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7 Apr 2005 : Column 1836W—continued
Volunteering
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research the Department has conducted into attitudes towards volunteering by the recently retired. [224764]
Fiona Mactaggart: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.
Wild Cat (Sydenham)
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue instructions to the Metropolitan Police to ensure that in hunting for the wild cat near Sydenham, they use every effort to tranquilise and capture the animal and not to kill it. [224150]
Caroline Flint [holding answer 4 April 2005]: This is an operational matter for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. He tells me that that presently there is no active search taking place for a wild cat" in Sydenham. Should officers encounter any animal which could be considered dangerous they will deal with it in an appropriate manner and in accordance with the Association of Chief Police Officers Manual of Guidance on the Police Use of Firearms.
Witnesses
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider introducing
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proposals to extend section 97 of the Magistrates Courts Act 1980 and Schedule 3 paragraph 1 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to allow prosecutors to summon all potential witnesses to a magistrates court for a deposition. [218867]
Paul Goggins: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the existing requirements are for taping the statements of interviews of witnesses by the police which could later be submitted for review by the prosecution. [218869]
Paul Goggins: Guidance on interviewing vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, including consideration of video recording, is contained in Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings: Guidance for Vulnerable or Intimidated Witnesses, including Children". This guidance became operational in May 2002 when it superseded Memorandum of Good Practice on Video Recorded Interviews with Child Witnesses for Criminal Proceedings".
The Association of chief police officers also issues guidance including: Guidance on the Recording of Interviews with Vulnerable and Significant (Key) Witnesses".
Young Offenders (Voluntary Organisations)
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding has been given to voluntary organisations working with young offenders in each year since 1997. [200338]
Fiona Mactaggart: It has not been possible to provide an answer in the time available before Prorogation.
Neighbourhood Nursery (Crosby)
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a neighbourhood nursery was attached to the Sure Start local programme opened in June 2004 in Crosby. [219324]
Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
The Sure Start local programme in Seaforth and Bootle was approved in 2001 to provide services to 700 children under four and their families in the wards of Church and Linacre. The Neighbourhood Nursery
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attached to this local programme, is located in the Linacre ward and opened in June 2004 delivering 62additional child care places to families living in the area.
The local programme delivers a range of services for families and parents within the area, including
The combined expertise within the team members covers all aspect of health, education, parenting skills, practical and emotional support and social care from ante-natal stage to nursery education.
Seaforth and Bootle local programme has established a mobile toy library and the early years workers provide practical support around early learning and play.
The proportion of parents expressing no concerns about the extent of their children's language development increased from 77 per cent. in 2001–02 to 79 per cent. in 2003–04.
The community midwife provides breast feeding support sessions at birth, six weeks and 17 weeks. The rate of take up of these sessions has gone up from 34.4 per cent. in 2002–03 to 37.9 per cent. in 2003–04 at birth; 8 per cent. to 13.9 per cent. at six weeks and 4 per cent. to 8.6 per cent. at 17 weeks.
The number of women supported by post-natal depression group increased from 13 in 2002–03 to 30 women in 2003–04.
The programme funding for the current and future years is as follows:
| Programme name: Seaforth and Bootle (£) | |
|---|---|
| Capital | |
| Approved | 825,211 |
| Revenue | |
| 2004–05 | 770,140 |
| 2005–06 | 789,393 |
| 2006–07 | 789,393 |
Sefton council have been allocated capital of £1,954,031 and revenue of £250,000 for 2004–05 and £323,432 for 2005–06, and are planning to open seven Children's centre by March 2006.