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Proceeds of Crime

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been recovered under civil recovery proceedings brought under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 since the Act came into force. [206802]

Caroline Flint: The total amount recovered by civil recovery proceedings brought under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 is £5,309,000. I understand the Assets Recovery Agency expects to meet its target of £10 million on receipts from civil recovery in 2004–05.

Protection from Harassment Act

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many magistrates court prosecutions under section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 resulted in (a) conviction and (b) acquittal in (i) 2001, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2003, broken down by sex. [201029]

Paul Goggins: The information contained in the table gives the number of persons, by sex, proceeded against, found guilty, acquitted at magistrates courts for offences under section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, England and Wales 2001 to 2003.
Number of persons proceeded against, found guilty, acquitted at magistrates courts for offences under section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (112), England and Wales 2001 to 2003

SexProceeded against(113)Found guiltyAcquitted(114)
2001
Male5,0142,377385
Female85932069
Total5,8732,697454
2002
Male5,0082,422443
Female83332874
Total5,8412,750517
2003
Male5,0752,572336
Female81632268
Total5,8912,894404


(112) These data are on the principal offence basis.
(113) Those defendants who were proceeded against but were neither found guilty not acquitted were either committed to the Crown court for trial or had their cases terminated early.
(114) Includes discharged and dismissed.


Rape Drugs

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces are using the early evidence kits for detection of drugs that may have been used to assist a rape. [199965]

Paul Goggins: The following list shows those police forces currently purchasing the early evidence kit from Scenesafe, part of the Forensic Science Service.

Other police forces are known to use alternative versions of the early evidence kit by buying separate urine collection and mouth swabbing kits from other suppliers. If a police force does not appear in the following list, this does not mean that they do not have the appropriate materials to collect the early evidence crucial in detecting drugs used to assist a rape.
 
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Reconviction

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes were made to the methodology used to calculate adult reconviction rates for the Spending Review 2002 Public Spending Agreement 5 target, compared to the methodology used for the Spending Review 2000 Public Spending Agreement 10 target. [203403]

Paul Goggins: The Spending Review 2000 Public Service Agreement (PSA) target 10 is to reduce reconviction rates for all offenders sentenced to imprisonment or to community supervision and for young offenders by 5 per cent. by 2003–04 compared to 1997 baselines. Both adults and young offenders are included in the measurement of progress against the all offenders element of the target, while the measure for the young offenders element covers those given pre-court disposals (cautions, reprimands and final warnings) and those sentenced to a non-custodial penalty. Young offenders starting community penalties supervised by the Probation Service were therefore included in the measurement of both elements of the target.

The Spending Review 2002 PSA target 5 is to reduce reoffending by 5 per cent. for young offenders and for adults sentenced to imprisonment and to community sentences by 2005–06 compared to 2000 baselines. This represents two changes compared to the methodology adopted for SR 2000: firstly, young offenders starting
 
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community penalties or discharged from prison are not included in the measurement of the adult target, and secondly all young offenders, including those discharged from custody are included in the measurement of the young offender target.

These changes were introduced in order to more clearly report the separate progress with young and adult offenders.

Intermittent Custody

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have reoffended following a sentence of intermittent custody. [199973]

Paul Goggins: The intermittent custody pilots have been running at two prisons since 26 January 2004. Up to 28 November, 138 intermittent custody orders had been made; only one offender has received a further sentence for an offence committed after their intermittent custody order was imposed. It is too soon to predict or to calculate reliable reconviction rates.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have absconded while serving a period of intermittent custody. [199974]

Paul Goggins: No prisoners have absconded while serving a period of intermittent custody. Three prisoners have failed to turn up for scheduled custody periods. Of these, two have had their sentences varied to full-time custody and one remains unlawfully at large.

Road Traffic Police Officers

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many road traffic police officers there were in 1996; and how many there are now. [203992]

Caroline Flint [holding answer 13 December 2004]: Available information for 1996 to 2003–04 (latest available) is in the table. The information has been provided by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, whose definition of traffic officer changed in 1999.

It should be noted that numbers alone do not adequately reflect the attention given to road policing. The adoption of an intelligence-led approach, the integration of this work with other core activities, the increased use of cameras and other technology, and the more effective use of police resources can lead to a reduction in dedicated traffic officers without a reduction in traffic-related targets or enforcement levels.
Traffic officers 1996–97—2003–04

Operational traffic officersOperational support traffic officersOrganisational support traffic officersTotal traffic officers
1996–97N/AN/AN/A9201
1997–98N/AN/AN/A8986
1998–99N/AN/AN/A8789
1999–20007929542198490
2000–017589569398196
2001–027330557347922
2002–0362218413767438
2003–0462769414197636




Notes:
1. Traffic—operational—staff who are predominantly employed on motor-cycles or in patrol vehicles for the policing of traffic and motorway related duties. This does not include officers employed in accident investigation, vehicle examination and radar duties.
2. Traffic—operational support—staff who are predominantly employed to support the traffic function of the force including radar, accident investigation, vehicle examination and traffic administration. Include officers working with hazardous chemicals.
3. Traffic—organisational support—administrative staff predominantly serving the internal needs of the traffic function of the force.





 
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