| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
21 Nov 2005 : Column 1748W—continued
Drug/Driving Offences
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what drugs are most commonly involved in convictions for driving while under the influence of drugs. [28308]
Paul Goggins: Information held centrally on the Home Office Court Proceedings database does not identify separately the types of drugs involved in convictions for drug driving. There are, however, data for England and Wales which relate to drug tests processed in drug driving cases by the Forensic Science Service between April 2000 and March 2004. These show the following drugs were indicated as present in the following frequencies: Cannabis 72 per cent; Benzodiazepines 35 per cent; Opiates 30 per cent; Cocaine 30 per cent; Amphetamines 17 per cent; and Methadone 9 per cent. The figures are for polydrug use and therefore add up to more than 100 per cent.
Drug-related Crime
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on tackling the link between drug addiction and shoplifting. [21063]
21 Nov 2005 : Column 1749W
Paul Goggins: Individuals who are charged with theft—which includes shoplifting—in the 97 areas with the highest levels of acquisitive crime are tested for Class A drugs as a part of the Government's Drug Interventions Programme (DIP). Drug testing is one of a number of interventions aimed at identifying drug misusing offenders and persuading them to engage in drug treatment and support.
The Drug Interventions Programme continues to have a positive impact in communities not only by the interventions that it offers but also by delivering a more integrated approach by local agencies to the problems of offenders. Since the programme began, over 29,000 offenders from DIP intensive areas have entered treatment. Acquisitive crime—to which drug related crime (including theft) makes a substantial contribution—is going down and fell by 12 per cent. in the year to April 2005 compared with the previous 12 months.
Electronic Tagging
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Milton Keynes who were tagged on early release from prison breached the rules governing their early release in each of the last five years. [20828]
Fiona Mactaggart: The number of prisoners who were released on the Home Detention Curfew scheme (HOC) from Her Majesty's Prison Woodhill who breached the rules governing their early release for each of the last five years is provided in the table. The area in which electronically tagged prisoners reside upon release is not recorded centrally.
| Discharged | Recalled(85) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 94 | 2 |
| 2001 | 38 | 2 |
| 2002 | 92 | 5 |
| 2003 | 204 | 25 |
| 2004 | 167 | 25 |
(85) Some recalls from HOC are due to the curfewee no longer being able to be monitored through no fault of their own. For example where he or she loses accommodation through no fault of their own.
EU Travel Bans
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead of 19 October 2005, Official Report, column 1033W, on EU travel bans, which agencies hold the information. [22583]
Mr. McNulty: The details of those people subject to EU travel bans are detailed on the European Union's website at the following link: http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/cfsp/sanctions/measures.htm.
The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) also hold this information.
Information relating to those who may have already entered the UK in breach of an EU travel ban could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
21 Nov 2005 : Column 1750W
Expert Evidence
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reforms have been introduced to strengthen the quality and objectivity of expert evidence since 2001. [16464]
Fiona Mactaggart: A wide range of changes have been introduced or are under consideration to strengthen the quality and objectivity of expert evidence in the courts. Recent or current initiatives include the following:
Publication of a Code of Practice and a Code of Conduct for registered forensic pathologists have been issued.
A recent Home Office consultation exercise on the need for and possible approaches to quality regulation in forensic science.
The Chief Medical Officer. Sir Liam Donaldson, is due to report before the end of the year on the availability of medical expert witnesses to the courts.
A consultation exercise (which closed on 28 October) led by the Department for Education and Skills is consulting on proposals which reflect recommendations from the report by the Working Group led by Baroness Kennedy on Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (published September 2004).
The recent Legal Services Commission consultation paper on the Use of Experts, which included issues relating to the quality of experts.
By December 2005 the Crown Prosecution Service plans to produce guidance for expert witnesses on the importance of fair disclosure of all prosecution material, and the role of experts in the process. This guidance should strengthen the quality and objectivity of prosecution expert evidence in future cases.
The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee recently issued for consultation a set of draft rules on the management in court of expert evidence.
In September 2005 an Experts Protocol for the civil courts came into force, which gives guidance to experts and those who instruct them.
Fatal Driving Offences
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to introduce an offence of causing death by driving without due care and attention which would attract a greater penalty than the offence of driving without due care and attention. [24691]
Fiona Mactaggart: The Government published a consultation paper on the Review of Road Traffic Offences involving Bad Driving on 3 February 2005. The consultation period ended on 6 May 2005 this year and resulted in 185 responses from individuals and organisations and was the subject of 11 petitions.
The Government have now published a summary of that consultation and announced a number of proposals it wishes to take forward arising from the Review. These include a new offence of causing death by careless driving carrying a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. A measure creating the new offence was tabled on 28 October in the House of Lords as an amendment to the Road Safety Bill currently before Parliament.
Firearms Certificates
Mike Penning:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many temporary firearms
21 Nov 2005 : Column 1751W
certificates have been issued by Hertfordshire police in each of the past six months to holders of firearms certificates who are awaiting renewals. [27825]
Hazel Blears: I understand that no temporary firearms certificates have been issued by the Hertfordshire Constabulary in any of the past six months to holders of firearms certificates who are awaiting renewals.
Fireworks
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been for (a) breaking of the curfew for the use of category 3 and above fireworks and (b) the unlawful possession of category 4 fireworks since the Fireworks Regulations 2004 came into force, broken down by police force. [26380]
Hazel Blears: Fireworks Regulations 2004 came into force on 7 August 2004 and 1 January 2005, making permanent the Fireworks Regulations 2003 (Emergency Regulations).
Court statistics for 2004 will be available in late November and 2005 data will be available in autumn 2006.
Offences under the Fireworks Regulations 2004 (made under section 11 of the Fireworks Act 2003) for breach of the national fireworks curfew and the illegal possession of category 4 fireworks can also attract penalty notices for disorder. The numbers of penalty notices issued by police force area are provided in the following table.
(86) Offence created by Fireworks Regulations 2004 under s11 Fireworks Act 2003.
(87) January-July provisional data.
21 Nov 2005 : Column 1752W
Mr. Anthony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fines have been imposed by the police in relation to offences relating to fireworks in (a) Great Yarmouth constituency, (b) Norfolk, (c) the Eastern Region and (d) England and Wales since the Fireworks Act 2003. [28019]
Hazel Blears: Since 11 October 2004 the police have had powers to issue penalty notices for disorder for four specific firework offences. The number of penalty notices issued for firework offences in Norfolk, the Eastern Region and England and Wales is shown in the table. Centrally available data do not identify Great Yarmouth separately.
| 2005 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police force area | Throwing fireworks | Breach of fireworks curfew | Possession of a category 4 firework | Possession by under 18 of adult firework |
| Norfolk | 1 | — | — | — |
| Eastern Region | 11 | 3 | — | — |
| England and Wales 324 | 11 | 8 | 4 | |
(88) January-September provisional data
Source:
RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |