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HOME DEPARTMENT

Airguns

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) injuries and (b) deaths have been reported as a direct result of airgun incidents in each of the last eight years. [221784]

Caroline Flint: Statistics on the number of crimes recorded by the police in which an air weapon was reported to have caused injury are contained in Table2.06 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 02/05 'Crime in England and Wales 2003–04: Supplementary Volume 1: Homicide and Gun Crime'. Table 2b of that publication gives the available statistics on fatal injuries reported to have been caused by an air weapon. Copies of this publication are available in the Library and it is also available on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb0205.pdf

Civil Servants

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants worked at (a) Prison Service headquarters, (b) Probation headquarters and (c) National Offender Management Service headquarters on 31 December 2004; what the estimated numbers are for 31 December 2005; and if he will make a statement. [220390]

Paul Goggins: The new National Offender Management Service (NOMS) headquarters, alongside the National Probation Directorate and the Prison Service headquarters, is being redesigned. Comparable information on staff numbers across all three headquarters on 31 December 2004 is not available; but on 22 November 2004 there were 641 full-time equivalent posts in NOMS headquarters, 2,250 in Prison Service headquarters, and 305 in the National Probation Directorate. The number of civil servants within each total is not separately identified.

A proposal, including the allocation of staff to directorates, has been put forward to staff and trade unions for their comments.

The new headquarters is being planned for April 2005, and I will write to my hon. and learned Friend once the design of the new headquarters has been agreed.

National Offender Management Service

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what functions within the National Offender Management Service were not previously carried out by either the prison or probation services; and if he will make a statement. [220473]

Paul Goggins: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has been established within the existing legislative framework of the Prison and Probation Services. While NOMS has no new statutory functions, a provision in the recently published Management of Offenders and Sentencing Bill will establish sentence planning and review as a core offender management function.
 
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Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff working for theNational Offender Management Services (NOMS) are situated at (a) NOMS headquarters, (b) Prison Service headquarters and (c) Probation Service headquarters. [220475]

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service headquarters and the National Probation Directorate both form parts of the National Offender Management Service.

The new National Offender Management Service headquarters, alongside the Prison Service and Probation Service headquarters, is being redesigned. A proposal, including the allocation of staff to Directorates, has been put forward to staff and trade unions for their comments. The new headquarters is being planned for April 2005 and I will write to the hon. Member once the design of the new headquarters has been agreed.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff have been transferred from (a) Her Majesty's Prison Service and (b) the Probation Service to the National Offender Management Service. [220478]

Paul Goggins: The new National Offender Management Service (NOMS) headquarters, alongside the Prison Service and Probation Service headquarters, is being redesigned. A proposal, including the allocation of staff to directorates, has been put forward to staff and trade unions for their comments. The new headquarters is being planned for April 2005.

It is intended to effect formal staff transfers from the Prison Service and from the National Probation Directorate into NOMS headquarters on 31 March. Iwill write to the hon. Member once the design of the new headquarters has been agreed.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff based at (a) Prison Service and (b) Probation Service Headquarters work for the National Offender Management Service. [220516]

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service headquarters and the National Probation Directorate both form parts of the National Offender Management Service.

The new National Offender Management Service headquarters, alongside the Prison Service and Probation Service headquarters, is being redesigned. A proposal, including the allocation of staff to Directorates, has been put forward to staff and trade unions for their comments. The new headquarters is being planned for April 2005 and I will write to my hon. Friend once the design of the new headquarters has been agreed.

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for developing the responsibilities of regional offender managers under theNational Offender Management Service; and what the timetable is for that development. [218794]

Paul Goggins: Regional Offender Managers (ROMs) will be key figures in the line of accountability running from those actually managing offenders to the National Offender Manager. They will have a crucial role to play in commissioning services needed to reduce re-offending.
 
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ROMs are already working with local probation boards in establishing the offender management model for community sentences and overseeing the separation of offender management and interventions within probation areas. Budgets for 2006–07 for offender management in probation areas will be agreed by the ROMs; budgets for 2006–07 for public sector intervention services in probation areas will be agreed by the director of probation and the ROMs; budget allocation for prisons for 2006–07 within each NOMS region will be agreed by the director general of prisons and the ROMs. The ROMs are working with a range of stakeholders to put in place regional reducing re-offending strategies during 2005

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what administrative support there will be for regional offender managers in each regional area under the National Offender Management Service structure. [218795]

Paul Goggins: The Regional Offender Managers will initially have two staff to provide administrative support. As their role and responsibilities grow, the staffing requirements will be reviewed.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effects of the introduction of the National Offender Management Service on (a) the level of centralised control, (b) community engagement and (c) accountability in the Probation Service. [222508]

Paul Goggins: The establishment of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) now provides clear leadership and accountability for the performance of all the correctional services and for reducing re-offending. The effectiveness of the service will depend upon relationships between NOMS and its various partners at the local, regional and national level. This is a key feature of the feasibility work currently under way on organisational models for NOMS.

In addition, the creation of NOMS offers a unique opportunity to sustain and expand existing community sector work with offenders. A draft strategy The Role of the Voluntary and Community Sector in the National Offender Management Service" has recently been published for consultation and is available on the Home Office website.

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) where each regional offender manager will be based; and if he will make a statement; [221580]

(2) what work has been undertaken to identify possible office sites for each of the regional offender managers; and if he will make a statement. [221581]

Paul Goggins: It is intended that the offices for the Regional Offender Managers will provide the best possible access for their region, and deliver best value for money. They may be co-located with other parts of the National Offender Management Service, other government offices or at new locations.

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated annual cost is for the operation of the Office of the National Offender Manager; and if he will make a statement. [221583]

 
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Paul Goggins: The budget for the Office of the National Offender Manager (not including the budgets for the Regional Offender Managers) for 2005–06 is yet to be finalised but the indicative budget for 2005–06 has been set at £0.214 million resource.

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