| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
2 Nov 2005 : Column 1101W—continued
Bomb Hoaxes
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to police forces in England and Wales of dealing with hoax bomb threats has been since 7 July. [21033]
Hazel Blears: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will to reply to the letter to him dated 6 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mrs. Saira Ahmed. [19510]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I wrote to my right hon. Friend for Manchester, Gorton on 1 November 2005.
Council Tax
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) fined and (b) jailed for offences relating to the non-payment of council tax, including disregarding court orders to pay council tax, since May 1997. [17499]
2 Nov 2005 : Column 1102W
Fiona Mactaggart: The information on those received into prison establishments by way of enforcement proceedings for council tax is shown in the table. The information on those fined is not recorded centrally.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 357 |
| 1998 | 194 |
| 1999 | 101 |
| 2000 | 41 |
| 2001 | 29 |
| 2002 | 21 |
| 2003 | 30 |
| 2004 | 26 |
Crime (Easington)
John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of (a) violent crime, (b) sexual crime, (c) robbery and (d) car crime have taken place in Easington constituency in the last three years; and what the rates of (i) detection and (ii) prosecution have been in each category of crime. [20349]
Hazel Blears: The available information relates to the number of offences recorded for Easington Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP), and is given in the table.
Statistics on detections and prosecutions for Easington are not available.
(19) The Sexual Offences Act 2003, introduced in May 2004, altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences.
Criminal Cases Review Commission
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many process improvement projects were active in the Criminal Cases Review Commission during 2003–04; and what issues they addressed. [21728]
Fiona Mactaggart: During 2003–04 the Commission had six process improvement groups that were active which considered the following areas: case documentation, the Commission's relationship with applicants, external files, casework best practice, use of Investigations and Legal Advisers, and Statements of Reasons.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) complainants and (b) complaints there were to the Criminal Cases Review Commission in 2003–04; and how many cases were involved. [21793]
2 Nov 2005 : Column 1103W
Fiona Mactaggart: In 2003–04 55 complainants made 67 complaints about 64 cases.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints to the Criminal Cases Review Commission in 2004–05 concerned case review actions or decisions; and how many resulted in a change to a case decision. [21794]
Fiona Mactaggart: In 2004–05 the Commission received 69 complaints—of which 44 concerned case review actions or decisions. In four of them the Commission reopened the case.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Criminal Cases Review Commission received in grant aid in the year ending 31 March (a) 2004 and (b) 2005. [21816]
Fiona Mactaggart: In 2003–04 the Criminal Cases Review Commission received grant aid of £7.8 million and in 2004–05 the figure was £5.75 million.
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applications for compensation made on behalf of murder victims have been refused due to the victim having been judged to have provoked their attack under section 13d of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2001 in each year of its operation; [21260]
(2) how many applications for compensation made on behalf of murder victims have been refused due to the victim having been judged to have provoked their attack under section 13d of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 1996, in each year of its operation. [21261]
Fiona Mactaggart: The information in the following table has been provided by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. The figures relate to cases finalised in the years in question.
| 2001 scheme | 1996 scheme | |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | n/a | 83 |
| 2001–02 | 10 | 64 |
| 2002–03 | 58 | 52 |
| 2003–04 | 76 | 4 |
| 2004–05 | 113 | 11 |
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2001. [21264]
Fiona Mactaggart: We are aiming to issue, before the end of 2005, a consultation paper on victims' services. It is likely to include ideas about the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. There will be a three-month period for consultation.
Deaths in Custody
Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for a public notice to be inserted on the Prison Service website on the occasion of every death in custody. [22061]
2 Nov 2005 : Column 1104W
Fiona Mactaggart: There are no current plans for such notices to be placed on the Prison Service website.
Disclosure Powers
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to address the request from the Criminal Cases Review Commission for greater powers (a) to enforce disclosure on solicitors and others and (b) to interview witnesses overseas; and if he will make a statement. [17098]
Fiona Mactaggart: The information is as follows:
(a) At present the powers of the Criminal Cases Review Commission to compel the production of material are limited to material held by public bodies. The proposal that the Commission should have powers to compel disclosure to solicitors and others raises the question of whether it's powers should extend to cover private bodies and individuals. It has been decided to take this forward as part of the Government's wider consideration of a possible new statutory third party disclosure scheme, as recommended by Sir Robin Auld in his Review of the Criminal Courts of England and Wales. An interdepartmental working party has recently been established to undertake this work, which is concerned with the disclosure of material by any person or body other than the defendant for the purposes of criminal investigations and proceedings.
(b) Agreement has been reached in principal to extend the powers of the Criminal Cases Review Commission to seek assistance from foreign authorities by amending the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003. The Home Secretary is waiting for a suitable legislative vehicle in which to include the amendment to bring about this change.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |