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National Probation Directorate
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) budget and (b) final expenditure of the National Probation Directorate was in the year 2003–04. [199958]
Paul Goggins: The budget for the National Probation directorate for 2003–04 was £196.8 million and the expenditure was £195.6 million. Figures include both resource and capital.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to how many written questions tabled in the last parliamentary session his Department had been unable to provide a substantive answer before the end of the session. [199646]
Fiona Mactaggart: The total number of written questions for which a substantive answer was not provided before the end of Session was 245. Of these, 171 were tabled in the five days leading up to Prorogation. The Department did provide substantive answers to 496 parliamentary questions in the four days up to Prorogation.
Ministers make every effort to answer questions substantively in accordance with performance guidelines and especially before Prorogation. However this is not always possible. Where right hon. and hon. Members did not receive a substantive response it is open to them to re-table their question this session.
Police (Stop/Account Procedures)
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the average number of Stop and Account procedures undertaken by an individual police officer during an average duty period. [203512]
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Ms Blears: There is no data currently held centrally on Stop and Account procedures. However, the observations of street patrols carried out for the phased implementation evaluation showed that during the 170 hours spent with officers outside the police station: a search was observed every 5.3 hours of patrol; and a recordable stop every 2.2 hours of patrol. These figures are based on patrol hours observed, and is not a per officer measure.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were stopped by the police per day on average in the last period for which figures are available. [203513]
Ms Blears: There are no data currently held centrally on numbers stopped but not searched. Following recommendation 61 of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report, police forces will be required to record all stops as well as searches from 1 April 2005.
Police Applicants (Diabetes)
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been put in place by constabularies medically to assess people with diabetes individually who apply to join the police. [201702]
Ms Blears [holding answer 2 December 2004]: All applicants are assessed individually. A guidance note will shortly be circulated to all Force Medical Advisers setting out that applicants should be physically and mentally fit in accordance with non-diabetic standards.
In assessing the fitness for work of people with diabetes, Force Medical Advisers should obtain advice and information from the diabetologist and GP. Force Medical Advisers will also take account of the following factors:
Fitness for work/suitability for employment should be reassessed annually. Assessments should be undertaken jointly by an occupational health physician and diabetes specialist
It is for the Police Occupational Physician to weigh up the individual's health status against any potential health and safety risks and to then make a recommendation to management regarding the individual's fitness for appointment as a police officer and any restrictions that need to be imposed on the duties performed by the individual on appointment.
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Police Cars
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers since 1997 have been disciplined for the improper use of police motorcars. [202182]
Ms Blears [holding answer 6 December 2004]: Information concerning the number of officers that have been disciplined since 1997 for the improper use of police motorcars is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Police Divisions (Places of Safety)
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that each police division has access to a designated place of safety as defined by the Mental Health Act 1983. [199814]
Ms Blears: Guidance issued to Chief Police Officers in March 2004 (HOC 17/2004) on police and health service liaison includes reference to appropriate places of safety under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983.
The appropriate location of a place of safety was discussed at a meeting on 21 October 2004 of the cross-government group of officials established to look at police/health service issues relating to the management of potentially violent behaviour and the use of restraint.
The identification of preferred places of safety is a matter of local agreement. However, the group concluded that a place of safety should be a health facility unless there were exceptional circumstances such as extremely violent behaviour. This would be reflected in the Codes of Practice proposed under the Mental Health Bill currently being considered by Parliament. We are seeking to ensure that police stations can be used as a place of safety only as a last resort and examining the potential that if used, it would be for limited time period only before transfer to a more suitable place of safety must take place.
Police Funding
Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what funding Lincolnshire Police will receive in 2004–05 under the Rural Sparsity Grant; [204790]
(2) how much funding has been made available to each police authority in England and Wales since 2000–01 under the Rural Sparsity Grant. [204798]
Ms Blears: Rural Policing Fund allocations to each police authority, including Lincolnshire, since 2000–01 are set out in the following table.
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