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Antisocial Behaviour

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour in Bexhill-on-Sea. [31540]

Hazel Blears: Dealing with antisocial behaviour is a priority for the Safer Rother Partnership; the partnership was the first Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) in the area to recruit a dedicated worker to support young people who are at risk of an antisocial behavioural order (ASBO) or acceptable behaviour contract (ABC) and those who have an ASBO or ABC to reduce the incidence of breaches. This worker works with all the agencies through a specific Joint Information Sharing Group that meets on a monthly basis to identify young people at risk of or involved in antisocial behaviour and/or criminal activity. This group identifies and carries out multi-agency work and diversionary interventions. Six ABCs and six ASBOs have been issued in Bexhill to date.

In addition, there have been joint operations with Sussex police and Trading Standards to reduce the supply and availability of alcohol to young people within the Bexhill area. This operation successfully reduced violent crime by 24 per cent. over the summer and is now operating over the Christmas and new year period.

Three dispersal orders have operated across Bexhill over the last year which have been well received by local residents and businesses and reduced ASB in that area.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued to citizens living in Bexhill-on-Sea. [31541]

Hazel Blears: Data on antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) are not available below local authority area (LAA) level. A table is available on the crime reduction website at www.crimereduction.gov.uk giving the number of ASBOs issued in England and Wales where restrictions have been imposed in LAAs.
 
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Appeals (Foreign Evidence)

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons evidence obtained in another EU country and used to convict a person in a British court cannot be re-examined on appeal. [30012]

Fiona Mactaggart: We are not aware of any rule to this effect. Restrictions on the use of evidence obtained abroad are found in section 9 of the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003. Section 9(2) says that evidence can be used only for the purposes for which it was obtained. A request should normally ask for evidence to be used for investigation, trial and any subsequent judicial proceedings (including of course an appeal). If that is done then the evidence can be used for the appeal. It is conceivable that a deficient letter of request might mention only the initial trial, in which case it might be insufficient to allow for the evidence to be used at an appeal. If this occurred, it could be rectified by sending a second letter or request for the purposes of the appeal.

Section 9(3) requires that the evidence be returned once it is no longer required. If evidence has been returned, or if it consisted of live witnesses, then a further letter of request may again be necessary for the purposes of the appeal.

Asylum Seekers

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people arrived in the UK and claimed asylum in each quarter since 1 January; and how many of the initial decisions on the applications were (a) refused asylum, (b) granted asylum, (c) granted humanitarian protection and (d) granted discretionary leave to remain. [32816]

Mr. McNulty: There were 7,015 asylum applications (excluding dependants) in Q1 2005, 6,220 in Q2 and 6,315 in Q3. Information on initial decisions on these applications is unavailable and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

However, initial decisions on asylum applications and their outcomes made in the first three quarters of 2005 are available in the Q3 2005 Asylum Bulletin published on 22 November 2005 on the Home Office research development and statistics directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1 .html.

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy on deportations of failed asylum-seekers to Zimbabwe. [21820]

Mr. McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 8 November 2005, Official Report, column 353W to the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr. Vaizey).

Aviation Security

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females have been (i) charged with and (ii) convicted of offences under sections (A) 21A, (B) 21B, (C) 21C, (D) 21D and (E) 21E of the Aviation Security Act 1982 in each year since 1993. [29296]

 
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Fiona Mactaggart: Statistics on the number of persons charged with a crime are not centrally collected.

Data collected on the Home Office Court Proceedings database for offences under these sections of the Aviation Act 1982 form part of a miscellaneous group, which cannot be separately identified.

Basic Command Units

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for theHome Department which local authority wards arewithin each basic command unit in England and Wales. [17500]

Hazel Blears: In 2004 the research, development and statistics department (RDS) at the Home Office compiled a table detailing which local authority wards comprised each basic command unit in England and Wales. The majority of this information is still accurate and is available in the Library. Basic command unit and Ward boundaries are subject to change and in the absence of any current requirement for such data this table has not been updated. Any such updating could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

Bruche Police Training Centre

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that local people are involved in any decision on the future of the former police training centre at Bruche. [16891]

Hazel Blears: It is not yet possible to begin consultations with the local community because we do not yet know what options for use of the site might emerge for discussion. This will depend largely on who takes an interest in purchasing the site after it closes in May 2006.

Once this becomes clearer, we are very keen to work closely with Centrex to ensure an effective and early dialogue with local people over the future use of the sites at Bruche, Cwmbran and Ashford. Of course, any change in the use of sites will require planning permission and local authorities will need to involve local people in consultation over their decisions on any application. We would certainly welcome the involvement in all such discussions and consultations of the hon. Members representing communities affected by closure of Centrex sites.

Child Deaths (Prisons)

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many child deaths there have been in penal custody in each year since 1997. [30453]

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested is given in the table:
Deaths of young people under 18 in penal custody

	Number of deaths
1997	0
1998	3
1999	2
2000	3
2001	3
2002	2
2003	0
2004	2
2005	2
Total	17

 
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Child Pornography

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the (a) internet service providers and (b) mobile phone companies who are using their technology to block access to child pornography websites; [21387]

(2) what action his Department is taking to encourage (a) internet service providers and (b) mobile phone companies to block customers' access to child pornography websites following the Prime Minister's statement of 21 July 2004, Official Report, column 327. [21733]

Paul Goggins: We are working closely with the UK Internet Service Provider (ISP) industry, mobile operators and the Internet Watch Foundation as they pioneer solutions that will block their customers' requests to access websites that include child abuse images. On 6 September, the DTI Minister with responsibility for e-commerce, my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Alun Michael), and I had a meeting with CEOs, or their representatives, from all the large ISPs and mobile phone operators. Until recently blocking sites was not a feasible option, but with improvements in technology it is now, and we welcome the efforts and

commitment of major players in the industry in developing blocking solutions. All the major fixed and mobile ISPs either have solutions in place, or are committed to having them in place the near future. Given the sensitivity around this issue, not all companies wish to be named. Government will continue to work with the industry to restrict access to child abuse images.

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