,700	120	38,030	37,900	130	140,200
1995	11,010	10,900	110	38,610	38,500	110	141,700
1996	10,360	10,200	160	38,220	38,100	120	141,900
1997	6,920	6,800	120	32,880	32,800	80	133,600
1998	6,010	5,900	110	1,610	⁽⁴³⁾1,600	10	131,900
1999	5,090	5,000	90	253	⁽⁴³⁾250	3	132,300
2000	5,980	5,900	80	26,290	26,200	90	125,400
2001	7,180	7,100	80	31,410	31,300	110	119,600
2002	8,680	8,600	80	28,890	28,800	90	117,700
2002–03	8,670	8,600	70	25,170	25,100	70	118,600

Fireworks Act

Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance has been given to the police to ensure that the provisions in the Fireworks Act 2003 are enforced, with particular reference to people who set off fireworks after curfew hours. [200519]

Ms Blears: We have a comprehensive and robust package in place to tackle the misuse of fireworks. The Fireworks Regulations 2004 came into force in August and in October we extended the Penalty Notices for Disorder Scheme (PND) to include three new firework offences. Breach of the fireworks curfew is one of these new PND offences. The new PNDs allow police to punish offenders immediately by issuing on-the-spot fines and offer an additional disposal that has been widely welcomed by police forces across the country.

I was keen to ensure all relevant agencies were aware of the new arrangements. In early October I wrote to all chief constables to provide guidance ahead of the fireworks season and to ensure the new arrangements were made an integral part of their fireworks strategies. We have published a TOGETHER fact sheet on the misuse of fireworks and this has been widely distributed to practitioners. DTI are also in regular contact with individual police forces and other enforcement agencies, such as Trading Standards, to provide advice on the Fireworks Regulations 2004. They expect to publish comprehensive guidance shortly.

Early indications show that the new powers are being used effectively to tackle the misuse of fireworks

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