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21 Feb 2005 : Column 445W—continued

Coroners' Inquests

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances a delay of over three years might occur between a suspicious death and a coroner's inquest. [203834]

Paul Goggins: Such a delay would be highly unusual. It may be difficult to obtain all the evidence required by the coroner, particularly if the death occurred abroad. Or the coroner may be awaiting the outcome of criminal proceedings or investigations by other bodies.

Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to answer the letter dated 30 December 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Amanat Ullah. [217045]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 2 February 2005.

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 6 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Jim Holloway. [217049]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 February.

Crime Statistics

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the level of violent crime in Ribble Valley and Fulwood was in each year since 1997. [205071]

Ms Blears: The available information relates to the Ribble Valley Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area and is given in the table. Data at CDRP level is only available from 1999–2000. Since 1997, there have been two major changes to the way crime is recorded. The effect of the change in the counting rules in 1998 was to artificially increase recorded violent crime nationally by more than 80 per cent. while it is estimated that the effect of the
 
21 Feb 2005 : Column 446W
 
introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002 caused a further 20 per cent. increase in recorded violent crime in its first year.
Table 1: Recorded offences of violent crime in the Ribble Valley Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area—1999–2000 to 2001–02

Period	Number of violent crimes
1997–98	n/a
1998–99	n/a
1999–2000	161
2000–01	194
2001–02	334

n/a = Not available
Note:
The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.





Table 2: Recorded offences of violent crime in the Ribble Valley Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area—2002–03 and 2003–04

Period	Number of violent crimes
2002–03	330
2003–04	473

Note:
The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the recorded level of (a) crime and (b) violent crime was in Surrey in each year since 1997. [214197]

Ms Blears: The information requested is given in the tables.

Since 1997, there have been two major changes to the way crime is recorded. The effect of the change in the counting rules in 1998 was to artificially increase recorded violent crime nationally by more than 80 per cent. while it is estimated that the effect of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002 caused a further 20 per cent. increase in recorded violent crime in its first year.
Table 1: Total and violent crime recorded by the police in Surrey, 1997–98 to 2001–02

Number of offences
	Total crime	Violent crime
1997–98(195)	38,015	3,447
1998–99(196)	42,467	4,914
1999–2000	46,288	6,099
2000–01(197)	63,321	9,014
2001–02	61,970	7,908

⁽¹⁹⁵⁾ The number of crimes recorded using the coverage and rules in use until 31 March 1998.
⁽¹⁹⁶⁾ The number of crimes recorded using the expanded coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.
⁽¹⁹⁷⁾ Surrey experienced boundary changes in April 2000 which increased the size of the force area.
Note:
The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.




 
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Table 2: Total and violent crime recorded by the police in Surrey, 2002–03 and 2003–04

Number of offences
	Total crime	Violent crime
2002–03	68,452	9,718
2003–04	73,252	10,858

Note:
The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Criminal Records Bureau

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to allow colleges and universities to have access to the Criminal Records Bureau for the vetting of potential students. [214989]

Ms Blears: All colleges and universities have access to the Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure service to enable them to apply for criminal records checks for members of staff whose duties involve looking after children and/or vulnerable adults. The service can also enable criminal records checks to be conducted against students whose studies would, through placements, bring them into contact with children and vulnerable adults; for example student nurses and those studying for teaching qualifications.

There have been no requests made by the Department for Education and Skills nor are there any plans by the Home Office to extend the checks to other students.

Departmental Establishment

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent jobs (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies had in (i) Yorkshire and the Humber and (ii) the City of York in (A) 1997 and (B) the latest year for which figures are available. [199548]

Fiona Mactaggart: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the former Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Ruth Kelly) on 25 October 2004, Official Report, column 1053W. The following is an extract from the information placed in the House of Commons Library.
Permanent staff in Yorks and Humberside, and York from 1997 to 2004 by Department

Full-time equivalent
	As at 1 April:
Department/Location	1997	1998	1999
Home Office
York	0	0	0
Elsewhere in Yorks and Humberside	170	160	160
Total	170	160	160
HM Prison Service
Elsewhere in Yorks and Humberside	3,540	4,250	4,260
Total	3,540	4,250	4,260
Combined Home Office and Prison Service Agency
Total	3,710	4,410	4,420

 
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Deportation

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect on prison overcrowding for each category of prison of foreign nationals who, having completed their sentence, continue to be detained, awaiting deportation. [209453]

Paul Goggins: No study has been made of the effect of overcrowding on each category of prison holding foreign nationals who are detained after their sentence and awaiting deportation. The numbers however are relatively small and do not have any significant effect on prison accommodation.

European Public Bodies

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the activity of the European monitoring centre for drugs and drug addiction in the UK in the last 12 months; and if he will list its publications and newsletters published over that period. [215230]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

The European monitoring centre for drugs and drug addiction (EMCCDDA) collects, analyses and disseminates information on drugs and drug addiction based on data supplied by the United Kingdom and other member states of the European Union. Its publications aim to provide an evidence-based picture of drug misuse and addiction across Europe for a range of audiences including policy-makers, professionals and the general public.

In the past 12 months, the EMCCDDA has published:

Annual Report 2004—The state of the drugs problem in the European Union and Norway.

Drugs in Focus", EMCDDA policy briefings (three issues).

Drugnet Europe", EMCDDA newsletters (four issues).

An overview of cannabis potency in Europe", EMCDDA insights 6.

Hepatitis C and injecting Drug use: impact costs and policy option", EMCDDA monographs 7.

Report on the risk assessment of TMA-2 in the framework of the joint action on new synthetic drugs.

Report on the risk assessment 2C-I, 2C-T-2 and 2C-T-7 in the framework of the joint action on new synthetic drugs.

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