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22 Feb 2005 : Column 523W—continued

Probation Service (Lancashire)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much will be spent on the probation service in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in 2005–06. [216830]

Paul Goggins: The Lancashire Probation Board has so far been allocated £19.547 million of Home Office funds for the financial year 2005–06. The amount of this that is allocated for services in Chorley is a matter for the Lancashire Probation Board.

Secure Sites (Young People's Deaths)

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people under 21 years have died in each of the last five years for which figures are available in (a) police custody, (b) prison and (c) other secure sites; and if he will make a statement. [213322]

Ms Blears: The table sets out the information requested. Of the deaths of young people who die following contact with the police, 89 per cent. (77 deaths out of 87) do so as a result of road traffic incidents. Operational measures to avoid pursuits or curtail them include the use of helicopters, the early deployment of tyre deflation devices across the carriageway and tactical pursuit and containment in which a number of police vehicles are deployed in a planned manner to box in the target vehicle and bring it safely to a halt. More widely, we are working with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the National Centre for Policing Excellence and other key stakeholders in developing guidance setting out minimum standards for safer custody practice. This is due for publication in January 2006 following consultation in summer 2005 on the draft guidance with practitioner groups.

The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is, within stakeholders, developing a suicide prevention strategy which includes specific provision for juveniles. This will focus on:


 
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Police custodyPrisonYoung offenders institution
1999–200018115
2000–0110216
2001–0212012
2002–0327016
2003–042028

Shannon Trust

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support his Department gives to the Shannon Trust; and what plans there are for further support. [214318]

Paul Goggins: The Department for Education and Skills has commissioned an evaluation of the Toe by Toe scheme, run by the Shannon Trust. The evaluative exercise offers a structured analysis that will identify the success factors in the secure estate, determine the role of the learner/tutor relationship in the scheme's success, and consider its applicability to all learners. The evaluation will ascertain the potential for mainstreaming the scheme within the wider Skills for Life learning community and establishing stronger links with the overall Skills for Life initiative.

Under-age Drinking

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been in (a) south Yorkshire and (b) England of retailers for selling alcohol to people under 18 years in each of the last five years. [212264]

Paul Goggins: The available information, relating to England and south Yorkshire police force area, 1999 to 2003, is shown in the following table.
Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to the sale of alcohol to underage persons(35), England and South Yorkshire police force area, 1999 to 2003

Offence descriptionStatuteYearEnglandSouth Yorkshire PFA
Selling etc., intoxicating liquor to persons underLicensing Act, 1964, section 169(1);19991855
18 for consumption on the premisesLicensing (Occasional Permissions) Act200011614
1983, schedule (sec.3) para. 4(1)200116620
2002149
2003561
Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a personLicensing Act 1964, sec. 181 A(1) as19991
under 18 added by Licensing Act 1988, sec. 1720002
200132
20022
200312


(35) These data are on the principal offence basis.



 
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West Mercia Police

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid by West Mercia constabulary in out of court settlements in the last 12 months. [213313]

Ms Blears: The chief constable of West Mercia constabulary informs me that £72,483 has been paid in out of court settlements in the 12 month period to January 2005.

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been made against West Mercia Police Constabulary in the last 12 months. [213315]

Ms Blears: I am advised by West Mercia police that 790 complaints were made against the force between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2004.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Waste

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which landfill sites in England are licensed to accept hazardous waste. [216901]

Mr. Morley: At the end of 2004, 16 landfills in England were permitted to accept hazardous wastes, with a further seven awaiting a decision (of those seven, some may be accepting hazardous wastes under the terms of a waste management licence). Also, the Environment Agency has received 47 applications to operate separate cells in non-hazardous landfills, for the disposal of stable non reactive hazardous waste, with 24 sites currently operational. Details on all the sites can be found on the Environment Agency website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/444217/444663/landfill/

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Publications

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent on the production of in-house magazines in the Department in each year since 1997. [213647]

Mr. Miliband: The Cabinet Office in-house magazine SCOOPS" was published from 1997 until December 2002.

Early production costs were minimal, excluding staff production costs. From October 1998 with the introduction of the first colour edition, until publication was discontinued in December 2002, costs rose to £2,500 per issue. SCOOPS" was published ten times per year, at a cost of £25,000 per year between 1999 and 2002.

The staff newsletter, The Weekly", has always been produced entirely in-house and has incurred no additional production costs.
 
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Mobile Phones

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost of staff mobile phone bills was in each year since 1997. [214900]

Mr. Miliband: Information relating to mobile telephones and their cost is not held centrally and is not separately identifiable on the Department's accounting system. It cannot therefore be readily retrieved without incurring disproportionate cost.

Queen's Flight

Chris Grayling: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) on how many occasions his Department's Ministers used the Queen's Flight in each of the past five years; [213694]

(2) how much money his Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years. [213711]

Mr. Miliband: Travel by Ministers" makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/private charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course.

All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code" and Travel by Ministers."


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