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Deaths in Custody
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths have occurred in police custody in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [16375]
Hazel Blears: The total number of deaths of those coming into contact with the police over the last five years of published figures is in the following table.
We recognise that a significant proportion of deaths occur outside the custody suite. That is why we have been working with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Centre for Policing Excellence and other stakeholders to provide guidance on safer detention of detainees on the street, in transport to and from the police station and in the police station. The guidance is due for publication in spring 2006. In addition, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) launched a major research study in July 2005 into fatal police driving accidents. The findings are expected to be published in early 2007.
The revised categories which came into effect on 1 April 2002 are set out in Home Office Circular 13/2002.
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Departmental Legislation
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department from May 1997 up to and including April 2005, broken down by Act. [27591]
Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 11 November 2005]: The latest information available shows that between 1 May 1997 and April 2005 the Home Office created 404 new offences.
Criminal offences may be created for different reasons and do not necessarily extend the scope of the criminal law. For example the Sexual Offences Act 2003 created and repealed a large number of offences without significantly changing the overall coverage of the law.
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 created two new offences. It also created nine racially-aggravated offences (amended by the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 to racially or religiously aggravated offences"), but these are based on existing offences and do not render unlawful behaviour which would otherwise have been lawful. The Data Protection Act 1998 created four new offences.
The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 created 12 new offences. The Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 created four new offences. The Football (Offences and Disorder) Act 1999 created one new offence.
The Terrorism Act 2000 created 38 new offences. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 created four new criminal offences. The Football (Disorder) Act 2000 created two new criminal offences. The Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 created one new criminal offence. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 created three new criminal offences. The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 created 69 new criminal offences. The Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 created three new criminal offences. The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 created two new criminal offences. The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 created 15 new criminal offences. The Vehicle (Crimes) Act 2001 created 12 new criminal offences. The Private Security Industry Act 2001 created 10 new offences. The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 created 19 new offences. The International Criminal Court Act 2001 created two new criminal offences.
The Mobile Telephones (Re-programming) Act 2002 created five new criminal offences. The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 created 19 new
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criminal offences. The Police Reform Act 2002 created 23 new criminal offences. The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 created 28 new criminal offences.
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 created, modified or re-enacted 61 criminal offences. The Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003 created one new criminal offence and modified another. The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 created 15 new criminal offences. The Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 created two new criminal offences.
The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 created two new offences. The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 created eight new criminal offences and modified six criminal offences.
The Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 created three new criminal offences. The Drugs Act 2005 created two new criminal offences. The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 created 26 new criminal offences.
Domestic Violence
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many domestic violence incidents were recorded in each region in Wales in the last five years. [27928]
Hazel Blears: Details of the numbers of domestic violence incidents are collected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) at police force level only (see table).
The Government defines a domestic violence incident as:
Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between adults who are, or have, been intimate partners or family members".
This definition, commonly agreed in 2004–05, is wider than the previous Home Office definition and follows the definition already used by the Association of Chief Police Officers. Police forces are advised to count all incidents initially recorded as domestic violence regardless of the final outcome, e.g. if the incident is finally charged as an assault.
Between 1999–2000 and 2000–01 the definition covered current and former partners but did not include violence between family members over 18. The definition was:
Any violence between current or former partners in an intimate relationship, wherever and whenever the violence occurs. The violence may include physical, sexual, emotional or financial".
(31) Change in definition.
(32) When considering the number of domestic violence incidents for Wales as a whole, there is a discrepancy between the 2000–01 figures for the number of domestic violence incidents provided by HMIC for this PQ and figures generated by HMIC for a PQ in 2002 (Hansard No. 56175 16/05/02). HMIC has advised that this may be due to the changes in the definition of a 'domestic violence incident' over this period which could have led to subsequent changes in the HMIC data.
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Drink Driving
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for drink-driving resulted in custodial sentences in 2004, broken down by police authority. [26749]
Hazel Blears: The information is shown in the table:
Source:
RDS-NOMS 09/11/05
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