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Correspondence
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 14 October 2004 from the hon. Member for Brent, East regarding Ms Varsha Edeis. [215630]
Caroline Flint: I replied to the hon. Member's letter on 22 February 2005.
Criminal Justice Intervention Panels
Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the National Offender Management Service will interrelate with the Criminal Justice Intervention Panels; and what impact on crime rates he expects to result from such interrelation. [203544]
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Paul Goggins: The Drug Interventions Programme (formerly Criminal Justice Interventions Programme) is a critical part of the Government's national strategy for tackling drugs. Its implementation is being phased and delivery at a local level is through community-based Criminal Justice Integrated Teams (CJITs) which adopt a case management approach to offer access to drug treatment and support for drug misusing offenders.
With the creation of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) we envisage the drugs case manager acting as the link to and, in some areas, provider of drug treatment services. Regional Offender Managers will be responsible for ensuring that effective links are established within their regions between offender managers and CJITs. This will avoid duplication and ensure a fully integrated package of support and management for drug misusing offenders before, during and after sentence.
Research shows that engaging offenders in drug treatment significantly reduces offending and impacts on crime. The successful co-operation of the Drug Interventions Programme and NOMS will contribute to the planned overall reduction of 15 per cent. in offences recorded by the British Crime Survey by the end of 2007–08.
Drug Seizures
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what baseline figures will be used to measure his Department's targets to increase the proportion of (a) heroin seized from 10 per cent. in 2003 to 16 per cent. in 2006 and (b) cocaine seized from 21 per cent. to 26 per cent. in 2006, as set out on page 85 of the Home Office Strategic Plan 2004 to 2008; and if he will make a statement. [214982]
Caroline Flint: The Home Office HMCE PSA 3 of increasing the proportion of heroin seized from 10 per cent. in 2003 to 16 per cent. in 2006 and cocaine from 21 per cent. to 26 per cent. is based upon the following Customs and Excise information.
The taking out of 3,379 kg of heroin in 2001–02.
The targets for 2003–04 through to 2005–06 for heroin then are as follows:
| Kilograms | |
|---|---|
| 2003–04 | 4,000 |
| 2004–05 | 4,600 |
| 2005–06 | 5,300 |
The taking out of 10,930 kg of cocaine in 2001–02.
The targets for 2003–04 through to 2005–06 for cocaine then is as follows:
| Kilograms | |
|---|---|
| 2003–04 | 12,000 |
| 2004–05 | 12,600 |
| 2005–06 | 13,200 |
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Extradition Treaty
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects that the US Congress will ratify the amendment to the extradition treaty between the US and the United Kingdom; on what basis the United Kingdom has agreed to fulfill its obligations under the amended treaty prior to ratification by the US; and if he will make a statement. [217776]
Caroline Flint [holding answer 1 March 2005]: The extradition treaty signed between the US and the UK in 2003 is a completely new treaty, and requires the advice and consent of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee before it can be ratified by the US Government. We have been advised by the US State Department that, although the Committee has a heavy schedule, the US State Department has asked it to consider the treaty at the earliest possible time.
Some of the important, modernising provisions of the new treaty were given effect in the Extradition Act 2003 (and are therefore available generally in extradition, and are not linked solely to the US-UK treaty.) Secondary legislation was required under the new Act to designate all our extradition partners for the purposes of extradition to those states. The United States was, of course, included in that legislation.
Inquests
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days on average in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004 (i) coroners, (ii) deputy coroners and (iii) assistant deputy coroners in the north-east region sat on inquests. [212090]
Paul Goggins: This information is not available.
National Probation Service
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the budget for the National Probation Service for 2005–06 will provide for the additional employment of front-line staff. [218438]
Paul Goggins: The 42 local probation boards have been provided with an extra £20 million for the recruitment of extra staff to fund the full year effect of staff recruited in 2004–05 and to commence the recruitment of a further 1,000 staff in 2005–06. This amounts to approximately 37 per cent. of the probation boards' increase in budget for 2005–06.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed in each probation area on 31 December 2004, broken down by grade; and how many vacancies there were on that date, broken down by grade. [218439]
Paul Goggins:
The requested information will not be available until April 2005. Data as at 30 September 2004 is the most recent available, and is provided in the tables.
