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7 Apr 2005 : Column 1789W—continued
Credit/Debit Cards
Mr. Oaten:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of the changeover from signature to chip and PIN credit and debit cards and its effect on consumers;
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what discussions his Department has had with the banking and credit card industries on this matter; and if he will make a statement; [223873]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects on the (a) banking and (b) retail industries of the changeover from signature to chip and pin debit and credit cards. [223874]
Ms Blears [holding answer 4 April 2005]: Chip and PIN is a major finance and retail industry anti fraud initiative. The introduction of chip and PIN has been managed by the chip and PIN Programme Management Organisation, and actively supported by Government.
Following a successful public trial, national roll out of the scheme began in October 2003 with the aim that by 2005 a majority of plastic card transactions should be chip and PIN. The chip and PIN programme announced earlier this year that it reached all its 2004 targets for the roll out with customer research demonstrating that 71 per cent. of cardholders expect their next transaction to be chip and PIN and 45 per cent. now using it for all or most of their card payments. 1
I last met with representatives from the programme in November 2003 and Home Office officials maintain regular contact with the finance and retail industry.
It is currently too early to assess the effects of chip and PIN in preventing credit card fraud. The impact of chip and PIN on card fraud is expected to be seen early in 2005 and hence will first be reflected in the APACS mid-year card fraud figures to June 2005, which will be available in the summer.
Crime
Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of reported crimes in Leicester, South were classified as (a) violent crimes and (b) distraction burglaries in each year since 1997. [220781]
Ms Blears: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the levels of (a) domestic violence, (b) violent crime, (c) vehicle thefts, (d) burglary and (e) overall crime in (i) the Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK were in each year since 1997. [222180]
Ms Blears: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.
Roger Casale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in (a) overall recorded crime, (b) recorded violent crime, (c) burglaries and (d) vehicle thefts in Wimbledon has been since 1997. [224242]
Ms Blears: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time
Criminal Justice
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for which offences in the judicial system guilt is determined on the basis of reasonable grounds for suspicion. [220227]
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Paul Goggins: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.
Custody Sergeants
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the Serious and Organised Crime and Police Bill on the role of the custody sergeant. [208718]
Ms Blears: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.
Deaths Overseas
Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is taken following a verdict by a coroner in England and Wales of unlawful killing in respect of a death of a UK national overseas. [220357]
Paul Goggins [holding answer 7 March 2005]: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.
Departmental Budget
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the planned (a) capital and (b) resource budget for his Department is for 2011–12. [223431]
Fiona Mactaggart: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 April 2005, Official Report, column 117W by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
Departmental Costs
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost has been of criminal damage to his Department's buildings in each of the last two years. [200758]
Fiona Mactaggart: Central records are not generally held. The estimated damage caused by the disturbance earlier this year at Harmondsworth removal centre is approximately £2.5 million. This is expected to be covered by the operator's insurance.
Following indiscipline incidents causing damage the opportunity was taken to carry out upgrades to parts of Lincoln prison (£2.6 million in 2002–03) and Wetherby prison (£2.3 million mostly in 2004–05).
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the equipment leasing arrangements entered into by his Department in each of the last two years; and what the cost is to public funds in each case. [200770]
Fiona Mactaggart: Information held by the Home Office on equipment leasing arrangements entered into by the Department in each of the last two years is as follows:
Photocopiers, printers/duplicators, CCTV cameras, mailing systems, vehicles, vending machines, gym equipment, floor cleaning equipment, washing machines, water dispensers/coolers, hygiene products and disposals, waste compactors and industrial equipment for workshops.
12 month lease of the Ancore, VEDS, large vehicle x-ray machine. Paid in four quarterly instalments, the last of which was in February 2003.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid to consultants carrying out staff surveys in the Department in each year since 1997. [213656]
Fiona Mactaggart: The information required is not held in a central record or in the format requested.
The information held by the Home Office on the amount paid to consultants carrying out staff surveys in each year since 1997 is as follows:
(26)February
(27)YTD
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Department spent on (a) stationery and (b) office supplies in each year since 1997. [213845]
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Fiona Mactaggart: The available information held by the Home Office on it's expenditure on stationery and office supplies in each year since 1997 is as follows:
| Year | Stationery | Office supplies |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | n/a | n/a |
| 1998 | n/a | n/a |
| 1999 | 415,000 | n/a |
| 2000 | 496,000 | 5,763,344 |
| 2001 | 406,000 | 6,604,000 |
| 2002 | 532,000 | 8,114,969 |
| 2003 | 461,000 | 9,377,737 |
| 2004 | 375,000 | 9,860,845 |
n/a denotes not available
Stationery figures include bulk paper purchased to print HMPS headed paper stationery, compliments slips, information booklets and leaflets used within HMPS internal industries, purchased from James McNaughton Ltd.
Office Supplies includes all printer and copier paper and office supplies purchased by all Home Office departments using the Guilbert/Office Depot contract. From 2002, the figures include spend on computer consumables.
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