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8 Mar 2005 : Column 1683W—continued
Crime and Disorder Act
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the work of social services departments is affected by their duty under section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act to reduce crime and disorder; and if he will make a statement. [219317]
Ms Blears: Under section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, local authorities have a statutory duty to have due regard to the likely effect of the exercise of their functions on, and the need to do all they reasonably can to prevent, crime and disorder in the local area.
With their responsibility for social care and welfare, social services departments in local authorities have a crucial role to play in tackling crime and antisocial behaviour. Social services meet their section 17 responsibilities in various ways, including caring for vulnerable children and adults who may be victims or perpetrators of crime and antisocial behaviour;
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identifying young people at risk of offending; providing support and guardianship to young people in the care system; and providing case conference input in antisocial behaviour cases.
Criminal Cases Review Commission
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the proposed staffing reductions in the Criminal Cases Review Commission on the investigation of and reporting on alleged miscarriages of justice. [213970]
Paul Goggins: The commission are undertaking a review of their casework management processes to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Any assessment of the likely effect of any staffing reductions would need to be seen in context.
Departmental Costs
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on congestion (a) charges and (b) penalty charge notices by the Department since the commencement of the congestion charging scheme. [213820]
Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office policy will only permit the reimbursement of congestion charges when they have been incurred on official business, or where an individual has been awarded excess fares allowances as a result of a permanent compulsory transfer.
Reimbursement will only be made of the initial £5 charge upon production of a valid receipt. Penalty charges incurred as a result of late payments are not met by the Department.
The costs for congestion charges are not recorded separately on the accounting system and could only be determined by interrogating the paper claim records at disproportionate cost.
Dogs
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) visual deterrent dogs, (b) guard dogs, (c) police dogs, (d) tracker dogs, (e) anti-terrorist dogs, (f) riot control dogs, (g) explosives detection dogs, (h) explosives and firearms detection dogs, (i) drug detection dogs, (j) cadaver detection dogs, (k) arson detection dogs, (l) anti-hijack dogs and (m) illegal immigrant detection dogs have been employed on Her Majesty's Service in each year since 1997. [217741]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I understand from the Association of Chief Police Officers that there were 2,003 active police dogs as at December 2004. It is not possible to break down this figure to the level of detail requested. Police dogs are not necessarily trained for one purpose and are able to perform more than one activity.
Prior to 2004, data on the number of active police dogs was not collected.
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Drink Driving
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for drink-driving resulted in custodial sentences in 2003 (a) in total and (b) broken down by police authority. [218214]
Ms Blears: Motoring offences data for 2003 will be published shortly.
Drug Offenders Report
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he expects the statistical report Drug Offenders in England and Wales 2003 to be published; and if he will make a statement. [214322]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The report Drug Offenders in England and Wales 2003 was published on 1 March.
Education in Prisons
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners have (a) started, (b) completed and (c) dropped out of educational courses in prisons in each year since 1997; [217729]
(2) how many prisoners have received an educational qualification in each year since 1997. [217753]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The information requested on individual achievement is not collated centrally and could be collected from individual establishments only at disproportionate cost.
However, since 2000–01, the Offenders' Learning and Skills Unit and the Prison Service have collected information on participation and achievement at establishment level. Since 2000–01 the number of basic skills qualifications gained each year has been:
| Number of basic skills qualifications gained | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 12,500 |
| 2001–02 | 16,000 |
| 2002–03 | 41,518 |
| 2003–04 | 46,517 |
| 2004–05 (to December 2004) | 46,430 |
The number of work skills qualifications gained each year since 2000–01 was:
| Number of work skills qualifications gained | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | n/a |
| 2001–02 | 56,320 |
| 2002–03 | 89,201 |
| 2003–04 | 109,237 |
| 2004–05 (to December) | 128,964 |
Immigration
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with the review of immigration and public health. [217435]
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Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 24 February 2005]: The Cabinet Office has co-ordinated work between relevant Government Departments, including the Department of Health and the Home Office, to review imported infections and immigration. New measures to protect the public were announced in our five- year strategy for asylum and immigration 'Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain' (Cm 6472).
Infectious Diseases (UK Entrants)
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed by the Government to test those entering the United Kingdom for tuberculosis; and at which ports of entry they are based. [217745]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Department of Health advises that staff carrying out medical examinations at ports of entry in England are provided by the Health Protection Agency or the relevant primary care trust. Staff are not necessarily based full time on site at the port but may instead be on call when required. No figures are collected centrally on the number of staff involved. We understand that the position elsewhere in the United Kingdom is broadly similar.
Arrangements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are a matter for the administrations responsible for those parts of the United Kingdom.
At overseas posts, a number of medical referees are retained to advise entry clearance officers on medical reports obtained by prospective entrants. No figures are collected centrally on the number of referees involved.
Official Residences
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the official residences for which his Department is responsible; who occupies each one; what the annual cost is of running each property; what contribution the current occupants make towards the running costs of each; what the total capital and refurbishment expenditure has been on those properties in each of the past five years; how much money was spent in each property on (a) flowers and plants, (b) wine and entertaining, (c) food, (d) telephone bills and (e) electricity and gas in 2003–04; how many (i) domestic and (ii) maintenance staff are employed at each property, broken down by post; and what the total cost of staff employment at each was in 2003–04. [213613]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Prime Minister to him on 20 January 2004, Official Report, column 1037W.
The annual cost of running the property referred to varies from year to year. In the last complete year 2003–04 the total cost was £9,557 excluding security provision, site rent and capital charge for the leasehold interest. The occupier is responsible for meeting all expenditure on (a) flowers and plants, (b) wine and entertaining, (c) food, and (d) private telephone bills. There are no domestic or maintenance staff employed by the Department.
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The cost of electricity and gas in 2003–04 was £433 and £1,786 respectively. These costs are met by the current occupier with effect from 31 December 2004. Information on cost of official phone calls can only be found at disproportionate cost.
The total capital and refurbishment expenditure in each of the last five years has been:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 73,240 |
| 2002–03 | 27,440 |
| 2003–04 | 0 |
| 2004–05 | 0 |
A major programme of cyclical refurbishment—the first for some years—was completed in late spring 2002.
This was needed to maintain the repair and value property and to deal with the impact of substantial flood and storm damage.
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