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John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation staff he expects will be employed in each probation area in England and Wales by 30 March 2006, broken down by grade. [218440]
Paul Goggins: The information requested is as follows:
By March 2006, it is anticipated that there will be more than 21,000 probation staff, an increase of at least 1,880 (9.8 per cent.) on the 19,120 FTE employed at 30 September 2004.
It is not possible to provide this information by area or grade at the present time.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the performance of the National Probation Service in meeting its targets for (a) 2003–04 and (b) April to September 2004. [203406]
Paul Goggins: The performance of the National Probation Service (NPS) in meeting its targets for 2003–04 and April to September 2004 is set out in the table.
(10) April-June 2004
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The figures illustrate the real improvement that the NPS has achieved on most of its main service delivery targets.
It should be noted that the targets for:
The results for the first six months are very promising and show that the NPS can achieve all of its targets this year, provided that the good work done so far is maintained across all the 42 areas.
John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of probation staff in England and Wales were from ethnic minorities in the year ended March 2003. [204004]
Paul Goggins [holding answer 15 December 2004]: The information requested is as follows:
The percentage of probation staff from black and minority ethnic groups at the year ended March 2003 was 10.1 per cent. A further 4.0 per cent. of staff did not have their ethnicity recorded.
John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation board members are from ethnic minorities; and how many were from ethnic minorities in March 2001. [204005]
Paul Goggins: [holding answer 15 December 2004]: The information requested is as follows:
Number | Percentage of total number of board members | |
|---|---|---|
| April 2001(11) | 78 (of 531) | 14.7 |
| December 2004 | 79 (of 599) | 13.2 |
(11) The information supplied is from April 2001, the date when board members were appointed to the National Probation Service. Prior to this date, no information is available.
John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of senior probation officers are from ethnic minorities. [204006]
Paul Goggins [holding answer 15 December 2004]: The information requested is as follows:
The percentage of senior probation officers from black and minority ethnic groups as at 31 December 2003 was 10.8 per cent. of staff within that grade. A further 4.2 per cent. of senior probation officers did not have their ethnicity recorded.
Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Home Office has conducted stress surveys amongst staff in the probation service in England and Wales. [204132]
Paul Goggins: The National Probation Directorate has not conducted stress surveys amongst staff in the probation service in England and Wales. However, a number of probation areas may have conducted such surveys.
The National Probation Directorate has been working closely with the local employers, trade unions and the Health and Safety Executive to deliver a first class health and safety policy to the National Probation Service.
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A recent study carried out by the Work Foundation on behalf of the Cabinet Office identified the working relationship between the National Probation Directorate, Employers and Trade Unions in developing the Health and Safety Strategy as National Best Practice.
As part of the strategy, the National Probation Directorate has recently published a stress policy to be adopted by areas that is considered by the trade unions, employers and the Health and Safety Executive as a best practice model. This policy was created in accordance with the Health and Safety Executives launch of the Stress Management Standards in November 2004.
Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions during 2003–04 the (a) National Probation Service's and (b) local probation area bullying and harassment policies were invoked. [204133]
Paul Goggins: There is no National Probation Service national bullying and harassment policy as such. The National Probation Service comprises forty-two probation boards that are bodies corporate in their own right and the employers of all staff working for that Board.
The National Negotiating Council of the National Probation Service which comprises representatives of the employers, trade unions and National Probation Directorate issued a "model" harassment and bullying policy that the individual Boards might wish to introduce. Boards are free to adopt the "model" policy or to develop a policy of their own.
The National Probation Directorate does not monitor the number of grievances or allegations of bullying or harassment made within the employing Boards as these are matters for the employer i.e. the individual Board.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps will be taken to improve morale within the National Probation Service. [204890]
Paul Goggins: In 2003–04 attrition rates within the National Probation Service (NPS)—the number of staff who leave the NPS, not including those who transfer within the service—stood at 8 per cent. for professional staff and 15 per cent. for support staff. This is well below the national average across the public sector. At the same time, the NPS has experienced little difficulty in recruitment, with total staff numbers rising by over 5,000 since 1997.
The performance of the NPS, which is another good indicator of morale, has undergone a sustained period of improvement since 2001.
Each probation area will receive a significant budget increase in 2005, with around 2,000 new members of staff to be recruited over the course of the year. This reflects the commitment the Government have to effective community supervision and will make a real difference to the management of offenders.
We will continue to encourage constructive dialogue with probation staff in order to ensure that they are fully engaged in the future development of the National Offender Management Service.
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