House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 6 Jul 2005 (pt 36)

6 Jul 2005 : Column 545W—continued

Public Protection Panels

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Multi-agency Public Protection Panel Arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [4789]

Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 16 June 2005]: Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) are regularly reviewed at a local level by Strategic Management Boards (SMB), formed of senior staff from the Police, Probation and Prison Service. Since 2001–02, each SMB has produced an annual report on the MAPPA arrangements. These reports show that the arrangements have made a significant difference to the way the public is protected from the risks posed by sexual and violent offenders. I have also commissioned an independent study of MAPPA by De Montfort University, due to be published later this year, and a joint inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, starting in September. All of these reports will be made available in the Library once they are published.

Shooting

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State (1) for the Home Department whether he plans to review the guidelines on the shooting of foxes and ground game at night; [6051]

(2) whether he plans to introduce an age limit for the shooting of foxes and ground game at night; [6054]

(3) what discussions he has had with the (a) British Association for Shooting and Conservation and (b) other shooting organisations about the guidelines relating to the shooting of foxes and ground game at night. [6052]

Hazel Blears: I understand that Defra has no plans to review the current policy on shooting of foxes and ground game at night. Consequently there has been no need to consult stakeholders. Under the provisions of the Firearms Act 1968 a person under 14 may not be granted a firearm certificate in any circumstances. A person between 14 and 17 may be granted a certificate in order to possess a firearm provided that the police are satisfied that the individual concerned is fit to possess the gun without being a danger to the public safety and

6 Jul 2005 : Column 546W

has a good reason for possessing it. We are currently considering the many responses to the consultation paper we issued last year on how our firearms controls and laws might be revised.

South Wales Police

Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community support officers there are in South Wales Police H Division; and if he will make a statement. [9596]

Hazel Blears: The deployment of Community Support Officers (CSOs) is an operational matter for the Chief Constable (Barbara Wilding). The Home Office Police Service Strength Statistical Bulletin, which will be published later this month , will provide data on the number of (CSOs) in each police force at 31 March 2005. Information on Community Support Officer (CSO) strength is not collected at Basic Command Unit level.

Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes there have been in police numbers in South Wales Police H Division since 1997. [9597]

Hazel Blears: Information on strength at basic Command Unit (BCU) level is collected annually and reflects the position at the end of March for each year. Information on BCU strength is only available from 2002 and is set out in the table. The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the Chief Constable (Barbara Wilding) and within the H" Swansea Divison deployment of officers is a matter for the Divisional Commander.

Information on the number of police officers in BCUs for 31 March 2005 will be published later this month.
H" Swansea Division—Police Numbers 2002 to 2004

Year (as at 31 March) Number of Police Officers

2002⁽⁸²⁾ 464

2003⁽⁸³⁾ 500

2004⁽⁸³⁾ 498

⁽⁸²⁾HM Inspectorate of constabulary database
⁽⁸³⁾Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, Police Statistics

Year (as at 31 March)	Number of Police Officers
2002⁽⁸²⁾	464
2003⁽⁸³⁾	500
2004⁽⁸³⁾	498

Stolen Cars

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of cars stolen in England and Wales for sale in foreign countries since 1990. [8463]

Hazel Blears: The recorded crime statistics do not have details of the number of cars stolen for sale in foreign countries.

Tetra

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police authorities are not using Tetra. [9116]

Hazel Blears: Airwave, the new police radio system, is now available to all 51 police forces in England, Wales and Scotland. Airwave currently has over 125,000 users, and is expected to be fully operational in most forces by the summer of 2006.

6 Jul 2005 : Column 547W

Transsexual Prisoners

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department will publish guidelines on the treatment of transsexual prisoners. [4695]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Prison Service now hopes to publish these guidelines later this year.

