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7 Apr 2005 : Column 1826W—continued

Race (Young People)

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research his Department has commissioned into young people's awareness of and attitude towards race. [224779]

Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 6 April 2005]: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

Race Relations (Amendment) Act

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police authorities have (a) complied with their statutory duties under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, (b) published a race equality scheme and action plan and (c) carried out race impact assessments. [216545]

Ms Blears: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities have (a) complied with their statutory duties under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, (b) published a raceequality scheme and action plan and (c) carried out race impact assessments. [216547]

Fiona Mactaggart: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

Reconvictions

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Prison and Probation Services achieved the 2004 target to reduce the rate of reconvictions of all offenders punished by imprisonment or by community supervision by 5 per cent. [224822]

Paul Goggins: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.
 
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Recorded Crime

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of recorded crimes resulted in a conviction in each year since 1997, broken down by recorded offence. [205330]

Ms Blears: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

Regional Offices

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which (a) non-departmental public bodies and (b) executive agencies within the remit of his Department have regional offices based on the Government Offices for the Regions' regional structure; and when the regional offices were established in each case. [219879]

Fiona Mactaggart: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what regional (a) bodies, (b) institutions, (c) taskforces, (d) panels, (e) offices and (f) organisations the Government have established since May 1997 which are the responsibility of his Department; [219948]

(2) which regional (a) bodies, (b) institutions, (c) taskforces, (d) panels, (e) offices and (f) organisations the Government has established since May 1997 which are the responsibility of his Department. [220188]

Fiona Mactaggart: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

Rehabilitation

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the results of the research on rehabilitation regimes to be published; and if he will make a statement. [201677]

Paul Goggins: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

Released Offenders

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of literacy and numeracy rates among offenders released from prison. [224825]

Paul Goggins: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the percentage of offenders who (a) get a job and (b) live in stable accommodation when they are released from prison. [224826]

Paul Goggins: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

River Police

Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of (a) the relative effectiveness of policing the non-tidal
 
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Thames by each of the forces having such responsibility and (b) the percentage of the total forces resources devoted to such policing by each of the relevant police authorities. [206883]

Ms Blears: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

Roadside Drug Testing

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for roadside drug testing; and what assessment he has made of the (a) value and (b) effectiveness of such tests. [221704]

Caroline Flint: We have already given the police a power to conduct compulsory roadside tests for impairment, which may be due to a drug, and for the presence of drugs.

Impairment tests are conducted in accordance with a Code of Practice issued on 20 December 2004. They involve a trained officer observing a suspect in the performance of specified tasks and making other observations about his physical state. They are based on the voluntary field impairment tests and drug recognition techniques that have been in use for some time and are of proven effectiveness in indicating whether a person might be under the influence of a drug.

Tests for the presence of drugs have to be carried out by means of a device of a type approved by the Secretary of State. We are currently developing the detailed specification for such a device and the procedures by which candidate devices might be assessed in field and laboratory trials. It will then be for manufacturers to produce such devices and submit them for approval. We currently expect that suitable products will be on the market by the end of 2006.

A reliable indication of drug presence will, in the same way as a reliable indication of impairment, valuably inform the police decision whether a person might be committing the offence of driving or attempting to drive while unfit to drive through drugs.

Royal Prerogative

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the royal prerogative has been used since 1975; and under what circumstances. [217977]

Mr. Charles Clarke: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

Royal Wedding

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of additional costs to be incurred in providing security at the wedding of HRH Prince of Wales due to its change of date. [224983]

Mr. Charles Clarke: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.
 
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Ryan McQuigg

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the UK security agencies will process the request submitted by the Scottish Parliament for a security pass for Mr Ryan McQuigg. [222017]

Mr. Charles Clarke: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

Security Industry

Mr. Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will instruct the Security Industry Authority to make licence application forms readily available to door supervisor candidates and via their approved training provider; [220792]

(2) if he will temporarily suspend the conditionality clause covering the exemption under sub-paragraph (4)(b) of section 4 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001, pending the establishment of the approved contractor scheme; [220793]

(3) whether an approved contractor scheme under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 has been established; [220794]

(4) whether it is his policy that a person whose application to the Security Industry Authority for a licence to work as a security doorperson has not yet been considered may work as a doorperson pending that consideration; [220795]

(5) if he will delay further implementation of the provisions of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 until existing applicants have completed their training and registration and have been licensed as security door staff. [220796]

Ms Blears: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources have been provided to ensure that the 20 March 2006 deadline for licensing all security personnel can be met. [222344]

Ms Blears [holding answer 17 March 2005]: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.

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