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18 Jan 2005 : Column 897W—continued

HOME DEPARTMENT

Airwave

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what health and safety checks have been made to guarantee the well-being of police officers using the Airwave communications system; and if he will make a statement. [208210]

Caroline Flint: The National Radiological Protection Board's independent Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR) recommended that the Home Office should ensure that emissions from Airwave handsets and vehicle-mounted sets are within international guidelines. Accordingly, the Home Office specified that the maximum transmission power levels should be either 1 Watt (for handsets) or 3 Watts (for vehicle-mounted sets). Independent checks have found that emission levels from Airwave equipment are within international guidelines.
 
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We also commissioned a programme of research on the advice of AGNIR into the remaining areas of uncertainty surrounding the health and safety effects of the TETRA technology that underpins Airwave. This research is nearing completion and has not identified any adverse health effects.

We have also taken forward the AGNIR recommendation for a long-term health monitoring study of police users of Airwave: Imperial College is carrying out this study on behalf of the Home Office.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he received an opinion from West Midlands Police on their ability to guarantee the safety of the audience and staff of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre on 21 December, were the theatre to continue to perform the play Behzti; and what assessment he has made of West Midlands Police's capacity to guarantee the audience's safety on 21 December; [207700]

(2) what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials held with West Midlands Police between 18 and 20 December on whether the police were able to guarantee the safety of the audience and staff of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in the event of productions of the play Behzti on 20 December and subsequently; and if he will make a statement. [207702]

Caroline Flint: The Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police assured the Home Office on 20 December that he would police any demonstrations in the event of performances of the play Behzti on 20 December and subsequently. The role of the police in policing demonstrations is to preserve the peace, to uphold the law and to prevent the commission of offences.

It is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to gather together and to demonstrate their views provided that they do so within the law. However, there is no excuse for violent protest and we totally condemn the violence that was seen outside the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Football Banning Orders (Essex)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many football banning orders have been issued by (a) Essex police and (b) Southend police in each year since 1997. [208643]

Caroline Flint: Football banning orders are imposed by courts, not by police forces. Currently 39 individuals resident in Essex are subject to football banning orders. These football banning orders were made in the following years:

	Number of current football banning orders
2000	1
2001	0
2002	6
2003	13
2004	19

 
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Cycling

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cyclists were (a) cautioned and (b) charged for (i) going through red lights and (ii) cycling in the dark without lights in the last period for which figures are available. [204813]

Caroline Flint: Charges may not lead to proceedings. Statistics of defendants charged with crimes are not collected centrally.

There were two pedal cyclists cautioned and 38 proceeded against at magistrates courts in England and Wales 2003 for the offence of neglect of traffic directions (which will include failing to stop at traffic signals).

There were 25 cyclists cautioned and 213 proceeded against at magistrates courts in England and Wales 2003 for lighting and reflector offences.

Statistics on the numbers of cautions and prosecutions in 2004 will be available in autumn 2005.

European Data Protection Supervisor

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the (a) mandate and (b) powers of the European Data Protection Supervisor in respect of tackling fraud. [207167]

Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.

The European Data Protection Supervisor has no specific role in respect of fraud matters, except in those circumstances where fraud may raise issues about the adequacy of protection of individual's personal data within the community institutions and bodies.

Firearms Act

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals have been brought against the Chief Constable of Humberside police under section 44 of the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended) since 29 October 2003; and how many were (a) dismissed, (b) allowed and (c) abandoned. [207607]

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected by the Home Office.

Gun Crime

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of gun crime have taken place in Greater London in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [202731]

Caroline Flint: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis reports that the total number of gun enabled crime offences is as follows:

12 months to October:	Number of offences
2002	4,543
2003	4,143
2004	3,683

The figures cover the whole of the metropolitan police district. The latest published figures show an 11 per cent. fall over the previous 12 month period.
 
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Intelligence-led Operations such as Trident and Trafalgar are having excellent results. The work of these dedicated police operations, with the guidance and support of the Independent Advisory Group, demonstrates the high level of commitment to remove guns from our streets.

In support of this work, the government and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) are taking forward work on all aspects of gun crime, including targeting the drugs supply markets which often drive the use of firearms; prevention work, including support for community projects through the Connected Fund and by the use of recycled criminal assets; and by working with prolific offenders.

Identity Cards

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the image capture standards provided to police forces under the Facial Images National Database project. [208281]

Caroline Flint: Yes. Copies of the image capture standards paper titled "Police Standard for Still Digital Image Capture and Data Interchange of Facial/Mugshot and Scar, Mark and Tattoo Images", prepared by the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) to police forces in England and Wales, will be placed in the Library.

The draft standards are currently with the Association of Chief Police Officers for its agreement on behalf of police forces.

Initiatives (Funding)

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what budget was allocated to (a) the Active Communities Unit, (b) the Arson Control Forum, (c) each of the Local Arson Control forums, (d) the Central Police Training and Development Authority and (e) each of the Community Cohesion Pathfinders in each of the last two years; and how many staff each organisation employed in each year. [201860]

Ms Blears: The information is as follows:

(a) The budget for the Active Communities Unit in the financial year 2003–04 was £91 million (including £10 million for "futurebuilders") with 45 staff and in 2004–05 it was £145 million (including £57 million for "futurebuilders") with 41 staff.

(b) The budget for the Arson Control Forum in the financial year 2003–04 was £2.250 million and in 2004–05 it was £4.5 million. The forum does not employ staff directly.

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