Vehicle Registration/Taxation

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what range of penalties is available for conviction of individuals who fail to register their vehicles in their name. [9207]

Paul Goggins: Following summary conviction for failure to supply the correct details for registration, there is a possible maximum fine at level three on the standard scale (currently £1,000). Community rehabilitation and curfew orders are also available under the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

Using an incorrectly registered vehicle became a separate offence on 1 July, likewise with a maximum level three fine on summary conviction. A fixed penalty of £30 may also be offered.

Violent Crime Bill

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the provisions of the Violent Crime Bill relating to replica guns include the sale of (a) such guns and (b) plastic ammunition from catalogues from companies based (i) in the UK and (ii)abroad. [6032]

Hazel Blears: Clause 30 of the Violent Crime Reduction Bill makes it an offence to manufacture, sell or import a realistic imitation firearm whose appearance makes it indistinguishable, for all practical purposes, from a particular make or model of firearm or from a firearm falling within an existing category of firearm. The ban does not cover plastic ammunition. It will apply to all methods of sale. People who buy from companies based abroad will not be able to import their purchases.

6 Jul 2005 : Column 548W

Volunteering

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many volunteers have been (a) recruited and (b) identified by the Experience Corps since its inception; and of those how many (a) have been actively volunteering as a result of being identified and (b) were already actively volunteering. [8710]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 4 July 2005]: The Experience Corps explicitly targeted individuals with little or no previous experience of volunteering. Whilst the Home Office has not continued to monitor volunteers within the Experience Corps, the organisation states that a significant number of these volunteers are still engaged in a range of volunteering opportunities.

Weapons (Possession/Amnesty)

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people have been convicted of the possession of an illegal weapon in each London borough since 1996; [8516]

(2) how many people have been convicted of gun crimes in each year since 1997; [8520]

(3) how many people aged 14 to 24 years old havebeen convicted of carrying an illegal knife since 1997. [8546]

Hazel Blears: The information contained in the first table gives the number of offenders found guilty of Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse", by London borough, 1996 to 2003.

It is not possible to identify the number of offenders found guilty of gun crime as the individual circumstances of the offence are not collected.

The information contained in the second table gives the number of offenders aged 14 to 24, found guilty of having an article with a blade or point in a public place", England and Wales 1997 to 2003.

Statistics on court proceedings for 2004 will be published in the autumn.
Number of offenders⁽⁸⁴⁾found guilty of possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse"⁽⁸⁵⁾, by police force area and magistrates court/London borough, 1996 to 2003

Magistrates courts/borough 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Inner London magistrates courts⁽⁸⁶⁾

