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12 Jan 2006 : Column 836W—continued
Police
Tim Farron:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of thelikely impact on the individual and local identity of
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local policing of merging predominantly rural police authorities with authorities that are predominantly urban. [31529]
Hazel Blears: Analysis of responses received in December 2005 from Cumbria Police Force and Police Authority to the recommendations of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC)'s report Closing the Gap" is currently under way. Assessment of the implications for the balance between urban and rural areas will be part of that analysis. It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on the proposals for a particular area until that analysis is complete.
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend the consultation period on the proposed merger of police authorities in England beyond 23 December. [31530]
Hazel Blears: We acknowledge that the timetable set for this review is tight. Given the stark findings of the Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) report, Closing the Gap" it would have been negligent not to have responded quickly. The consultation process did not end with the submission of proposals on 23 December. Police forces and authorities will continue to consult locally with their communities and stakeholders on the best options for their areas. Similarly, no decisions will be made nationally without proper consultation across Government and with stakeholders at national level.
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that Cumbria retains a minimum number of police officers not less than its current staffing level in the event of Cumbria Police Authority merging with one or more other authorities. [31531]
Hazel Blears: Analysis of responses received in December 2005 from Cumbria Police Force and Police Authority to the recommendations of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC)'s report Closing the Gap" is currently under way. It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on the proposals for a particular area until that analysis is complete. Nonetheless, our commitment to ensure that every neighbourhood has a dedicated neighbourhood policing team by 2008 remains absolute. The creation of strategic forces is complimentary to that commitment and intended to reduce abstractions of neighbourhood officers to deal with major incidents or investigations elsewhere.
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the likely impact on Cumbria Police Authority's excellent rating for citizen-focused policing of a merger of the authority with other more urban police authorities. [31532]
Hazel Blears:
Analysis of responses received in December 2005 from Cumbria Police Force and Police Authority to the recommendations of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC)'s report Closing the Gap" is currently under way. Assessment of the implications for citizen focused policing and the balance between urban and rural areas will be part of that analysis. It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on the proposals for a particular area until that analysis is complete.
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Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many support staff are employed by each police force in the West Midlands Region. [40682]
Hazel Blears: The breakdown of police service strength for 31 March 2005 was published on 25 July 2005 and is available in the Library of the House and on:
Within this publication, figures for the breakdown of police staff in all police forces are available in Table 8a and 8b.
Prisoners
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 57W, on prisoners, if he will provide a breakdown of the (a) offences and (b) number of each offence committed included in the 'Other' category. [31119]
Fiona Mactaggart: The types of offence included in the category of other" are:
The number of each offence committed and included in the other" category is not readily available and it would incur disproportionate cost to provide it.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 57W, on prisoners, if he will break down the information provided in the category of violence against the person by specific offence. [31252]
Fiona Mactaggart:
From the start of the home detention curfew (HDC) scheme in January 1999, to 31 October 2005.119,000 offenders have been released onto the HDC scheme. The number of offences of
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violence against the person offences which offenders have committed during the HDC period, as reported to the Home Office, is 886.
The total has been adjusted to incorporate additional information received since the answer given on 7 November.
The following table breaks down this figure by specific offences.
Prisons
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what criteria are used to determine the use of (a) protective shields and (b) body armour in prisons; when these criteria were last reviewed; and if he will make a statement; [40017]
(2) under what circumstances an inmate is designated suitable for (a) a three-man unlock and (b) a six-man unlock; and if he will make a statement; [40018]
(3) what the criteria are for prisoners to be admitted to a witness protection unit; who authorises detention in such a unit; where these units are located; and if he will make a statement; [40019]
(4) when (a) his Department and (b) the Prison Service last issued guidance regarding the handling of contraband smuggled into the prison estate; on what basis this new guidance was issued; when its effects will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement; [40026]
(5) what the risk assessment required is for the use of protective shields for inmates on suicide watch in prison; and if he will make a statement. [40027]
Fiona Mactaggart:
When a prisoner is armed, or suspected of being armed, or is violent and has access to weapons, approved protective personal equipment including protective shields, leg guards and helmets must be worn and/or used by staff attending an incident. The assessment as to whether personal protective
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equipment is necessary is made by the supervisor of the control and restraint team responding to the incident. In the case of a prisoner identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm, the prisoner's care plan would be available for the supervisor to consult to determine how such action would affect the individual.
National Control and Restraint instructors, who are required to attend incidents such as a hostage situation, are equipped with body armour that provides stab and ballistic protection. The use of personal protective equipment was last reviewed in preparation for the publication of Prison Service Order 1600 'Use Of Force' in July 2005.
The deployment of a three-officer team is the approved method of dealing with a violent or unco-operative prisoner. It is only used as a last resort after other methods, for example, by persuasion or negotiation, have been exhausted. There may be occasions when local risk assessment, based on the prisoner's recent history of behaviour, requires that more than one three-officer team is necessary to meet the threat of violence posed by a prisoner.
Not everyone who acts as a protected witness needs to be admitted to a protected witness unit (PWU). Other methods can be used to protect such people, such as being located in a vulnerable prisoner or other secure unit. An allocation to a PWU is made after completion of a risk assessment and at the direction of the Prison Service in accordance with the Prison Act 1952. The prisoner has usually been an active participant in a serious crime and has elected to identify, provide information, or give evidence against others involved in serious crime, thus placing himself at risk. The Service does not openly disclose where PWU are located for security reasons and will write separately on this matter.
The most recent guidance on the handling and preservation of illicit items found in prisons, such as drugs, weapons etc., was published in the Prison Service's National Security Framework (NSF) in 2003. The current guidance will be reviewed in line with the next review of the NSF in September 2006. The document is reviewed on an 18 monthly basis.
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