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Racial Attacks (Gravesham)

Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many racially motivated attacks there have been in Gravesham in each year since 1997. [20086]

Hazel Blears: The available information relates to recorded offences of racially or religiously aggravated common assault and less serious wounding. The statistics relate to the Gravesham crime and disorder reduction partnership area and are given in the tables. In the recorded crime series it is not possible to separately
 
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identify those offences which are racially or religiously aggravated. This is because at the time of recording it may not be possible for the police to determine whether the offence has a racial or religious motivation.
Table 1: Recorded offences of racially or religiously aggravated assault in the Gravesham crime and disorder reduction partnership area—2000–01 and 2001–02

Number of offences
Offence	2000–01	2001–02
Racially or religiously aggravated less serious wounding	5	10
Racially or religiously aggravated common assault	8	11

Note:
The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.





Table 2: Recorded offences of racially or religiously aggravated assault in the Gravesham crime and disorder reduction partnership area—2002–03 to 2004–05

Number of offences
Offence	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05
Racially or religiously aggravated less serious wounding	8	8	17
Racially or religiously aggravated common assault	8	7	8

Note:
The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Road Traffic Act

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the operation of section 15A of the Road Traffic 1988. [20100]

Paul Goggins: This section of the Road Traffic Act governs the provision of safety equipment for children in motor vehicles. We believe it serves a useful road safety purpose. Its enforcement is a matter for the police. Chief officers of police are best placed to decide on its level of priority in the light of its perceived importance, conflicting demands on police time and resources, and local circumstances.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the operation of section 41A of the Road Traffic Act 1988. [20113]

Paul Goggins: Section 41A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 as amended makes it an offence for a person not to comply with certain construction and use requirements, to use on a road a motor vehicle or trailer which does not comply with such requirements, or to cause or permit a motor vehicle or trailer to be so used. We believe the offences serve a useful road safety purpose. Their enforcement is a matter for the police, who periodically conduct roadside checks to detect those committing them. Chief officers of police are best placed to decide on
 
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the level of priority that should be given to these offences in the light of their perceived seriousness, conflicting demands on police time and resources, and local circumstances.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the operation of sections 22 and 22A of the Road Traffic Act 1988. [20114]

Hazel Blears: These provisions make it an offence to leave a vehicle in a dangerous position and to cause danger to other road users. Their enforcement is a matter for the police. Chief officers of police are best placed to decide on the level of priority that should be given to these offences in the light of their perceived seriousness, conflicting demands on police time and resources, and local circumstances

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the operation of (a) section 16, (b) section 27 and (c) sections 28 and 29 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. [20116]

Hazel Blears: These provisions govern the wearing of protective headgear by motorcyclists, the keeping of dogs on a lead on designated roads and dangerous, careless and inconsiderate cycling. We believe the offences they create serve a useful road safety purpose. Their enforcement is a matter for the police. Chief officers of police are best placed to decide on the level of priority that should be given to these offences in the light of their perceived seriousness, conflicting demands on police time and resources, and local circumstances.

School of Economic Science

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the operation of religious cults, with particular reference to the School of Economic Science. [19842]

Paul Goggins: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary recently met with the Head of INFORM (Information Network Focusing on Religious Movement) to discuss a range of issues related to cults in the UK. My right hon. Friend regards this as a serious issue and will keep the situation under review. We have not had any recent representations from the School of Economic Science, but we do share the concerns many people have on the activity of cults.

Secure Training Centres

Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people were admitted to secure training centres for breaking antisocial behaviour orders in each of the last six months. [16919]

Hazel Blears: Antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) breach data are currently available for period 1 June to 31 December 2003. The number of persons aged 10 to 17 who breached their ASBO (on one or more occasions) during this period is 392. Of these 392 individuals, 179 received a custodial sentence of which 30 went to custody for breach of an ASBO alone.
 
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We do not hold figures on individuals who having breached their orders, who were admitted to secure training centres in the last six months.

Sex Abuse (Gradual Disclosure)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has evaluated on gradual disclosure of sex abuse; and if he will make a statement. [20174]

Hazel Blears: Matters relating to disclosure, and other investigative techniques, are an operational matter for the police. Any research on the gradual disclosure of sex abuse will inform the Association of Chief Police Officers' current consideration of the handbook for senior investigating officers which is currently being revised.

Stolen Artworks

Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces in England and Wales maintain a website displaying art and artefacts stolen in their area. [20545]

Hazel Blears: We are only aware of one police force who maintain a specific website on arts and antiques—the Metropolitan Police Service. However, others do list details of stolen items on their websites, either routinely or during a particular appeal, and the items listed sometimes include arts or antiques. We do not, however, maintain a list of forces who may or may not have done this.

Under-age Offenders

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children under the age of 10 years would have been charged in the last 12 months if they had been over the age of criminality when they committed their misdemeanour. [21032]

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Victims Fund

Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been disbursed by the Victims Fund in (a) England and Wales and (b) the London borough of Croydon (i) in total and (ii) per head of population. [17572]

Fiona Mactaggart: £4 million additional funding over two years has been placed in the Victims Fund to support the development of services for victims of sexual offending in England and Wales. Of the 47 organisations that were awarded grant funding in the 2004–05 financial year, one organisation was based in Croydon. That organisation received £27,080. The same organisation was one of 61 organisations that successfully applied for funding in the 2005–06 financial year and was awarded an individual grant of £40,000.

The amount of funding in total and per head of population in (a) England and Wales and (b) Croydon, based on census 2001 data for those areas is shown in the table:
 
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	England and Wales	Croydon
Total population(22)	52,041,916	330,587
Grant funding 2004–06 (£)	(23)4 million	87,080
Total (£) per head(24)	7.69	26.34

⁽²²⁾ The population figures are taken from the 2001 census.
⁽²³⁾ Scheme total.
⁽²⁴⁾ Figures for the amount of funding per head of population in Croydon/England and Wales have been calculated using available/awarded funding between the 2004–05 and 2005–06 financial years and population data from the 2001 census.

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