City of London Police

Guildhall Justice Rooms 15 8 3 5 2 6 15 10

Metropolitan Police

Bow Street 50 45 40 23 26 25 41 28

Camberwell Green/Tower Bridge 64 84 81 89 88 123 155 118

Greenwich and Woolwich 54 58 69 44 57 67 69 63

Highbury Corner 115 113 89 49 71 52 103 83

Horseferry Road 37 31 49 21 37 37 55 40

Marylebone 40 39 28 22 2 1 2 2

South Western 31 44 33 22 28 51 50 48

Thames 37 39 9 48 79 130 141 148

West London 15 39 24 28 39 39 63 50

Inner London Juvenile Courts⁽⁸⁷⁾ 72 4 — — — — — —

Outer London boroughs

Metropolitan Police

Barking and Dagenham 15 16 22 10 21 33 47 49

Barnet 18 13 10 14 18 24 26 27

Bexley 14 14 21 13 17 10 22 14

Brent 27 39 26 41 41 50 52 37

Bromley 8 13 14 13 12 25 31 15

Croydon 32 58 49 33 38 48 66 45

Ealing 32 29 27 26 29 39 47 30

Enfield 12 24 26 13 15 24 42 45

Haringey 34 44 36 24 40 50 77 70

Harrow 13 14 7 5 8 30 18 18

Havering 8 15 9 15 17 21 33 31

Hillingdon 26 20 26 20 18 25 41 29

Hounslow 9 26 23 23 25 23 23 21

Kingston-upon-Thames 12 20 16 15 14 19 18 18

Merton 16 29 19 11 12 19 15 12

Newham 36 31 32 41 37 71 86 89

Redbridge 18 22 29 15 17 28 37 44

Richmond upon Thames 11 7 3 7 7 18 13 10

Sutton 9 12 12 11 12 15 13 18

Waltham Forest 43 33 30 17 30 48 69 34

Total Metropolitan Police 908 975 859 713 855 1,145 1,455 1,236

Total Greater London 923 983 862 718 857 1,151 1,470 1,246

⁽⁸⁴⁾These data are on the principal offence basis.
⁽⁸⁵⁾Includes possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises".
⁽⁸⁶⁾Information held centrally does not allow a breakdown of cases by borough in the inner London area.
⁽⁸⁷⁾Cases included with adult courts from 1998.

6 Jul 2005 : Column 549W

Number of offenders⁽⁸⁸⁾aged 14 to 24 years found guilty at all courts for having an article with a blade or point in a public place"⁽⁸⁹⁾, England and Wales 1997 to 2003

Found guilty

1997 1,607

1998 1,752

1999 1,622

2000 1,799

2001 2,388

2002 2,606

2003 2,552

⁽⁸⁸⁾These data are on the principal offence basis.
⁽⁸⁹⁾Includes: having an article with a blade or point on school premises"

Magistrates courts/borough	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Inner London magistrates courts⁽⁸⁶⁾
City of London Police
Guildhall Justice Rooms	15	8	3	5	2	6	15	10

Metropolitan Police
Bow Street	50	45	40	23	26	25	41	28
Camberwell Green/Tower Bridge	64	84	81	89	88	123	155	118
Greenwich and Woolwich	54	58	69	44	57	67	69	63
Highbury Corner	115	113	89	49	71	52	103	83
Horseferry Road	37	31	49	21	37	37	55	40
Marylebone	40	39	28	22	2	1	2	2
South Western	31	44	33	22	28	51	50	48
Thames	37	39	9	48	79	130	141	148
West London	15	39	24	28	39	39	63	50
Inner London Juvenile Courts⁽⁸⁷⁾	72	4	—	—	—	—	—	—

Outer London boroughs
Metropolitan Police
Barking and Dagenham	15	16	22	10	21	33	47	49
Barnet	18	13	10	14	18	24	26	27
Bexley	14	14	21	13	17	10	22	14
Brent	27	39	26	41	41	50	52	37
Bromley	8	13	14	13	12	25	31	15
Croydon	32	58	49	33	38	48	66	45
Ealing	32	29	27	26	29	39	47	30
Enfield	12	24	26	13	15	24	42	45
Haringey	34	44	36	24	40	50	77	70
Harrow	13	14	7	5	8	30	18	18
Havering	8	15	9	15	17	21	33	31
Hillingdon	26	20	26	20	18	25	41	29
Hounslow	9	26	23	23	25	23	23	21
Kingston-upon-Thames	12	20	16	15	14	19	18	18
Merton	16	29	19	11	12	19	15	12
Newham	36	31	32	41	37	71	86	89
Redbridge	18	22	29	15	17	28	37	44
Richmond upon Thames	11	7	3	7	7	18	13	10
Sutton	9	12	12	11	12	15	13	18
Waltham Forest	43	33	30	17	30	48	69	34
Total Metropolitan Police	908	975	859	713	855	1,145	1,455	1,236
Total Greater London	923	983	862	718	857	1,151	1,470	1,246

	Found guilty
1997	1,607
1998	1,752
1999	1,622
2000	1,799
2001	2,388
2002	2,606
2003	2,552

Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many weapons have been handed in to police in the High Wycombe area under the recent amnesty; and if he will make a statement. [7602]

Hazel Blears [holding answer 27 June 2005]: The information requested is not collected centrally.

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